a friend who runs a nursery and has a market stall gave me the tubers she had left over last year and I have a few Bishops, unfortunately , no labels. OOPS.
Plant with real character but I lost mine due to stupidity. Had some in pots a few years ago when I had just caught the garden bug and was frightened to really give dahlias a go. The bees were mad for it, the colour was stupendous - and it fitted in amongst things where big puffy dahlias would have looked out of place. It's a stunner and it threw out new shoots and blooms over a long period.
As I say though, stupidly, I didn't plan for the end of the season and didn't do the right thing to look after the tubers for the next year and I unforgiveably neglected them and they rotted away.
I lived in Hampshire on almost pure sand and they were left in ground. Here on heavy N. Devon clay with lots of rain, I wouldn't dare leave them in the ground.
Simple enough though. Lots of water and food and they'll flower their socks off.
I've not grown dahlias yet but a friend grows this variety. She grows them in largish black flower pots and uses them to fill spaces in the summer border (e.g. areas where spring bulbs have been). The black pots are virtually invisible and moving them in autumn is very easy.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
It's not easy Jo. My garden is fairly new (borders dug 2013) so shrubs and trees are still small and there are lots of spaces (currently filled with a variety of annuals / biennials) which will eventually (hopefully) be filled with bold groups of perennials.
I've lots of individual stock plants which are now big enough for cuttings and division (so there's been a lot of that going on this year) and I'm growing a lot of perennials from seed - but it all takes time. Meanwhile it's a battle to fill the spaces and keep on top of the weeds.
Verdun - Bishop's Children - did they flower in the first season or did you have to wait a year or two for them?
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Posts
a friend who runs a nursery and has a market stall gave me the tubers she had left over last year and I have a few Bishops, unfortunately , no labels. OOPS.
Plant with real character but I lost mine due to stupidity. Had some in pots a few years ago when I had just caught the garden bug and was frightened to really give dahlias a go. The bees were mad for it, the colour was stupendous - and it fitted in amongst things where big puffy dahlias would have looked out of place. It's a stunner and it threw out new shoots and blooms over a long period.
As I say though, stupidly, I didn't plan for the end of the season and didn't do the right thing to look after the tubers for the next year and I unforgiveably neglected them and they rotted away.
I lived in Hampshire on almost pure sand and they were left in ground. Here on heavy N. Devon clay with lots of rain, I wouldn't dare leave them in the ground.
Simple enough though. Lots of water and food and they'll flower their socks off.
I've not grown dahlias yet but a friend grows this variety. She grows them in largish black flower pots and uses them to fill spaces in the summer border (e.g. areas where spring bulbs have been). The black pots are virtually invisible and moving them in autumn is very easy.
No good getting old if you don't get crafty with it Verdun (as I'm sure you well know
)
It's not easy Jo. My garden is fairly new (borders dug 2013) so shrubs and trees are still small and there are lots of spaces (currently filled with a variety of annuals / biennials) which will eventually (hopefully) be filled with bold groups of perennials.
I've lots of individual stock plants which are now big enough for cuttings and division (so there's been a lot of that going on this year) and I'm growing a lot of perennials from seed - but it all takes time. Meanwhile it's a battle to fill the spaces and keep on top of the weeds.
Verdun - Bishop's Children - did they flower in the first season or did you have to wait a year or two for them?