3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
I have a white garden and it is quite spectular. Let's see colunbine,lupins delphiums, white marigolds, white bleeding heart, pure perfection rose, walter hardistry, white perfection dahlia, fleuel dahlia,white aster dahlia,moon flowers, asslyum, white geraniums, white glads,lilies and white cosmos. Together, they make beautiful bouquets and a really relaxing place to sit. I think it is my favorite garden of all!
I know! Waiting for those dang buds to open...yeesh, these plants sure have taught me how to be MORE impatient! lol
This morning it's about half open. Hubby is going to take some pics for me today when we get more batteries for the camera. Then I can actually show you my red and yellow :)
It is very exciting though! I'm sure the neighbors think I'm crazy! lol
(and yes...photobucket seems quite wonderful!!! Thank you all for the advice :)
Hi amymalia. You have large aspirations and enthusiasm to match! Unfortunately, I can't answer as we have no gophers here. Moles, chipmunks, pine squirrels, bears, deer and other big scary things, but no gophers. Only the moles to date have neared the dahlias but not harmed them, and an occasional bouquet of planted sunflower seeds shows up as evidence of the passing squirrel.
Anyone else have gophers?
Welcome, and congratulations on your major overhaul and garden plans. I'm not sure about your zone, but it could be too late to plant dahlias for this season, or did you mean next year?
Yes, yes, yes--next year. This year is winding down with a lovely show of the handful of dahlias that I picked up last year. Being the aforementioned novice and a little daunted by the prices of dahlia bulbs at my favorite nursey I only picked up 6 or so (however, I hear that Costco carries them early in the year...)but they are gorgeous. These were planted into my raised bed and so are protected by some serious Alcatraz gopher wire. The new additions, however, wil likely be on the own. It's not that I won't dig trenches and line it with wire if need be, it's just that I'd RATHER NOT do if unecessary.
Anyway, thanks for the laundry list of other if not less likely predators. No bears in my neck of the woods however my black cat has lately taken on the appearance of a very obese black bear cub, but I digress....
thanks for your input poochella....anyone else out there with input on gophers?
Happy gardening to you...
Higher up in the mountains of Mexico- probably cooler up there than down in the desert.
Try the smaller dahlias (can't believe I just said that as we hybridize for the BIGGIES- the AA's & A sized ones- but if you want to have lots of blooms & have them last longer the smaller ones definately do better in the heat)& the really tight ball ones stand up better in the heat. Also the formal decoratives seem to do better than the cactus. One AA that comes to mind that is pretty hardy in any weather is good old Kenora Clyde. Nothing fainting about Clyde- he grows really tall, has huge blooms with petals you can stand on!
As for blowing their centers- the heat will make them do that.
Calik8, The first are the size of the dahlia, the second is form, and the third is color. Check out this site and it will tell you what they mean. Check the rest of site for more information that should help.
Good Luck!
Willow
Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.dahlia.org/guide/form.html
We had a Wanda's Moonlight a couple of years ago that was 17" across & 15" deep. It was in the running for biggest in the New Garden with an Inca Trident of equal proportions! They were great. This year we have some huge ones, too but my computer & my digital camera aren't speaking this month so I haven't been able to get them into our albums yet. Will let you know when I do.
Thank you for your comments on Blue Streak, that sure is pretty. I have another one which just started blooming today, I think it is the Mazama, I can't check its name as its already dark outside, I'll re-check it tomorrow to be sure.
Mazama
I haven't tried it but I've been plastic wrapping my tubers for many years with great success. Recently I've also wrapped some in aluminum foil with with similar results.
Sealing them with the sticky wrap may not be the best idea since gases which form during storage should have an avenue of escape. One of my dahlia buddies tried vacuum sealing one year and lost them all to rot. Let us know how you make out.
Here is what I thought I knew about spider mites, they like hot dry weather! ha For the past 2 weeks we have had lovely rainy ,humid weather. Suddenly everything in sight is full of spider mites.. green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and of course dahlias. Kelthane is supposed to get them, so I'm trying that. Of course I won't spray on my veges, so may as well pull them up and put in the trash. I believe they can live in the soil as I have brought them in the house on ivy when I bring it in in the fall. I don't think they would live on stored tubers.
LOL Jroot no prescriptions here. Good old compost laced with goat poop, Osmocote, recent Mor Bloom and shredded leaf mulch. I think in my photo album I have the caption to Mazama as "Get the ladder..."
I have two other plants of this in various locales. One is 6-7 feet and a late-to-sprout one is only about 4.5 ft.
Here's last years Mazama.
Hope springs eternal! A light frost shouldn't do much at all. It's the heavy sustained freeze that will end your dahlia season. We too have felt the early morning chill, but no where near 0/32. I was in 3 layers yesterday a.m. til the sun came out.
If you heat up during the day, you should have every chance to see your flowers in full bloom.
If it were me and I thought it was going to frost, I would covering my dahlia's at night. I would be checking that weather forecast every night like a mad woman, if the forecast predicted a heavy frost....well I would be running around the yard with sheets in hand. Sometimes you have to do what ya gotta do to save those "babies".
Frost already, you have my greatest sympathy. Good Luck
This is my first year having Dahlias -
and I'm really diggin' em!
For your hummers, how about some red-flowering Cannas?
And I've got your Golden Jubillee Augustache (seed), and maybe some Dragon Arum tubers?
I may be able to tuck in some young Kalanchoe plants also, and Jerusalem Artichoke tubers if you like. I always have lots of seed for German Chammomile, which grows nicely in around other tall plants...and alyssum seed for edges.
Just let me know if you are interested. (Lots of veggie seed too...)
Julie, in Portland
I would love to make a home for your babies. I have wanted some dahlias for the longest time but can't afford to buy any. Please take a look at my exchange list and see if there's anything you are interested in.
Ara
Here is a link that might be useful: My Trade List