SHARING THE BEAUTY OF THE DAHLIA

Dahlias are a large colorful flower and they look stunning in any setting. As our summer slowly starts to fade away. The Dahlias bloom right up until the first frost. Enjoy their beauty and share it with your friends year after year.

The Dahlia is the national flower of Mexico and a native to Mexico, Central America and Colombia. Dahlias are now enjoyed most anywhere as gardeners become drawn to their beauty. The cooler climates of the northern United States, has become a summer home to elegance displayed by this flowering plant.

Dahlias give a special beauty to any garden or landscape. June is the time of year when people are busy planting gardens. Perhaps when planting your vegetable garden, you may want to consider planting a row of Dahlias around its outside edges to not only bring beauty, but to discourage deer or other wildlife from feasting on your plants. The colored variety has an unpleasant taste and they tend to avoid them. It has been said for some unknown reason they will nibble on the white ones.

The Dahlia comes in many vivid colors and varieties. Most average a height of two or three feet, but the tall leafy stems have been known to grow over six feet high. They love plenty of sunshine and water. Avoid planting after much rainfall though, because your bulbs (tubers) could rot in the ground before they have a chance to grow. Although Dahlias like a sandy well drained soil which is slightly acidity they grow most anywhere a tomato plant will thrive. As Dahlias should be staked to prevent them from tipping over, a tomato cage serves them well, but they are just as lovely left to spread out as they please if you prefer not to stake them.

Dahlias are an annual plant that will bloom in mid July until a heavy frost hits at summers end. For an earlier bloom some people prefer to start their plants indoors in containers or pots. Given a big enough pot, they can be left in the container to be placed around your porch or patio for a decorative display. The Dahlia is a relative of the chrysanthemum and zinnia with a similar bloom which size varies from plant to plant.

To avoid a trip to your local garden center each year to buy Dahlia bulbs, you can dig them up after the first heavy frost and dry them through the winter months for the next years planting. You will be pleased to see you will have at least twice as many as you planted in the beginning. This is a good opportunity to share your treasured beauties with your friends. A good warm dry place in a fruit basket, onion sack or other well ventilated container will keep them well. Avoid storing them in plastic bags to prevent molding. Once well dried a paper bag or cardboard box works well for storage. You could even separate your Dahlia bulbs into small lunch size paper bags for sharing with others. Once they enjoy their Dahlia gardens they may share bulbs as well and it all begin with you. It’s sort of a friendship flower to be enjoyed by many for year after year. This is an annual plant which can have the same benefits as a perennial with a little help from its host.