The Dahlias are Growing
The dahlias are growing excellently this season, and some are already beginning to show off those colorful, spiky flowers that bloom from midsummer right through the first frost.
This year, I designated a new location for our all-dahlia garden - it's behind my vegetable greenhouse in a bed previously used for growing grapes. The garden was planted in June. Yesterday, my gardeners, Ryan McCallister and Brian O'Kelly, staked the plants, so they're well-supported as the heavy flowers develop. Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. Our dahlias are from Floret, a family farm and floral design studio in the State of Washington. We also have some from Swan Island Dahlias in Oregon, a family owned business and the largest and leading dahlia grower in the United States. And, a selection from The Flower Hat, based in Bozeman, Montana.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- I knew this area would be perfect for planting our dahlias. This location gets great sun. Dahlias grow more blooms when they get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. And because this spot is behind this large structure, it is also protected from strong winds.
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- All our dahlias are frost-tender tuberous plants. Dahlias can overwinter outdoors where the weather is mild; however, here in the Northeast, severe winter conditions can cause them to split and rot, so they are pulled from the ground and stored away every fall and replanted in spring. Here is the garden bed all planted in June.
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- And here is the same view of the garden now – the plants have developed so well and are growing lush and green.
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- 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.
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- When the flowers grow, they emerge small and pale green at first.
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- And gradually they get larger and more detailed. Dahlias start blooming about eight weeks after planting.
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- And here is one just starting to show off its color.
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- Here is one with dark purple leaves and stems.
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- And here is one of the first blooms – bright red with a yellow center. The array of flower colors, sizes, and shapes is astounding. Dahlias come in white, shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, shades of purple, and various combinations of these colors – every color but blue. In the 19th century, a London newspaper offered a pound, or a little more than a dollar, to the first breeder to create a blue dahlia—the reward was never claimed, but there have been many attempts that are near-blue, but not true blue. Like many flower varieties, there is also no pure black variety—only dark red and dark purple.
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- 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.
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- Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family along with daisies and sunflowers. This dahlia is a soft, creamy yellow with a dark yellow center.
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- The genus Dahlia is native to the high plains of Mexico. Some species can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador & Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced. At present there are at least 35 recognized species in existence.
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- This dahlia is lavender with a bold yellow center. Dahlias are herbaceous perennials, but typically grown as an annual.
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- Some of the Dahlia flower forms are also amazing. They range from a charming single, daisy-like flower to the popular double varieties which can range from the two-inch-pompons to 12-inch dinner plate size. They are divided into 10 groups: single, anemone, collarette, waterlily, decorative, fall, pompon, cactus, semi-cactus, and miscellaneous.
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- Yesterday, Brian replaced all the shorter three-foot stakes with five foot stakes. He carefully pushes each stake into the exact hole of the shorter stake so as not to damage any of the tubers below. These tuberous plants have slender erect stems which are not always capable of supporting the large flowers, so they must be well-supported.
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- I designed these stakes for my gardens. I use similar stakes for my herbaceous peonies. The stakes are designed with eyes, so that twine can be threaded through multiple stakes at various heights for corralling plants.
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- The upright posts at the ends of this bed have heavy gauge copper wire laced through them for added plant support. I designed them, so the wire can be tightened or loosened depending on the need.
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- There are many different ways to support the growing plants. Here, Ryan uses jute twine pulled through the eye holes of the stake and then wrapped around the plant to hold the stems up.
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- Next, he ties a simple knot keeping all the branches of the dahlia corralled and upright.
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- Depending on the height of the dahlia, this may have to be done a couple of times to ensure the plant is well-supported.
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- These plants are developing so nicely. I am looking forward to seeing more and more of the gorgeous blooms later this season. What dahlias are in your garden? Share them with me in the comments section below.
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