Dahlias have brightened up late summer and fall for me since I first began growing them in 2017. As summer progresses, flowers become harder to come by here as higher temperatures and our long dry season take their toll. At the moment new Dahlias are unfurling their flowers each week.
'Punkin Spice' and
'Hollyhill Karen Lee' opened last week but for today's "In a Vase on Monday" post I went with
'Terracotta', which is now blooming in earnest. I've been growing this variety since 2017 and it's one of the most prolific.
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| I lost one window and part of a wall in my home office last week, which eliminated the space I'd been using to photograph my vases since our kitchen was gutted. I set a board on top of our spa on the north side of the house for these photographs. Not optimal but it'll have to do for awhile. |
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| The back of this vase is a mess but I didn't have the patience to fuss with it. Heat makes me cranky. |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the top left: Dahlia 'Terracotta', Amaranthus caudatus, noID Cotyledon, Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', and Leptospermum 'Copper Glow'. After admiring the Amaranthus Cathy and other IAVOM contributors grow, I grabbed 3 plants I spotted on a recent garden center visit. Next year, I'm committed to growing some from seed. |
Our temperatures jumped dramatically last week, quickly withering more flowering plants than I can count. My
Agapanthus are on their last legs so I hunted down the last presentable specimens I could find for a second vase to enjoy inside the house, where it's nominally cooler, at least when we have ours fans running at full speed. Because half the house is torn up, we can't run our house's air conditioning system so it's been warm even inside.
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| At least the pale blue Agapanthus made me feel cooler |
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| After putting on a good show since early January, the sea lavender (Limonium perezii), shown here at the back of the vase, is on its last legs too |
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| Top view, showing off lavender-streaked flowers of white lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Agapanthus, Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Auranticarpa rhombifolium, Eustoma grandiflorum, Limonium perezii, and Trichostemma 'Midnight Magic' |
Both this week's vases found places in our master bedroom, the coolest room in the house, which we've managed to keep in the low 80sF with the help of a portable AC unit.
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| A certain cat opened up new space on the bedroom bureau for the Dahlia arrangement by pushing a lamp I've had for nearly 20 years to the floor. We didn't use it often but it had sentimental value. My husband has promised to try gluing it back together but neither of us have high hopes for its restoration. |
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| Meanwhile, the culprit has forgotten all about her transgression |
For more IAVOM vases,
visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
So sorry about your lamp. Bad kitty. The 'Terra Cotta' Dahlia is very pretty, I like it much better than 'Cafe au Lait' which is kind of similar, but more washed-out. I need to get some new Dahlias. I think I'll put that one on my list.
ReplyDeleteI've been very pleased with 'Terracotta' all 3 years I've grown it. It's taller than any of my other dahlias, easily reaching 6 feet before the end of the season. I divided the tuber last year and have 2 extra plants in large plastic pots, although so far neither of those have buds but that could be attributable to the fact that I planted them late or failed to choose divisions with "eyes."
DeleteBeautiful vases - the cool blue & white combo is such a contrast to the weather you've been having. And the dahlia - so beautiful! Still waiting for mine to size up. We are having a heat wave as well (with the humidity, the temps are consistently near or over 100F - ugh!) - not sure if that will help or hinder the process.
ReplyDeleteOh my, your kitty is just too funny - loving the "doesn't have a care in the world" position!
Dahlias seem to tolerate heat as well as zinnias do here. I hope yours come through for you, Margaret!
DeleteYes, your secod vase ceratinly does look cool and refreshing whilst your first looks somehow 'old fashioned'....is it the colour do you think? It reminds me of 'mink', a popular colour in the 70s!!
ReplyDelete'Terracotta' has a sepia tone to it, which may account for its old-fashioned look, Cathy. The color changes as the bloom matures but the petals have a lot of variation in them.
DeleteThat Terracotta is beautiful. I don't remember seeing that one for sale but I'll have to look our for it. It sounds as though your weather is challenging as ever and a shame that things will go over so quickly. Did the rain you had in the spring help at all or is that now all forgotten. Love the cool vase too and your gorgeous cat who looks very innocent!
ReplyDeleteI got my 'Terracotta' tuber from Floret Flowers back in 2017, Alison. Floret didn't offer dahlias last year but I think they have thoughts of doing it again in the future. Our heat hasn't been as bad as in prior years (at least not yet!) but a protracted stretch of 90+F temperatures without AC is trying in any case. I've just polished off the last of what was in my rain barrels so now I'm wholly dependent on the public water supply, probably until November when the rain (hopefully) returns.
DeleteOh, Pipig! She must have been expressing her displeasure over the workers taking over the house. I guess the heat makes her cranky, too. ;) You have my sympathy!
ReplyDelete'Terracotta' is a pretty dahlia and the Cotyledon is a perfect match - love that teapot, too. The blues do feel cool, despite the heat all over this nation and planet - hottest year yet, god help us.
Pipig's handled the construction better than expected thus far, although my closet has become her favorite hang-out, even when it's just my husband making noise. When she pushed the lamp off the bureau I think she was acting out because she wanted attention when I insisted on eating my lunch.
DeleteYour beautiful dahlias are a such a lovely colour. And so pristine - compared to mine which I wouldn't dare show to anyone! And your blue arrangement really brings the heat down - very cooling and pretty! I would love to tickle a certain cat's tum, looks very inviting! Amanda
ReplyDeleteIt surprised me how well dahlias do here, Amanda - at least as long as they get sufficient water once the foliage comes up.
DeleteDespite not having an optimal place for photos your vases look grand.
ReplyDeleteThat naughty kitty. Obviously she doesn't care.
Cats appear to have no conscience whatsoever, Lisa!
DeleteWell, I was astonished when my husband glued a heart shaped pottery box back together that he accidentally shattered. Maybe Pipig will get a reprieve from guilty feelings. Love those Dahlias and am so envious! I can't grow Agapanthus here and I love those, too.
ReplyDeleteI can only hope that my lamp base comes together through a similar kind of miracle, Amelia.
DeleteI love your dahlias! And I can't imagine not having a/c with your temps. We've been in the mid to high 80's and low 90's and without the a/c I would be miserable.
ReplyDeleteThe sauna-like conditions in my office do wear me down, slowly but surely, Loree. Luckily, today was considerably cooler, although temperatures are expected to climb back up as the weekend approaches.
DeleteYou certainly have some beautiful Dahlias! I'm very new to them, myself, having overwintered my first tubers this past winter. I think I might try to plant more next spring. Starting them in early spring in pots indoors seems to work best for me. That Agapanthus is such a lovely shade of blue!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as though you've fallen under the dahlia's spell too, Beth. My problem is finding spots for them, especially once I started dividing my existing tubers while still ordering new varieties to try out.
DeleteTwo beautiful vases of flowers Kris. I wonder if dahlia 'Terracotta' is available over here. I will certainly be dahlia shopping for next year. Most of mine didn't overwinter in the raised beds at the allotment and the few new ones I've grown have suffered as there have been so many molluscs about. I can understand why you sought that pale blue agapanthus out. Naughty Pipig - that countenance shows no signs of a guilty conscience!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure cats have a conscience at all, Anna!
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