Good job, Gary!

I agree with Geof. I'll try to plant the few I have remaining that looked too "iffy", if the rain doesn't get here first. Several dahlia buds and I, too, decided to let them bloom just to satisfy myself.

Peonies here are in full bloom and irises are at the end but it was a great show.

Nice garden Arlene !- what are the tall pink spiky things?

This is my first year with Dahlias, well I had one before this year, LOL.
Mine are budding and I have hopes of seeing a bloom soon.
Dee

@DomehomeDee - Fantastic to hear they are budding already.

Last time I heard from you 5 of the 8 I sent were sprouting - did the other 3 show up?

Think the pink spikes are lupine so, Geof. Pretty garden, Arlene!

Yes, lupine. I'll have to take photos of the many lupine in the front. People stop to ask about them!

Thanks to all for the compliments.

Six of the eight are up and growing well. I'm going to put some fencing around them tomorrow as they are too vulnerable to the deer where they are now. I have them right outside my front door and I refuse to take them down to the flower garden. I want them where I can see them. Two of the them just don't seem interested in coming up. I have been watering them with the others but I'm about to call time of death. I think I will be able to send the iris to you at any point now. They are done flowering and I have been neating them up for the summer. I don't think they'll really mind being dug now. In fact, they might like being able to get established before winter. What do you think?

Dee - I'll tree-mail you.


Lupine? Thats some darn big lupine!! I have tried some from seed the past two years, and have only gotten one to germinate each year - even last years plant, while it seemed to over winter just fine, is very small right now.

Here they range from 2.5 to 4'. We don't feed them!

Here is the pay off for all the work. These are some collerete blossoms that my wife plucks without reservation.

DomehomeDee said:This is my first year with Dahlias, well I had one before this year, LOL.
Mine are budding and I have hopes of seeing a bloom soon.
Dee

I will be interested to learn of your results. I am thinking that we are at the southern limit of dahlia production. But I am not an authority on dahlia growing. I see that you are in a climate zone that is one higher than my local. I can see that the dahlias droop when it gets hot here. They seem to like 80 F pretty well, but then so do I.

Beautiful blooms, cyberwood! The darker ones in the left vase look like one named Hootenanny that another member, Sequoiadendron (Jeff), has posted photos of on Daves's Garden the past two years. I think it's the same one.

We finally got rain Saturday afternoon but when I checked that night the ground was dry after the first couple inches. My brother and I were about an hours drive away yesterday and were in rain off and on all day. There were two thunderstorms with rain of the inches per hour type. It came in sheets with wind and the power was out in all the stores and restaurants in town. I feared what was going on at home with my plants. No worries! We got none. I guess I'm destined to water with a hose all year. I hope to finish planting the dahlias this week. The rabbit is still at large. A reward will soon be posted.

psudan said:Beautiful blooms, cyberwood! The darker ones in the left vase look like one named Hootenanny that another member, Sequoiadendron (Jeff), has posted photos of on Daves's Garden the past two years. I think it's the same one.

We finally got rain Saturday afternoon but when I checked that night the ground was dry after the first couple inches. My brother and I were about an hours drive away yesterday and were in rain off and on all day. There were two thunderstorms with rain of the inches per hour type. It came in sheets with wind and the power was out in all the stores and restaurants in town. I feared what was going on at home with my plants. No worries! We got none. I guess I'm destined to water with a hose all year. I hope to finish planting the dahlias this week. The rabbit is still at large. A reward will soon be posted.

Yes, it is Hootenanny. You have a good eye. It is raining here somewhat today, but I am running the sprinklers as well. All the heavy rain is further south. It is that dry, and the forecast is for 100 F next Monday. The Dahlias don't like that kind of heat, but at least the okra and sweet potatoes do.

Rains broke some of my buds and branches few days ago

That's always so disappointing.

First bloom from a tuber.
Midnight moon.

This is what my Midnight Moon looks like - thats a nice one though.

Wow, they do look different don't they. Hope I haven't miss labeled. Sigh.

They're both beautiful. I had it before I had a digital camera but the color on mine was between Connie's and Geof's.

We have struggled to hit 60 degrees today. Very breezy and people are dressed as though it was March. Tonight's low will be around 50 again. Personally, I like the cooler weather but I don't think the plants are too appreciative. Our 80% chance of rain Sunday and 70% last night both passed without a drop. Next chance is said to be Saturday. But when I see that I just shake my head, laugh and keep the garden hose hooked up. Anyone know a good chant that would be suitable for a rain dance?

I planted 15 more dahlias today but two were replacements for a couple that didn't survive the commando rabbit assault. I still have some extras but also have more damaged ones that will likely need replacing. Strange that some that were nibbled on are recovering nicely while others appear DOA. Most of my plants are looking very good. 139 now in the ground.