Late October Dahlias
With such mild fall temperatures here in Bedford, New York, my dahlias continue to bloom so beautifully.
I designated a large space for growing dahlias right behind my vegetable greenhouse, in an area that gets great sun and protection from strong winds. The colorful flowers begin to bloom with great profusion just as other plants pass their prime, and they last right up until the first frost. Not long ago, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, cut a lovely selection to decorate my home.
Enjoy these photos.
-
- Dahlias are borne from tubers and are popularly grown for their long-lasting cut flowers.
-
- 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 classified according to flower shape and petal arrangement.
-
- Dahlias originated as wildflowers in the high mountain regions of Mexico and Guatemala – that’s why they naturally work well and bloom happily in cooler temperatures.
-
- Dahlias were first recorded by Westerners in 1615, and were then called by their original Mexican name acoctli.
-
- While the Dahlia is the national flower of Mexico, it is also the official flower of both San Francisco and Seattle on the US west coast.
-
- Dahlias produce an abundance of wonderful flowers throughout early summer and again in late summer until the first frost.
-
- Flowers come one head per stem. The blooms can be as small as two-inches in diameter or up to one foot across. This great variety results from dahlias being octoploids, meaning they have eight sets of homologous chromosomes, whereas most plants have only two.
-
- Here in the United States, dahlias are considered a perennial in hardiness zones 8 and higher. in colder regions, zones 7 and lower, dahlias are treated as annuals. We’ve been lucky here at my farm. It is in USDA hardiness zone 6b and our dahlias come back every spring.
-
- This is a cactus dahlia with its beautiful ‘spiny’ petals rolled up along more than two-thirds of their length.
-
- The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects.
-
- Ryan collects the dahlias and places them through the bottom side of a plastic milk crate to protect the delicate stems from breaking. They will be placed in water as soon as they are brought up to my Winter House.
-
- Dahlias come in almost every color – white, shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, shades of purple, variegated and bicolor – almost every color except true blue.
-
- The Dahlia is named after the Swedish 18th century botanist Anders Dahl, who originally declared the flower a vegetable, as the tubers are edible.
-
- Before insulin, the tubers of dahlias were considered medicinal, being used to balance blood sugar due to their high fructose content. The petals were used to treat dry skin, bug bites, infections and rashes. The Aztecs were also said to have used their hallow stems as straws.
-
- This bloom is white with darker burgundy petals in the center, edged in white.
-
- Dahlias grouped with like blooms look so beautiful together. When planting dahlias, choose the location carefully – dahlias grow more blooms where they can have six to eight hours of direct sunlight.
-
- 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.
-
- Dahlias are common wedding flowers, not only for their looks but also for their symbolic meaning. During the Victorian era, dahlias were a symbol of commitment and everlasting union. They are also used to represent inner strength, creativity, and elegance.
-
- Here’s Ryan with our latest bounty of beautiful blooms. Always wait until the foliage has turned brown before digging them up at the end of the season. This is important so that the plant can gather energy for the following year. It will store starches in the tuber which will fuel initial sprouting in summer. The best time is a couple weeks after the first frost when they’re well into dormancy yet haven’t been harmed by the cold. We may not get our first night of frost for a couple more weeks. Are you still enjoying the season’s dahlias where you live?
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
