All our dahlias are planted, and I can't wait to see those colorful, spiky flowers that bloom from midsummer right through the first frost.
Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. They grow from small tubers - ours were saved and stored from the previous year. This season, I decided to plant our dahlias behind my large vegetable greenhouse where they can get full sun. There are many named dahlia varieties with flowers ranging from small to giant dinner plate size. Many of our dahlia tubers are from Floret, a family farm and floral design studio in the State of Washington. We also have some from Swan Island Dahlias in Oregon, a family owned business and the largest and leading dahlia grower in the United States. And, a selection from The Flower Hat, based in Bozeman, Montana.
Enjoy these photos.
This area is located right behind my vegetable greenhouse. It was previously used for my grape crop, but I knew it would work excellently for the dahlias. It gets great sun, and dahlias grow more blooms with six to eight hours of direct sunlight. And because this spot is behind this large structure, it is also protected from strong winds.
All these dahlias are frost-tender tuberous plants that can overwinter outdoors where the weather is mild. However, here in the Northeast, severe winter conditions can cause them to split and rot, so they must be pulled from the ground and stored away every fall. We store them in these crates and place them in the main greenhouse basement during the cold months.
Brian and Dawa dig all the holes for our dahlias. These are fairly shallow holes and about a foot apart.
Brian checks that each hole is the proper depth. Each of the dahlias must be placed at least three-inches down beneath the surface. Dahlias thrive in rich, well-drained soil. The pH level should be 6.5 to 7.0, and slightly acidic. For heavier clay soil, add in sand, peat moss, or aged manure to lighten and loosen the soil texture for better drainage.
Once the holes are dug, the area is also treated with a sprinkling of Osmocote – those small, round coated prills surrounding a core of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Brian also drops some super triple phosphate – an enriched source of phosphorus which encourages good root growth and flower formation.
Meanwhile, Ryan unstacks the dahlias and goes through each bag to decide where the tubers will be planted – keeping in mind their colors and height at maturity.
Each bag contains a bit of last year’s soil and some vermiculite which can be added to the soil when the tuber is placed in the hole.
The roots of dahlias are actually tubers. Similar to a potato, the tuber sends up a shoot that becomes the plant, which produces leaves and flowers.
Ryan creates a marker as each dahlia is ready to go into the ground.
Dahlia tubers look a lot like a bunch of brown carrots, and the little budding sprouts that end up as thick strong stems are called “eyes.” Pink “eyes” or a little bit of green growth are good signs of a healthy tuber.
Dawa places the dahlia in the hole and backfills the hole with soil. The first leaves should poke through the surface in about one to two weeks.
Once the dahlia is planted, Brian also sprinkles Epsom salt over the soil. Epsom salt will feed and nourish the growing dahlia bulbs and help increase the vibrancy of the flowers.
I designed these stakes for my gardens and had them made from galvanized steel, which won’t rust. I use these stakes for my herbaceous peonies and also to hold up the dahlias.
Dawa places a stake next to each planted tuber. Once the dahlia starts to grow, the stems will be secured to the stake to keep the heavy blooms from falling over. These tuberous plants have slender erect stems which are not always capable of supporting the larger flowers.
All the markers are inserted deeply into the soil next to each variety. The area looks quite odd without any plants, but it won’t be long before they start to poke through the soil.
Among the many, many dahlias we planted this year – this eye-catching cultivar, Dahlia ‘Castle Drive’. It has a soft blend of pink and yellow and is great in arrangements and gardens. This plant is also very attractive to bees and butterflies.
‘Myrtle’s Brandy’ is a red dahlia with white tips whose petals fold back towards the stems. It is an excellent cut flower variety.
This is ‘Karma Corona’. The Karma series was developed for the cut flower market. This variety has strong stems and flowers that open with a blend of beautiful salmon, yellow, and bronze.
‘Maltby Pearl’ has soft, creamy pink petals edged with lavender and tipped with white. This unique color combination gives them an almost metallic effect.
‘Thomas Edison’ has huge and magnificent, deep purple blossoms. The fully double flowers up to eight inches wide and are borne atop strong, sturdy stems. Blooming from now until frost, this dahlia grows up to three to four feet tall in the garden.
And of course, after everything is planted, the garden is given a good, thorough drink. I am looking forward to seeing these gorgeous blooms open later this summer. What dahlias are in your garden? Share them with me in the comments section below.
My gaggle of geese now has a large new shelter in their yard.
