It’s been so hot this summer – like really, really hot. Just yesterday, we recorded a heat index of 118F. Don’t you just love humidity? Anyhow, I quickly wanted to post some of the beautiful dahlias that I’ve been picking from the garden.
The first ‘Great Silence’ dahlia has started to bloom. I initially purchased this one because the website showed a bright pink color. As you can see, Great Silence dahlia is actually a little more subtle in color with some yellow tones – still very pretty. 
Since opening, the ‘Margie Day’ dahlia has completely changed color. In the last post, you’ll remember that it was a very bright orange. Now that it’s fully open, it has lots of reddish purple. I really like this one!
Anemone dahlias are pretty new to me. The one above is the ‘Sandia Brocade’ dahlia. The cool peachy tones of this one are stunning. Unfortunately, I think that the hot weather may have caused the petals to distort – two petals did not form at all. 
The largest flower, above (middle), is the ‘Ferncliff Spice’ dahlia. Admittedly, it looks absolutely NOTHING like any of the pictures I’ve seen of it online. Perhaps my hot weather causes such dramatic differences? Either way, it seems that I have gotten A LOT of mislabeled tubers this year. I guess people don’t really care, as long as they get your money. 
I saved this ‘Cornel Bronze’ dahlia tuber from last year. This year, it’s growing and healthier than ever. I always feel really good when I finally do something right in the garden.
Last, but not least, are these ‘Polka’ dahlia blooms. These blooms can range quite a bit in color. You can see that there is an ever so slight hint of pink, but my flowers seem to be mostly white.
I just love dahlias but lifting them every fall seems like too much work. Maybe I just need to make the effort!