Dahlias

Gran’s Green Vase

| Flower Roberts

There were a few things from my Gran’s house that I really wanted. One of the must-haves was this green vase. It sat on the window sill of her dining room. Sometimes it held a Magnolia bloom from the tree by the drive.

When a magnolia was out of season, it held a plastic waterlily bloom with leaves. (It is being washed as I type. It was covered in dust.)

I was happy to have a Snow Country Dahlia bloom to fit the vase today. Rose and I brought in many flowers, herbs, tomatoes and peppers. I cannot predict when I will have time to harvest before the freeze, so we did most of that today. Drying herbs blog will follow.

I hope my family sees this blog and remembers the lovely home of our precious grandparents.

The object is treasured for the memories it holds.

FLOW

Neglected Green Babies

| Flower Roberts

I have tried to explain to people that a plant acquistition is an adoption with responsibilities. I am serious about this. Plants know things and communicate in their own way with posture and color just like humans, only more subtle.

My neglected dahlias are falling over with heavy blooms.

I let Mr. Flower use their tomato cages for his garden, thinking I would get more later. The Dahlia row looks like a junk yard of fences, sticks and stakes that I have haphazardly added to the unsupported bloomers. Bless them!

My beautiful, messy life!

This mess is a visual representation of my present life. A gorgeous ghetto of growing problems, half-ass solutions and sincere love. I would prefer neat and tidy. I won’t hold my breath waiting for that.

Thomas A. Edison dahlia

I will go out into the garden in my pajamas and enjoy my floppy Dahlias this morning before I take off again to take care of needs elsewhere.

Cafe’ au Lait dahlia

My apologies to my flowers and friends. Family comes first.

FLOWER

Dahlia Disaster

| Flower Roberts

I try really hard to be a good ‘plant mama’ but I fall short each spring and summer. This year it was the dahlias that took a hit.

The dahlia ‘Nonette’ got left in the bag until I discovered it in June when I almost threw it away. It could not be revived.

The lovely ‘Kelvin Floodlight’ got a disease again this year. My overzealous treatment killed it. I will miss its giant yellow blooms.

I had two batches of ‘Thomas Edison’ dahlia. My usual potting soil messed up the mix this year. It was too wet. Many of my plants rotted including one pot of ‘Thomas Edison.’

‘Cafe Au Lait’ is spindly and floppy with no blooms. I keep propping it up, hoping for improvements. The weather has cooled so there is hope for it.

I know this row looks lovely from afar. I know how it could look. That’s my problem. Gardener’s Guilt is real!

The “glass is half empty” and the row is half empty. I am extra grateful for ‘Firepot’ and ‘Snow Country.’

They have survived the many mishaps and are happily blooming.

FLOW

Dahlia Row

| Flower Roberts

There are some new beauties in the line-up this year.

These were introduced to me last fall by the famous pianist, Harold Brown of Bramwell.

The three new faces are Nonette, Cafe’ au lait and Kelvin Floodlight.

I ordered these from Old House Gardens. https://oldhousegardens.com/

The Kelvin Floodlight photo does not do it justice.

Kelvin Floodlight Dahlia

Cafe’ au Lait is even more gorgeous than I expected.

Cafe’ au lait dahlia

Nonette needed some extra water to make bigger flowers, but did not disappoint.

Nonette Dahlia

My heart still belongs to my three favorites Thomas Edison, Firepot and Snow Country.

Thomas A Edison Dahlia

Firepot Dahlia

Snow Country Dahlia

Dahlia Row has taken a lot of feeding, composting and watering BUT these blooms are worth it.

Dahlias

Flower

Steinway in Bramwell

| Flower Roberts

It’s an amazing life when you go to West Virginia to trail ride

and end up in a mansion listening to a famous pianist serenade on a Steinway.

It’s all because of Thomas Edison, the dahlia that is.

We were strolling around the charming town of Bramwell, West Virginia

after enjoying a milkshake at the Corner Cafe’

when I spied my friend Thomas Edison over a fence.

Of course I had no choice but to intrude into the lovely garden to speak with the owner.

He turned out to be the world renowned pianist, Harold Brown.

After introducing me to his dahlias ( later post), he invited us in for a quick concert

He gifted us a signed CD which we listened to on our ride home.

The magic is back.

Thanks to Harold Brown, Thomas Edison and Mr. Flower.

Stay tuned folks. There is much more to come!

FLOW

Cool Dahlias

| Flower Roberts

Dahlias need four things to thrive.

First, they need rich soil. I enrich mine with homemade compost and mushroom compost.

Second, they need a lot of water to grow. Mine are at the bottom of a hill with a berm.

Third, they must be supported. I have been negligent in this so excuse the messy stake job.

The fourth thing that MUST happen is cool weather. Dahlias struggle until it cools down.

Then they show off with giant, heavy blooms.

These are my three favorites, Thomas A Edison, Snow Country and Firepot.

Thomas A. Edison Dahlia
Snow Country Dahlia
Firepot Dahlia

I love the cool weather, also.  I have wilted and withered all summer. Hooray fall!

FLOW

Worth the Water

| Flower Roberts

I have had to water these dahlias during the drought.

I knew if I could just get them through to cooler weather

they would return to their glorious blooming condition.

I have been rewarded for my efforts.

They have pulled through and prospered.

Definitely worth the water.

Flow

Dahlia Row

| Flower Roberts

I usually do not plant in rows.

But I envisioned a bed of tall dahlias along this walkway through a hill.

I thought it would be great to look down on the blooms.

IMG_7927
Snow Country Dahlia

Last fall I amended the soil with all the ingredients dahlias love…

compost from the kitchen, bunny poop and mushroom compost.

IMG_7929
Firepot dahlia

I even topped them off with a special stinky concoction that included fish emulsion and Epsom salts.

They have grown wonderfully.

IMG_7926
Thomas Edison dahlia

They were so beefy they needed extra staking.

I think my dahlias are happy in a row.

Don’t you?

FLOW

 

The Four D’s for Dahlias

| Flower Roberts

Dahlias cannot survive our winters here in North Carolina,

so they must be stored inside over the winter.

There is a process to doing this.  I call the steps of the process the “Dahlia Four D’s.”

The first D is to let them die.  Okay not really, but they must be killed back by frost to know to go dormant.

The second D is for dig.  I chop off the dead stems to about three inches height.  Then I dig around then down. That way I do not chop the tubers with my shovel.

The third D is for dry.  They need to spend a few days drying before the soil is removed.

The forth D is for divide.  Once the tubers have dried a bit, they shrink a little. This makes it easier to untangle the separate stems.

Store these in peat and/or vermiculite. I use boxes that I can stack on shelves.

Leave room for air.  I shake these boxes periodically and open them every few weeks to make sure none are rotting or shriveling.

So if you have dahlias, it’s time for the four D’s.

Die, dig, dry and divide.

FLOW in the Know