I'm new to growing Dahlias, and I'm pleased with final outcome. They're certainly dramatic and colorful, aren't they?
I was getting impatient because it seemed like it was taking forever for them to bloom. Now that they've shown their faces, I'm thrilled. I can't tell you what specific varieties I have, because they were labeled "decorative mixed." I'm growing them in pots, with plenty of stakes because they're tall and branching--I didn't want them to blow over in the wind.
The first two to bloom (a fuchsia and a medium yellow) seemed warm and deeply colored.
I thought they'd work as very colorful companions with the yellow and fuchsia of 'Zowie' Yellow Flame Zinnia. It's hard to see here, but Zowie has a fuchsia-colored ring near the center.
So I lined them up in bud vases and played around with the vases and the flowers. It worked until the Dahlias began to fade to pastel tones.
At that point, I clipped a Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia) as a companion for the warm Zowie.
The yellow took its time opening, as if it was shy and afraid to show its face. I liked it in all its stages.
I especially like it here, in the aqua vase, with just a "lock" of a petal draping over its "eye" or disc florets.
The fuchsia faded to a bright, vibrant pink--equally at home out on the patio...
Or in its little bud vase in the house. Do you see the lovely tinges of yellow at the bases of the petals. Dreamy, eh?
I don't know why it took me so long to grow Dahlias--I've enjoyed them as purchased or gifted cut flowers for years and years. All I know is that I will dig up these tubers after the growing season and plant them again next year. ... I'm in love.
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I'm linking this post to Cathy's In a Vase on Monday meme at Rambling in the Garden. My vases are very simple this time, but head on over to Cathy's blog to see creative cut-flower displays from around the world.
Hi Beth, your dahlias are wonderful. They look great collected into those small vases.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susie. It's interesting when you actually grow something how much more fascinating it becomes--or maybe in a different way. I've worked with Dahlias in arrangements before, but having grown these myself, I felt like I wanted to "get to know them" a little better by observing and documenting them. :)
DeleteBoth your dahlias are gorgeous, Beth. Be careful - growing them can be addictive! Last year was my first real experience with them and I fell head-over-heels too. Many of them change color dramatically as the blooms age. I'm already contemplating which tubers to acquire for next year's cutting garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kris. Yes, I can see that it's easy to get hooked! I've noticed that you use them in arrangements quite creatively. I'm going to have to hold myself back from purchasing them--because I really don't have enough sun for them. I'm at my "Dahlia max" for this property! ;-)
DeleteBeautiful! I've been waiting for my dahlias blooming.
ReplyDeleteI'll look forward to your posts about them, Endah! For some reason, Dahlias encourage my creativity more than I thought they would.
DeleteThese dahlias are lovely - I love them too. I've got some mini dahlias this year with flat daisy flowers but I must get some more for next year. love Bec
ReplyDeletep.s. I'm nipping over from Cathy's - I've got petunias in my vase as im full of cold
Hi Rebecca: Oh I guess you bring up a good point. I did grow some mini-Dahlias that I bought as annuals last year. But I didn't dig them up. Maybe that's how I actually got the bug. LOL. Thanks for stopping by! I'll look forward to checking out your Petunia vases.
DeleteGorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sandra! I'm very pleased with the results--they were worth the wait!
DeleteDahlias are splendid. They give so much and aren't too fussy. These look great with Zowie. Your affections are well placed. Happy IAVOM.
ReplyDeleteI like your description, Lisa! I'm glad I tried them--originally I thought I didn't have enough sun, but the pots allow me to move them around. Thanks!
DeleteDahlias are really such a beautiful flower.
ReplyDeleteIntricate layer after layer . . .
I like the buds too.
Good idea to grow them in pots and stake them up.
I visited a Dahlia Farm this past week and saw row after row of their color beauty!
And picked a huge bunch to bring home.
A bucket full of dahlias and zinnias for ten dollars.
I loved arranging them in different vases.
They are beautiful, Lynne! Dahlias and Zinnias work well together, as you mention. The layered effect really makes them magical, doesn't it? Wow, you got a great deal on that "bucket"!
DeleteYour dahlias are beautiful wherever you put them! They're wonderful and easy (other than the required staking thing) plants to grow and I wish I had room for them.