Currently, I have 18 beautiful geese - Sebastopol geese, Toulouse geese, African geese, Chinese geese, and of course my Pomeranian guard geese. A few months ago, I moved them all into their own enclosure right next to the peafowl and pigeons, where they could have more room to roam. The next step was to build them a proper goose coop. Unlike chickens, most domestic waterfowl tend to sleep on the ground; however, low, sturdy, and shady structures can provide good shade in summer, protection from strong winds in winter, and a safe place to nest and lay eggs.
Enjoy these photos.
This yard, adjacent to the fancy pigeons and peafowl, was not being used, so I moved all my geese to this enclosure. It is located right outside my stable, where they can be watched closely during the day. I am very happy that all my geese get along so well – most of the time, they travel around the yard together.
I have always had a separate hutch for my geese, but since the gaggle is growing, I decided it was necessary to build them a larger one. I instructed Pete and Fernando to create a coop that was about 20-feet long by about five feet wide. Here, the sod from the area was cut and removed from the measured space.
Once the ground is cleared and level, Pete and Fernando place eight strong posts equally spaced along both sides of the coop located in one corner of the yard.
The floor of the coop is then framed and filled with gravel.
Fernando holds a wooden beam as Pete positions and secures it to the existing frame for the roof.
Everything is measured twice – remember the adage, “measure twice, cut once.”
The ends of the rafters are all cut equally. A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural beams that extend from the ridge or hip in a downslope to support the roof shingles, roof deck, and its associated loads.
The frame is assembled using two and a half inch screws. Pete and Fernando are excellent carpenters and do many of the smaller building projects around the farm. Fernando holds the wood in place while Pete screws pieces together.
Next, the two create the roof using good quality plywood boards on top of the frame. Then, the roof is covered with roofing felt underlayment – a layer of protection installed between the roof deck and the roofing shingles. It provides shingle ventilation as well as a backup waterproof membrane in case of leakage.
Pete prepares the shingles for the roof. He places a few down on the underlayment, temporarily holds them in place with the nails, and makes sure these first few are in perfect order. These will provide the base formation for all the other shingles.
In another part of the yard is Dawa, who cares for the geese, chickens, pigeons, and peafowl. All the birds flock to him whenever he arrives, especially at feeding time. Geese are grazing birds which means they eat a variety of different items. They eat roots, shoots, stems, seeds, and leaves of grass and grain, bulbs, and berries. They also eat small insects. I provide them with fresh greens from the gardens every day and also fortify their diet with a mix specifically made for waterfowl.
Here is a wide view of the shelter with some of the shingles secured on top. The shelter will not only keep the birds dry and free from drafts, but also provide shade and additional space for nesting.
Pete lines the next row using twine. Pete makes a straight line across the entire roof, so the new shingles overlap the first row completely straight.
Next, Pete uses a pneumatic nailer to secure two nails into each shingle. The cedar shingles will darken to gray over time.
This part of the process takes longer since all the shingles are nailed individually, each overlapping the one above it. Fernando works from the opposite end positioning the shingles in another row, so Pete can nail them.
This goose is more interested in its pool than the new coop project.
Here’s a closer view of the attached shingles. Each one is rectangle and about 16 inches long. Wood shingles are thin, tapered pieces of wood primarily used to cover roofs to protect them from the weather.
Here is the roof of the goose house all complete – nine rows of shingles on the north facing part of the roof. This roof is asymmetrical and is longer on the back side than the front. This provides more shade and space for the geese. Asymmetric roofs also rid themselves of snow and rainwater more quickly than other roof types because of its shape.
Sturdy wire is placed several inches down in the ground around the entire perimeter to keep burrowing vermin away from the structure.
Here is the inside of the new shelter – it is coming together very nicely. The main difference between waterfowl housing and a chicken coop is that geese don’t need roosts. They are happy in a quiet corner on the ground. Geese also don’t require nesting boxes. Ducks and geese lay their eggs on the ground, pulling hay bedding or leaves around them to hide their eggs, and selecting areas that offer privacy and security. The coop is also lined with plenty of hay.
Here is the back of the coop – the walls are secure and painted my signature “Bedford Gray.”
Pete nails in the last pieces on the side of the coop.
And here is the new and finished goose shelter – ready and lined with bedding for comfort and nesting. I know they will love this large size where they can all gather together – they have become a close group.
