It's August and the Dahlia Show is Beginning

Most years I plant dahlias. It started on a whim years ago, a chance encounter with tubers on sale at the local big box hardware store, but it's grown into much more. I order them months before planting time. I cage them in to protect them. I diligently monitor them and at the end of the summer, I dig them up and attempt to save them over the winter, so that I can repeat the whole thing the next summer. 

But at some point of every summer (usually in late July) I begin to question why I do this, because most dahlias take a long time to reach the bloom stage. After planting I fret until they emerge from the soil. Then for weeks I fret some more. Should I pinch them back so that they'll produce more buds? What's chewing on the leaves? Am I watering enough? Am I watering too much? Is that a slug on one of the leaves? Should I fertilize? Am I overfertilizing? Why is the plant so very tall and yet there are no blooms?

Because that's the thing about dahlias. They're really not difficult to grow, but they require patience. Lots of patience, because some of them bloom quite late.

And then...

Patches

They begin to bloom. One at a time, the flowers demonstrate the magic and beauty that is a dahlia.

Ova Joy

And I realize...oh yes, that's why I grow dahlias. Despite the long wait, they're like butterflies slowly emerging. Just beautiful.

I hope you have many flowers in your lives to brighten your days.  (If I remember, I'll update this post with photos as more flowers appear).

Best Wishes,

Myrna