Carol's Dahlias for year 2009!

Well, the 2009 season has arrived!

I dug up this spring most all of my dahlias because they have been in the ground for 2-5 years and it was time to take care of the mangled mess of tubers so they will bloom better. It was very dry digging so that helped a lot. Sold most of the tubers (to make some money since still unemployed) besides giving some away to friends, family, and trading.

Was a very cold, dry spring here in the NW. But the dahlias are coming along. Slowly!
Snails and slugs have taken a toll on some of the dahlias so hope they will put up another nice shoot so they can grow/bloom this season.

But do have a couple normal ones blooming finally.
I will try to post more pictures this year of my dahlia beds and blooms.
This picture is a border dahlia that I grew from seed last year and it came back in a large pot.

So hope you wil enjoy my dahlias this season!
Carol

This is:
"Skywalker'

Usually my first dahlia of the year. Besides being a great tuber making, it is a good, prolific bloomer. One of my favorite red dahlias.

'Skywalker' again. A closer shot of the actual bloom.
The color doesn't do it right. It is actually a much deeper red in real life.

The nice single petal dahlia was in the compost pile that I made 2 years ago in this garden bed. Guess it decided to show its face this year.
Don't have a name for it so if anyone knows its name, please speak up!

It is interesting on how dahlias lay dormant under the soil for awhile and then pop up to see what is going on in the world one year! I thought I had lost 'Winter Ice' but notice a tuber coming from its old home so shall see if it is it.

Are those delphiniums in the background? The color combination is stunning!

Hi Tod, No, those are larkspurs. All over! But didn't have the heart to pull them out so they have taken over certain areas of the garden. LOL But hey, they are flowers so..................they are very welcomed here!

Beautiful stuff Carol. Skywalker against the backdrop of blue is stunning! You are lucky to have such early bloomage! Bet those 5 yr old clumps were a real challenge. I'm going to convert you to a digger and divider if it's the last thing I do.

I think we've had one of the warmest, driest Springs ever up here til the past couple days when we are back to cool and wet June, you know "summer in the NW." But May and most of June were deluxe for us here. Can't wait to see more of your garden work this year.

Thanks, Annie. The larkspurs are real nice and tall this year. They do look a little wild all over but.............love the color in my gardens!
You better believe that those 5 year old tubers were a bugger. Some dahlias had the most huge tubers in a huge tangle mess. But I got thru them all.
I will tell you tho. I don't like having 1 single shoot coming up from a newly single tuber being planted. If the darn snails get to that shoot, it is taking forever to get another shoot to come up and some tubers aren't making any more shoots even yet. So I do like having more shoots come up from multiple tubers but yes, after 5 years, it is time to divide!

Luvy combo with the larkspurs!

Thought I should post some pics. Took these awhile ago but haven't had the time to post them yet. My computer isn't working right so.............not good.....................

This is 'Camano Phantom' which I totally love for the true purple color.

A very nice 'Brassy'.
This guy I didn't know was in its spot. I knew I had moved it last year to its spot but couldn't find it to dig up so.............it decided to show itself and it sure is pretty. A very bright yellow.

A badly earwig eaten 'Jamaica' (sp?). I got out the insecticide and put some out around some the badly eaten dahlias. The earwigs seem to like the light color dahlias and the decorative types, and see to leave the cactus types and darker colors alone here for some reason.

A nice pink border dahlia.

This is one of my favorite. 'Fire Magic'
The color in the pic doesn't look right so will have to take another one.

This dahlia has been eaten by the earwigs too this year.
This is 'Gerry Hoek'. A nice pale apricot/pink color.

Good ole 'Lupine Dixie'. It always one of my first dahlia to come to bloom. Is a very nice, pretty cactus type that the earwigs seem to leave alone.

The pic doesn't do justice on the right color at all.
This is 'Kari Smokey' and it is a much prettier bloom in real life. It is huge this year with the size of blooms compared to other years. It has gotten more water this year so that helps.

Nice work Carol! Lots of pretties there. Camano Phantom is one of the darkest purples I've ever seen. That bee aiming for Kari Smokey is fantastic- like a little SST landing at runway 09er 9er.

I figured out why you get blooms so much earlier- leaving the tubers in the ground, plus being a little warmer 'down south' LOL. I finally planted DH's office bed last week with transplants from here. He had told me there were already 'a couple blooms.' Well I got there, and there were dahlias galore on full size plants! They have a great spot, full sun against a cement foundation, so lots of heat.

Lookin grand daisyruffles!