Thanks, Arlene! My fingers are crossed. I've eliminated so many suppliers from my order list over the years that I'm now doing a "second chance tour". My biggest issue is those who ignore phone calls and Emails when there is a problem.

I have always been very happy with Easy-To-Grow stock. I ordered Tarda & specie tulips & all kinds of lilies. Each multiplied exponentially.
Let us know what you think when your order arrives.
Tarda:

Specie:

Lily, Tiger Baby:

Dan: well we can compare what shakes out from PV. again keep us posted and if there is something you need back and if winters here let me know.

AM: I'm dreaming today. It's crappy out so I took care of finishing my plant area cleanup and that's good to be done and ready to be ready. Yay! I'll head to menards this week and look and see if I can find seeds. Since they have their 15% bag sale why not? I've got enough 1 gal pots for this year so that should be good, I suppose I can always put my fence posts in!

Arturo: how are the blooms looking today? I hope just beautiful! Have you taken cuttings? Will you save seeds?

AM: speaking of seeds, I'll finally take some time to go through mine. I'll be sitting w/GIL as my ILS head out for errands G is at end of life and needs help. So while she sleeps then I'll work on the seeds and get them in envelopes and see what I'll need to buy when I go to town. That's guessing the stores have brought them out. They usually are delivered in November and sit in storage.

Hope everyone is dreaming of grand gardens in 2023! I know I am.

Maybe later today I'll get my tuber check done. Here's hoping they are looking good!

Scarlet, what a comfort you are to your GIL. I will keep her in my prayers.

Winter is nap-time for my garden. Similar to a young mother with small children. Nap time is the few precious hours when you are free to get something done without interruption!
I placed my large order with Swan Island in Sept.
I have separated, sorted & labeled my various garden seeds for next years garden, but didn't save dahlia seeds.
I need to plan my rows, rotating from what was planted in them the last two years.
I need to take inventory on supplies & fertilizer. This is the time of year I pay a visit to one of my favorite stores. Uncle Lukes feed, grain, fertilizer,
bulk seeds, tubers, periodicals, gadgets, heavy equipment, and more. They sell the certified organic ammendments & fertilizers I use. It's a place where there's a cat on every counter, a dog underfoot, a few chickens outside in the dirt parking lot, clerks who genuinely know about farm, garden and equipment. It's also a way to catch up on the farm news passed on from other like-minded farmers, too. Do you have a persistent weed problem? They won't recommend a chemical weed killer. You'll get an answer that will keep you certified organic.
Yup. Been trading with them for 40 years. Uncle Luke is still around, but the next generation has taken over. And, that warms my heart.
Happy New Year my fellow growers.

I don't know if I am. I helped get her settled and came out and had a cry. Oh my Lordy it took me back to when I lost my dad. Similar actions in those getting to leave this life. Had the hubs call the priest and we had her receive anointing of the sick. He's here now with me and that's a help. Darn, you never know how things will hit you and then they do.

I'd love to have a farm store like that. Haven't found one up here. I did go to the feed mill for my potash and it was a barely much just an Old beat up desk and swivel chair found in most county courthouses in Wisco held tighter w three rolls of duct tape and a pole barn. Nothing to look at or peruse. Even the nurseries here are mainly outdoor spring/summer varieties so no winter looking. Whatever little garden mojo I can find is relegated to a big box store little seed section. When we go to see my mom, there's a nice year round greenhouse that I can get the spring smell from at least and that can power you for a few months. They also have huge pallet bags of potting soil and then whatever they are starting on up. Of course they won't have tubers until the first part of spring but I'll look each time I'm down. That's where I got what was to be Nick Senior and was Show n Tell. It was still pretty and well, red.

ScarletTricycle said: Arturo: how are the blooms looking today? I hope just beautiful! Have you taken cuttings? Will you save seeds?

Scarlet, yesterday was our first yay day of the season . We were able to place out in the first bed about 20 different dahlias. We will finish off in a while. I place out now, only those that have open blooms or fat buds. Actually the reason is it is my way of keeping record of those that bloom about/at the same time. Hopefully two weeks from today they will have grown and filled the border, including some gladioli about to bloom and the backdrop of blooming daylilies. My godson has promised me a photo of the group so I can share it here. As soon as available you'll be able to make your comments . I'm getting help to prepare for my main dahlia bed next saturday. There I'll place a big chunk of the remaining tubers. Some have first buds. Most of them just foliage. I expect those to be in bloom February which would be peak season for dahlias here .
February is also whenN.hemisphere imports start to be offered. By then I'll know better of this first purchase which were really worthy to get multiples.
Cuttings I've failed. ( )
Seeds I will collect of the smaller sized guys, like
Twinings After Eight
Children of Bishop of Llandaff
Purpinca
( No photos of the first three herein the DBase...still behind with my new cell phone acquisition... )
Petras Wedding

Arturo

Arturo: I look forward to your blooms! I'm glad I'm not the only non green thumb cuttings type of person! I haven't had dahlia luck either!

AM: it was a long day. I'm home for the night. I had a meeting tonight for a new group. It went well but I'm glad to be home as it was rain snow ice out. Not sleet but the above.

