Hello friends,

Back in July, I shared how I dug up, divided, and stored the seedling dahlias from my dahlia breeding project for winter. This year, I decided to try two different storage methods I'd learnt about during the Floret Flower Farming Workshop this year: storing tubers in vermiculite, and wrapping individual tubers in Glad Wrap.

Throughout winter and into spring, I periodically checked on my stored dahlia tubers, looking for signs of rot and moisture loss, as well as watching for the first signs of sprouting as the weather warmed up. Now that my dahlias are planted out in the garden, it's time to look back at how the two methods compared and what I learnt from trying them.

Watching for the First Signs of Growth:

In late winter, while checking on my stored dahlia tubers, I discovered that a couple of those wrapped in Glad Wrap had already begun to sprout. The tubers were in excellent condition, with no visible signs of shrivelling or rot. As they could no longer remain in storage once they began growing, I planted them in pots filled with potting mix and moved them into the glasshouse. At this stage, all the tubers stored in vermiculite were still dormant, although some were beginning to show signs of moisture loss.

As winter gave way to spring, I continued checking all the stored dahlia tubers weekly. More of those wrapped in Glad Wrap began to sprout, so I gradually planted them into pots of potting mix and moved them into the glasshouse. The tubers stored in vermiculite were slower to wake up, with sprouting only beginning later in the season.

By the time I was ready to plant the dahlia seedlings out into the garden in mid-October, most of the tubers stored in Glad Wrap were already growing in pots in the glasshouse, while most of those stored in vermiculite were only just beginning to wake up. In the photo below, you can see the difference between two tubers from the same dahlia seedling, 2025-33. The tuber stored in vermiculite is on the left and is a little more shrivelled, while the tuber stored in Glad Wrap is on the right. It has begun to sprout and remains in excellent condition.

From my observations, the tubers stored in Glad Wrap appeared to break dormancy earlier than those stored in vermiculite, giving them a head start on the new growing season.

Checking the tubers over winter

When it came to checking the two storage methods, I found the Glad Wrap method much easier to manage. I could see the tubers through the plastic without having to unwrap them, and I could gently feel them to check that they were still firm. It was a quick and easy way to keep an eye on their condition.

The vermiculite method, on the other hand, was much messier. To check each tuber, I had to tip the vermiculite out of the paper bag, find the tuber, and then carefully put everything back into storage. The vermiculite got everywhere, making quite a mess in the garage, and I'm still finding bits of it on the floor even now!

How well did the tubers keep?

The two methods also differed in how well they preserved the tubers over winter. Provided the tubers were thoroughly dry after dividing, those wrapped in Glad Wrap retained their moisture well, and I found no signs of rot among them.

In comparison, the tubers stored in vermiculite lost more moisture, and a couple developed rot. Based on this season's results, Glad Wrap provided better protection against moisture loss and rot in my collection of seedling dahlias.

Cost, storage space and identification

Another consideration was the cost and storage space required for each method. For me, the Glad Wrap method was essentially free, as I had acquired a huge roll of commercial Glad Wrap from Moore Wilsons in Wellington years ago, and I doubt I'll ever use it all in my life time.

I could write each seedling's name directly on the wrap and place a plant tag inside beside the tuber, making it easy to identify each one. I was also able to stack the individually wrapped tubers together in a plastic container, making the method very space-efficient.

The vermiculite method, on the other hand, required many bags of vermiculite to store all my dahlia seedlings. This made it a considerably more expensive option, and the bags took up much more room than the compact containers of wrapped tubers.

Overall, I found Glad Wrap easier to manage, more economical and more space-efficient. The tubers also retained their moisture better and began sprouting earlier in spring. For my dahlia collection, it was the more practical option in several important ways.

The Environmental Consideration

There is also an environmental consideration when comparing the two methods. Glad Wrap is a single-use plastic, while vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined and heat-treated before being used in gardening. Although it could potentially be reused, it is not without its own environmental impact.

I’d be reluctant to reuse vermiculite from one season to the next because I wouldn’t want to risk carrying over rot or potential diseases, such as leaf and crown gall, to another batch of dahlia tubers. Using fresh vermiculite each year would add to the ongoing cost and the amount of material required.

