What A Mix!

I have enjoyed a steady stream of Dahlias for my table but never did I think I would get so many variations! I'm sure if I had bought my tubors from a house that specialized in Dahlias, they would have been consistent in size and color. However, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the contrasts that have popped up this growing season.

I Have Dahlias!

Finally, after a long wait, I finally have a steady supply of fresh Dahlias for my kitchen table. As you can see, our dog Astrid is very proud of them. I think she feels that she had something to do with their success, as we made checking on them part of our morning ritual. Every morning it was turn off the alarm, go out and get the newspaper, start the coffee and finally, along with Astrid, go out to the backyard and check on the Dahlias.

I originally started with three pots of Dahlia tubor plantings but after one failed to show any signs of life, I discarded it. Now, with two healthy pots I feel I was a bit hasty about the third one. Being new to growing flowers from tubers, the hardest part was not knowing what to expect of them. My Dahlia growing experience was a lot like training Astrid. Patience and nurture yields beautiful results.

My Neighbor Blasts Her Tunes

Living in a 'cookie cutter' neighborhood of little houses (which I prefer to think of as a neighborhood of perfect little cottages), we have enough room to landscape the sides of our houses, leaving a little strip for the mowing guys to just fit the mower on the little strip of grass in between. I say this to give some idea of the proximity of the houses...um, cottages. My neighbor to the right has taken to blasting her tunes on a daily basis! If she had any idea of how that music floats into the windows of my bathroom and permeates the walls of my bedroom, she would be mortified, I'm sure. She's that type. But it isn't that loud and often offensive music that blasts from car windows or boom boxes on the beach. It is the sweet melodies of classical and often piano music. This muffled sound is not annoying. Rather, I find it rather calming, bringing back the sounds that came from the kitchen radio my mother often had on. While mom's choice of radio station was not as high brow by any stretch of the imagination, the activity of mom in the kitchen doing her 'mom stuff' while listening to WJTN 1340AM broadcasting Jim Roselle live over a half century ago were untroubled times...and my neighbor's tunes remind me of those days and return that placid feeling. May my neighbor never realize that I enjoy her daily broadcasts. 

To Grow Some Dahlias ... Maybe

It has been sometime since updating our blog on growing Dahlias. Following directions, I have placed them in a spot that receives sun up to 6 hours a day and after the greenery appears I have kept them well watered. There are two that fulfilled their promise on the package of 'guaranteed to grow'. The third just refused, even though it received the very same care, to show any signs of life whatsoever. Unfortunately, I am at a standstill when it comes to knowing what to do with them next. Observing the Dahlia sites that one of our kind readers recommended, I was lost for words at the beauty of the Dahlias...mostly growing in well manicured gardens or started by knowledgeable growers. One thing I have observed with gardening, craft and do it yourself project sites is that they assume you have some knowledge of the subject before beginning. With Dahlias, I do not. I have brought them onto the porch for their photoshoot....now I will return them to the center of the back yard where they will receive their daily dose of full sun. I hope I am a little more knowledgeable on their next update. Knowing what to expect next from them remains a mystery.

Today We Planted Our Dahlias

We'd first like to say 'thank you so much' to Mary St George. Her comment left on our first post about planting Dahlias and  the fabulous link to the Facebook page devoted to Dahlias is an amazing resource! We planted them today in our pots using the suggestions found in these links and the advice from The American Dahlia Society's website.

Our first question was 'there seems so many tubers for each plant'. We found the answer to be yes, it is okay and we can think about dividing them in the coming years. Our next question was 'they have already sprouted in the bag! Is this a good thing?' The answer to that question was that can happen, just plant them accordingly. Don't bury the sprouts when potting them. After planting them, we took them outdoors where we will move them from back of the house to the front each day, making sure they get their 8 hours of required sunshine. To water thoroughly, we followed the suggestion of using a misting bottle. This doesn't wash to the sides the soil that covers each tuber.

To Grow Some Dahlias

We love the name Dahlia. We love the name so much that we've named one of our Etsy shops The Dreamy Dahlia. We also love the flower Dahlia but have never grown any. Documenting our progress along the way, we have taken the all important first step and bought a package of three Dahlia tubers. 

January White Sales

I remember when I was a little girl, the phrase 'winter white sales' was used a lot in the latter part of December around our house. My mom did her home inventory at that time, deciding how many sheet sets and towels she needed. With me in tow, each January she always headed to the extra nice department store in downtown Jamestown, NY...Bigelow's. I can still remember looking over the white sheets and towels. Surely by then colors were plentiful and couldn't have cost that much more. Not until today did I ever realize there is a story behind this January white sale stuff. Quoting an article in the Charlotte Observer, "Ever since Philadelphia retailer John Wanamaker first discounted sheets and other white products early in 1878 to keep textile workers employed during a slow season, January has been the traditional time for sales on bath and bed linens". Hence, January White Sales. Who knew.