Inspiration: A Garden is for Everyone.
We bought this home 3 years ago and while I was eager to put my own stamp on the home initially, I wasn’t ready to make any big changes inside.
It helped that the previous owner had already done a great deal to make the home special and our styles were very similar.
Still, with a burning need to do something, I turned my attention outdoors and planted 3 Julie Andrews hybrid rose bushes along our fence line. I did the absolute bare minimum of research and decided to see what came.
The most beautiful blooms, that’s what came. And then I spotted a peony bush in our local nursery. Turns out, the fleeting and ever-beautiful but short-lived blooms of late April really take little effort, so I bought 3 more. Cut flowers in our own back yard? I’m hooked.
This year I started to dream about a proper dahlia garden. I had a few tubers from years past in random parts of the yard that had done well and decided to repurpose an existing raised bed this season to see, again, what came.
I shared the blooms of this year’s harvest on Instagram and was so happy to see that I’m not the only one who loves these beautiful blooms. Here are some thoughts if you are considering your own dahlia garden and a few resources that helped me along the way.
1) I’d recommend sourcing your tubers and rooted cuttings from a flower farm that is in the same region as you are. There are SO many varieties of dahlias, source yours from farmers that are growing well in a similar climate.
2) Read a little. I’ll link them below but I have 2 books that I really love and have helped me to understand the basics of cut flower gardens, including dahlias. They also have the most beautiful pictures.
3) Stake your garden beds when you plant the tubers and set your support system early so that your stems grow through naturally.
4) Pinch early (covered in the aforementioned books) and use a deep cut method when you harvest your flowers. This means cutting 18 inches down, just above new leaf growth. This will create more stems so that your dahlia plants grow wide and full, not just tall.
5) Last but not least, enjoy. Take the time to observe the dahlias as they grow, to enjoy the process of caring for them, and appreciate the variety of shapes and colors. It really is incredible what nature can do.
What I’ve learned over the last few years is that the plants will find a way. In reasonable conditions, and with a little support, they’ll rise and they will bloom. There’s a connection to be made there, about humanity, about our abilities, and about what we can hope for.
Take good care,
-C.
Links:
Fraylick Farms - This is where I source my tubers and highly recommend the quality and variety for my Southeastern garden friends.
Discovering Dahlias - Both educational and beautiful to look at.
Cut Flower Garden - Another great read that covers more flower types.