Hah

I did not get to my seeds at all today. Well o have other days in the year don't I? I'd like to make some time soon, but tomorrow is grocery day if the roads are ok.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for seeds or spring. I'm ready for spring!

In my experience it was pretty important to keep the dahlia cuttings on heat and under a humidity dome. Also the best success were ones cut as close to the tuber as possible. I'm no expert an not nearly all mine rooted but those things helped me out. Also instead of rooting in potting soil to use vermiculite till they grew roots and then transfer to potting mix

Oh no! I was cleaning a bit and where I usually put my early seed collection to dry, rest or just out of my way, and found I have 8-12 dahlia seeds in a small cup. No clue who the seed parent was well I guess they'll go into my stash and will see if they sprout soon enough. I like little fun surprises like that. Maybe if I clean a bit more I'll find something more.

Happy day all - enjoy garden dreaming when the day is slow!

Geezzzzn Scarlet.
I need to clean???

There have been several days with temps in the upper 50s-low 60s in the past week or so. But it looks like that has come to an end. Light rain and snow showers today with a high of 38. Long range shows no temp above 41 for the next 10 days. But it's January so I can't complain. The only mention of snow in the forecast says little or no accumulation. That's my favorite kind!

Scarlet, I appreciate the offer but I should have enough tubers with what I've already ordered and will be ordering. I sent an order to Longfield yesterday for 5 varieties. Their reviews have become a little shaky recently but I've received decent clumps from them in the past. Mislabeling had become a bit of an issue but that seems to be the case everywhere lately. I guess resellers don't get enough complaints to bother with trying to correct the problem with the exporters.

Kathy, I used to be a fan of Easy-To-Grow-Bulbs, too. I remember them always being in the Garden Watchdog's Top 5 sellers list. Then 4-5 years ago, things really went south. I don't know about other types of bulbs but the dahlia clumps I received were junk. I had to return the last few dried out bags I received. Last year they had a few hard to find dahlias so I decided to try them again. I ordered on 1/22 and finally cancelled some time in May. Their "shipping soon" messages were never fulfilled. Don't know if I'll try again.

Dahlia tuber prices keep going up but that just mirrors everything else. Eggs are now over $4/dozen. I bought gas around Christmas for $2.79. A few days later it was $2.59. Yesterday it had gone up to $3.49. Up 90 cents in less than two weeks and who knows how much higher it will go??

Kathy: yes - clean! I did locate dahlia seeds in a cup hiding behind something. My family guarantees that things get shoved around, I've got stacking type of people instead of those who put things away.

Dan: well keep me posted. Longfield I've not had lots of luck with. I've had no eyes, mislabels and gall. I will not be buying them this year I think. Just go into it w an open mind, save your label w UPC as they were great at replacing w stock (they request proof) the following year but same troubles. I gave up.

As for the stores, I got seeds at menards! They have out their usuals burpee and those green packet out of NY I think. The dollartree only had there small mixed packets that used to be in boxes. No on their American Seeds just yet. Might have been my location.

I asked at menards and it may not be as early this year for tubers and other bulb like plants. She said they came too early last year and they had a lot of issues. I asked if it will be closer to the first of spring and she said to just check or call. I do hope they have a new bunch mixed in this year.

What do you all think of Fleural? Probably spelled wrong - I don't have much white, but like the photos I've see. Does anyone in the Midwest have it and when is it's bloom time for you?

Cold here today. Eez. I'll be glad when that subsides.

Well, I best post this and continue my wait for the hubs. I'm picking him up to go to lunch and he wasn't certain how long his noon meeting would go. So I need to be ready at any moment.

Now everyone go clean and see what you'll find!

Scarlet, I've grown Fleurel for years and it's my favorite large white. It's always one of the first to open every year and produces lots of blooms. I like that it only grows to around 3' tall. Mine have never been good tuber producers so I just plan to order new ones every year. In fact, I ordered 3 yesterday.

Brent and Becky's opened yesterday. I've bought from them for the past 5-6 years and they've become my most dependable reseller, though they don't have a large selection. Their clumps aren't usually big but I received one last year that I got at least 4 divisions from. I've only received one mislabel in the past. The prices are the lowest you will likely find and there's a 10% discount if you order before March 1st. I ordered 11 yesterday and the total came to just over $48, including $7 for shipping.

It was snowing when I got up this morning. Forecast shows less than a half inch today. There's just a dusting so far. The long range looks to be pretty much snow-free but no temps higher than low 40s.

Low 40's are such an improvement over "high teens".

Very true! But the past few milder winters with far fewer snow shoveling sessions have spoiled me. LOL

Bluestone has a lot of dahlias available this year. Most are $5.95.

Gary, thanks for mentioning Bluestone! They're only 15-20 minutes from my house. I haven't been there in years but once asked about dahlias. They didn't sell them at that time. So I'm wondering if they now grow their own or sell packaged clumps. Either way, it's another option.

Why am I perusing dahlias when I said I wasn't buying this year?!

Good ideas! More to look at.

Interesting on the west coast Pineapple Express. I believe I read KA is a block or two in from the coast and then I saw the footage of Santa Cruz down by the wharf:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne...

The west coast sure is getting hit.

I wonder how the other producers up the coast have been fairing too. Hope everyone comes through this safely and with minimal damage.