ReplyDeleteI really had to get creative with their placement, even in pots. Little patches of sun, here and there, that shift with the season. Thanks, Peter!
DeleteBeautiful dahlias, Beth!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen. I'm very pleased. I hope I'll get additional colors as the buds continue to break among the plants. :)
DeleteThey really are gorgeous! Planting them in pots will make it much easier tokeepthem for next year.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm glad I did the pots thing. With the dappled sun here, it allows me to move them around. And it will be so much easier to dig them out in the fall.
DeleteThis is my second year in growing dahlias. I do think they are beautiful. I enjoy creating bouquets with them.
ReplyDeleteDo you start yours early indoors, Carla? I'm planning to do that next year. But you probably have more sun, so they bloom faster? They are stunning in bouquets! I'm planning to combine them with other flowers in a vase next time. :)
DeleteWow!! thanks for the strong dose of color, I needed that :)
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome! I'm needing it, too, these days. I don't want the growing season to end, and these bright bloomers are keeping my spirits high. ;-)
DeleteNew in growing dahlias, but they do wonderful Beth. Good idea to plant them in pots, for it's always quite a job to dig them up in autumn and keep them cool and dry in winter for next spring.
ReplyDeleteYes, that will be my challenge for next year--the digging up and storing thing. I've had trouble with that in the past--I often forget where I put bulbs and tubers (in the past it was Gladiolas, Cannas, and Caladiums). To compensate, I now simply allow my Calla Lilies to stay in the pot in a cool room and I don't water them for a month, and then only once every couple of weeks until they start to peek through the soil in spring. I might keep the Dahlia tubers in bags with peat moss in the same room as the potted Calla Lilies so I'll remember them. ;-)
DeleteDahlias were one of the first flowers I grew in my garden. Perfect when you're just starting out - the big ones seem to take up a whole bed. And they add colour just when you need it in the fall garden. You've chosen well with your colours, you'll have beautiful bouquets for weeks ahead....heard on the weather, are you expecting even more rain? Oh my, what a summer of weather. B.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's weird that I've been gardening most of my life and this is the first time I've planted Dahlias. Part of it might be the shady garden... But I'm finding ways to move them to little dapples of sun. The rain has stopped! (Knock on wood.) Our 10-day forecast doesn't have a spot of the wet stuff! Yay! And the Dahlias keep blooming! Cheers!
DeleteLove 'Zowie'! One drawback of Tithonia is that it doesn't last long as a cut flower.
ReplyDeleteZowie just keeps giving! And the hummingbirds (and other pollinators) are loving it, too. I'm finding that if I pick the Tithonias just before they fully open they're lasting a little longer; not as long as I'd like, but a few days anyway. :)
DeleteLovely! So my question is this - how do you keep your furry friend from getting at them? I'm hoping that as our kitten gets older, her rambunctiousness subsides and I can once again have some cut flowers in the house.
ReplyDeleteHey Margaret: Oh, my cats (cat now) eat any plants and use them as litter receptacles. So...no plants in the house unless they're up on a shelf or in a closed room. One thing I will say is that as they age, in my experience, the cats will allow you to play around with plants (and vases) while the cats are napping, while a kitten always wants to be in the middle of things at every moment, right? Enjoy your little bundle of fur. :)
DeleteI love all your dahlias Beth. Gorgeous colours. We all seem mad on them this year don't we? I have grown a few for years but this year I have gone a little dahlia crazy.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Chloris. It does seem to be a Dahlia trend. I've always enjoyed working with them in cut flower arrangements, but I'm really enamored with them after growing my first crop. ;-) So I understand your "craziness."
DeleteI like how you showcased each dahlia in its own little vase and then combined the vases for a pleasing arrangement. I have never grown dahlias, but the more I see some of the newer varieties, the more I am tempted...if I can find a spot with enough sun!
ReplyDeleteDeb: The lack of sun is my biggest challenge, too. I'm sure that's part of the reason it's taken them so long to bloom. Now that the deciduous trees are starting to lose their leaves, the plants are getting a little more sun and they seem to be putting on more buds. Hopefully, I'll have quite a few flowers before the first frost...
DeleteWonderful! Beautiful! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lea. They are beautiful flowers, aren't they?!
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