Dahlias 2014 Part 2

Thanks, Dan. I'll look into it.

Planskyyd works well too. I buy it dry and mix it myself. Cheaper that way. Which reminds me I need to mix up a batch. Pee-yew....

Gee, rabbits are dumb! I chased one tonight that was too close to my lilies and he froze 10 feet away - a good sitting target for some hawk but he finally ran off to safety.

The only deer product I've tried that doesn't stink is the "I Must Garden" deer repellent. It's nice enough to use in the house!

Dan - I did read up on several products. Do you just sprinkle the coyote urine around? Seems like a bottle would last a week, if that. Is it one drop every 10' or how do you judge how much to use?

If there's a fence around the plants I tie 6" strips of cloth (an inch or so wide) to the fence and put on a few drops. I put the strips a few feet apart. Of course you will have to re-apply after a rain. If you just pour it on the ground you'll be buying it by the gallons. If there is no fence by the plants, I tie the strips to the stake. I don't need as much now since I've given up growing vegetables, tulips, roses and the majority of my lilies. The deer haven't bothered my dahlias ..... YET!!

they are waiting for the lilies et.al. to come back. A shame you had to give up those other plants. But then you probably increased your dahlia production to compensate.

I'll have to rethink this!

I found it much easier to give up the vegetables and other flowers when I thought about the potential for growing more dahlias. I didn't even shed a tear. lol I now have daffs, crocus and hyacinths in the spring and hopefully my re-blooming iris will bloom soon. A rabbit has become a frequent visitor in the yard. I will borrow a friend's Have-a-Heart trap and re-lo him away from here. He may have been the culprit who ate my begonias last year instead of the deer. Wish I could find an animal that eats grass so I wouldn't have to mow so often. How about a goat? lol

And you think the deer wreak havack. (of piffle - you know what I mean). I guess goats would eat your house could they digest it.

I just mowed and trimmed the lawn and fertilized my holly bush. It's 84 degrees and humid but it seems 20 degrees warmer. We no longer have a normal spring. We go from winter to mid-summer with maybe a week of typical spring weather in between. I'm already dreading July and August. I'd be happy with another cool summer like last year.

I didn't mind giving up the vegetables either. It was too much of an instant demand on my time. I'll still grow a few things but never like it used to be. Here the deer will devour hyacinths while the rabbits eat the crocuses - nothing bothers the daffodils and a few are still in bloom.

Very breezy here today and very sunny. The forecast called for rain but I'm guessing it will arrive tonight.

I agree with you Dan - no more normal spring and the Farmer's Almanac calls for a very hot and very rainy summer. We'll all have soggy dahlias and be lucky if none of them rot.

It is 54 here (was about 36 last night), clear skies, very light breeze (which is normal) which makes it feel cooler than 54. All in all a nice day. Looked at from inside the house.

For better or worse my dahlias are going into the ground. Along with all my annuals. I can only hold them so long in little 6 paks. No clue how the nurseries do it. Well, indoors with high humidity and lots of moisture I guess. Have them about half planted. Two beds are done. Two beds out front to plant then whatever is left out back.

The weather man says it's 70 but I don't believe him. It is 95 on my thermometer. I realize it is on the deck in full sun but still. Thank heavens there is a slight breeze to mitigate that sun or I would be under the plants.

Shorts, for the first time this year, but no 90 or even 75 degree weather here. We're in the high 60's and I hope to dedicate next week to planting the dahlias.

I've already done four trays of annuals and have been weeding out the volunteer seedlings of cleome! Every seed must be fertile!

I know what you mean by feeling you'd be under the plants, Mary!!!

Nice day here, got lot done, started on the back yard, kind of overwhelming, but I guess if I take it day at the time it will get done. In the front my dahlias are 8-10 inches tall, will see how it will continue. I went to a off the beat nursery and the Lady had some JM names Glowing ember, small trees 3 feet tall for $9.00 each so I got two, one went to the spot that I need shade in the front, the information is that is a fast growing JM, so I am hoping that my problem is solved in the few years. The second went in the back after I brought in some more dirt and cricket compost so I am hopful . The stump is just sitting there, still need some ideas.

This is my Walmart special dahlia, it is doing good in the pot and half shade.

Overwhelming is a good word to describe what you face, Etelka. Little by little and day by day, it will get done.

That's a great price for the JM's. I hope they do grow fast for you.

The dahlia is lovely and won't get huge so it should do well for you.

Here's a page of tree stump ideas from Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/petalinpa/tree-stump-ideas/
Maybe one of them will spark a new idea for you.

I love those little collerette dahlias. My greenhouse always has them now. Awfully spendy up here and I would just order them if I just remembered. I have never been successful in holding them over assuming they even form tubers over the summer. Which they rarely do. Like they put their whole hearts into plant and flowers with nothing left over.

