My Dahlias in Bloom

September 4, 2019

My gardens continue to produce beautiful blooms during these last few weeks of summer.

Some of you may recall, last year I decided to make a few changes to the beds surrounding my main greenhouse. In back just outside the flower cutting garden, I designated the space just for dahlias - those colorful, spiky flowers that bloom from midsummer right through the first frost. And now they’re flowering beautifully. There are several thousand named varieties with flowers ranging from small to giant dinner plate size. Many of our dahlia tubers are from Floret, a family farm and floral design studio in the State of Washington that specializes in organic, handcrafted arrangements for special events. Others came from Brent and Becky’s, a family-owned farm and garden in Gloucester, Virginia.

Here are some photos, enjoy.

: In July, this new garden bed behind my main greenhouse was just beginning to sprout with rows of dahlias bordered by young hostas.

: By early August, these dahlias were well on their way – growing quickly and beautifully. I knew it would be a wonderful bed for dahlias. It gets great sun, and dahlias grow more blooms with six to eight hours of direct sunlight. And because this spot is surrounded on two sides by the structure, it is also protected from strong winds.

: Here is the garden just a week later in mid-August. All the plants are so lush and green. Dahlias thrive in rich, well-drained soil with a pH level of 6.5 to 7.0 and slightly acidic.

: By last week, so many of the flowers burst open with such beautiful blooms just as other flowers have sadly past their prime.

: This is ‘Karma Corona’. The Karma series was developed for the cut flower market. This variety has strong stems and flowers that open with a blend of beautiful salmon, yellow, and bronze.

: Dahlia ‘Vancouver’ is an eye-catching dinner plate dahlia with huge and magnificent, blue-violet blossoms adorned with white tipped, long petals. When fully opened, this double variety flowers up to eight to 10 inches in diameter.

: ‘Park Princess’ is a cactus type. The tightly rolled petals vary in color from pale pink to rich, vibrant pink, depending on the temperature and moisture. It is a prolific re-bloomer and an excellent cut flower.

: ‘Myrtle’s Brandy’ is a red dahlia with white tips whose petals fold back towards the stems. It is an excellent cut flower variety.

: I love how full these flower heads are.

: This cactus dahlia is called ‘Karma Red Corona’ with brilliant, scarlet red flowers. It was bred as a cut flower, and like other Karma dahlias, the plants are compact with dark green foliage, long stems and a high bud count. The quilled petals add extra texture and volume.

: Another eye-catching cultivar is Dahlia ‘Castle Drive’. It has a soft blend of pink and yellow and is great in arrangements and gardens. This plant is also very attractive to bees and butterflies.

: The petals grow all around the flower head giving it a more pompom like appearance.

: This is Dahlia ‘Hugs N’ Kisses’. Its three-inch blooms are a beautiful lavender with a deep purple reverse on the back of each petal. Each petal rolls slightly making it quite unique.

: ‘Bright Diamond’ has large, white flowers with dark red streaks throughout. These blooms reach two to three inches in diameter.

: ‘Ferncliff Copper’ features smoky-peach blooms. Plants produce a steady supply of sturdy, long-stemmed flowers all season long.

: ‘Thomas Edison’ has huge and magnificent, deep purple blossoms. The fully double flowers up to eight inches wide and are borne atop strong, sturdy stems. Blooming from now until frost, this dahlia grows up to three to four feet tall in the garden.

: ‘Maltby Pearl’ has soft, creamy pink petals edged with lavender and tipped with white. This unique color combination gives them an almost metallic effect.

: This beautiful giant lavender dahlia is called ‘Vassio Meggos’. It has long stems, and giant pink flowers – a popular variety in the garden.

: And if you like yellow, you’ll love ‘Kelvin Floodlight’. It’s a classic, butter-colored flower that’s dinner plate-sized at up to 10-inches across. Set against deep green foliage that comes in lush and thick, ‘Kelvin Floodlight’ is a great way to add fast-growing color to beds, borders, and containers.