I have no doubt mentioned a number of times that I have been very lax in supporting my dahlias this year, inevitably resulting in a number of casualties. By way of excuse, I have been awaiting a supply of stakes from a friend whose husband coppices for a local farmer, stakes cut a number of months ago apparently, waiting in their garage and on the point of being dropped off here any time now – or at least that was my friend’s intention! At least if I receive them soon they will be ready for next year and I can have them in place when the tubers are first planted out again, as is probably recommended by professional growers!
The result of my laxness, particularly in the latter part of the season as the dahlias have got taller, is that I often find stems leaning and hanging on by a thread or, as was the case this last week, completely detached and lying on the path. I picked up the affected stem of ‘Dorothy Rose’ with its two blooms and one just-opening bud, brought it inside and popped the trimmed stem into my very first and favourite blue-grey ribbed vase. Spotting it yesterday morning when I first came into the kitchen, it seemed to me to be crying out for some company, offering itself up as a contender for today’s IAVOM – so who am I to refuse?
Joining ‘Dorothy Rose’ are stems of Miscanthus ‘Red Chief’, now sported generously by the plant only added to the new Obelisk Border last year. I have a soft spot for this dahlia because back in 2018, after choosing the variety of dahlia for the colour and shape of its blooms, I realised it shared its name with an elderly friend of ours who turned 100 last year; she died recently, and I took some namesake blooms to her funeral. Deciding the vase needed foliage, I hit upon stems of
Read more on ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com