October 2014: A Mild Autumn Favours The Dahlias And Other Flowers

Nearly November and temperatures up to 19o C yesterday.  This has enabled the dahila blooms to flourish in the sunshine.

Cactus dahlias with new Bishop of Llandaff dahlia, gift from the newly weds

I think this is the best display I’ve had since planting the dahlias in that spot, although I did lift them during last winter.  This may have been due to the extra compost I fed them in August coupled with the warm and mostly dry weather conditions.

Behind these is a smaller and less blousey dahlia, nestling in amongst the wisteria.

Then whilst photographing these I spotted the pink climbing rose against the shed wall, offering a last chance cluster of well formed blooms.

September 2014 – wedding flowers

This year I was asked to grow flowers for son number three’s wedding.  Bit of a big ask for me as things don’t always go to plan in the jungle.

I started with sweetpeas.  They germinated okay but somehow failed to thrive, despite me watering them in dry periods.  Only a few blooms appeared.  I sowed cosmos in the greenhouse and the slugs rushed in. Luckily I managed to save a few and they did grow well, in the centre of our petangon bed.

Grew tall due to leaf mold in underlying soil

That worked well in the church flower arrangments – shame that I can’t flower arrange though.

One Dahlia (cactus) decided to flower and this was used in the pedestal arrangement

Only flowering dahlia made it to the pedestal arrangemet in the church

Spot the cosmos too!

Of course, now that the wedding has been and gone, the dahlias are flowering much better..  Maybe because I fed them some chicken manure rich compost, the flowers are much bigger this year.  I found this one drooping due to its sheer weight

Large dahlia bloom bowed down by its own weight

Growing your own seed

Last year a huge parsnip decided to seed in abundance.  I collected the seed and sowed a tray full in the spring.  Germination rates were high and they transplated okay into the garden. The size of the tubers is quite good.  I don’t really want huge ones.

Then I tried lettuce self seed, by allowing the lettuce to flower and seed, rather than give it to the hens.

It seeded alright, but I can’t see any evidence of Autumn lettuce.  Maybe the slugs got there first..