All my beds are raised, Mary Stella, and filled with a good planter's mix so planting is pretty easy as is digging in the fall. I already dig a few hundred glads every fall, only takes an hour or so. I know the dahlia tubers are larger and I'll have to be more gentle but I think it's doable. I'll probably try a few different ways of overwintering but expect to store most as full tubers. Since my daughter moved out for college we have a stall in the garage where I can set up shelves or hang bags that will be out of the way while still somewhat temperature controlled.

I'm still trying to get in touch with the local dahlia society here in CO to get more specific advice on overwintering, haven't had any success with emails.

The majority of my beds are perennial. With the new varieties I've ordered for this fall I should be up around 675 peonies but I'm going to the APS convention this year so the number will probably grow. I don't always cut them back in the winter, most years it's dry enough here that I don't have to worry about any of the typical peony diseases, but even when I do I only do a few at a time so I'm not killing the trash guys with several bags each week! And the deer tend to take care of cutting back everything else....

Hopefully the tubers I ordered will do at least as well as the noname one I got from Walmart last year--the tuber that struck the spark on the obsession! If so I'll just have to look at the bloom pics to inspire me to dig/divide/store. If it's too much work I can always depend on several friends from the Rocky Mountain Gardeners Forum to help out, as long as I share the spoils!

OMG, Liz! I agree with Mary. You are going to have an amazing display of color and blooms. It is a lot of work for sure but it is also going to be so exciting seeing the blooms for the first time. I just hope that you will have a system of staking them because they will really need it. One single windy storm will topple them with no problem. I learned the hard way when I put the support in too late.

Liz - do you have pics posted here on ATP of your peonies in full bloom? If so please give us a link.

I know you have mentioned how many peonies you have before - but every time I see it, I think - geez, didn't know there were that many Peonies.

Hi Karen! I did learn the staking lesson the hard way last summer on the bagged dahlias I planted. Both were laying flat on the ground, still blooming like crazy! I'm thinking single pieces of rebar, probably 6' since I'll have to go down at least 2' to make sure they're in hard soil rather than just the loose planter's mix. I want something that'll stand up well but won't be so noticeable once blooms start.

Geof, I never really took pics of my gardens until the last few years, after I discovered the gardening forums. We've had such bad hail years since then that I've consciously avoided taking pics of entire plants since it just makes me sick to see the tattered leaves. I have added quite a few pics to the database and here's a few that I actually kept because the damage wasn't as apparent. And my collection is a drop in the bucket of the total number of peony varieties out there! Hopefully we'll have a relatively hail free spring and I'll add to my garden pics.

Most of my peonies are in my plant list here on All Things Plants, fell off listing the last year or so and the new ones I've ordered aren't in there yet. http://garden.org/lists/view/L...









No peonies but I really like foxtail lilies as well!

Thanks Liz - They look beautiful. The foxtails are wonderful - something I am not familiar with, and need to look into!

It's funny, I planted probably 16 or so coming up on 3 years ago now. They were mixed colors but the only one that's bloomed so far is the yellow. The others come up and even had what looked like was going to be bloom stems but they died back. They stay in bloom for a nice long while.

Liz, How much acreage do you have? I cannot believe 675 peony. That must be an amazing site. I just know that everyone's gardens must be fabulous. I am so blessed to have found this site. Thanks all.

We have 10 acres but most of my garden is contained in 1. I do plan to start new beds this spring; I need to move plants around to give them more room to mature.

I did a little google-ing on Foxtail lilies - Everything says zone 5 (well mulched) is the coldest they can handle, so I guess I won't let them tempt me. Probably for the best.

I tried the foxtail here and am in a fairly secure zone 4 - no soap. That happens with a lot of 'on the edge' plants. Or they survive one winter only to be done in by the next. Perhaps they maintain just enough vigor to make it through one year then just play out the next.

I would love to have windflowers (anemone) other than sylvestris but I don't seem able to keep those either. Will be looking closely at ABG's flowers and plants for ideas as they are a full zone colder than I am across town.

Maybe that's why only the yellow is doing well, huh Geof? We're zone 4B as well.

Liz, 10 acres? What a find. I have 2 little yards next to each other and they make up about 3/4 of an acre. I bet you are having such fun planning your gardens.

I wish I were a better planner, MyRee, my beds are pretty chaotic. We had a landscape guy come in and draw out a design but I'm doing all of the bed building and planting myself. It's fun and I like it, probably wouldn't suit a lot of people! It's dirt though so I can change it whenever a better plan pops to mind....

Hi Liz, I have done / created all my beds also, not suited for all but I love them. I am definitely not a type A person. I just enjoy being outside and enjoying creating beauty.

Your gardens are absolutely beautiful, MyRee. I love seeing all of the pictures of the gardens here at ATP, gives me lots of inspiration!

I have already ordered about 50 new dahlias this year. This morning I drove to a garden center about 20 minutes from here. Last year, I was surprised to see over 50 varieties there. Today, I was like a kid in a candy store. I counted at least 75 varieties and a lot of assorted ones. They were mostly the more common ones you see for sale every year but I never thought I would see so many in one place. Nothing really rare or exotic but there were a few I was unfamiliar with. I might have to go back. I told a saleslady that they should be ashamed of themselves for having so many and directly contributing to the delinquency of a dahlia-holic. lol

One variety I bought was Parkland Rave. I didn't know anything about it but was happy to find that it is an A size (8-10"). It's an orange decorative type but the colors in some photos remind me a little of Show 'n Tell. I sometimes have to remind myself that a lot of photos are greatly enhanced to catch the eye.

Dan - Parkland rave is a B sized pink cactus, so if you didn't just mix it up with another - then they "enhanced" more than the photo

Ooops! It's Parkland "Glory." Good catch, Geof. Thanks!

You did good, Dan, and didn't buy one of each...but there's still time.

I was at Alaska Mill and Feed and looked over their dahlias. Have several I would like to have but I am being strong. I only bought the lily "Lollypop." It isn't all that eye popping but my memory is that it multiplies like mad. I dug it up several years ago and gave most away and then lost what I had left. In the next week or so I will give in and haul up the trove from the crawlspace.