A little tour for Lenjo

Joann, since you're much further away than you thought, I took some photos of the dahlia beds and area just for you. Unfortunately, it was also a cutting morning and I was so slovenly as to not pick up my leaves (or weeds) before taking pictures. But you'll get the general idea of the "upper beds."

Between the Big Bed and the Garage Bed. Straight ahead are the woods, one shade garden and a tremendous stand of Japanese Knotweed ( lucky me.) I think there are about 80 dahlias in the 'big bed.' Haven't counted for sure. To the right is a sort of triangular bed first excavated in 03 and planted in 04 and 05. Short dahlias on the edge, mixed perennials inside and along two paths that dissect the bed and then against the garage about 25-30 more dahlias in taller sizes. More on that next...

Along the garage bed; perennials to the left, really overgrown pathway, shame on me, and all dahlias to the right. In the forground is my "plant ghetto" with a few glads, iris, buddleia and generally starts or plants I've got through swaps that I just observe to see what they're all about.

Staring down the main aisle of the big bed, greeted by dead liatris, overgrown lamium and leaning glads! A real gardener would turn tail and flee in disgust, but a dahlia lover might venture in!

A little cross aisle in the big bed. I planted too close to my stepping stones and should be out there right now moving them, levelling the path out- too late now. The evergreen is ours, the silver barn is the neighbor's and beyond it is about an acre of full sun, flat glory that used to be a horse pasture. Ooooh the dahlias I could grow in there! I should ask him if I could rent the land. right now it is just weedy grass they mow about once a month. The dog likes to go over there and pretend she's trapped behind the fence between our lots, barking at long intervals and looking hopeless. Lassie would never do that. Nor Dahlia the dog, I bet.

Wowzer... what a gorgeous place you live in....lovely gardens...Dottie

wow! annie, beautiful yard.

Well, annie my dear, tis a gorgeous, beautiful, awesome garden ya got there. Looks so green and lush. I think Sunset magazine ought to come pay a visit to see your work of art for that is what we gardeners really are. Don't you ever get a little tired though? I certainly am, maybe its me age. 50 plus is no spring chicken anymore. Thanks a million for always showing us your lovelies.

We have had a rough couple of days here as we learned my husband's brother son was killed very violently. So senseless, so tragic. Wasn't a bad kid either, only 27. Just had gotten a new job that he was so happy to get and he and his dad were quite close, hiking, rafting, golfing etc, My heart goes out to my bro in law. Say a little prayer for him. Joann

Oh Joann, that is so very sad- such a waste of life. I will say a little prayer for your entire family as they struggle with this tragedy.
Take care.

Looking good Poochella. Maybe I'll come visit next year.........

No, you WILL visit next year Granny, and hopefully help me pull a few weeds. My yard will never be tamed, I'm just resigned to it. It's carved out of wilderness and fights the call of the wild daily and I'm the sole warrior who fights back!

A little tired, Joann? Yes, I get tired daily and each year is more tireder. I long to retire and have the same energy I had ten years ago, or twenty! A friend of ours used to lament that you should get Social Security when you're young and can put it to utmost advantage, then work to pay into the program when you're old and tired with nothing better to do! Genius, sheer genius.

Annie, I agree with Joann. You should have the Sunset Magazine come and take pictures.
Love all your beds!!!
You have a lovely garden with all the flowers mixed in with the dahlias.
How do you water it all? Am curious.
Carol

The "W" word is a bad word here Carol. I spend hours hand watering all of it. The main bed can take 3-4 hours alone, longer if I pinch, mulch, fertilize or weed at the same time. I wish I'd never heard from another dahlia grower that she makes the little feeder roots reach for water, because now I'm compelled to water carefully in a big circle around each plant. Seems to work.

Down below is another long arching dahlia bed, another perennial bed, and berries. We have creek water rights and hoses hooked up to that system but the water flow is only about 2 gallons a minute full bore open hose, but with a wand it's more like one gallon per minute. Those both takes hours as well. A gallon of water doesn't sink very far into the soil. One morning I thought- 'oh the lilies need water' and dragged the hose over from the watered dahlia bed intending to pause for lunch. Made it back to the house 5 hours later because the entire everything needed water. Started out thinking 'lunchtime' and ended up with supper instead!

