More for 2015

So lets continue. Shall we?

The Tahoma April
I grew this one last year. It is a classic ball dahlia, pink in color and about 3 inches I diameter. Its a good contrast to some of my more wild varieties!

Next up "Diva"
Got this tuber from my mom. It was so beautiful in her garden last year that I decided to try it. The blooms average from 4-6 inches in size and the stems are fantastically long and sturdy. Makes them great for cutting! I am super excited to add this one to my garden this year!

 

Gloriosa is next

I grew this one last year and took a bloom to our local County Fair. I received a Blue Ribbon and lots of information and knowledge from some of the cute old ladies running the flower show. They were so excited to see such a "young" person so ecstatic about growing and exhibiting her dahlias. Hopefully this plant does well again for me this year.

 



 

 

 

Next "Purplelicious"

 

This one produces medium sized vibrant purple blooms. The color is just beautiful!!!



More 2015 Varieties

Onward!

The Swans Glory Dahlia
I decided to add some more colors to my garden this year and Swans Glory fit the bill. My mom grew this one last year and it was stunning! The plant grows 5 inch blooms of bright orange/red flowers with yellow around the petals. The tuber did not winter well but I will plant in anyways and pray that it grows!

Hulins Carnival is up next
This variety I grew last year and again did not get many blooms off of it because of the mite apocalypse. I did get a couple interesting blooms that made me curious enough to grow it again.

 

 

Next up Patches

I got this tuber from my mom and I am super excited about it. It is a larger bloom of purple and white. It can be any variation of those colors, so each bloom is a surprise!

 



Tahoma Shea
This one goes with "lets add some different colors to my garden". It is a small dahlia, only produces 3 inch blooms of Raspberry and yellow. It should go well with my other new varieties I am adding this year.

Emory Paul
The big one! I was lucky enough to get 3 blooms off of this guy last year. They did not disappoint! I kept a tuber for myself because I want to give it another shot. My blooms were around 12 inches each!

Last but not least for the day the Wannabee
I LOVED this one last year. Definitely one of my favorites I have grown. It is so vibrant and adorable! I will grow this one over and over again!

Dahlias for 2015!

Drumroll please...........................................

My Dahlia's for 2015

Some are new and some are varieties that I grew last year. So lets begin.

First The Bumble Rumble

I LOVE THIS DAHLIA!!!
It was certainly an eye catcher last year. It has fantastic stems for cutting and goes well with other varieties in a bouquet. It is vibrant and the bee's love it.

 

 

 

Next The Coral Gypsy

 

I grew this one last year but the blooms never looked like they were supposed to and I attributed that to the mites and powdery mildew. So I thought I would give it one more try. This variety have vibrant cactus blooms that are 4-6 inches. We will see what it does in 2015.

 

Hillcrest Jonathan is next

Again I did not get many blooms off of this plant but my mother grew it and hers were beautiful! This photo does not give it justice. It is more vibrant than in the photo and I am going to give it another chance.

Last for the day is the Jomanda

This variety grew but never bloomed. I was very excited for it last year but I was disappointed. I did get one good tuber off the root so I am trying it again this year. Wish me luck!

 



 

My year in 2014

Well 2014 for my dahlias had its ups and downs. Ups include trying out new varieties and colors, as well as entering in my first County Fair! The downs were that of a spider mite apocalypse that decimated my plants half- way through the growing season.

Here are some pre-apocalypse photos of my dahlias from 2014

These are Wannabee Dahlias. One of my favorites for 2014.

From Left to Right, Tutti Frutti, Matchmaker, and Velda Inez

 Hulins Carnival, Hillcrest Jonathan and Emory Paul.

My first place Dahlia at the County Fair, the Gloriosa!

 

Elizabeth Jean and Bumble Rumble and below is a bouquet of Elizabeth Jean

Those are the best photos I have of my dahlias for 2014.


As far as the Spider Mite apocalypse that totally destroyed my dahlia plants, it first started out as a very small infestation. After doing many hours of research online on how to rid my garden of those nasty little things, I decided to go green with purchasing 1,500, yes 1,500, ladybugs. With the several articles I read they should have done the trick. Well. They. Didn't. The mites continued to multiply and soon took over my entire garden (insert sad face here). Soon my plants started to get powdery mildew as well. All 1,500 of my ladybugs decided to fly the coop, literally. There were none left in sight.

I decided to go the chemical route. I tried at least 3 different types of Mite killing products. None worked. NONE!!! Until...... I found a wonderful product that was neem-oil based. It was called Bon neem. Very affordable and worked miracles! Unfortunately it was way too late in the season and my plants never made a comeback. I plan on using this product in 2015 at the first sight of Spider mites. AND it helps with many other pests and also powdery mildew, hooray!!! So 2015 should be a fantastic year for me and my dahlias. Stay tuned for details and a preview of my new varieties!