I always got tubers from mine! How strange.

No clue here. I just hate to buy what are very expensive flowering plants that die each year, at least for me. I should just break down and buy only those types of tubers one year and grow my own. Will be planting out the remaining dahlias today. It is slightly overcast so won't be so hot. D said my neck in back was bright red yesterday evening. I didn't even feel it. But suppose it isn't a good thing right now. I guess I could get one of those safari hats with the little flap that hangs down in the back. Now wouldn't that be cute.

I think DH is probably right. Give in and buy one...and use it.

You sound just like him, especially the "...and use it" part. Might as well, can't keep my knit hat on as it slips off my head when I am bending over digging. What a pain. Am knitting a new hat that is like a slouchy so the weight of the 'slouch' portion in the back to keep it on. If not, it will still be better than that old black ski hat.

Sun causes skin damage and wrinkles from the back of the neck find their way to the front of the neck. That should get you knitting at top speed!

I'm heading back out to weed the cleome babies from around the JI's. What a pain they are!

Lovely. Just what I need. I planted some annuals mixed in a small bed by the front door. I will start the dahlias across the long sidewalk bed but have to dig it up and amend it a bit before that. Also need to put those round grids on legs over my campanula before they send up the tall flowers that flop everywhere. Lunch first though

You get lunch break??? How nice!

My dad always said the man that doe's not have time to eat is a very poor man. I never had thet problem.

Ha! It's take a break to sit down or eat or the result will be laying down and taking a break, suddenly. lol. That pile of plants in pots is way smaller. I almost have the front bed planted up with dahlias and will start to insert the annuals where I can. The rest of the dahlias, those that are very small will find places in my back garden.

I get that sick feeling if I eat and then go out to garden with all the up and down and bending over.

It's a good feeling to see the pot towers grow from things we finally planted!

Oh yes. Then comes the sorting, sizing and storing to clean up the garage. I started last bed out front. Got six planted then the neighbor brought over some home made chips (whole wheat) and fresh vegie toppings (olives, light cheese, avocado, black beans, etc) and we repaired to the deck in the late afternoon sun with beer and had a really good visit. They are a great young couple and it was nice to just sit and talk. Great sense of humor. Nice way to end Sunday.

Hi again, I have been busy getting my family and friend orders of tomato's and flowers that I have grown. I always dig from my extra in the yard and from things I plant from seed and tubers, probably much like all of you do, but I have not planted one thing in my place. I think that sometimes I do things backwards. The deer fence isn't up yet and the garden isn't all tilled. I look at what I have to do and am almost overwhelmed. I told my sweetheart that if there was light 24 hours a day I would be out there 22 hours of it and still would not be ready. I really don't like being in the house, I could live outside and be happy.

My dahlia's are looking great. Some are over 20" and a few are just sprouting, time to get them in the ground. I am so excited for this years garden.

Tomorrow I have to dig ditches and get ready for flood irrigation, since that is how I water at least 95% of my yards.

I know I need to take pictures, but I must have a brain block or something. I will get there.

Dan, I read through the posts, quite quickly, and did not see how your uncle is doing. I hope he is getting better and able to do some physical therapy.

Mary, I saw your zone is 5b, I just can't see that you are my same zone and you are planting.

Arlene, thanks for the tip on the different lilies, I got a few of each kind this year and am ready to plant. It helps on where I am going to plant.

I was able to go back to work for 4 weeks after my 5 week off due to pneumonia, just to get a horrible cold and off for another week. It couldn't keep me out of the garden though (I hope the plants don't mind a drippy nose.

My garden is looking so beautiful even though I haven't planted any of this years bounty. The Shasta daisy's, lupine, iris, columbine, wisteria, fern, hosta, centhranthus, speedwell, clematis, and more are all blooming. I just love the garden. I must take pictures.

Have fun all, Marie

Mary - such a nice way to end the day!

Marie - sometimes we do have to work backwards to get the look we want. Sorry to hear of your pneumonia and then a cold! Being outside keeps the house from getting a mess so it's a double blessing.

How nice that all your plants are doing so well. Today the irises began blooming and there are so many columbine and allium blooming that it's pure pleasure being out in the nice spring air.

My iris look promising and that is about it. Columbine are not even sending up bloom stems yet. Allium have shoots with buds on the ends. Never grew them before so not sure how long til they get tall enough and open. They are not the giant ones, but sort of the semi-giant. The bigger ones won't grow here. Or at least zone wise I don't want to waste the money trying. I can't believe how slow the Itoh peonies are growing. I swear they were ahead of the herbaceous but then it is just the end of May and they don't usually start blooming until the third week of June at the earliest.

