Things Are Heating Up!

Lots of rain and now the heat and the surprise of how fast all of these lush gardens will dry out.  They have put forth an unusual amount of soft growth and will certainly balk at the above 90 degree temperatures.  Even though we have rain, extra watering will be required especially for the plantings we put in containers.

Think about the growth on top of these containers, instead of letting the rain through, the plants act as an umbrella and many times keep the soil dry (check them out).  As I walk around the garden, I am very aware that it is bug, slug, mildew, insect and very soon Japanese Beetle time.  Deadhead what is done blooming and you will be rewarded with many plants another flush of bloom, probably not quite as impressive.  Daylilies are just beginning and it does not affect reblooming to pick off the mushies, but it certainly makes the plant look much neater.  I cut my daylilies to the ground when done and they put forth new fresh leaves, again much neater looking.  I am also experimenting with Plumbago growing beneath the daylilies to take over for the late summer.

In my area, when Becky Shasta Daisy is done it is done, very little reblooming.  So, I also cut this to the ground and it makes a new beautiful green mat of fresh growth.  No flowers, but it looks neat and I am also trying Plumbago under shastas.

Dahlias

I can't believe I am writing about Dahlias!  Many years ago I grew Dahlias and they did very well in my summer garden.  I had ordered them through a catalog and planted them directly in the ground when it became warmer outside, sometime in May, as I remember.

They were of the smaller variety, about 15" high and had  the vibrant colors of red and yellow.  I did not grow them again because I thought they were a bit stiff looking and not at all natural in my garden.  Also, they were expensive, and I did not dig them up in the fall.  In zone 5 they are not perennials.

For some reason, I found myself thinking of Dahlias again this year when envisioning containers for myself and my daughter-in-law.  We both needed something taller with a bright pink mostly for a Cezanne color scheme in our containers.

I chose a medium sized Dahlia called Mystic Beauty (Biltmore Estates Collection), growing from 28" - 36" tall, requiring full sun.  Some Dahlia flowers are 12" in diameter and can grow to eight feet in height.  I have started Mystic Beauty indoors so they have a jump start because of their later bloom time, August through frost.  I am hoping I can at least bring on an early July bloom time.

I am choosing Dahlias this year mainly for height and color, so we will see if this works out.