4/28/2015
More for the “Year Of”
Jennifer Polanz
In February, we reported on the National Garden Bureau’s (NGA) announcement of 2015 as the Year of the Coleus. But wait, there’s more! It’s also the Year of the Gaillardia (for perennials) and the Year of the Sweet Pepper (for edibles).
Gaillardia is a high-powered performer in the garden that blooms heavily summer through fall and doesn’t mind the heat. According to NGA, this plant, with the common name blanket flower, has a legend attached where a Native American weaver was so good at her craft that when she died, her grave was blanketed with flowers colored as brilliantly as the blankets she made.
Pictured: Gaillardia Arizona Sun and Sweet Pepper Cajun Belle. Photo credit: National Garden Bureau
Sweet peppers garnered this year’s accolades for their nutrient levels, multitude of colors and because they’re easy to grow. Fun fact from NGA: sweet peppers are actually a fruit because they come from a flowering plant and contain seeds, but are treated and spoken of as a vegetable.
A side note going back to coleus—we received a note from an astute reader pointing out a fact we omitted in our write-up in February: there are now many varieties of coleus that thrive in the sun, making it a very versatile plant!
Retailers can find high-resolution images, signs and fliers available for free download on all three “Year Of” plants at
www.ngb.org/downloads.
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