Growing behind my vegetable greenhouse are rows of beautiful, colorful dahlias.
Dahlias begin blooming in abundance just as many other summer flowers are beginning to pass their peak, making them one of the garden’s great late-season performers. They continue to bloom right up until the first frost. I grow a variety of dahlias, ranging from petite blooms to enormous dinner-plate sized flowers, in an array of colors, shapes, and forms.
Here are some of the flowers blooming in the garden right now. Enjoy!
Dahlias grow more blooms when they get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. My dahlia garden gets great sun behind my vegetable greenhouse. And because this spot is behind this large structure, it is also protected from strong winds.
There are about 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. A member of the Asteraceae family of dicotyledonous plants, some of its relatives include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia.
Dahlias are named after 18th-century Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. He actually categorized dahlias as a vegetable because of their edible tubers. The tubers are said to taste like a mix between potatoes and radishes.
The genus Dahlia is native to the high plains of Mexico. Some species can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced.
The array of flower colors, sizes, and shapes is astounding. Dahlias come in shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, white, shades of purple, and various combinations of these colors – every color but true blue.
Dahlia plant leaves grow opposite each other and are simple to pinnately compound with segments that are ovate to oblong to lanceolate in shape. The leaf margins may be lobed or dentate. Leaves may be green, reddish-purple, or purple-black depending on the variety.
Dahlias can also vary in height, leaf color, form, and shape. This is because dahlias are octoploids, meaning they have eight sets of homologous chromosomes, whereas most plants have only two.
Dahlias are classified according to flower shape and petal arrangement.
The stems of a dahlia plant are also unique. They are hollow, which is why the Aztecs originally called them “water canes.” These stems are green and quite thick.
There are other varieties bred for striking stem color which range from deep burgundy and mahogany to almost black.
As dahlias grow it’s important to provide tall, hollow, dahlia stems with good support to prevent them from flopping. My gardeners use support stakes and twine to keep my flowers upright.
The twine is tied to the stake making a gap in between two strands for the plants.
The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects.
They range from a charming single, daisy-like flower to the popular double varieties which can be two-inch-pompons to 12-inch dinner plate size.
This bloom is the size of one’s palm.
Dahlias are divided into 10 groups: single, anemone, collarette, waterlily, decorative, fall, pompon, cactus, semi-cactus, and miscellaneous.
This cactus variety is called ‘Park Princess’ with tightly rolled rich, vibrant pink petals. It is a prolific re-bloomer and an excellent cut flower.
Experiment with the blooms – dahlias look great arranged in different colors or as a bunch of the same variety. Harvesting flowers is good for the plants and encourages them to continue flowering month after month.
And when arranging, always strip off all the leaves that would be below the water line in the vase. This is true for all flower arrangements, not just dahlias. When leaves stay underwater, they decay and release bacteria that shorten the vase life of the flowers. And change the water daily so they look fresh and last longer.
With good sunlight, proper watering, and a little bit of luck, I’ll have gorgeous, colorful dahlias growing all the way until Halloween.
Summer weather at the farm is expected to be especially hot and humid today, with temperatures possibly reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
By this time of year, many of the garden’s plants have already reached their peak of bloom and are beginning to fade, but the trees are putting on a spectacular show of their own. I planted most of them over the years and I love seeing how beautifully they have matured. Their lush green foliage provides wonderful texture, shade, and beauty throughout the landscape.
Enjoy these photos.
This weekend, stop and look at some of the trees around you. Every single day I am home, I tour the farm to see how all the trees, shrubs, and plants are doing. Every specimen is special – their foliage, shape, and growth habit. This tree is the symbol of my farm – the great sycamore in my back hayfield. It’s one of my favorite trees and is original to the property.
This is a mature hickory tree. Hickory trees are one of the most important hardwood trees in North America. They are robust, durable and valued for their nut production. The hickory is a variety of species within the Carya genus. There are about 12 species of hickory native to North America.
Down behind the chicken coops is a grove of dawn redwoods. Dawn redwoods, Metasequoia, grow faster than most trees and need an area under full sun that is large enough to accommodate the trees which can grow to more than 160-feet tall. One of their distinguishable characteristics is the deeply fissured bark on mature trees.
These trees line the main carriage road to and from my woodland.
On both sides of the carriage road in my middle hayfield, I planted an allée of London plane trees and about 100 royal purple smoke bushes, Cotinus coggygria.
In 2009, I planted what I call my “Christmas Tree Field” – a large space where I grow different types of evergreen trees – rows of Frasier Fir, Canaan Fir, Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce, and others. They’ve grown so big since that initial planting.
I have many Japanese maples in this woodland near my chickens. I dedicated this area to my late sister, Laura, who loved Japanese maples. I always look forward to their gorgeous displays of color, especially in autumn.
This is a ginkgo. Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo or gingko, and also known as the maidenhair tree, is the only living species in the division Ginkgophyta. It is found in fossils dating back 270-million years. Native to China, the ginkgo tree is widely cultivated, and was cultivated early in human history. I have many ginkgo trees planted around the farm.
