Maybe it's just the sudden shift from scorching temperatures to much cooler afternoons with pleasant breezes but the seasonal change feels palpable at present. Late September and October can be very hot and in fact forecasters are predicting an uptick in the temperatures as we move toward next weekend but, for now, I'm enjoying the weather conditions we have. Two of my stubborn dahlias, both 'Fairway Spur', have developed buds so I may have those large orange blooms to look forward to in October as the plants that bloomed earlier in the season continue to wane.
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My cutting garden offered only a single bloom of Dahlia 'Summer's End' but it fit my theme so how could I resist? I added a few orange zinnias and tucked in berries that are in the process of shifting from lime green to orange.
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Back view: As temperatures fell, a handful of Gaillardia blooms appeared, along with the first flowers of the Australian fuchsia, Correa 'Ivory Bells'
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Top view
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Clockwise from the upper left: Correa 'Ivory Bells', noID Cotoneaster, Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', Dahlia 'Summer's End', Gaillardia aristata 'Spintop Copper Sun', Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', and Zinnia elegans 'Queen Lime Orange'
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While most of my dahlias are producing only a bloom or two at the moment, Dahlia 'Lavender Ruffles' has been more generous.
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I think this makes 4 weeks in a row that I've used Dahlia 'Lavender Ruffles' in a vase but a second bloom from its near match, Dahlia 'Mikayla Miranda', sealed the deal
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Back view
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Top view
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Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', pink and white Cosmos bipinnatus, Dahlia 'Lavender Ruffles', and D. 'Mikayla Miranda'
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Somehow, despite our recent extended heatwave and the temporary ban on outdoor watering, a few of the dark blue Eustoma grandiflorum (Lisianthus) managed to produce new blooms I couldn't ignore so I've got a third vase to share this week.
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I stuck to a simple blue/purple and white color mix
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Back view: Wispy sweet autumn clematis and more variegated abelia provided froth
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Top view
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From the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Clematis terniflora, Liriope muscari, Duranta erecta 'Sapphire Showers', and Eustoma grandiflorum
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For more IAVOM creations, usually spun together with materials from contributors' own gardens, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All
material © 2012-2022
by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
All 3 vases are lovely, though I'm excited mostly about the first as it ushers in Autumn. Specifically, I like the "collage of elements" showing the Cotoneaster berries, sneaking into almost every photo!
ReplyDeletechavli
Ha! And here I was wondering if the Cotoneaster berries blended into the background too much, Chavli :)
DeleteLove that orange colored vase! To be able to say "or now, I'm enjoying the weather conditions we have" is a very good thing.
ReplyDeleteYes, although I can't help peering over my shoulder sensing coming heatwave predicted for later this week. But the good news is that the water pipeline repairs were finished 2 days early so the outdoor watering ban is officially over!
DeleteWhat would finish off your dahlias Kris? Unlike us in the UK you won't have frost to put a stop to them. Not surprisingly I like the blue of the third vase best today, but Lavender Ruffles comes a close second! You always finush your vases off so nicely with foliage, which adds to the overall effect 👍
ReplyDeleteYou're right that cold isn't an issue here, Cathy. It's usually mildew that does my dahlias in, or at least prompts me to pull the tubers to clear space to make room in my cutting garden for cool season growers. This year, though, the combination of heat and reduced water has the foliage turning to toast before the plants can mildew. My guess is that I'll be pulling out all but the latest dahlia plants to flower sometime in October.
DeleteHurrah for fall colors and cooler weather, even if short lived. Love the Abelia in your second vase. I think your Dahlias are doing amazingly well. Amelia
ReplyDeleteIn addition to being slow to sprout and even slower to flower this year, the dahlia flowers are less profuse than in past years, Amelia. I haven't even given away any dahlia bouquets this year as I barely have enough to fill my usual vases for the house. But then in the most recent episode of Gardeners World 2022, Monty Don commented that his dahlias at Longmeadow also haven't done well this year so I guess I'm in good company ;)
DeleteI'm looking over my shoulder too-we got almost 1/2 inch of rain and might get more overnight and tomorrow so I started thinking about Pansies. Way to soon-I need to wait well into October .For now, these temps are heaven so I'll enjoy while I can !
ReplyDeleteEvery year, I tell myself I'm not going to plant any pansies and every year I do, Kathy. I agree that there's a higher chance of survival if you wait until late October. You generally get more rain than we do so, in our case, November or December is better yet.
DeleteInteresting brief read about Dahlia growing here from the commercial grower perspective. It seems they don't want temperatures too high--explains why the Medicino BG grows such gorgeous ones. And the heat wave the UK suffered through may explain Monty's underperformers.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.pthorticulture.com/en/training-center/growing-tough-crops-dahlias/
Lovely bouquets again this week despite the watering ban and the recent miserable weather. The dark dark dark purple Eustoma is luscious!
Another heat wave approaches, but at this point does not look like it will be another 10 day ordeal--hopefully. At least the daylight hours are shorter--that does help.
Thanks for the link, HB! I'd been concerned that planting the tubers in mid-late March was too early but the article suggests otherwise based on the day length chart I pulled up for 2022 in my location, at least as long as our nighttime temperatures aren't too low.
DeleteThe outdoor water ban was lifted on Monday, 2 days earlier than expected. Great for the people on Tuesday+Saturday watering schedules but it didn't do much for me on my Wednesday+Sunday schedule. Now, if we can just get a date set with the plumber to replace the pipeline that keeps developing pin-hole leaks here...
Fingers crossed that the coming heatwave is both short and moderate in its intensity.
Lavender Ruffles and the other lavender one are such pretty dahlias Kris. I really love the way they reflect the light.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the current week is the first in 2 months with no 'Lavender Ruffles' blooms, Cathy ;)
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