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Plan Ahead Dahlias for Cut Garor Cut Gardensdens
Plan Ahead Dahlias for Cut Gardens
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Plan Ahead Dahlias f
Plan Ahead Dahlias for Cut Garor Cut Gardensdens
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by Melinda Myers flower heads. Varieties such as Sylvia and 212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121 1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012 1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012 1 1
Jowey Mirella are perfect for adding
The Best Dahlias for a Backyard repeating bursts of color. Decorative dahlias
Cutting Garden have the classic dahlia look, with 4 to 6
By Melinda Myers wide, open-faced blossoms and orderly
Dahlias are bold and beautiful flowers layers of petals. American Dawn and Great
that are easy to grow in any sunny Silence are two reliable and versatile,
garden. They are also spectacular in decorative dahlias.
summer flower arrangements. With just
a few dahlias, you can enjoy picking The flowers of dinnerplate dahlias can
your own fresh-cut flowers every day measure 8 to 10 across and these enormous
from July through September. blossoms make it easy to make stunning
summer bouquets. Popular varieties for
These spring-planted tubers make cutting include Cafe au Lait, Penhill Dark
gorgeous additions to flower beds and Monarch and Otto’s Thrill. Add texture and
even the vegetable garden. If space movement to your arrangements with
allows, the very best way to grow cactus dahlias. Varieties such as Yellow Star
dahlias for bouquets is in a cutting and Nuit d Ete have tightly rolled petals that
garden. A backyard cutting garden give the flowers a spiky appearance.
doesn’t need to be large. Even a 3 x 6
raised bed will give you plenty of space Single and peony-flowered dahlias are
for 6 to 8 full size dahlia plants. seldom seen at the florist or even in farmer’s
Planting dahlia tubers in rows lets you market bouquets because they don’t travel
well. But home gardeners can enjoy
get maximum productivity with growing varieties such as scarlet-red Bishop Delnashaugh is one of the most impressive double daffodils with its frilly petals,
minimal maintenance. of Llandaff or the melon and burnt orange while early blooming Pink Pride has ruffled cups that start off apricot and gradually
flowers of HS Date. These plants tend to be turn coral pink. Photo credit: photo courtesy of Longfield-Gardens.com
When choosing dahlias for a small to compact and rarely need staking.
medium size cutting garden, start by
narrowing your choices. Select colors Don’t let the many options overwhelm
that you can imagine looking great you. Consider starting with an assortment
together in a vase. This will make it such as the Flirty Fleurs Sorbetto Collection
easy to create lots of creative (longfield-gardens.com). It includes five
combinations on the fly. varieties of pink and burgundy dahlias,
specially selected by an experienced floral
Choose red, orange, and yellow designer.
flowers if you like energetic
arrangements that mimic the colors of Most cutting garden flowers are picked
late summer and fall. Blossoms in cool before they are fully open. But dahlias
colors and pastels, such pink, lavender should not be harvested until they are fully
and violet, will be softer and more open and in their prime. To avoid crushing Photo: Longfield Gardens
soothing. Include purple and burgundy the stems, make your cuts with a sharp knife When selecting plants for this year’s flower garden, be sure to include plenty of dahlias.
flowers to add drama and help unify rather scissors. These spring-planted, summer-blooming bulbs will take your homegrown flower
warm and cool colors. arrangements to a whole new level.
If you want your dahlias to have nice,
Floral designers know that long stems, take a cue from cut flower Melinda Myers has written
combining flowers with different farmers. When harvesting for market or numerous books, including Small
shapes and sizes makes arrangements removing spent flowers, they always Space Gardening. She hosts The Great
more interesting. Dahlias offer many remove the entire stem, cutting right back to Courses How to Grow Anything
options and it’s one of the reasons they a main stalk. Though this means sacrificing
are such a popular cut flower. some buds in the short term, the next round DVD series and the nationally-
of flowers will have noticeably longer syndicated Melinda’s Garden
Ball dahlias have tightly curled petals stems. Moment TV & radio program. Myers
and dense, perfectly round, 3 to 4 is a columnist and contributing editor
for Birds & Blooms magazine and was
NE PERSON CAN
NE P PERSONERSON C CANAN
NE
O O O O ONENE P PERSONERSON C CANAN Volunteer at the commissioned by Longfield Gardens
for her expertise to write this article.
AKE
AKE A D A DIFFERENCEIFFERENCE
M M M M MAKEAKE A D A DIFFERENCEIFFERENCE Food Center Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com
AKE A DIFFERENCE
Foothill Unity Center, Inc. California Botanic Garden located in Claremont
Older Adults offer more to 415 West Chestnut Avenue, at 1500 N. College Avenue is 86 acres. It is one of
the world each and every day Monrovia, Ca 91016 the world’s largest gardens featuring native
in many different ways. 626.358.3486 California plants. Redwoods, Joshua trees, sages,
Share your knowledge, information@foothillunitycenter.org and wildflowers shown are native to the Channel
your experiences, your www.foothillunitycenter.org Islands, Baja California, and the Mojave Desert.
compassion and contribute to Nonprofit Corporation under section Purchase a plant at the Grow Native nursery right
making this country the best 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code on property. Admission is $10.00. Call 909-625-
8767 or check the website at www:calbg.org to
place to live.
Tax Number 95-4310817 confirm when open.
August 2020 7