I was never impressed by dahlias in the past. I'd see them all over the Portuguese gardens in Ludlow, and they looked so awkward behind all the chain-link fences. Not my cup of tea.
And then a saw some boxes of them displayed in local stores last spring and was impressed with their colors, so I picked some up. I was very late getting everything in the ground last year, including these tubers. I confess I just put them in the first empty space I could find that wouldn't interfere with anything else I had growing, so it's no surprise they didn't do too well.
I got two flowers in all. But, those two flowers were spectacular! So gorgeous that I couldn't stop looking at them. I put them in tiny vases in my room so I could stare at them, and Janina said, "Mom, you're obsessed." True.
I was pleasantly surprised when I dug up the tubers after the frost and found that they had multiplied! I packed them away according to instructions I found online, and hopefully they have survived the winter. They are in my Christmas closet in a box of peat moss.
I also purchased "Lucky Number" (pink), "Hawaii" (pink and yellow) "Otto's Thrill" (light pink) and "Fleurel" (white). All these I purchased in 2012.
Well, of course I had to purchase a few more for 2013!
"Dot Com" - 2-inch purple pom pon
"Excentric" - 4-inch, yellow and pink
"Gerrie Hoek" - 5-inch, shell pink
"Parakeet" - 5-inch, soft yellow
"Snowflake" - 6-inch, white
"Amber Queen" - 2-inch bronze pom pon
"Tiny Treasure" - 1.5-inch white pom pon
"Peaches and Dreams" - 5-inch, peach and yellow (my big splurge)
"Little Scottie" - 2-inch yellow pom pon
"Fire Magic" - 6-inch, fuschia and mauve (my "free" gift from Swan Island Dahlias)
Their catalogue is gorgeous. When I first got it, I spent a hole evening gazing at it, and then another evening choosing plants for next year! Well, I'm just dreaming.
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