The combination of mildew, heat, and high winds brought my summer cutting garden to an abrupt end. It was expected but sad nonetheless. I began cutting back the mildewed dahlia foliage last week with vague hopes that would allow some of plants with buds to produce a few more blooms but weather conditions didn't support that notion. I expect to dig up the dahlia tubers and pull out the remaining cosmos and zinnia plants this week in order to prepare the raised planters for cool season plants. Although I saved plastic and glass bottles to give away end-of-season blooms, it doesn't look like there will be many to offer.
Only the flowers of Rudbeckia 'Cherokee Sunset' were still relatively plentiful so my first arrangement was created around them.
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| The 'Cherokee Sunset' flowers range in color from gold to orange and burgundy to reddish brown |
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| Back view: I fleshed out the arrangement using the yellowish (chlorotic) foliage of Grevillea 'Superb', Hibiscus 'Haight Ashbury', and Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Pineapple' (coleus) |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Grevillea 'Superb' (foliage only), Hibiscus acetosella 'Haight Ashbury', Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Pineapple' (coleus), Rudbeckia hirta 'Cherokee Sunset' (in 2 shades), and peach-colored Zinnia elegans 'Candy Mix' |
I'd hoped to have at least a couple 'La Luna' or mutant 'Fairway Spur' Dahlias but the few that remained weren't vase worthy. Instead, I cut the last stem of Dahlia 'Lavender Ruffles'.
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| The last presentable 'Lavender Ruffles' stem held 3 flowers |
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| Back view: I used a handful of zinnias and more coleus foliage to fill out the arrangement |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Correa 'Ivory Bells', Dahlia 'Lavender Ruffles', Eriocapitella hupehensis (aka Japanese anemones), Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Limewire' (coleus), Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', and Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Purple' |
Even the most recent dahlia plants to bloom offered nothing but a single stem of 'Lady Darlene'. I managed to get a small arrangement out of it and various odds and ends for our kitchen island.
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| The small vase contains a mutant form of the noID Dahlia mistakenly labeled 'French Can Can' (half-yellow and half-white with yellow stripes), a single 'Lady Darlene' Dahlia, 3 stems of Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' and a few pale yellow and ivory Zinnia elegans |
The local news programs have been suggesting that the Los Angeles area might get a touch of rain this week but my local forecast is far less optimistic; however, temperatures are expected to drop into the upper 60s to low 70sF (20-22C). Much as I'd love to see some rain, at least those temperatures are good for getting work done in the garden.
For for IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she and other contributors to this weekly meme have come up with.
All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
It is hard to say goodbye to your glorious Dahlias. Last week's IAVOM felt like going out with a bang.
ReplyDeleteThe supporting cast for 'Cherokee Sunset' flowers make a beautiful color combination; you've used Hibiscus 'Haight Ashbury' multiple times recently and it never fails to impress me. At first glance I tend to mistake if for Ricinus...
Chavli
Beautiful, I love the light grevillea with all the orangey tones. Perfect for October!
ReplyDeleteI intend to give that Grevillea a bit of iron, although it usually sorts itself out eventually. Its foliage is lovely and I should use it more often.
DeleteIt's hard to pick a favorite--all your arrangements are so lovely. I must find a better place for my Dahlias. I'm so sun-challenged here, but after seeing so many amazing Dahlias at the Fling, I'm inspired to try them in a different garden location next season. :) Beautiful displays; thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIn my case, Beth, the issue with growing dahlias was the water they need. I couldn't grow them in my borders because I couldn't water those areas enough to keep the dahlias happy; however, concentrating them in the relatively small area of my cutting garden worked. Maybe you can put a barrel or other large semi-mobile container in sunny spots here and there to accommodate them.
DeleteThat first vase is such a stunning representation of the season-very ikebana!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete'Cherokee Sunset' with the pineapple coleus is inspired, Kris. Your dahlias have been lovely this year.