After planting out my seedlings, I sent the cleaned used Glad Wrap to soft plastic recycling rather than putting it in the rubbish. While recycling provides an alternative to landfill, it doesn’t eliminate the environmental impact of using plastic.

Both methods have their advantages and drawbacks, and this is another factor to consider alongside cost, storage space and how well the tubers keep over winter.

What I've learnt from this trial

Comparing these two methods has given me a much clearer idea of what works best for storing my dahlia seedlings over winter. This season, Glad Wrap worked best for my collection, but it was useful to compare the methods for myself rather than simply relying on what I'd heard from other growers.

As this was only one season's trial, I'll be interested to see whether I get similar results when I lift and store the tubers again next autumn. For now, I'm looking forward to watching my seedlings grow and flower over the coming months, and continuing to develop my dahlia breeding project.

Have you tried either of these methods for storing dahlia tubers over winter? I'd love to hear about your experiences and what works well in your garden.

Have a wonderful day,

Julie-Ann

If you'd like to continue the conversation, you can find me on Instagram, Mastodon, Bluesky, and Facebook.

Tags: 2026, Dahlia, Dahlia Breeding, Dahlia Seedlings, Dahlias, Garden, Garden Project, Gardening, Spring, Storing Dahlias, Winter

Hello friends,

With this year's daffodil flowering all but over, I wanted to share with you the white daffodil varieties growing in my garden as part of the White Daffodil Project I began in June, and see how they've performed in their first season.

The first white daffodil to flower in my garden was 'Earlicheer', which very much lived up to its name. It produces clusters of pretty double flowers, with several blooms on each stem. The plants grew to around 30 cm tall, and the flowers were highly scented, making this a lovely addition to my garden.

While 'Earlicheer' is very pretty in the garden, unfortunately, its short stems make it unsuitable for use as a cut flower.

The next variety to flower was 'Thalia', an orchid narcissus with petite, pure white blooms and elegantly reflexed petals. It's such a pretty, dainty variety, with flowers reaching only around 25 cm tall. Although 'Thalia' is described as highly fragrant, I have to say that my flowers didn't have much scent at all.

Like 'Earlicheer', 'Thalia' is also too short to be a suitable cut flower daffodil. However, I'm very happy to have her growing in my garden because she's such a pretty and elegant variety.

Next up is 'Ice Follies', a large-cupped daffodil with wide blooms, creamy white petals, and a frilly lemon-yellow cup. This variety produces strong stems reaching up to 60 cm tall. It's also highly scented, with a lovely sweet fragrance that fills the room.

'Ice Follies' is a great candidate for growing as a cut flower. Even though the flowers aren't pure white, its strong stems and wonderful fragrance more than make up for that.

Cheerfulness is a double daffodil that grows to around 50 cm tall. Each stem produces pretty double flowers, making it a lovely, full-looking variety. The flowers have a medium-strength fragrance with a sweet, musky scent.

With its tall stems and lovely fragrance, 'Cheerfulness' is a well-known cut flower variety, and I'm very happy to have it growing in my garden.

Next is 'Pure White', a variety that certainly lives up to its name. It was the whitest of all the white daffodils I grew this year, with stems reaching up to 50 cm tall. The flowers were only very lightly scented, but their pure white colour makes this variety stand out in my garden.

With its tall stems and pure white flowers, 'Pure White' is an ideal choice for growing as a cut flower, and also in my garden.

Next is 'Watch Up', an upward-facing trumpet daffodil with a pastel yellow, ribbed trumpet that gradually fades to white. Its stems reach around 40–50 cm tall, and the flowers have a lovely sweet fragrance.

'Watch Up' is another definite keeper as a cut flower variety, thanks to its tall stems and upward-facing blooms. She's also quite a happy looking daffodil, so I'm pleased to grow her in my garden.

Next is 'Annalise', which has creamy petals surrounding a soft lemon-coloured frilly trumpet. Reaching around 40 cm tall, this variety has a delicate, subtle fragrance.

