Why I Oughta...

The dahlias are going wild.  Warmer days and cooler nights right now.  Before...the inevitable frost that is on the horizon.  (Hopefully not too soon, though).   This week, I documented my 20-something arrangement of the season .  This post shows another one.   Including: Great Silence, Milena Fleur, Ivanetti, Blue Wish, Saint Martin, Crichton Honey, Wizard of Oz dahlias.  And, a single spray of Silver Dollar Eucalyptus peeking out the top.  Here it is on a couple of sides of the jar on our counter: Here, below, is how they looked as I cut them.  The lighting in the mornings makes the colors pop. Wizard of Oz (the pale pink one on the bottom right) changes a bit as the season goes on in terms of petal-holding.  Earlier in the Summer, every Wizard of Oz that I'd cut would drop petals almost immediately.  Now? They stay on much longer.  Wonder what is driving that behavior?  I really like Wizard of Oz, but if it is...

Below are photos of two arrangements that I made this week after snipping off some dahlia blooms from around the garden beds.  These two mark the 20th and 21st cut flower arrangement of the growing season (that I've documented 1 ).   These feature Ivanetti, Milena Fleur, Messenger To the Moon, Wizard of Oz, Blue Wish, that unknown orange ball one, a couple (Not) Rip City and....(of course) Saint Martin Waterlily dahlias: The one on the left is in a blue glass Ball mason jar.  On the right is in a thrifted vase. The first one of the season was all the way back in July .  (Not) Rip City, Blue Wish, Saint Martin, that bubblegum cactus/semi-cactus one.  The most recent one was from last week that featured Crichton Honey, Brown Sugar, Milena Fleur and...Saint Martin.   You can see the other 20 from this year here at my [ Dahlia arrangement ] tag.   Going "big" with dahlias in 2026 was one of my priorities .  Seems like 20+ arrangements h...

I planted a pair of Saint Martin Waterlily dahlia tubers this season and they've been (BY FAR) the most prolific dahlia that I've ever grown.  They have thrown off blooms since (at least) July and are still loaded with blooms on the tips of thin, but fairly strong stems.  But, those stems are different than most of the rest of my dahlias.  Most dahlia stems (in my experience) are hallow.  Like straws.  But, Saint Martin stems are far more thin.  And, if they're straw-like, the straw is super small.   These also have smaller and different texture leaves on the flower stems than most of  my other dahlias.  We've had some rain this week, so that means when the dahlia plants are full of blooms (and buds), they tend to get weighed down.  Saint Martin is almost folding in half in parts.   That lead me to cut a bunch of them while they're opened.  I also grabbed some Crichton Honey, Brown Sugar, a lone Blue Wish dahlia blo...

Dahlia cutting season is moving quickly these days. After waiting to cut anything for a while due to trying to cut them for the girls' Homecoming corsages, we're now flush with blooms.  On a recent morning, I went out and snip'd off a number of blooms.  That will BOTH drive more blooms to arrive, but it also has the secondary benefit of removing some of the weight on the tips of the stems.   Below are a pair of cut dahlia stem arrangements.  These are cut from the front Island Bed, IB2DWs, sideyard and both sides of the pizza oven bed.  They feature Brown Sugar, Milena Fleur, Crichton Honey, Rip City (not Rip City), Wizard of Oz, Tsuki Yori No Shisha (Messenger of the Moon) Notably, Tsuki Yori No Shisha is a fimbriated dahlia.  My only one (that I can confirm). But, perhaps the (NOT) Rip City dahlia is fimbriated, too?   Counting down the days until our first frost.  Hoping for a late October arrival.  

First time growing Crichton Honey Dahlia and I know 'get it'.  I understand why it is so widely loved and grown.  It is a star.  I planted two of them, but I'm pretty sure one was mis-labeled.  But, the Crichton Honey that is next to the pizza oven?  ( #1 on my placement list ).  It is certainly true to listing.   And, it is coming on strong.  Below are a couple of photos of the blooms that I cut off this morning: I also went around and cut some other blooms:  Great Silence Decorative Dahlia , Milena Fleur Decorative Dahlia, Rip City Semi-Cactus dahlia, small little Burlesca Ball dahlias , and a uniquely-colored Zundert Mystery Fox Dahlia . Here, below, are a couple of photos of the cluster of cut stems: Here, in the center of the photo below, is that uniquely-colored Zundert Mystery Fox dahlia.  It is more purple than my other Mystery Fox blooms: Living up to its name, I guess. Here's what Longfield Gardens says about Mystery Fox...

We had a pretty big rain storm a week or so ago that brought with it some welcomed precipitation.  It also battered some of my plants and trees.  Downed branches and (in a couple of cases) bent-over dahlias and other plants.  I scurried around and straightened everything out and found the dahlias that weren't staked (enough) and tried to provide some support.   I also cut a bunch of things and brought them in for an arrangement for one of Nat's friends.  The Saint Martin dahlias are on very long, thin stems while the Melina Fleur dahlias (decorative) are (for now) on short, stubby ones.  And, the Plectranthus Silver Shield is plentiful.  But, I still don't quite know the best way to use it in an arrangement.  The underside of the foliage is (to me) the star, but when I tuck some of it in the vase, the underside sort-of disappears.  There's also a spring of Silver Dollar Eucalyptus in here that I'm still learning about how best to cut to...

