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!

Onward!

Continuing with my Dahlias that I am growing for 2014......

The Tutti Frutti......

An interesting name, this Dahlia is very similar to the Coral Gypsy but it has more depth to it. Also it is a smaller bloom at 4 inches. Makes a great cut flower as well.


Next the Matchmaker......

I grew this one last year and did not have great results. I only got 3 blooms from it before our first freeze of the year. BUT I absolutely LOVE this flower. So I bought two new tubers this year to grow, Hopefully I will have better luck this time. It produces 4-inch flowers that cut really well.



The Gloriosa is next

I was originally on the fence about this Dahlia but I decided to take a chance. It grows 6-8 inch blooms and cuts wonderfully. We all know I am not a big fan of the yellows but I think this one might grow on me. I like the shape of the petals and the size. We shall see....


Poppers Dahlia (Love the name)

Another red/orange dahlia. This one I got to see in person at the Swan Island Dahlia Festival 2013. I liked it because of the shape and also it can be any pattern. All red, all yellow, half red/ half yellow and so on, you get the picture.... Its 4-6 inches blooms are a real eye catcher. Should go well with my Gloriosa dahlia.

 

 

The Velda Inez

 

A small white and purple dahlia. Its definitely a cutie. This is my only small dahlia I chose this year. The flowers are 2-4 inches. It should be fun to see it bloom.

2014 Dahlias!

For 2014 I wanted to bring a bit more variety into my garden. Last year I did mostly pinks with one yellow and one red.

This year I am doing 17 different dahlias. Call me crazy but I am so excited. Lots of pinks (of course) a couple purples and some yellow/reds. I had to start all over because only one of my tubers from last year survived storage through the winter. But alas! I get to order newer, bigger. better dahlias!

I will start off with introducing a couple in this post

First is the Jomanda Dahlia. Super excited about this one!

Its a ball type dahlia that is orange-ish pink-ish color. Not sure of the size but it makes a wonderful cut flower!

Next the Emory Paul. Its a big one!

Blooms are 12-14 inches in size. This is the one I am most looking forward to. Should be fun to see how they will go in my arrangements. It is a purple/pink color and its beautiful. This photo was taken last year at the Swan Island Dahlia Festival in Canby, Or. (That's me in the photo)


And lastly for today the Coral Gypsy!

I saw this one and had to have it! Its another larger dahlia, although not as large as the previous. It is 6-8 inches and PINK! I love, love, love it! The petals are also a shape that I have not grown yet.

Its been a while!

Oh... My... Goodness...

I have not posted in almost a year! Whoa!

So let me bring you up to speed.....

My dahlias last year were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! They all bloomed like crazy except for my Matchmaker variety. Which of course was my favorite. Go figure! Here is a photo of the little devil.

One that I was not fond of at all was my Bliss Dahlia. I did not like the color OR the shape. It was too yellow and looked dirty. Here is an example.

Definitely will not be growing this one again.

So here are pictures of the rest of my Dahlias that survived the Slug Apocalypse of 2013!

 
 



 



Relocation!

Long time no post!
 
My tubers started sprouting a week or two after planting, BUT they took a beating by the slugs! I lost my Miss Molly Dahlia but since the place I order from has a guarantee, I just shot them an email and they sent me a new tuber! Amazing customer service!
 
Slugs are nasty little creatures! I have been debating on putting out slug bait BUT I have a very curious doggy that loves to put his nose in things that he shouldn't put his nose in. So I have explored other options like eggshells or gravel.
Isn't that the cutest face ever???

I also had to relocate my planters as they were not getting enough sun. I moved them to the side of my house where there used to be very large rosebushes. They seem to be doing much better and are growing super fast! I now have very healthy large Dahlia plants that are starting to bud.

I do have one Dahlia that is blooming already! Its my Nancilee Dahlia and it is BEAUTIFUL!!! I cannot wait to cut it and bring it in the house!

They have arrived!

My tubers arrived safe and sound! They all looked wonderful and healthy. I was not able to plant them right away, we have been having beautiful sunny days, but cold, frozen nights. Not Dahlia friendly.

Fast forward a couple weeks.....

It is now time to plant! The weather is perfect and no freezing temperatures are in the forecast. My boxes are filled and ready. I am planting two in each box and arranging them by color.They are supposed to be planted 6 to 8 inches below the surface. I have been told not to water them right away as they may rot in the soil. It has been super hot and my soil is dry but it is supposed to rain in the next couple days.

So they are all planted and ready to grow. Now its just hurry up and wait!