Why I Oughta...

Out in the (enclosed) greenhouse portion of the garden center at our local big box store, things are starting to look like Spring.  The arrival of grass seed in big forty-pound bags along with the cardboard display racks of vegetable and annual flowering seed packets are usually the first things in-stock for the season. But the past few years, they've been joined by something new:  dahlia tubers sold in color-combination sets.  Last year, I saw Longfield Gardens bringing to market a number of dahlia 'kits' and Proven Winners was running some mixed bulb boxes featuring gladiolas .  and this year Proven Winners is out first with their "Garden Blends" boxes that combine a number of dahlia tubers into an easy-to-plant package. The Proven Winners site has a page up about bulbs where they share that they've partnered with Garden State Bulbs to supply the summer-flowering tubers.    Here's how they're described: Are you giddy for gladiolus? Do you adore dahl...

Back in mid-December, I posted the details of my own Dahlia tuber order from Longfield Gardens that included some Maarn Ball Dahlias, Sweet Nathalie Decorative Dahlias and a bulk oder of Pablo Decorative Border Dahlias.   I say 'my own' Dahlia order because below are the details of a gift order that I was given for Christmas.  So...this is a 'gift order' of tubers and it includes one duplicate and a couple of new-to-me ones. Below is a screenshot of the order showing the tuber varieties:  I'll now be receiving some Wizard of Oz tubers, a few more Sweet Nathalies, some Zundert Mystery Fox Ball tubers and my first set of Collerette dahlias - this one named Pooh.  How can we not love a Winnie the Pooh themed Dahlia flower, right? This means I'll have (at least): 2 Ball varieties (Maarn and Mystery Fox) 1 Pompon variety (Wizard of Oz) 1 decorative variety (Sweet Nathalie) 1 collerette variety (Pooh) 1 decorative gallery variety (Pablo) Next job is to plan on where ...

I'm (now) pretty sure that when I planted Cornell Bronze Dahlia tubers this Summer , I was *actually* planting something else.  Why?  Because...the blooms that are coming up in both IB2DWs and in the southside cut flower bed are, well...NOT bronze.  They're dark purple.  Or dark maroon.  And they're small pompons.    Floret has a listing for a Moor Place Dahlia that she calls 'button dahlias' .  That sure looks like what I'm growing.  See below for a few photos of three blooms that I recently cut: You'll also notice in the photos below, a small orange bloom.  That was cut from the sideyard - so I'm *pretty sure* that's an Orange Nugget Dahlia .  But, I also cut one of these from the IB2DWs bed earlier - where I called the bush a bi-color mutation .   So, that's weird, right?  One tuber showing two different flowers?  In two different spots?   I'm (now) thinking that this is LESS of a mutation and more o...

Just yesterday, I posted a photo that hinted at the idea that on of my dahlia tubers - an Orange Nugget Dahlia - was growing two different color flowers .   Today, the top bloom opened-up and it is anything but orange.  Have a look at the photo below showing a perfect, dark purple ball (or pompon?) Dahlia perched on top and then peek below in the foliage for an Orange Nugget Dahlia hiding about half-way down the plant.  Two blooms, same tuber.   If you look closely to the left of the purple bloom, you'll see a couple more buds being set.  What color will they be?  I'm guessing purple.  

Up front, in the IBDWs section, I planted a Cornell Bronze Dahlia tuber that I started indoors in a small nursery pot .  I put the sprouted tuber in the ground in mid-June and now, two-months-later it is showing its very first blooms.   This dahlia suffered some rabbit damage early, so I put a chicken wire cage around it in hopes that it would grow up/out and have a big bloom season.   That season of blooms is NOW upon us.  Below, you can see the first Cornell Bronze ball bloom tucked in below the top foliage.  There are more on the way. But, something *else* is happening on this very same Dahlia plant.  For SOME REASON, I'm seeing a purple bloom about to open up - at the very top of the stalk.  Yes...purple dahlia.  On the same plant that is blooming those orange ball flowers.  See below - for a most-certainly purple bloom about to open up: What the what?  Is this a mutation?  A pollinator-caused result?  I have no i...

Last year, I started to learn how to put together cuttings from our garden into countertop arrangements .  I made a number of them from late Summer to Fall that were primarily anchored by the Disneyland Floribunda roses.   By the end of the season, I came the conclusion that I needed to get outside of my foliage-gardening 'comfort zone' and start to add some flowers.    On a late-season whim (sale), I planted a few new (to me) flowering perennials including May Night salvia , coneflowers and some Agastache 'Blue Fortune' to the front IB2DWs beds.   I also pulled the trigger on a small dahlia tuber order from Longfield - where I pre-ordered some Melina Fleur (Decorative) and Cornel Bronze (Pompon) tubers .  My (current) plan is to put those in by the Disneyland Roses on the side of the house.    I also bought some Cut-and-Come-Again Zinnia seeds that I'd like to start inside and move to my containers in the back  - to replicate the...