Why I Oughta...

I've been pushing myself to do more flowers in 2024 - and that includes dahlia tubers.  I posted recently about how I transplanted the Melina Fleur tubers that I started in containers into the new flower bed on the southside of our house.  Earlier this year, I picked up three Orange Nugget Dahlia tubers at Menards and did the same container-start with them .  This past weekend, I dug the three of them into that same southside bed.   Below, you can see the three sprouted tubers - Orange Nugget Dahlias. Below is a look at the foliage that has sprouted from one of the Orange Nugget tubers: I have a few more tubers to get in the ground and when those are done, I'll have ten-or-so dahlias in teh ground.  

2024 is the year when I need to continue to remind myself to get more comfortable with flowers.  By that, I mean...I'm a gardener.  But, I'm a foliage gardener.  Because of my full-shade backyard, I've opted for focusing on foliage gardens - ferns, astilbes, shrubs, trees.   Last Fall, I bought a couple of late-season flowering perennials and decided that I needed to do more - specifically in the new IB2DWs (extended) bed that is a conifer garden.  At the end of last growing season (2023), I ran through my normal 'to-do list' grades, but I also wrote up some 'lessons learned' that included 10 things that I wanted to keep in mind including #6 :   6. Flowers continue to be a little bit outside my comfort zone. Change that. I started this Fall, but plenty more room to grow/go. Countertop arrangements need flowers. Try some dahlias, too. I've started down that path - at least in theory.   Back in December, I ordered some Dahlia tubers from Longfield Ga