Dahlias and More...

First, I need to explain that I accidentally hit "PUBLISH POST" instead of "Return to list of posts" last night, when I wasn't finished with the post yet.  I went back and somehow was able to retract the post.  Maybe I tried clicking where I meant to in the first place.  I thought maybe I did it quickly enough that the post wouldn't show up on anyone's blog list.  Oops!

I decided this morning to include some other blooms as well, and use this post to participate in Jean's Bloomin' Tuesday.  I am going to go ahead and let it go up this evening, though.

I don't have very many memories of Larry's grandma on his dad's side, but one of them is that she was a gardener, and she grew dahlias.  I wonder how long she kept the same plants going by digging the tubers out in the fall and storing them each winter.  I've intended to store mine in the past, but haven't due to a variety of reasons.  One year, Larry threw them away.  Another year, I left them out on the deck.

I have found some pots of the larger blooming dahlias in the past, but didn't this year.  I planted some tubers this spring, and they took so long to come up, that I decided I wasn't going to do that again.  I don't like seeing bare dirt for that long.  Plus, only 4 of 6 came up, and 1 has since died.  Now that they are starting to bloom, I am feeling better about the whole experience, but don't know if I'll do it again.

I took some photos in the sun, then later in the evening when there was shade, and decided to include some of each.

The first one is 'Prince of Orange'.  The package says these can get 36 to 40 inches tall.   So far, it has reached about 3 feet.

Taken in the sun:

The same bloom taken in the shade, or almost dusk:

This is the second bloom forming.  The first one took a couple days to fill out.  This one looks a bit different, though, so it may not be as full.  One of the reasons I showed this photo, is for humor, because it looks like our house is tipping over.

This is 'Sights of Summer'.  It has made it to the 24 of the 20 to 24 inches the package said it gets.  The bloom is a little smaller than the ones above.

Sun:

Shade, or almost dusk:

This one is in a pot in the front curb bed.  It's larger than some I've had in pots in the past.  I have some others in pots, but they aren't currently blooming.

 

The zinnias  I direct sowed seeds of are doing well and starting to bloom.  I am not very organized, and my memory is faulty, but I managed exchange some seeds with a few folks last winter, and I think it was Country Cathy who sent these to me.  Thanks!

I am pleased to have a Mexican Sunflower blooming.  This is one of the 2 started inside that made it when planted outside.  The other started blooming at a smaller size.  I didn't get it deadheaded as soon as I meant to, and the squirrels tore it off and shredded its stem.  I hope the plant survives.  The ones I planted across the street got eaten by rabbits.  There are a few struggling to grow.  I hope they make it.  I haven't seen any monarchs on this plant yet.  They seem to be enjoying the coneflowers and others so far.

I wish I would have planted more than one ironweed last spring.  I sure like it, and haven't seen any for sale this year.

I am still enjoying spending time with the daylilies as I deadhead them, usually in the mornings.  I am sad that some are finished, but others are providing lots of color.  I have been noticing more folks slowing down to look at the flowers than earlier in the year.  I think it's because of the daylilies.  I  have even had a few stop and say they like the yard.  That's always nice.

This is 'Eenie Allegro'.

'Wally'

Coreopsis:

Agastache, 'Golden Jubilee':

The daylilies may only have a week or so left, but the 2 hibiscus plants in the front and some other plants are just starting their shows.

I will be glad when the heat wave is over.  It's 99 right now, at 5:50 CDT.  I feel so sorry for the plants, and look out the door at them several times a day.  I seem to be able to water them enough that they aren't drying up.  They seem to be hanging in there.