I am ashamed I forgot about Dan'ts uncle. I also wonder how he is doing. For that matter I wonder how Dan is doing. Wonder if he has planted out the dahlias yet. I should look at last year's posts to see when you both start posting your beautiful blooms.

Once the irises get the message that spring is here they aren't shy about sending up the blooms but it always takes longer than we'd like. Some alliums have been very disappointing. The smaller ones look more like stringy weeds. Had I known, I'd never have planted them up front in gardens. Others just disappear over the winter while I have a good deal of others that have been here more than 20 years.

I have one Itoh and had to dig it due to the fence workers in December. It surely won't bloom this year but we have many buds on many other peonies.

Dan has two uncles with big health problems. I hope they're both doing well.

Dan was first to post photos in July/August.

I want to thank all of you for asking about my uncle. After four months in the hospital/rehab he was released Saturday and now has to set up his therapy appointments. He is using a walker and a wheelchair but if I know him he will be planting his garden right away. I just got off the phone with him. He was sitting on his riding mower finishing two big lawns. I told him if I was there I'd kick his butt. The guy can't be still. After being flat on his back for four months I'm sure it feels good just to get outside and attempt to do anything. His grandson and a neighbor planted his dahlias. He said he sat in his wheelchair and "supervised." lol

The other uncle hasn't had his surgery re-scheduled yet. The bones in his lower right leg have degenerated to the point he is walking pretty much on the leg bone and both ankle bones are on the left side of his foot. The doctors said they haven't seen anything like this before and think amputation is the only choice. His previous doctor was going to re-position the bones and run a rod from his ankle up into his leg bone. This doctor was fired for messing up a surgery just before my uncle's surgery. The new doctors don't like his planned procedure. I really feel for him.

I haven't planted anything out yet. I put my ten planters of tubers outside to get some sun this morning. With the cool/ cold/rainy weather we've had I haven't been able to do this much. Some plants are getting leggy. I may plant some tubers next weekend. I want to till one more time but it's been so wet.

So glad to hear your uncle is home and back to the great outdoors. Loved how he supervised the planting of the dahlias.

Your other uncle has my prayers. Are these two uncles brothers?

You still sound so ambitious! I've spent a very boring 17 hours pulling cleome seedlings. NO flower is worth that amount of work!

This is from last year, all volunteer cleomi, I tought it was nice, this year only a few sprouted. Happy hunting Arlene, how is that dog of yours???

Look for more seedlings, Etelka. You just might find more than you want. Yours were very pretty with your fence as a backdrop.

Smitty is adorable, as always. Here he is, close to Jack, for Mother's Day. He loves the baby and the baby is fascinated by him.

Cleome is beautiful. I looked it up and it says hardiness is not applicable. So it is an annual? But apparently reseeds promiscuously. I just heard that Sweet Williams will come back here. I will have to try them. My dad just loved them

We had a horrible wind today. Really dried out the ground and plants. Hope it calms down tomorrow so I can stake my dahlias up now that the wind has flattened some. Hope they didn't break the stems. Still have some more to plant then it is up to them.

Dan, Your uncle is amazing. I think I would just curl up and die if I couldn't get out and about. Prayers to your 2nd uncle.

The cleome are beautiful, I have never been able to get mine to look like that.

My first irrigation turn went quite well, have to figure a few things out, but all in all I am pleased. I am sure the plants are very happy. (so are 2 of my grandchildren that came over and played in the water.

Hopefully I can plant Saturday. Feeling much better, was outside all day.

Happy planting, Marie

I agree Marie. I would be stir crazy if I was cooped up that long. It would have taken a heavy rope to tie me down. Thank you for the prayers.

Arlene, they are brothers-in-law. The uncle with the foot problem is married to the other's sister. Both are great guys.

Forecast is showing a chance of rain through Friday. Then sun for all of the three day weekend. Hopefully it will dry out enough for me to till and start planting early next week. Right now the grass is growing so fast I've been mowing every three or four days. It's going to look like a hayfield if I can't mow in the next couple days. Please remind me why I fertilize the lawn and then complain about it growing. lol

I went to an organic gardening class tonight and didn't get home til almost 9:30. Damien had the raised beds buttoned up, and was putting floating row cover over my dahlia gardens. Supposed to hit low 30's tonight. Here's hoping it doesn't get that low as I still have all the annuals I planted out plus about 40' legnth of dahlias that we couldn't cover. Oh well...

Winter gets me stir crazy enough without being in bed for months. I hope they both can get back to gardening and return to good health.

Dan - our forecasts sound similar! I'll be doing my color planning while it rains. My daughter will get the extras.

Your mowing reminds me of my dear cousin/Godmother who had her husband in the hospital as she's put down the Vigoro, mow, more Vigoro, more mowing, etc. That was aside from caring for the 7 children they had and all other assorted duties.

Mary - Damien saved the day! Let us know how all the plants fared.