We're nearing the end of October, but with such mild autumn temperatures here in New York, my dahlias continue to bloom.
I designated a large space for growing dahlias right behind my vegetable greenhouse, in an area that gets great sun and protection from strong winds. The colorful flowers begin to bloom with great profusion just as other plants pass their prime, and they last right up until the first frost. From small to giant dinner-plate size, there's always a dahlia that catches someone's eye.
Here are some photos of the season's late blooms, enjoy.
Here at the farm, the leaves are falling in such droves it’s been hard to keep up with all the blowing and raking, but tucked behind my vegetable greenhouse is a little bit of summer – my bed of dahlias is still holding strong with a number of beautiful blooms.
Right now, there are about 40 different species of Dahlias and many different sizes, colors, and forms. Some of the forms include anemone, ball, cactus, and collarette.
Dahlia colors include white, yellow, orange, bronze, flame, red, pink, lilac, lavender, mauve, purple, wines, and violets. Some dahlias even bloom in multiple colors at once, but there is no blue.
In fact, In the 19th century, a London newspaper offered a pound, or a little more than a dollar, to the first breeder to create a blue dahlia—the reward was never claimed, but there have been many attempts that are near-blue. This one is a creamy yellow with a light tinge of pink along the petal edges.
And, unlike plants that use scent to attract, dahlias rely on their amazing spectrum of color. The bright blooms of dahlias make them attractive to pollinating insects.
The genus Dahlia is native to the high plains of Mexico. Some species can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced.
The dahlia was first recorded by Westerners back in 1615. Back then they were called by their original name which was acoctli. The first garden dahlias reached the United States in the early 1830s. Today, dahlias are grown all over the world.
Dahlias are planted from tubers, which are underground bulbs that store energy for the plant’s growth. Tubers are similar to potatoes, and each tuber produces a shoot that grows into a plant.
The dahlia is named after the Swedish 18th century botanist Anders Dahl, who originally declared the flower a vegetable, as the tubers are edible, but eating dahlias as a delicacy never grew popular.
Dahlias are officially part of the Asteraceae family. This flower family includes asters, daisies. sunflowers, and chrysanthemums.
Flowers come one head per stem. The blooms can be as small as two-inches in diameter or up to one foot across. Most varieties grow four to five feet tall.
The dahlia is the national flower of Mexico, but it is also the official flower of both San Francisco and Seattle.
When planting dahlias, choose the location carefully – dahlias grow more blooms where they can have six to eight hours of direct sunlight.
Dahlias prefer well-draining soil amended with lots of organic material. All my gardens do so well because I place a lot of attention on the nutrient-rich soil, regular feeding and water.
One the the benefits of growing healthy, beautiful flowers is the arrangements. Dahlias make wonderful cut flower arrangements. I decorate my home with many dahlias blooms during summer.
Ball forms have recurved petals that open evenly to form a globe.
Incurved cactus forms and semi cactus forms have varying degrees of spikiness.
And some dahlias are simple and more flat than others. These types are loved by pollinators. The majority of dahlia species also do not produce scented flowers or cultivars.
To prevent wilting, cut only in the early morning or late afternoon. And only cut them after they open to mature size – dahlias will not open after cutting.
And always strip off all leaves that would be below the water line in the vase. This is true for all flower arrangements, not just dahlias. When leaves stay underwater, they decay and release bacteria that shorten the vase life of the flowers. And change the water daily so they look fresh and last longer.
By early November in this area, all the dahlia flowers are gone. And once the foliage has turned brown, it’s time to dig them up for storage or cover well to insulate them in the cold. This is important so that the plant can gather energy for the following year. It will store starches in the tuber which will fuel initial sprouting in summer. The best time is a couple weeks after the first frost when they’re well into dormancy yet haven’t been harmed by the dropping temperatures. How are your dahlias?
If you’re looking for fast-growing, easy-to-care-for evergreen trees to use in your garden as a border hedge or privacy screen, consider arborvitae. These lush, dense, bright green conifers are so versatile.
I'm in the process of planting a living maze in a pasture just outside my Winter House. Much of the three-acre area is now complete and all the plants are growing excellently. Some of the latest plants include Technito Arborvitae, Thuja Occidentals 'BailJohn' and Lemon Burst Arborvitae, Thuja Occidentals 'Rutthu3' - both from First Editions Shrubs and Trees.
Here are some photos.
I’ve been working hard on my living maze since I started planting it in the spring of 2022. I carefully plan and design every puzzling path and row of plants. And then I print a detailed schematic for my gardeners to follow. I am very proud of how it is growing so far. And yes, like a true maze there is only one right way from the entrance to the goal location.
Last spring, we planted these Tiny Tower® Green Giant Arborvitae – noted for its upright, compact habit with lively green foliage that is soft to the touch.
This season while we can still plant in the gardens, I am adding these Lemon Burst Arborvitae, Thuja Occidentals ‘Rutthu3’ which are moderately sized with broadly conical form and tight habit.
Yellow-green new growth keeps its color even when grown in full sun. And then during winter, the foliage turns a lovely orange tone.
First, the team is planting a row of Technito Arborvitae, Thuja Occidentals ‘BailJohn.’
The foliage has attractive dark green color that stays through winter. It grows up to 10-feet tall and five feet wide when mature.
Cesar measures the precise distance between each plant. It is crucial to give plants enough room to grow. Their roots need space to spread out and absorb water and nutrients from the soil, while their leaves need space to access adequate sunlight. If plants are planted too close together, they compete for these vital resources.
These plants are not too big, so Pete uses a post hole digger to make the holes. It actually works perfectly for this task and plant hole size.