On this day, the temperatures were very pleasant, and the geese preferred to play in their pool instead of rushing for any shade. While both ducks and geese love water, geese don’t require a pond or large swimming pool – they swim much less than ducks and are content with a small dipping pool where they can dunk and clean their noses and beaks. This weekend is expected to be warmer, with temperatures in the high 80s. I’m glad the shelter is ready for them!
Planting continues in front of my Winter House carport - this time, with four young sago palms, and some Scotch moss.
A few months ago, my friend and owner of Luppino Landscaping and Masonry LLC, Carmine Luppino, gave me four beautiful antique ornamental urns. They look so beautiful on the stone wall in front of my White Garden. Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, potted them up with four sago palms, or cycads, which were cut as pups from a mother sago some time ago. Ryan also underplanted them with Scotch moss 'Aurea' - a lush, chartreuse to yellow, moss-like herbaceous perennial that forms a low-growing, soft mat. The combination is so pretty.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Each of the four round lead antique planters is decorated with cheerful repeating sunbursts. I knew, right away, that they would look stunning on this low stone ledge in front of my White Garden.
The sago palm, Cycas revoluta, is a popular houseplant known for its feathery foliage and ease of care. Native to the southern islands of Japan, the sago palm goes by several common names, including Japanese palm, funeral palm, king sago or just plain sago palm. I had four sago palms that are all equal in height – they’ll look perfect in these planters.
The sago palm may look like a tiny palm tree with its glossy, stiff fronds, but it is not a palm tree at all. Sago palms are cycads, one of the most ancient plants that have been around since prehistoric times.
Healthy sago leaves are a deep green color. The pinnate leaves are typically about four to five feet long at maturity, and nine-inches wide, reaching their greatest length when grown in partial shade. New growth starts from the center.
Cycads like a good draining soil. The soil medium should include elements such as peat moss, perlite, and a little sand. I already filled these containers with a sandy soil medium, so they’ll work just right for these cycads.
Here, Ryan digs a hole in the middle of the pot. Cycads like “deep pots,” so take depth over diameter when selecting a container size for a sago palm.
The soil is then sprinkled with some Scott’s Osmocote fertilizer – small, round coated prills filled with nutrients.
These prills coat a core of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The resin-coating is made from linseed oil and as the plant’s root system takes-up nutrition from the soil, it also takes up the needed nutrients from the Osmocote.
Ryan removes the sago palm from its plastic pot and gives it a quick inspection.
Repotting is a good time to check any plant for damaged, unwanted or rotting leaves or pests that may be hiding in the soil. Ryan scarifies the root ball just a bit to encourage new growth.
The plant is placed into the new vessel at the same depth it was in its previous pot and then backfilled with more soil.
The sago palm is a slow-growing cycad, and it can take up to 100 years for it to achieve its maximum height of 20-plus feet tall. It thrives in sunny to shady sites and can withstand some drought once established. I have many sago palms in my collection in all different sizes.
These are where leaves were once cut. When pruning, only cut off the old and dying leaves, especially towards the base of the tree where they are oldest. And cut them off as close to the trunk as possible. The rough, symmetrical trunk becomes leafless as it ages and gives way to an evergreen crown filled with upward pointing fronds. The tips are quite pointy and sharp, so it’s best to plant it away from lots of foot traffic.
Scotch moss is a low growing soft herbaceous perennial ground-cover that requires little maintenance. It’s great for underplanting, filling in between pavers, in rock gardens, or along a path. Botanically known as Sagina subulata, this plant is a native of western and central Europe and is hardy in zones 4 through 8.
Scotch moss grows dense, compact mats spreading to a foot or more wide and just one to two inches tall. Tufts of slender, subulate or awl-shaped leaves cover thin, creeping stems. True moss does not flower; however, yellow Scotch moss has tiny star-shaped, five-petaled flowers.
Also, unlike true moss that grows in moist, shady conditions, this plant does best in full sun to part shade and requires good drainage.
Scotch moss is an easy plant to divide – just tear apart a clump into smaller pieces. Here, Ryan places a few in the pot first to see how many each pot will need.
Then he plants them gently into the soil – each clump spaced about four inches apart. It will start to spread and fill in the gaps within a few weeks.
The bright chartreuse-yellow color of Scotch moss provides such a brilliant contrast with the darker green foliage of the sago palm.
All four are all done – next, Ryan will give them a good drink. It’s always important to water after planting and transplanting. This is a good way to avoid transplant shock, and will help the plant settle in to its new location. These plants will thrive in this area. What are you planting this weekend? Share your comments with me below.
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