The little yellow stakes
I have been hooked on dahlias since August of 2001. I interviewed a man named Leo Barden who had the most amazing dahlia garden in Hull Massachusetts. They are so gorgeous! Each one is an intricate little work of art. Since meeting Leo and getting some expert tips from him, I have been planting dahlias. For years, we even dug up the tubers, packed them in peat moss and stored them during the winter. We would split them and replant them in the spring and have always had success doing that.
This year, our stored tubers dried up. That has happened before…they were too warm, I guess. So, I bought about five new varieties and they are in the ground and ready to go. I have, in the past, ordered dahlia tubers from some of the nations top growers. This year, I opted for the local garden store varieties. And, at some point, when I seen dahlias in bloom at the nursery this summer, I will be sure to buy a few of the plants. I just can’t resist them.
I labeled some yellow stakes with the color and variety of the dahlias to mark my plantings this year.
The dahlias are the most exciting element of my flower bed every year. Once they start blooming…and sometimes that doesn’t happen until early August…..they will go until the first major frost. I’ve had dahlias in early November. I am always sure to plant a few orange varieties, because I know that I’ll have them in vases during October and the Halloween season!
A few days ago, in the blink of an eye, my 4-year-old son made his way through the garden collecting most of my yellow stakes. I guess I forgot to tell the kids that they weren’t supposed to touch them! (They are officially not allowed into the flower garden anymore.)
I managed to put a few stakes back. But the colors and varieties are all mixed up now….and some spots are unmarked. Oh well. We live and we learn. In good time, we’ll see what comes up..where.
Stay tuned for some beautiful close-ups of my dahlias later in the summer! In the meantime – here are a couple of other photos for sharing, as we wait to see which dahlias will be springing up where!