Several holes are made before planting begins. Each hole is dug precisely with enough room for the plant’s root ball. The rule of thumb when planting is to dig the hole two times as wide as the rootball and no deeper than the bottom of the rootball, similar to how it is in its pot.
As each specimen is planted, fertilizer is dropped into the hole and mixed in with the existing soil. We use an all-purpose formula from Miracle-Gro.
The best way to release a plant from its pot is to tap on the outside of the pot first to loosen the root ball.
I teach all my outdoor grounds crew members how to scarify. Scarifying stimulates root growth. Essentially, small portions of the root ball are cut to loosen the roots and encourage new development. First Pete scarifies in one direction diagonally across the root ball, then in the other direction…
… and finally at the bottom. Scarifying also encourages the roots to penetrate the soil and grow in different directions.
Pete places it in the hole and makes sure it is planted at the right height. The top of the root ball should be level with the top of the hole when in place.
Then Pete backfills the hole, tamping down as he goes.
Pete also scarifies the sides of the hole with his hori-hori knife. Doing this roughens the surface, allowing roots to grow into the surrounding soil and eliminates air pockets.
Pete does this for all the arborvitae, stopping occasionally to assess the line up of each specimen.
They should all be straight, but if not, adjusting now is easy as the soil is still soft and workable.
Cesar gives the plants a good soaking. Where is the rain? We really need some rain here in the Northeast.
After the water has been absorbed, Pete rakes the bed and removes any tags or labels.
Arborvitae comes in many shapes – from pyramid and conical to ball-shaped. And they are long lived. Arborvitae can survive up to 150-years old if planted in the right environment. I am sure these specimens will thrive in the living maze here at Cantitoe Corners.
My garden maze continues to evolve with each row of interesting plantings. It now includes a beautiful Blue Atlas Cedar and a row of Physocarpus opulifolius, known as common ninebark.
Earlier this month, I received a large delivery from First Editions Shrubs and Trees, a brand of evergreens and perennials from the fifth-generation, family and brand owner Bailey Nurseries in St. Paul, Minnesota. I knew some of the plants would make excellent additions to my growing maze, such as ninebark, the spring-flowering shrub with its unique exfoliating bark. The Blue Atlas Cedar was gifted to me by a longtime fan. This tree, with its silvery blue to green foliage will reach a height of about 60-feet when mature. Both will provide great color and interest to the vast array of plantings already thriving in the space.
Enjoy these photos.
While we are in big need of rain here in the Northeast, we’ve been lucky the weather has been so warm and pleasant. My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew have been able to get many plants in the ground including these Physocarpus opulifolius, known as ninebark.
My maze is drawn out on a map, so it is important to refer to it every time something new is added. The area is measured multiple times before the actual sod is cut and removed.
The sod strips are divided into sections, so it is easier to roll and lift. Here are pieces of sod neatly rolled up and ready to be repurposed in another area of the farm.
José rakes the stripped bed of any extra sod or debris.
And then Phurba follows with our Troy-Bilt Pony Rear-Tine Tiller. Rototilling is one method of turning up the soil before planting. All the plants and trees do very well here at the farm, in part because of the excellent soil. I have worked very hard to ensure my soil is constantly amended and rich with nutrients. If you are unsure of your soil’s quality, have it tested. Kits are available at garden shops, online, and through your area’s cooperative extensions.
Meanwhile, here is the Blue Atlas Cedar sent to me this week from one of my devotees. It is transported to the maze in the bucket of my Kubota M4-071 tractor.
Blue Atlas Cedar has a bold, pyramidal form with sparkling silvery blue foliage. It is among the most popular evergreen conifers.
I decided the tree would be planted at the end of a row. Now it’s time for the hole to be dug. Remember the rule of thumb for planting trees – dig a hole that is two to three times wider than the root ball, but only as deep as the height of the root ball.
All the burlap wrapping and any twine are removed from the tree’s root ball. Some leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove them completely, so there is nothing blocking the growing roots.
José drops generous handfuls of fertilizer on bare soil. Use food that promotes faster establishment, deeper roots, and good soil structure.
I use an all-purpose granular water soluble food from Miracle-Gro.
The tree is placed into its designated hole and then turned so its best side faces the path.
Next, the hole is carefully backfilled. Another rule of thumb is “bare to the flare” meaning only plant up to the flare, where the tree meets the root system.
This tree is easy to care for, have a slow-to-moderate growth rate of about one to two feet per year.
The ninebark is a deciduous spring-flowering shrub often planted en masse. I have ninebark varieties surrounding my pool, in front of my pool house and in other areas of the farm. This variety is Little Devil Ninebark, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Donna May.’
It has a compact upright habit with burgundy leaves. It features small pinkish-white spirea-like flowers in late spring followed by subtle reddish fruit, and interesting peeling papery bark.
Cesar measures the spacing – four feet in between these plants. Ninebark is fast-growing, so plan for its full width.
Each holly hole is dug with enough room for the plant’s root ball. Ninebark thrives best in an area that gets full sun partial shade and where it can live in well-draining soil.
Cesar scarifies every plant. I have the crew scarify all root balls, meaning make beneficial cuts, before planting to encourage new growth and make the plant more stable. This is even more important if the plant is root bound, meaning the roots have grown too large and too plentiful in its container.
The hole is dug as deep as the container it was grown in so that the crown will be even with the existing ground or slightly above the existing ground.
Cesar backfills, tamping the soil lightly at the end to ensure good contact.
Finally, José gives all the planted ninebarks a good, soaking drink. It’s been so very dry here at the farm. We’re watering all the gardens as if it’s mid-summer. Hope we get some rain soon.
Ninebark can grow 12 to 18 inches per year, but it can also tolerate hard pruning when needed. It will look perfect in this row. We’re still planting – stay tuned to see what’s next.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