ReplyDeleteI cut back the majority of the dahlias today and have already dug some of the tubers up. One of my favorite dahlias, 'Mikayla Miranda', surfaced with the largest tuber I've ever seen. I made an initial attempt to divide it but it fought me so I hosed the dirt off it and I'm waiting until it dries to see if I can separate parts of it without cutting it apart. Now I'm wondering if I'll face the same problem with other dahlias that were especially prolific this year, like 'La Luna' and 'Lavender Ruffles'. In contrast, 'Enchantress' effectively divided itself into 3 parts with no effort on my part.
DeleteWow, love that first color combo with 'Cherokee Sunset' and 'Pineapple' plectranthus. Yummy! The dahlias were great while they lasted, I think I picked the last of mine today. It's supposed to get in the mid-30s tonight. Brrr.
ReplyDeleteSorry that your conditions laid waste your cutting bed. But now you get to plant up the cool season things. You're fortunate to have a year round growing season! Eliza
It's sad to see the dahlias (and zinnias) go but, one day into demolition, I'm already on a roll to get my cool season garden going, Eliza. I've already received the first of 2 bulb orders and I'm behind schedule on sowing my sweet pea, larkspur and Nigella seeds. Yes, I'm very lucky to be able to have a cutting garden in place year round.
DeleteHere we are saying goodbye soon with the very cold weather coming soon. But no more plants to grow sadly. I love all the dahlias and vases but the first with the striking Pineapple coleus is stunning.
ReplyDeleteLittle did I know how useful that 'Pineapple' coleus could be in floral arrangements, Donna. There are so many wonderful coleus available now and I intend to use them more often in future years.
DeleteI am not normally a fan of rudbeckia, but 'Cherokee Sunset' is a keeper! We're looking at perhaps a light frost this weekend. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteI hope that frost is very light, Loree. It's "coolish" here but luckily I don't have to worry about frost or freezes.
DeleteYour autumnal vase is lovely Kris! The Hibiscus could pass as maple and the Rudbeckia are beautiful rich shades of red/orange. The peachy Zinnia is also an eye catcher. Sad to say goodbye to your lavender dahlia too. Will you grow the same ones next year? We had several weeks of temperatures just over or just below 20°C and it is indeed the perfect weather for gardening.
ReplyDeleteI dig my dahlias up each year, not because my climate requires that, but because I use the raised planters the tubers occupy during our warm season for other plants during the cool season. So whether I use the same dahlia tubers again depends on how well they've bloomed in the current year, the condition they're in after they're dug up and divided, and the condition they're in after they come out of storage. Some of the tubers I've already dug up are HUGE and dividing them into usable parts has been fraught with casualties already so we'll see!
DeleteIt will be sad to say goodbye to your dahlias Kris but no doubt you have some treasures lined up to slot into the gaps. Your predicted temperatures sound like good gardening weather.
ReplyDeleteThe cool season flowers I grow, most of which are seed-sown or bulbs, will take some time to get going, once the beds have been prepped for planting, which itself will probably take another week, Anna. Hopefully, I'll see progress by January but, in the meantime, my floral pickings will be thin ;)
DeleteWhat a great array of beautiful colors. So pretty!
ReplyDeleteDahlias can't help but delight. Alas, the season is over, at least here.
DeleteBeautiful Rudbeckias--will they return next year? Wonderful colors. Many beautiful bouquets for the whole month of October--isn't that great?
ReplyDeleteWe got some drizzles over the past few days--total up to 0.34" for the month of October, which is pretty good for October.
Most of my Zinnias are still going and looking good. The Dahlias are done and all got chopped down today after my visitors got on the airplane and went home.
I've only had Rudbeckias last a year to bloom again once. I now treat them as annuals. I haven't decided whether or not to pull the Rudbeckias in one of my raised planters or let them hang on a bit longer - they still look healthy (at least by comparison of the planters' other contents).
DeleteI'm overwhelmingly envious of your drizzle count. We've tallied just 0.05/inch since October 1st.
I am glad you were able to retrieve some blooms for today's vase(es) - love the autumnal colours in the first one. The foliage you have included works so well, really complementing the blooms
ReplyDeleteI have a single dahlia left, which if our Santa Ana winds don't blast it to pieces tonight, I'll cut tomorrow for the upcoming IAVOM. I'm going to have to get more creative for the next several months as it'll be January or later before my cool season plants start doing much of anything.
Delete