Haven't had to W for a couple weeks now as we had rain and I'm hoping we get another shower soon, so I can end my watering for the year. The season is definitely winding down here with cool nights. Colors of blooms are fading a bit, stems are weaker; the natural shutdown of the plants is underway.

Yes, I totally understand tho my garden is so tiny compared to yours. But water here in Albany is the highest in the state!!!
But I have a drip system for my yard now that I put together this past spring. Works pretty good tho like you, I don't have much water pressure so have to do each line separately.
But your dahlias and other plants look so lush so you must have tones of water and good soil.
But you talk about going out to the garden to do just 1 thing, and you end up doing many other things, I do it all the time, LOL!
Carol

I should have so much of a mess. Please!

Total beauty. Cuttings on the ground just make it seem real. :-)

All that talk of 'W' made me actually break out the hose today. It was quite dry and no rain in sight for another week, plus 60-70's and sun! Whooee. That's what they say anyway- we know how that can change. It's really cool here in the mornings- won't be long before the windshield needs scraping.

You like cut leaves left on the ground for the maid to pick up later? The lawn and pathways are riddled with leaves as I cut and run! Here's a shot of the lower dahlia patch. It parallels a longer perennial bed on the other side of our curving driveway. The dreaded deer have savaged my perennials this year, eaten raspberries down to the stalk within a foot of the closest dahlia, yet that dahlia is untouched. I think this is a sign to rip out all perennials and go for another 50 dahlias, don't you?

Here's the upper bed with an eye to the adjacent woods. Shade beds by woods, beloved compost pit with wood posts around and ubiquitous bucket of yard junk, no doubt. I can't garden without a dog and a bucket!

Yep, you bet, Annie. lol!!!
Who needs perennials, lol!
Guess the deer will be very disappointed in you next year then. Will have to head somewhere else for their supper, hehe!
I need to take a picture of my lawn with the deadheading of the flowers each time.
I am still amazed on how healthy your dahlia plants look tho.
Carol

Geez, you keep telling everyone else to let go of that lawn.
What about you!!!
You still have a long ways to go, Annie. Lose that lawn! lol!

And here's what it will look like if I can trim or drop a couple hemlocks allowing for just a few more feet of sun for new dahlias!
That's me fleetly fleeing from giant animals in the woods, or a big flock of aphids or huge 2 inch spiders which are now starting their trend of putting up mile wide webs at shoulder and face level on my trails! The weed bucket is just so obvious isn't it?

HA! Carol: losing the lawn is already in my best laid plans! All I need to do is hire the tree climbing logger guy again. Or hope for a big windstorm.

LOL! Annie!
Love your drawings!

I always have a bucket, pot, or something to catch all the deadheading, weeds, etc. around somewhere in the garden.

Poochella, Your garden looks so lush. How do you water all those guys?? Do you have drip system?? If so, what type. I hand water all of my plants now, and am planning to put in drip of some kind.
Thanks for inspiring me with your photos!

Suds

Hi Suds, I AM the drip system.
So far, all gardens get hand watered at least weekly, twice weekly during the hot, dry summer weeks. I have contemplated some irrigation system that would save me hours of time, but I need to do alot of research before committing to one. I need something flexible that I wouldn't dig up.

Does anyone know anything about drip tape? It sounds flexible and moveable which is appealing to me rather than a straight line piping system.

One of my fellow Dahlia Society members uses drip tape. Her beds are quite raised though. She has the tape on either side of the plants. I too am the "drip" system, which as you know can take lots of time. Since I am expanding the amount of plants for next year, I will be researching systems, otherwise, I will have to retire from work in order to water ...LOL

What ARE those pokey,,naked things????? Hedgehog buds? Did you have a litter? I've never seen anything so curious!

They are a new dahlia variety...seedlings from "Valley Porcupine"...LOL...I don't have any blooms pix to share yet...but I do have amazing critter pictures...