The leaves are unusually fan-shaped, up to three inches long, with a petiole that is also up to three inches long. This shape and the elongated petiole cause the foliage to flutter in the slightest breeze.
From a distance, everyone notices the weeping willows. These are in a grove at the edge of my pinetum. Weeping willows are wide and tall with graceful curtains of drooping branches that sweep the ground.
Acer saccharum, the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the primary source of maple syrup and for its brightly colored fall foliage. Sugar maples covered with climbing hydrangeas look so beautiful in my tree peony garden.
The Japanese Stewartia is native to Japan, Korea, and the southeastern United States. It is a slow-growing, all-season performer that shows off green leaves in spring, white flowers in summer, and colorful foliage in autumn. I love stewartias – after all, my name is “Stewart.”
One of the most appealing features is the Stewartia’s bark. It is multi-colored and peels away in strips.
Outside my Winter House is this weeping katsura. Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum has pendulous branches that fan out from the crown and sweep the ground. Caramel-scented foliage emerges bronze or purple-red, turns blue-green, then fades to gold or apricot in autumn.
One of the most distinctive features of the katsura is its heart-shaped leaves. These leaves grow opposite each other along the branches.
Nearby, off my terrace parterre is this beautiful Nyssa sylvatica, or black tupelo – a medium-sized deciduous tree native to eastern North America from the coastal Northeastern United States and southern Ontario south to central Florida and eastern Texas, as well as Mexico. Its summer leaves are a bold dark green.
This is my allée of pin oaks, Quercus palustris, which I planted soon after moving to my farm. At that time, they were just about six feet tall. Look at them now!
This is a weeping larch, Larix decidua ‘Pendula’. It has bright lime green needles in spring, which turn gold before dropping in fall. I liked this specimen because of its growth habit – it almost looks like an “S.”
It won’t be long before I’m enjoying the fruits from my orchard. My orchard surrounds three sides of my pool. I planted more than 200-fruit trees here, many of which started as bare-root cuttings.
And this is a view through the woodland, where I’ve also planted thousands of trees. I love how all the trees here look in the landscape and how they change through the seasons. Most importantly, I am proud to plant as many as I can for the environment – trees help combat climate change, provide habitat and food for birds and other animals, and release oxygen for us to live. I hope you can enjoy and appreciate the many trees where you are.
How are my precious "puddy tats?" I’m always happy to share photos of my pets since so many of you ask how they're doing. I’m pleased to report my lovable cats are thriving.
I currently have seven feline companions here at the farm. Four live in my Winter House: Magnolia, my silver shaded Persian; Dahlia, my dilute calico Persian; Lilium, my brown Persian longhair, and my chocolate Persian, Chrysanthemum. Down at the stable are my two barn cats, Cinco and Mayo. And, in the greenhouse is Blackie, my only male.
Enjoy these photos.
This is Magnolia. She’s been with me since January of 2025. She has beautiful golden-copper eyes and a friendly disposition.
Here is Magnolia lounging in my sitting room. Persians are known for being laid-back, charming, and affectionate. Magnolia loves people and greets all those she sees.
But she’s also very curious and is often seen roaming from room to room, upstairs and downstairs, keeping an eye on everything.
Here she is looking at Dahlia, the youngest of my Persians.
I think Dahlia wants to play…
And there they go… Chasing is a natural instinct for cats – scanning, stalking, pouncing, and even “capturing.” This kind of play keeps reflexes sharp and muscles toned.
Dahlia has captured everyone’s hearts here at the farm. She is also a Persian. The breed is well loved for its regal appearance and Persian cats are often referred to as the “aristocrats of the cat world.”
Dahlia also loves company and attention. Here she is waiting on my stairs and hoping for a rub.
Lilium is about three and a half years old with beautiful facial expressions and markings.
Of my Persians, Lilium is the largest. Males and females are medium-to-large-sized cats with round, flat faces, known as brachycephalic, and long, flowing coats. Lilium traveled all the way from Doha, the capital city of Qatar in the Middle East. I adopted Lilium, Magnolia, and Chrysanthemum through Rock ‘N Rescue.
Lilium is playful, confident, and very friendly. And she definitely loves a good stretch.
Persian cats with long hair require daily combing and brushing to prevent their fur from matting. All my Persians are brushed every day.
And this is Chrysanthemum, the latest Persian to join my clowder. Here she is in the enclosed porch where the “kitty buffet” is kept for all the cats in my Winter House.
Her gorgeous coat is chocolate to smoky brown.
She’s a follower – she loves following guests and sitting with them.
And many of you know this handsome feline – Blackie, my Greenhouse cat.
Every day he makes his rounds, saying hi to everyone he sees.
At night he’s back indoors guarding the greenhouse from any and all small furred intruders.
This is Cinco, the Calico. Cinco and her sister, Mayo, stay around the stable complex under the watchful eye of my stable manager, Helen Peparo, and her crew.
Here’s Mayo, or as she is affectionately called, “May-May.” She will always roll over hoping for a belly rub.
I am so happy these cats feel safe and comfortable in my home. They’re all happy, healthy, and thriving. How are all your “puddy tats” doing this summer?
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