Why I Oughta...

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.

Another day, another mixed dahlia arrangement .  This one (below) includes some larger blooms from the Melina Fleur plants, a bunch of Ivanetti dark purple blooms and some smaller Wizard of Oz ball dahlias along with a little bit of eucalyptus, some rosemary, Dusty Miller and the Lucky Charm Anemones that are thriving right now in the back garden. The tags that show off the full catalog of dahlia arrangements include [ countertop flowers ], [ dahlia arrangement ] and [ arrangement ].  

With two Pooh Collarette Dahlia plants growing in our garden, I was able to clip-off seven-or-eight blooms and put them in a vase this week.  The Pooh Dahlia in our backyard is more productive than the one in our sideyard garden, despite it growing in poor-er soil conditions.  The backyard tuber was planted in the new (this year) Pizza Oven bed that is full of clay.  The sideyard Pooh Dahlia is planted in a bed that is rich with loam and municipal biosolids.   But...the sideyard plant has been UNDER ASSAULT by Spider Mites the past month.  Since we came back from Ireland, the plant has struggled.  I think I've finally gotten on top of the pest problem and I'm seeing some fresh, new green growth.  So, I'm hoping it will keep producing over the next six-weeks-or-so. Below is a photo of the all (only) Pooh Collarette Dahlia arrangement.  In a vase.  No foliage or filler plants.  Just the red and yellow blooms.   The Pooh Coll...

Cut-and-come-again season is upon us in the garden.   Specifically for dahlias.  When I look back at last year's photos, this post from October 1st shows what I called "Pop'ing off" of dahlia blooms that happens as the weather cools down.   The Melina Fleur Dahlia shown in this post is LOADED with blooms .  In preparation (and hopefully) to stimulate that behavior to return in the coming weeks, I've been busy cutting blooms regularly. Below is a small dahlia-only arrangement that I made on a recent evening.  Thanks to the re-used salsa jar, this burst of petals was gifted to our neighbor.  It is full of large Melina Fleur blooms as well as the group that I've been using regularly:   Mystery Fox, Wizard of Oz and this dark purple ball dahlia that is of an unknown variety .   What's NOT in this arrangement (above) is any Sweet Nathalie dahlias .  Why?  Because they haven't quite thrived.  But, we're this/close to ...