And my reds...

So far all the reds have been solids, no white tips... they are a deeper red in actuality, the camera seems to lighten them some

Very pretty-love the long dark stems! The reds and burgundies are really my favorites. I have tried about 6 different varieties in that color family and have lost them all to rot (grrr). Oh, except for this unknown border Just not the same.

Reds are my favs too, but my FIL bought these for me and they were a mixed group. I would have every flower red here to my preference... come to think about it, most of them are! But I always add in whites and pinks to balance things out, along with lavendars and purples (geraniums mainly)
Your 'border' looks healthy... what are those stems behind them with the tiny purple blooms?

Both nice reds you two. Kizmo were you expecting white tips on yours?

Grrr on rot.

My FIL bought these bulbs in a group mix from Brecks, like he did last year. Only these were all supposed to be mixed colors with red tips, like the purples that I posted. The only thing is, they are all different types. Some are white tipped, some have spider-mum type petals, bicolors, solids, leaf types different, etc. I got a 'mix' alright, but they are all really pretty, I shouldn't complain. The color brochure that he ordered them from showed 5 different colors with white tips, all labeled as dinner plates. So I'm not really sure what was in the mix. I know the individual bags just listed qty, and color, that I can remember. I tried to mix them up when I planted them on both sides of the porch so Dad would have some color on his side as well. He has one of the orange-red/yellow and a purple white tipped on his side (it was labeled 'pink', but I've yet to see a pink one anywhere...
I'll have to go thru Brecks again and pick out for next year. I didn't save all the paperwork, just the care instructions, which really don't describe them too well.
So far, I haven't seen rot, but the invisible bugs sure do like them. I dusted them early on when they where about 18", as the bugs were really feasting on them. Finally got that down to a slow munch, as the leaves started coming back on really nice. I never did see what they were, but they chewed little pinholes in the leaves, and a couple plants were munched on like a rabbit would go thru a garden. They all look nice now, though.

Those are beautiful! If you like dark reds, try the Kenora Macop B from Breck's (they misspell it as Kenora Macob). Its a deep red, I think it goes well alongside a snow white one. I will probably have some tubers next year available.

http://www.brecksbulbs.ca/product/Kenora-Macob-Dahlia/

That certainly is a gorgeous deep red, Tod.

Kizmo-that blue/purple stemy stuff is blue porter weed. Got that from the mostly-dead-but-reduced graveyard at Lowes (that's about the only reason I go there-otherwise I'm a Home Depot girl). The butterflies love it. LOL at "slow munch"-another fun phrase that could only come from here!!!

I'll have to look for that, like the 'harry potter' look of the stems.... naturally, its only hardy in the lower zones, darn! Otherwise, it would be on the list for new additions. I like our Lowe's better than the neighboring Home Depot, seems like the people are a little friendlier and have more knowledge in the garden area. Seems like everytime we go to HD, the employees are standing around in little huddles, like high schoolers, chatting about what they did/going to do over the weekend. We have to look for someone around the aisles if we need something. The Lowes people are always busy in the aisles, can tell you what aisle, which shelf, what the package looks like, etc. But then again, each store is different. I had a Lowes in IN that made me so mad I didn't go back, and the HD in another city here in OH was very clean and busy.
I like to look in the reduced section too. Never know what you will find in there!

How funny! I swear, it's the exact opposite here! HD is very helpful, Lowes not, etc. Weird how it can be so different. But, yes, I am definitely addicted to their plant graveyard. It only makes sense-why not sell it for half price rather than throw it out. And there have been plenty of times at HD where they're selling plants at full price, that SHOULD be reduced. I'm sure dahlianut and willow would demand a price reduction and then SAIL out. (wee-couldn't resist!). I've gotten a lot of border dahlias at the graveyard.

Okay, I'm struggling here-why harry potter? I must know.

'harry potter look'..... guess because the stems are twisted, reminds me of wizards wands and such. There was a plant that has the same type of twisty trunk, can't remember what the name is, but when I was little, I liked stories of fairies, gnomes, wizards and such. One movie I remember, the master wizard gave his student his first wand, and it looked like a little twisted stick and he had to learn to control it, very funny, but that's just me....
No offense, just reminded me of that sort of thing. Sort of like the beauty of the dahlias in front and the oddity of the twisted stems with the pretty purple bloom in the background, fairy tales and magical forest kinds of stuff.

No offense taken at all- I also like Harry Potter. So I was racking my brain trying to remember if there was a similar plant or something that looked like it in the books or movies I wasn't remembering. LOL. But you are right, it is reminiscent of some kind of mystical theme-I never really thought of it till you said that. You kind of gave me an idea actually, since I usually theme my gardens differently in different parts of the yard. I did need a theme for that part of the garden. Maybe I will get a few garden fairies and gazing balls, etc. Wow-thank you! Seriously!

Carrie

You're welcome! Somewhere on one of these threads, someone had a small patch of trees and grasses in a backyard (?), looked like what my little brother and I used to run thru playing cowboys and Indians. But they put in a bunch of gnomes, fairies, toad houses, etc, and when you walk thru the paths, there are things around all the trees and stumps.. really neat. But don't ask me which thread, I've read so many I've lost count..! LOL

Post some pics if you re-theme your garden area... would love to see what you came up with!

Kathy