Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Dahlias

The Dahlia Garden in Golden Gate Park is still flush with fantastic flowers. I cycled over this past weekend to take in the view and snap a handful of pictures. 

Here is a not-so-select batch of photos:




Finger in shot for scale. 


I don't have the greenest of thumbs, but, inspired by this lovely garden, I wanted to try and reproduce some of the magic in my own back garden. What I learned from my first attempt at planting Dahlias was important. 

  • Give each individual plant ample 'elbow room'.
  • Prune around the base of each plant.

So, here's what happened when I didn't start out doing the above two things---

MEGA amounts of moths had laid eggs in and among the densely packed together plants thus resulting in my plants being devoured by nocturnal caterpillars. Once my husband and I figured out what why flowers and leaves were being munched to death, I went out four nights in a row armed with a flashlight and gloves and picked off as many caterpillars as I could find. I also tore out those few plants that had been noshed on beyond all repair and made it so I could easily see the soil (and thus the bugs) around the remaining plants. Now I check the Dahlias every few nights or so for crawly interlopers. So far, so good.

One week after the great purge & the Dahlia are looking A-OK.

I don't think that his type were the culprit, but I shooed him away nonetheless!


Note the space between plantings at the Dahlia Garden in GGP.



19 comments:

  1. Dahlias and zinnias, my favorites. Yours are looking good.

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  2. Those dahlias are wonderful. I have been out early in the morning looking for snails that were demolishing our plants.

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    1. Oooh, I hope that you nabbed them, Susan, as it's just so disheartening to see what we've planted be reduced to shreds and nubs before our eyes.

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  3. Horticultural skill can be hard won indeed.

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  4. Dahlias are beautiful blooms and rather a lot of things like them to nosh on.

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  5. A good lesson learnt the hard way! It is too easy to overplant, and they are beautiful

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    1. Yes, I think I was being a greedy Gus in that I thought: More plants, more flowers!

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  6. Inevitably, when we've had dahlias, there comes a year when we forget to take them out of the ground for winter, and that's the end of them.

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    1. Ah, yes...mustn't forget to dig them up come winter!

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  7. Nice work and way to learn your lesson. I got more into yard work this year and tried to spruce up my grass. Maybe I can try dahlias next year. I am actually hoping to grow something for our outdoor bunnies so I guess will have to do some research and learn a thing or two. Take care.

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    1. Having grass feels so decadent around these rather dry parts. I can't remember what seed we purchased--drought-resistant such and such--for a small patch of dirt in the backyard. It's been about a month and we've a light dusting of green where brown used to be. Hope you find some good greens and stuff for the bunnies to nosh on!

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  8. Lovely! Glad you figured out your flowers needs so they could showcase their beauty.

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    1. Yes, me too! I'm beginning to collect the tubers so that I may replant next season.

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