No Really, One Last Dahlia Order, And A New Rose Bush Too
Hello friends,
I have a good excuse for one last dahlia order, no really.
Two dahlias that I was expecting to come up above ground, Cafe Au Lait, and also one of my new dahlias, Wizard of Oz, both failed to sprout, and after much impatient waiting I decided to have an exploratory dig around them to see what was happening.
My Cafe Au Lait dahlia was in the middle of rotting, it was so wet in there that a worm moved into the mushy bits that used to be one of my prize dahlias. My other dahlia, Wizard of Oz, had already started rotting too, and all of its eyes had disappeared during the process.
It was what I had guessed had happened. In October we had a huge multiple day rainstorm that ended up with flooding in low lying areas of Dunedin. Dahlias hate being overly wet, and with all the rain we were inundated with, both dahlias had succumbed to rot.
I was very disappointed about this, and I really wanted to replace my Cafe Au Lait dahlia, so I searched the local dahlia bulb companies, and found that Bulbs Direct still had some in stock. And considering that I had lost two dahlias, I also replaced the other dahlia I had lost. Since they no longer had Wizard of Oz dahlia in stock, I instead chose a Strawberry Cream dahlia.
As soon as they arrived by courier, they went straight into the ground. They both had decent sprouts on them, so I was happy about this. They are now both in place in the back garden.
And while I was away for a short holiday in Lake Tekapo, both Cafe Au Lait, and also Strawberry Cream, both came up above ground. I was so happy to see them. Unfortunately when I got back I discovered that one of my other new dahlias, Bacardi, which I got in October from Mount Mera Botanical, also died from rot. It had a bud above ground when I left to go on holiday, but when I got home, the bud was gone, and the bulb had rotted. I'm super sad about this because it was one of my wish list dahlias I've wanted for years. I'll have to fight it out next year to see if I can get another bulb.
And I also bought another rose too. I was in town the other day, and walked past Mitre 10 which was having a 20% off roses sale. A David Austen rose, Celebration Jubilee, was in full flower, and the antique pink colours were just amazing. I bought it, and took it home with me, and then I spent an hour wandering around the back garden trying to figure out where to put it. I eventually found a space near our new maple tree which will do for now. Later on I can move it elsewhere.
It's so nice to have another flowering rose in the back garden, it reminds me that summer is almost here, and that will mean that my dahlias will start flowering too. There's already some dahlias growing flower buds, so it won't be too long before my favorite gardening time of the year is here.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
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Flower Garden Update Mid-November 2024
Hello friends,
I'd thought I'd share with you some of the plants flowering in my garden right now.
First up, my roses have finally started flowering, including my favorite, which is Blackberry Nip, and also the new rose in the back garden Gertrude Jekyll. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the first rose pictured...
My two new Hostas, Purple Heart and Sleeping Beauty, are looking amazing with new foliage.
And the pansies I grew from seed from Emerden Garden, Antique Shade and Mulberry Shade, are looking amazing now they are flowering. I'll let some set seed at the end of summer, and then that way they'll populate the garden in years to come.
My cosmos are now flowering as well. I have two new varieties this year Sunset Tones (Kings Seeds), and Strawberry Blonde (Emerden Garden), are now starting to flower as well.
I still have unknown ranunculus flowering in the back garden, and all my peonies are about to burst into flower soon too.
There's even more plants about to flower around my garden, but that'll have to wait until another blog post. I've even spotted some of my older dahlias beginning to form flower buds...
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
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Dahlias and Summer Bulbs
Hello friends,
Yes, I bought more dahlias, and no, I'm not ashamed of it. Mount Mera Botanical in Dunedin recently released some of the wish list dahlias that I missed out on earlier this year, so I whipped out my credit card and bought three more varieties, Bacardi, Fairway Pilot, and Iced Tea.
I planted them straight out into the garden, with Iced Tea in the front garden, and Bacardi and Fairway Pilot in the back garden.
I was also looking for shade loving plants for the darker parts of the garden, and saw an email from Bulbs Direct selling Polygonatum multiflorum plants. I invested in three of them and planted them out straight away. I'm impatiently waiting for them to sprout.
And while I was ordering from Bulbs Direct, I also bought a bunch of new Gladioli varieties to pop in various parts of the front and back garden. I'm hoping they'll really make a nice splash of colour in the garden over summer.
And with that I think my bulb and dahlia buying for the year will be over. With the back garden redesign over winter, it was a busy buying time over winter and spring. I don't plan on buying any more bulbs until next autumn when I purchase some ranunculus to fill out the back garden. I've really come to appreciate their colours later in spring.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
Want to discuss my post? Feel free to chat with me on Instagram or Mastodon or Bluesky.
Signs of Spring 2024
Hello friends,
Spring is just around the corner, and my garden is showing many signs of spring. I'd thought I'd share with you some photos I've taken recently.
My miniature Irises have already put on a show with their beautiful, dainty flowers.
Crocuses have also been flowering.
As are a lot of my daffodil varieties.
And finally, my deciduous shrubs and trees have started breaking their buds, and there's also blossom appearing on our fruit trees.
Spring is less than a week away, and I'm so excited for warmer and longer days. There's lots to do in the garden now, so it's time to get on with all the things, especially seed sowing.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
Want to discuss my post? Feel free to chat with me on Instagram or Mastodon or Bluesky
Spring Is Here
Hello friends,
Tomorrow may be first official day of spring, but out in the garden, spring is definitely already here. I thought I'd share with you what's happening here in the garden right now.
Daffodils: In my opinion the more tiny or frilly a daffodil is, the cuter they are. And they look even better when they're in a bucket.
Crocus: A number of crocuses are flowering in the garden, but I don't know what varieties they are, they were planted by a previous owner,
'Roses: My hybrid tea and floribunda roses have burst their buds, but as yet my new damask roses and climbing roses are still slumbering.
Blackcurrant: My huge blackcurrant bush has bust its buds as well, and it won't be long before it starts flowering. Its fruit is usually ready to harvest the week between Christmas and New Year.
Apricot: My two year old dwarf apricot tree has burst it's buds, and has started flowering. We will have more frosts between now and October, so I don't know if we'll get any fruit. I'll try and remember to put frost cloth on it in the meantime.
Rhubarb: My rhubarb plants have started to grow, I really do need to finish their garden bed. Hubby started "fixing" it last autumn, and it still isn't finished...
Quince: My quince tree has also bust its buds. It's still too small to carry any wonderful fruit, but I'll still be happy to see it flowering this spring.
Elderberry: Our self-seeded elderberry plant that grew all on its own in our garden has burst its buds as well. Elderberry shrubs grow wild all around Dunedin and Mosgiel, it's technically a weed, but I love popping out in the garden to collect elderflowers in late spring, and then elderberries in autumn. I love getting free food.
Plum: The plum street growing out on the street outside our home is now flowering, and its petals are like pink snow blowing all around. I love spring blossom.
Do you have signs of spring in your garden yet? I'm loving the longer, sunnier days...and I can't wait for summer to get here.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
Want to discuss my post? Feel free to chat with me on Instagram or Mastodon.
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