The Dahlia Experiment....

"The Dahlia you brought to our isle your praises forever shall speak. Mid gardens as sweet as your smile and colour as bright as your cheek." -Lord Holland (1773-1840) (  Whig, Lord Privy Seal for a time)

DAHLIAS were named after Anders Dahl, a botanist, born in 1751. I have never planted Dahlias. Ever. So this will be an experiment. I just hope they live. I  hope I remember to take them out of the ground when fall comes. Otherwise rot rot rot.

"Flowers are happy things..." -P.G. Wodehouse (1881-1975)

I've learned that the good old earth has to be free from frost. Dahlias like  a warm, protected spot, in which to thrive. I planted mine at the front of the house where there is lots of light, and protection, good irrigation, and warm loamy soil.Dahlias seem to like our Pacific northwest coast weather. Moist. Cool. Warm. Happy.

Full sun most of the day. Not shade. I read that  morning sunlight is best, but the way it works here,  sunlight on the front of the house from 11 am to 10 pm in the summer. And it has the most protection from the weather. SO  in  they went.

"I've always felt  that having a garden is like having a good and loyal friend." -C.Z. Guest (1920-2003) (Socialite, columnist etc.)

Don't plant any tubers that are wrinkled or rotten, and if any are sprouting green growth that is a really good sign. Means they are healthy!

Plant with   stumps facing upwards ( you will see the stumps, or stems, above the tubes  hanging like cow udders.  Plant just above the dirt line.Tubers down below in the hollow you made in the dirt.

Dahlias will start blooming about the beginning of July, depending on the weather. They don't need a lot of water to get going, and over watering can cause them to rot. And we don't want that.

Their biggest pests are SLUGS and SNAILS. I'm going to use slug traps  filled with non-alcoholic beer. That usually does the trick. I hope.

Tall Dahlias might  need some staking as they grow. I used tomatoe cages for the ones at the back, near the wall.  Ones in the middle of of the bed I will have to watch.

Best not to overfertilize Dahlias. It seems they like to grow under their own steam. Having never grown them, I am curious to see if this is true.  Like I said: This is an experiment.

Once all the Dahlias were  planted, I marked their places with a popsicle stick. If they grow and do well, then I will be so happy.

By first frost in the fall, their leaves will turn black. Where we live, I would not like to leave them in the ground, even though some gardeners say it would be possible.  Better to dig them up, make sure they are dry and store in dry sand, or styrofoam peanuts. Preferably in a cool place, but not a freezing shed or extra cold garage.  Keep them loose in a box with the sand or whatever you choose. 

Some of the Dahlias I planted  sound rather wonderful: Caribbean Fantasy,Blue Boy,Optic Illusion,Mystery Day, Thomas Edison, etc. So now they are planted.   So let the experiment begin....

"The best place to find God is in a garden. You can dig for him there." -George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) 

Photographs 2017: Campbell River, B.C. ( M. McConachie Woods)