More Beautiful Dahlia Blooms in My Garden
Tucked away in a bed behind my large vegetable greenhouse, this year's dahlias continue to bloom with gorgeous colors and forms.
Dahlia is a genus of tuberous plants that are members of the Asteraceae family and are related to the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia. They grow from small tubers planted in the spring. And from late June through October, these flowers give off a stunning show with blooms ranging from small to giant dinner-plate size. Many of my dahlias are from Swan Island Dahlias in Oregon, from Floret in the State of Washington, and from The Flower Hat, a flower farm based in Bozeman, Montana.
Enjoy these photos.
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- I’ve been growing this all-dahlia garden for several years. When we first planted it, it was in a bed outside my main greenhouse. We moved it to this location behind my vegetable greenhouse a couple of years ago. 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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- Big dahlias need a support structure to keep the heavy blooms from bending to the ground. The uprights at the row ends of this garden are antique granite posts from China – originally used as grape supports in a valley that was going to be dammed and flooded to create a reservoir. We secure twine from one end to the other with bamboo stakes every few feet in between.
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- There are about 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. Pompon dahlias are almost round in shape with tightly quilled petals. This one is a pretty pink and white color.
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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, and Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced.
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- Dahlias were first recorded by Westerners in 1615, and were then called by their original Mexican name, acoctli. The first garden dahlias reached the United States in the early 1830s. Today, dahlias are grown all over the world.
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- On this day, my gardener, Brian O’Kelly, gives the dahlias a little extra TLC – checking the supportive stakes and making sure the plants are well-watered. Dahlias grow best when they receive a consistent supply of water – we water these deeply once or twice per week during the season.
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- This is a single dahlia with just one row of petals surrounding the center disc. 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.
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- Flowers come one head per stem. They are divided into a number of groups including single, anemone, collarette, waterlily, decorative, fall, pompon, cactus, semi-cactus, and miscellaneous.
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- 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.
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- Dahlias are believed to have been named in honor of Andreas Dahl, a Swedish scientist, environmentalist, and student of well-known Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus.
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- This is a cactus dahlia with its beautiful tightly rolled ‘spiny’ petals.
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- And here is another cactus dahlia in bright salmon pink and yellow.
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- Dahlias produce an abundance of wonderful flowers throughout early summer and again in late summer until the first frost.
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- Here’s Moises staking some of the shorter dahlias and removing pesky weeds surrounding the plants – maintenance in the garden is so important. We also use organic mulch, made here at the farm, around the plants to prevent weeds and conserve moisture.
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- From the side, many dahlia petals grow all around the flower head giving it a very full appearance.
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- This single dahlia is bright red with a bold yellow center.
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- Dahlias come in white, shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, shades of purple, and various combinations of these colors – every color but true blue.
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- The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects.
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- This large bloom is a beautiful creamy white with a hint of yellow in the center. 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.
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- When cutting, to prevent wilting, cut only in the early morning or late afternoon. And only cut them after they open to mature size – dahlias will not open after cutting.
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- And look, there are still more buds just waiting to open.
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- I hope you have dahlias growing in your garden. Let me know in the comments section. With good sunlight, proper watering, and a little bit of luck, we’ll have gorgeous, colorful dahlias growing all the way until Halloween.
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