mweider, I realize my zone is more mild, but I was having the same problems with Gaillardia as you. So, I'm doing something that seems to be working really well. If you try it, I hope it works for you, too! Before planting, I dig a hole about 9 inches deep and 9 inches wide. I mix most of the soil from that hole with a few handfuls of sand and grit. Before placing that mix in the hole, I place about 1 inch layer of rocks or stones in the bottom of the hole. Then after filling the hole with the new soil mix, I plant the Gaillardia in there, but I plant it about 1 inch high. I then surround the plant with a 1 inch layer of dark rocks about 4 inches all around the plants base. I've been doing this lately with perennials that require good drainage and especially anything that in the past I have tended to lose over the winter. (Sempervivum, Phlox subulata, Iris pallida, Rosemary, Thyme, Lavender, Cerastium, Eryngium, smaller Sedums, Euphorbia, Agastache, etc.). Happy Gardening!

Check to see if you might have Gaillardia Arizona Sun. I picked this plant up in trade this year and it reminds me of a smaller version of Goblin, which I used to grow. It's so cute, and makes a nice edge-of-the-border plant. I still have buds on AS but our temps are below normal and have been for a couple of weeks. We might get some rain mixed with snow and freezing temperatures, so I probably will not get to see any more blooms. Linda

Hi Leecb, Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Burgandy' is a hybrid plant between Gaillardia aristata (perennial) and Gaillardia pulchella (annual). This hybrid is supposedly a short-lived perennial. Yours is a very pretty Gaillardia, even if it doesn't look like the original Burgandy! Most of the seeds from a cultivar or hybrid do not seed true. I winter-sowed seeds from both G. aristata and G. pulchella. They are very drought-tolerant and I planted them in my "Xeric" garden. Here are my first WS blooms of Gaillardia pulchella - apparently there is some natural variation in the coloring, because the first bloomer has yellow tips and the 2nd is solid red.

bakemom My burgundy lasted for two years before it died. But I loved the color and number of blooms so much that I bought another this year and WS'd some seeds. My goblin is four years old and still growing strong. I WS'd Golden Goblin and Arizona Sun this past winter so this will be the first year for them for me. I also have Mandarin, Summers Kiss, Fanfare and Sun for the first time. I am going to save seed to WS. I am also going to try mulching all my gaillardia this winter. I am hoping that will help keep them going a year or two longer. I read in a propgation book that once the gaillardia breaks dormancy in spring, you should take a trowel and make a few cuts throw the roots and more plants will sprout up through those cuts. I tried it on my Fanfare (just one trowel cut because I was afreaid I would kill it) and I have a lot of teeny plants coming up in that area. So I am going to try it on a few more plants. Diane