Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Wednesday Vignette: Biding their time

There are plants in my garden that appear to be biding their time, waiting for the appropriate moment to bloom.  One finally has while it remains a mystery whether the other will or not.

Although ordered last December, the Dahlia 'Rancho' tuber wasn't received until May.  Its first - and possibly only - flower is only just opening now.  

I bought three bulbs of Scilla maderensis, classified as "rare," on a whim earlier this year.  I thought the chance of blooms was unlikely, especially in the first year.  As instructed, I planted them with their purple tips above the soil line but, when I no longer saw any sign of them, I thought they'd perished, only to have these plants suddenly appear.  Will they bloom this year?  I can only hope.  You can find a photo of the flowers here

A nation that celebrated new leadership last week is also biding its time while those frantically clinging to delusions try to come to terms with a change they knew or should have known was likely.

For more Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.


All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

17 comments:

  1. Oh, I love that dahlia! Will have to make note of it. Very rare Scilla...well, they will be lovely when they DO bloom. I bought some Crinum lillies and waited three years for flowers; now, after six years they are spectacular for weeks in mid-summer. Some things are worth the wait! And yes, our new leadership is so very exciting. What a job they have ahead of them....

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    1. I read that it can take that Scilla up to 4 years to bloom, Libby. I can wait but I'd be thrilled to see blooms this year.

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  2. Like pumpkin pudding - a beautiful color! I hope your scilla bloom for you, they are gorgeous!

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    1. I was so disillusioned both by the late delivery of that dahlia tuber and the extremely long period it took to for the plant to produce buds. Eliza, that I was ready to trash the tuber but it is pretty so I may try saving the tuber anyway.

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    2. Next year it might perform better, I certainly hope so. It is lovely.

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  3. They are making me nervous. I would not put anything past this administration. Beautiful dahlia!

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    1. I feel much the same way, Phillip - on both topics.

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  4. Dahlias are challenging for me, but it could be because my property has limited sun. I really love them, though, and the color and form of yours are really gorgeous. I hope your Scillas will bloom!

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    1. From what I've read, once the Scilla's foliage makes an appearance, the plant usually blooms within a month, Beth. Fingers crossed.

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  5. I saw Scilla maderensis growing wild in Madeira a couple of years ago, it is stunning. I've never seen it for sale here. I hope it will bloom.

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    1. I'd never even heard of that Scilla when I came across it, which of course is why I had to try growing it!

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  6. I can't wait to see those scillas bloom. I had never heard of them before. That dahlia is a little lazy isn't it? It is waiting a long time to bloom.

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    1. Yes, that's a very lazy dahlia. According to my notes, it took nearly 2 months just to produce foliage and more than 4 months after that to bloom!

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  7. Scilla maderensis: WOW! I clicked on the link, and it says they are winter bloomers, so I bet you have blooms in the next couple of months.

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    1. According to a couple of online sources, it should bloom within a month or so of producing foliage, if it's going to bloom at all this year. Another source said it could take 4 years to get the first blooms. Still, I'm hopeful!

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  8. I’m glad to see your Dahlia ‘Rancho’! Those Scillas are very pretty! Looking forward to seeing those.

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    1. I love the color of Dahlia 'Rancho' but I'm disappointed that there are no signs of additional buds, Kay. I may let it sit in its half barrel for awhile yet as I don't have any immediate plans to plant something else in that space but one flower after 6 months in the ground doesn't position it to be a keeper.

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