Wow! Your flowers are perfect and your photos look so professional! thanks for sharing!
kasha77

Your dahlias are spectacular! And congrats on your first brug blooms. How are you zone 5 all the way up there when I'm zone 5a here in central (not mountainous) Colorado?

Mine aren't even lasting a day here in the heat. The NHE can't get opened the inner bloom because the outer one collapses on it. Exotica can't fully colour up before going beyond the edge. However I must say that the fragrance in the evening in this humidity is really something.Your Dahlias are stunning John.

Those are the most perfect dahlias that I have ever seen! Thanks for sharing all of your blooms with us!

The brugs are nice but your dahlias are to die for! The hibiscus is beautiful too. Do you lift the dahlia tubers in the fall? I always forget and they freeze.

Spectacular blooms! That red hibiscus is beautiful with it's crepe-paper petals!

Just Beautiful, all of them, you have a georgeous garden

Elizabeth

Those are gorgeous flowers and your pictures are so good. So many things you can grow there that will not make it here in the heat. Our brugs are holding back on blooming for a few weeks so thanks for sharing.

tommysmommy - Zones are funny that way. It's mostly based on average low temps. Our members in the PNW are the same zone as here in South Central Texas. We get as many as 60 days of 100+ in the Summer which is something they absolutely never see up there.

Lollapalooza

Chocolate Brug

OKEY, YOUR DAHLIAS ARE TO DIE FOR!! Can you name them, if you know the names?
And the hibiscus is awesome- will it survive the winter in your zone, it looks like one of the hardy ones!
Congrats on your first brug blossoms- hope you have a great season!
~Brenda

Beautiful Dahlias!!!!

love the pics.

:)

Really enjoyed the pics, your flowers are soooo big!! The red hibicus is beautiful, never seen anything like it!

Your garden is just gorgeous!
Awesome pics!

Karen

Tommysmommy, I guess different elevations and wind flows make a big difference. I believe the grow zones have to do with frost and temperatures. Here we have the Great Lakes to moderate our climate.

Karyn1, yes indeed the tubers have to be lifted in the fall. As soon as the first light frost hits them, I dig them up and prepare them for their winter's nap. You can see my process on the dahlia forum here. Just search under my name, jroot, and you'll see that several folks follow what I do.

Gottahosta, no most of my hibiscus which are in bloom already are tropicals. I think I have 14 different tropicals here now. Soon the perennial hibiscus will be in bloom. They are sprouting up very quickly this year, and higher than I've ever seen them. I'll try to catch them in bloom. Some of my tropicals have specific names, while others are NOIDS. This one is called "Red Velvet" with an 8 inch flower.

I am delighted to see these photos

And a message to you from my favourite Ruth Ann

keep on with the good work
Mine are not that far along
neither Brugmansia nor dahlias but they both are doing okay

I never get on garden web so much any more

Beautiful!!!!!What kind of camera do you have? The pics are so clear.

Thanks for your comments. They are appreciated.

The camera is a simple panasonic lumix with a 12 x optical Leica lens. I purchased it in Scotland when "someone" actually left my $1500 digital SLR on a fence at the Toronto airport. This one is a LOT lighter, and much easier to manipulate.

Thanks for those lovely pics. I'm sure that it did ALL of our
hearts good. It's so hot and dry here...just trying to keep
things alive at this point. Your dahlias are awesome!

Margaret