Although 'Annalise' isn't a pure white daffodil because of its creamy colouring, its beautifully frilled trumpet makes it a standout in my garden. At around 40 cm tall, it would make a lovely addition to spring cut flower bunches.

Next is 'Bridal Crown', a double daffodil that grows to around 50 cm tall. Each stem carries petite blooms in a soft, creamy colour palette. It's also very fragrant, with a sweet scent which was noticeable in my spring garden.

'Bridal Crown' would make a lovely cut flower, with its tall stems, clusters of petite double blooms, and sweet fragrance. Its soft, creamy colouring would look great in spring bouquets.

And finally the last white daffodil in my new white daffodil collection is ‘Mint Julep’. It was described as being a 30 - 50 cm tall refreshing and elegant small‑cupped variety with soft colouring according to the Bulbs Direct website. It has a shallow cup which opens with green tones, and matures into gentle shades of yellow.

'Mint Julep' was one of the last white daffodils to flower in my collection, and it turned out to be my least favourite of the varieties I grew this year. The stems were on the short side, reaching only around 30 cm tall, and I found the trumpet quite garish rather than elegant. Personally, I wouldn't consider this a great cut flower variety, as I think its bold colouring would make it difficult to incorporate into a bouquet.

Now that all my white daffodils have flowered, I've settled on three favourites that I would consider growing in the future as cut flowers: 'Pure White', 'Watch Up', and 'Annalise'. Their taller stems and elegant blooms make them ideal candidates for spring bouquets, and I love the different details each variety brings, from the pure white petals of 'Pure White' to the soft yellow trumpet of 'Watch Up', and the frilly centre of 'Annalise'.

For the garden, however, my favourite has to be 'Thalia'. She's too short to be useful as a cut flower, but her petite, pure white blooms and graceful appearance make her a delight to grow. Sometimes a daffodil doesn't need to make it into a vase to earn a place in my garden.

I'm really pleased with how my white daffodil collection has performed in its first season, and it's been fun discovering the differences between each variety. I'm looking forward to seeing how they grow and flower again next spring, and I'll be interested to see whether my favourites remain the same. I'm also keen to continue expanding my collection with more white daffodil varieties, especially those that would make beautiful cut flowers. There's always room for a few more daffodils in my garden...

Have a wonderful day

Julie-Ann

If you'd like to continue the conversation, you can find me on Instagram, Mastodon, Bluesky, and Facebook.

Tags: 2026, Daffodil, Daffodils, Garden, Garden Project, Gardening, Spring, White Daffodil Project, White Daffodils, Winter

Hello friends,

Today I wanted to share with you the dahlia varieties I purchased this past autumn and winter. As you know, I'm completely obsessed with dahlias, and I've even started breeding my own dahlia varieties. This year I decided to only buy anemone and collarette varieties, as they're my favourite types to grow.

But as always, life happened, and I bought a few other varieties as well. They include some wish list varieties, a few replacements for dahlias that rotted last year, and even some varieties I've purchased for an experiment I want to try this summer.

So, here is the full list of dahlias I've added to my collection this year.

First up we have the anemone dahlia varieties:

• Antonia Prebble (NZ)
• Blue Bayou
• Inca
• Jive
• Josie
• Lifestyle
• Octopus Sparkle
• Platinum Blonde (replacement)
• Poodle Skirt
• Que Sera
• Richard's Fortune
• Rural Goldfinch (NZ)
• Soulman
• The Phantom (replacement)
• Toto

There are quite a few red and purple anemone varieties included, as I don't have many of these in my garden right now.

Next, we have the collarette dahlia varieties I've bought this year:

• April Heather
• Bumble Rumble (replacement for one with gall)
• Gore Blimey
• Liquid Desire
• Pooh
• Rural Jenny (NZ)
• Rural Lady (NZ)
• Sarah Raven
• Teesbrook Audrey

Most of these varieties are red collarettes that I don't currently have in my garden. The dahlia I'm most excited about growing this year is April Heather. Last year her tubers were selling for over $350 a tuber, and this year I did a targeted strike at an online store pre-order, and bought a tuber for $50. She hasn't arrived yet, but I'm eagerly awaiting to see her flower in my garden this summer.

