Sunday, July 17, 2011

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.

 

19 comments:

  1. Dear Sue, I have more luck with zinnias than dahlias -- yours are gorgeous. I a glad your plants are surviving the heat wave. Love your daylilies. P. x

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  2. Ok, that explains it! Glad to see the photos now, Sue. What a gorgeous bunch of flowers. I've never had dahlias because of having to bring them in for the winter. Do you have to do that where you live?

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  3. My mother grew dahlias and made bouquets for the church of them. Pretty daylilies you have, too. You asked about pruning Tithonia. I just deadhead but I don't see why you couldn't trim it back a little. I leave as many stems as possible for more flowers for the b'flys. I love to run my fingers along the velvety stems, so different from the harsh seedpods when they dry.

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  4. I love dahlias. My grandparents grew them on a farm on the edge of the Outback and my passion has never waned. The last image of Prince of Orange'is my favorite,

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  5. Hi Sue,

    Lovely photos; my great grandfather was apparently a big Dahlia grower too and won prizes for them. My mum keeps telling me I should grow them too because of him... But like you I just don't have the patience with the tubers and storing them. However this year I have actually bought a couple of Dahlias and may well attempt to store them and see how it goes.

    I do love the Zinnia; it's a very pretty colour!

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  6. That explains why I could never get to this post from Blogger:Dashboard!

    The dahlias are beautiful, especially the lovely soft salmon colored one. I solved the digging problems by just not doing it! I am zone 6 and try to remember to just mulch over them after the frost takes them down but often don't. I just have a few and so far they come back each year. I do glads that way too. I am lucky to get them planted once! The beetles like them too so I probably won't do more.

    Beautiful blooms for Bloomin' Tuesday.

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  7. A wonderful gardening friend gave me huge piles of Dahlias. They did not last through winter storage. I was so sad and felt bad that I hadn't been a good steward. I no longer store bulbs in my closet.
    nellie

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  8. Sue, your corner garden is beautiful! A labor of love, for sure. The dahlias are amazing. We don't plant anything that has to be dug or brought in for winter. Too much work to do without adding that! But if we did, I'd add some dahlias. So pretty! ~~Rhonda

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  9. I didn't know ironweed is so attractive, I love the colour. You are growing some lovely dahlias. I have never had great success with them and truly cannot be bothered lifting them in the winter. Thanks for the visit yesterday.

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  10. Gorgeous blooms Sue! My Ironweed is budding up and I can't wait to see the blooms. I love your Dahlias especially 'Prince of Orange' and 'Sights of Summer'. I'm very partial to orange bloomers this year for some reason. :)

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  11. Your blooms are fantastic!!! My Dahlias are not doing so well this year. Hopefully they'll perk up and catch up to yours :)

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  12. Girl it is so hot ain't it.Can't believe you have 99 degrees but then lots of the country is now under a heat wave. The hibuscus is stunning. Love the dahlias. Wierd how the colors change in appearance with and without the sun. I don't dig up my dahlias but our winters are not as severe as yours.

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  13. You have a lovely variety of daylilies. Beautiful colors. The dahlias are certainly lovely, which is good after all the work. I know I'm not good about that kind of stuff so I don't even try anymore. Jean

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  14. Dahlias are so pretty but they don't like our summer heat and humidity. They do somewhat better as a cool weather annual. Yours are very nice!
    Jeanni

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  15. What a wonderful group of photos! Pretty Pretty! I love the dahlias also but I no longer grow them or glads or any bulbs that have to be dug in the fall.

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  16. Sue ~ everything is beautiful...I bet driving by your corner is just stunning in person taking it all in at one time. I like the previous post, too, with all greenery...just as pretty sometimes as blooming plants! You've done a fantastic job!

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  17. Sue I'm so hot I can't think straight. It's 98 here in Michigan...Whew! I'm so glad your gorgeous flowers are hanging in there. I love the Dahlia's and the color of that Mexican sunflower.

    Stay cool..I hope this heat-wave passes soon.

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  18. Great post, Sue...love all these beautiful blooms...I'm with you on the Ironweed (just planted some this spring...so no blooms yet). I've read that they are pretty easy to start from seed...you might want to collect it this fall and winter-sow some :-)

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  19. beautiful, beautiful post.... I am trying to grow zinnias in my yard but the snails are eating them again.. ugh! lovely blooms Sue! :)

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