Some of the stragglers among the dahlias I've grown from tubers this year are gradually making an appearance and, with others on their way, I felt spoiled for choice when it came to cutting floral materials on Sunday. Drawn by their abundance and tall stems, I cut several 'Summer's End' Dahlias as a starting point. The plant was enthusiastic last season but it's really overachieving this year.
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Front view, showing off the 'Summer's End' Dahlias
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| Back view: To add interest, I added one large bloom of Dahlia 'La Luna' and the first bloom of Dahlia 'Labyrinth'to the mix |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Alstroemeria 'Inca Sundance', Cuphea 'Honeybells', Dahlia 'Labyrinth', D. 'La Luna', D. 'Summer's End', and Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' |
I cut two stems of the most recent dahlia bloom, 'Excentric', even though both were short. Snipping them at this stage cost me several side shoots but I'm hoping that cutting deeper into the plant will promote a bushier plant in the long run. Unfortunately, the dahlias ended up being largely eclipsed by the Zinnias.
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| Dahlia 'Excentric' ended up literally pushed aside and largely out of sight with Zinnias taking center stage |
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| Back view, with Amaryllis belladonna assuming the limelight |
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| Top view |
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Top row: Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Amaryllis belladonna, and Dahlia 'Excentric'
Middle: Eustoma grandiflorum, Myrtus communis, and noID Pelargonium
Bottom: Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Wine', noID Zinnia, and Z. e. 'Zinderella Lilac' |
The Rudbeckias are also coming on strong.
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| I cut a handful of the Rudbeckia hirta 'Sahara' to exemplify the color variations within the mix I purchased by mail order. I added a single stem of coleus (Plectranthus scuttellarioides 'Florida Sun Rose') I managed to preserve from last year to the small vase that often sits on our kitchen island. |
We had several lovely days with temperatures in the high 70sF to low 80sF (25C to 28C). That streak is expected to break today before (hopefully) declining once more midweek. As I've been trying to catch up on garden maintenance, cooler weather is greatly appreciated.
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she and others have to offer this week.
All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