I also bought three miniature ball dahlia varieties for my garden, which I'll be using for an experiment in my garden for this summer. 

• Koko Puff
• Rocco
• Small World

• Daisy Duke 
• Night Silence
• Sharnis Suprise

Night Silence has been on my wish list for years, but I always seemed to miss out whenever Mount Mera held a sale. Daisy Duke came into my collection as a replacement for an anemone dahlia that one of my suppliers couldn't provide this spring. Fortunately, she's in a colour range I love, so I was happy to accept the substitution.

Sharni's Surprise was a last-minute purchase from our local garden centre. Released by Fiesta Bulbs this spring, she's an unusual ombré dahlia, and I haven't been able to find any information about this variety online. The current theory among New Zealand dahlia growers is that she may be a sport or mutation of another variety that Fiesta Bulbs grows each year, although this hasn't been confirmed yet.

And finally, I bought one dinner-plate dahlia, 'Café au Lait'. Every year I've tried growing her, she has rotted in my garden, but I'm giving her one last chance. I love her beautiful creamy shades and would really like to add her to the other 'Café au Lait' varieties growing in my garden. Fingers crossed I have better luck this time.

I'm really looking forward to growing all these new dahlias this season, and especially the anemone and collarette varieties that I've added to my collection. I'm also excited to see how the new additions perform in the garden and whether any of them turn out to be promising candidates for my dahlia breeding program.

Now I just need to get them all planted and wait for summer to see them in flower...

Have a wonderful day,

Julie-Ann

If you'd like to continue the conversation, you can find me on Instagram, Mastodon, Bluesky, and Facebook.

Tags: 2026, Anemone Dahlia, Autumn, Ball Dahlia, Collarette Dahlia, Dahlia, Dahlias, Decorative Dahlias, Dinner Plate Dahlias, Garden, Gardening, Spring, Winter

Hello friends,

With spring now here, it was finally time to sow my linen fibre seeds as part of the Papahoa Fibreworks linen grow along. But first, I had to choose a 1 m² patch of the vegetable garden to grow them in, and prepare the soil for seed sowing.

Space is at a premium in my garden this growing season for many different reasons, so I squeezed the plot in close to the back of our house, next to the bed where I'm growing my sugar beet plants, and alongside the beds where I'm planting our potatoes.

With the garden bed chosen, the next step was to prepare the bed for seed sowing. I took the advice from the linen grow along, and created a false seed bed, encouraging the weeds to germinate so I could remove them before the linen seeds are planted.

I removed weeds from the area and raked it flat, and then watered it well to encourage the weeds to grow. Within a week, the weed seeds on the surface germinated, and I hoed the patch of ground to kill the weeds which had grown. I repeated this process three more times over the following weeks, since apparently this patch of garden had many weed seeds in the top few centimetres of soil.

With the weed seeds all taken care of, it was finally time to sow the linen. Hand-scattering the seed over the 1 m² patch of soil didn't take very long at all, using the four-pass method recommended by the grow along. The aim is to distribute the seed evenly and densely in a cross-hatch pattern, encouraging the linen seedlings to grow upwards and produce long, straight stems rather than branching. These long stems are what contain the linen fibre that will eventually be harvested. The packet from Papahoa Fibreworks contained 10.3 grams of seed, which was enough to sow the entire 1 m² patch.

I then gently raked the soil over the linen seeds and used the back of the rake to lightly tamp them into place. After giving the bed a good watering to get germination started, I covered the seeds with netting to stop our local birds from eating them.

With the linen seeds finally sown, all that's left to do now is wait for them to germinate and start growing. I'm looking forward to following the linen through the growing season and seeing how it performs in my garden, while learning more about growing and processing linen fibre along the way.

Hopefully, with a little help from some spring sunshine and rain, I'll have a healthy patch of linen ready for harvesting this summer. For now, the linen grow along has officially begun.

Have a wonderful day

Julie-Ann

If you'd like to continue the conversation, you can find me on Instagram, Mastodon, Bluesky, and Facebook.

Tags: 2026, Garden, Garden Project, Gardening, Linen, Linen Grow Along, Spring