Another day and even more dahlias cut off their stems.  And, these are cut deeply as the experts suggest one does early (is it still early in the dahlia-growing season??) for more prolific-blooming plants later in the year.  *Cue the Sheryl Crow* This mixed dahlia arrangement (below) includes Ivanetti, Wizard of Oz, my first Great Silence (decorative) dahlia and the two semi-cactus/cactus "surprise" dahlias.  A dark one and a bubble gum pink one.  This is (maybe?) my tallest set of dahlia cut flowers in a vase since I've grown them.  There are also a significant number of buds that came with those long stems. Here, below, is a closer look at the first Great Silence Decorative Dahlia .  This one is mostly uniform in color with a pink/peach hue.   I bought two Great Silence tubers back in November of last year.   And, put them through my usual Spring dahlia program (starting them indoors in pots, moving them outoors) and planted two Great Silen...

I think I was in a dahlia-tuber-induced fog when I bought Mero Star dahlias because I never posted about them in my garden diary here and I have been listing them in my on-going tuber diary as "Metro Star dahlias".  They're NOT Metro Star.  They're Mero Star. And they're, well....huge.  (or"yuuuge", if you prefer.)  Here, below is a look at one of them: Mero Star Dahlia Bloom - big and spectacular. I mean...they're big.  And real.  And....As Sidra once said: That first photo at the top doesn't really tell the story of size.  But, have a look at the photo below showing this first Mero Star Dinnerplate Dahlia in amongst some others like Blue Wish.  This bloom is huge.  The individual petals are huge.  Bigger than anything else I've grown.   I mentioned that I must have been in a fog when I bought these because I don't remember them.  Here, below, is the front of the package of Mero Star tubers.  The packaging shows whi...

Even more varieties (and types) of dahlias are beginning to bloom in the various planting pockets around the front, side and back yard.  I'll start with some new (meaning...first time blooming *this year*) and then move on to some ones that I've cut previously this season. First up is my favorite dahlia:  Milena Fleur.  The very first bloom opened up.  This was the dahlia that made me plant dahlias.  I should have planted MORE of these plants.   Next is Pooh.  A collarette dahlia that I grew last year and was a prolific tuber-grower.  I divided two plants into 17 different tubers that I started in pots.  2 to 17.  This first bloom might be the best Pooh Dahlia bloom that I've ever grown.  It has a color-quality to it that is DIFFERENT than last year. Pooh Collarette Dahlia - Red, yellow and white petals in bloom. Now, moving on to the dahlia blooms that I've cut and posted photos of from earlier in July.  First up is this ...

The past few days, I've posted photos of the individual blooms that I've been snip'ing off the dahlia plants that are tucked into every available space in our garden.  That has lead to my first-of-the-season piecemeal cut flower arrangement.  On our kitchen counter.  [Countertop Flowers]. Yesterday, I showed a Blue Wish, Saint Martin and a random pink Cactus dahlia .  Day before was Burlesca, Wizard of Oz, Creme de Cognac and a "Rip City ".   Put those all together and you get a cacophony of color and texture and type.   Below is flower arrangement #1 for the 2026 growing season. With no fillers aside from one small Lacy Blue Didiscus.   Mixed Dahlia Cut Flower Arrangement Have to get to Goodwill to find some jars because bloomin' season is upon us.  

Yesterday, I posted a photo of four freshly prepared dahlia arrangements and talked about how I've begun to *exclusively* use jars and vases that fit neatly into a cup holder for ease of transportation.  But, if you were an eagle-eyed reader (and...who amongst us isn't?), you may have noticed that one of the jars in that same post isn't a mason jar or an upright vase.  And, it likely doesn't fit neatly into a car's cupholder.  Because it is a mug.  With a handle.  A glass mug.  A root beer mug.   Here, below are a couple of photos of this vintage glass Dad's Root Beer Mug that I picked up for less than a buck at Goodwill recently: A few things about this mug: First...it is very heavy.  The weight alone tells me that it is old.  They don't make glass mugs like this any longer. Second...it is from Dad's Root Beer.  This might not mean much to you, but it means the world to me.  Why?  Because it is *my Dad's* favorite root be...

Below are two photos of the same (recent) Dahlia arrangement featuring some large(r) Melina Fleur Decorative Dahlia blooms and some dark purple Ivanetti Ball Dahlia blooms.  In one photo, you can see the Melina Fleur blooms have taken on a salmon, pink color.  Spinning the (vintage, thrifed, blue-glass) Ball Jar around, you can spy the Ivanetti that have some white creating contrast on the petals.   The season is coming to an end, it seems.  But that also means the flowers are changing colors.  Gone are the yellows of earlier this year with Melina Fleur and here are rosy pinks.  Enjoy these while we can, because frost is a'coming.  Might be next week.  Might be the week after.  Either way...we can't stop it from arriving and killing off the dahlias for the season. 

This was a birthday bouquet for a friend that includes a variety of dahlia blooms, a spray of Autumn Fern, some rosemary, Lucky Charm anemone and Artemesia Garden ghost for the upright white colors. The colors of some of the dahlias are changing as the season grows on: half of the Wizard of Oz have gotten much whiter.  The Melina Fleurs are darkening and the Ivanettis are doing what they do best:  showing off.