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Another Walk Through the Dahlia Patch
The weather has finally started to cool, and the dahlias have officially started to bloom like crazy! I’ll admit that I’ve really neglected the dahlias this season. Next time around, I’m really hoping to have access to more growing space – but who knows. Anyhow, let’s take a look at some of the other dahlias that are blooming in the cut flower garden. The plant above is labelled ‘Hilltop Lost Treasure’ dahlia. Though I’m normally not a fan of this particular flower shape, the color is so gorgeous. I love the bright pink tones with purple undersides. Next, is the ‘Gingeroo’ dahlia. All of the photos that I’ve seen of…
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Sunflowers and Celosia: Another Cut Flower Harvest
Nothing marks the end of the growing season like big buckets filled with sunflowers. I know that most flower farmers plant in succession, but its simply not possible in my small yard. Let’s take a closer look at what I grew. Here’s a bucket filled with Procut Bicolor sunflowers. I know that these are way past their prime for picking, but this whole season has been kind of weird and wacky anyway. I’m actually not sure what type these are. They didn’t grow well, and the bugs seemed to favor them. This Procut White Lite. For whatever reason, I never got around to taking a picture of the full harvests…
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Even More Time with Dahlias in the Garden –
The last several weeks in the garden have been dark and dreary. It’s been so cloudy and there’s been so much rain that I haven’t even been able to pick flowers or weed. However, with a small break in the weather – I just knew that I need to go out, take some photos, and do some deadheading. Let’s look at some of the other dahlias that are in bloom. Above is the incredible Harry Meggos dahlia. I absolutely LOVE large dahlias, and this one is no exception. This plant is currently covered in HUGE blooms. The flowers start out in shades of yellow and become progressively more soft orange…
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Daydreaming About Dahlias in the Cut Flower Garden
We’re back with another look at many of the numerous dahlias that are growing in the cut flower garden this year. Above is the Sandia Brocade dahlia. I have such mixed opinions about this variety. The blooms and colors of this plant are absolutely gorgeous. The flowers are numerous, and I absolutely adore the anemone shape. However, I’ve found that they lose their petals very quickly here in my yard. I have yet to be able to pick any of these flowers with the open center (as pictured) and with petals in tact for flower arrangements. The Isabel dahlia is finally starting to bloom. As anticipated, I am TOTALLY JAZZED.…
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Deadheading and Harvesting Late Season Dahlias in the Cut Flower Garden
I’ve had a really rough time of growing dahlias this year. After several really strong storms, nearly the entire patch had been flattened. Undoubtedly, the whole thing has been an extremely valuable learning experience. Next time, I’ll stake them much better. Let’s take a closer look at some of the dahlia flowers that I’ve been cutting. The unique looking bloom above is the BJ’s Dusty Rose dahlia. I was really drawn to this one for its neat tinted color, which I would best describe as a blend of pink and lavender. Check out this gross looking bucket of lavender perfection dahlia. I’m not sure how I actually feel about this…
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Late Season Cut Flower Garden Update
It’s almost that time of year – when we’ll end the summer garden and start planning and planting for fall. I can’t help but feel that this summer has been pretty upsetting and terrible. For the first time ever, I’m glad that winter is coming. Let’s take one last look around, shall we? I was so pleased with the Benary’s Giant zinnias this year. They grew and grew and grew. I was so thankful for the armloads of cut flowers that they provided. I’m almost certain that the powdery mildew will overtake them soon. Here’s a closer look at my small gomphrena patch. I had a lot of trouble picking…
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September Cut Flower Harvest from the Garden
This year, I intentionally added a lot of new-to-me flowers to the cutting garden. During my time making flower arrangements, I have quickly learned that variety is a major key to success. Let’s take a closer look at some of the gorgeous flowers that I was able to pick from the garden. Pictured above is a Peaches n Cream dahlia. Peaches n cream dahlias were extremely difficult to find this year. Their extreme popularity is understandable. After all, the shading and colors on this flower are absolutely stunning. My plant didn’t bloom very much this season, I’m hoping that next year will be better. I also have quite an assortment…
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‘Double Delight’ Sunflowers in the Cut Flower Garden
If I’m being honest, it was extremely difficult to find the motivation to write this post. After posting its companion video, there were several comments that simply “got to me”. I am forever appreciative of the comments and interaction on my content, but some of the more negative ones can feel so discouraging and even hostile. How could anyone possible have such strong opinions of something like sunflowers? Oh well, one must persist. The feature of today’s post is the ‘Double Delight’ sunflower. I originally found this packet of seeds offered at GeoSeed. At the time, I didn’t bother to read the description. I knew that any hybrid double should…
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Benary’s Giant Salmon Zinnias: Garden Favorites!
Zinnias were among the first flowers that I ever grew, or had even seen growing in a garden. Having grown up in the middle of the city, I wasn’t familiar with the concept that people had “gardens”. It is for this reason that I’m so fond of Benary’s Giant Salmon zinnias. They were the very first flowers that I had ever planted in my own little cut flower garden. They’re still one of my absolute favorites. Though Benary’s Giant Salmon zinnias are usually much less “double” than many of the other zinnias, I can’t help but feel that they make up for it with color. Just look at that range!…
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Queen Lime Orange Zinnias: First Time Success
Whenever I add a new variety of flower to my garden, I can’t help but feel excited. This is especially true when it’s something special like the Queen zinnia series. In this post, we’ll be taking a closer look at the Queen Lime Orange zinnias. The Queen series of zinnias are known for their unique colors and for their gorgeous flower shapes. As you can see from the photo above, many of the blooms have an incredible double form. In the past, I’ve had trouble growing these zinnias. This season, I chose a location that receives part shade during the hottest portion of the day. This seems to have been…
