My dahlias are slowly rolling out their blooms and I've chosen to show off some of those making the most recent appearances this week. Although my 'Cafe au Lait' Dahlia has turned out to be what I believe is 'Cafe au Lait Rose', its presence in my garden can't be denied as it stretches close to five feet tall. Its tall stems earned it a large vase crammed with a variety of pink flowers.
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| 'Cafe's' flowers are huge too |
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| Back view with flowers of pink Amaryllis belladonna tucked into the sides. The Amaryllis have popped up all over my back garden over the past 2 weeks, some in places I can't account for. |
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| Overhead view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Amaryllis belladonna, Eustoma grandiflorum 'Carmine', Leucadendron 'Jester', Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait Rose', and D. 'La Bella Epoque' |
I thought I'd planted two 'Labyrinth' tubers this season and a single 'Catching Fire' tuber but the small 'Labyrinth' tuber turned out to be 'Catching Fire' so I apparently didn't label my tubers as carefully as I thought I had when I dug them up and divided them last November. Despite the tuber's small size, it got its bloom on before the larger tuber I'd labeled under that name has reached bloom stage, assuming I didn't mislabel that one too. In any case, the first of the 'Catching Fire' Dahlias got center stage in my second arrangement.
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| At least I think this is Dahlia 'Catching Fire'. The original tuber I planted in 2022 was labeled as 'Akita', which it definitely was not. Friends suggested that it looked more like 'Catching Fire' and that was the closest match I could find among the red and white varieties I examined. |
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| Back view, showing the first of the white Amaryllis belladonna to bloom. The white variety always flowers a couple of weeks after the pink one. |
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| Overhead view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', Amaryllis belladonna, noID Coleus scuttelarioides*, Dahlia 'Catching Fire', Myrtus communis, and Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Wine' |
Our morning marine layer has continued to keep the afternoon temperatures down in the low-to-mid 70sF (23-24C) for the past week; however, it appears that pattern may start to break down this week, driving temperatures back up. Even then, it doesn't look as though they should go beyond the low 80sF (27C) along the coast. We've been very lucky overall so far this summer.
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
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| You may note that I used what I'd originally identified as the back of the first arrangement as the front when I positioned it on the dining room table |
*A few years ago common coleus was reclassified as Plectranthus scutellarioides and I dutifully switched to using that botanical name when I referred to the plants. More recently, it's been reclassified once again, taking back its former name of Coleus scutellarioides. Talk about frustrating!
All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Both are gorgeous, so summery. The Leucadendron is a great supporting character/color. The rose dahlia is pretty, even tho it's disappointing when labels are wrong.
ReplyDeleteAt least 'Cafe au Lait Rose' blends in rather well with the other dahlias in that raised bed! I hate it when I try to coordinate the colors of my bulbs and one turns out to be something really out of place.
DeleteOh luscious! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful Dahlias. If I ever have a sunnier garden, I'll definitely be planting more Dahlias! ꨄ︎
ReplyDeleteDahlias do want sun! The labels often say they can get by with partial shade but those that don't get full sun don't bloom nearly as well.
DeleteOh Beautiful Dahlias. The colors are such vibrant. They look fresh.
ReplyDeleteThanks Megha. Flowers cut from my own garden are as fresh as I can get ;)
DeleteOoh, I like the pink Cafe au Lait better than the nominally coffee coloured one Kris, although persoannly I never felt comfortable with the size of blooms on the C au Lait I had one season, and I guess the pink variety will be similar. I am pleased your dahlias are coming through now, as they are so valuable in the garden, for cutting at and for looking at!! I am glad it has been cooler for you too
ReplyDeleteThe 'Cafe au Lait Rose' blooms are indeed huge, Cathy, fitting the description of a "dinnerplante dahlia." They'd overwhelm a smaller vase that's for certain.
DeleteZowie! Fantastic Dahlias. I did not know that there was a pink version. Spectacular. I am very glad to hear Coleus are coleus again!! A.melia.
ReplyDeleteApparently, there are now a few different spins on 'Cafe au Lait', all similar in shape and flower size but of varying colors.
DeleteSweet as candy, that first one. But more: healthier!
ReplyDeleteI'm not really all that fond of pink but the petal shape adds a nice twist (pun intended).
DeleteYou must be so pleased that your dahlias have turned up to the party Kris. The pink variation on 'Café au lait' is obviously happy and healthy reaching such a statuesque height!
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to have some really tall dahlia stems for a change!
DeleteI like Rose 'Cafe au Lait' better! What a gorgeous bloom.
ReplyDeleteAnd very impressed with Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Wine' it's huge and so saturated, and goes so well with Dahlia 'Catching Fire'. Wonderful arrangements.
Chavli
'Benary's Giant Wine' has never looked so good! I gave a bouquet consisting of just those flowers to a neighbor a couple of days ago - I initially thought it'd be boring but the flowers had a presence all their own :)
DeleteThe matching ombre effect of dahlia and coleus in that second vase is stunning. Your complaint about botanical nomenclature made me giggle; it's supposed to be the fallback for making sure we're talking about the same plant, but the Latin fails when it keeps flip-flopping ;p
ReplyDeleteI don't so much begrudge the reclassifications based on DNA analysis but I do wish they'd hold off on publishing these until they're really certain!
DeleteYour dahlia arrangements are marvelous, Kris. So beautiful and healthy-looking. My first 'Cafe au Lait' bloomed as yours has done, looking more pink than coffee, but eventually there were a couple of the coffee, cream-colored blooms on it. I read there can be quite a lot of variation, which is frustrating. Talk about frustration, coleus doesn't usually kick up such a stir. Thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy that coleus is Coleus again but I do wish the botanists would get these things straight before they raise the flag!
DeleteHi Kris. Love your dahlias! I especially like the Café au Lait Rose and La Belle Époque. Their romantic flounces deserve their pretty French names! That deep pink Eustoma is gorgeous too and goes so well. I agree; the botanical name changes really are annoying… I refuse to use some of the weird ones and stick to the old ones - everyone uses the old names anyway!
ReplyDeleteI admit I still hate the substitution of Symphyotrichum for the much easier and more memorable Aster, Cathy! I picked up that 'Carmine' Eustoma as a small plant back in February and it did absolutely nothing until now, when I'd almost given up on it.
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