Daily Blessings... November 11th

What's all the BUZZ about?

I've found a new feature to communicate with my readers...

I can now reply to each of you who leave comments... 

and I'm so excited!

I've enjoyed this feature on other blogs for some time

and now with my change of template, 

I can use this, too.

So thankful today for my dear readers who comment...

you are the sweet nectar that keeps me blogging.

Now that's something to buzz about!

Jack Frost is Flirting With Autumn

Autumn and Jack Frost  ♪ ♫                 
 have a good thing goin' on.   ♪
 

She beguiles and bewitches him to come join the frolic 

until he can no longer resist.  

Realizing what a flirt she is, Jack gives the cold shoulder 

and then quickly flees the scene 

leaving behind his enchanting trail of glistening frost.  

Ah-h, but Autumn is relentless and very good at her game 

and so she continues her playful dance 
enticing Jack to visit again and again.

 ♦♦♦

Jack Frost is making his rounds in my gardens.
His frosty fingers have touched some of the most tender plants 
while others still are vibrant and blooming.

 The Dahlias were the first to go.



 I'm already missing the bright oranges... 

and pinks...

and magenta of the summer dahlias.

 

 
But with a little action now, 
my dahlia's will dance in my gardens again next summer.

When Jack Frost blackens the leaves of the dahlia,

it's time to begin the over-wintering process.

• Cut the dahlia plants down, leaving a four to six inch stem stub.

• Carefully dig up the tubers by inserting a gardening fork or spade about a foot from the center of the plant and digging down about eight inches. Repeat  this action all around the plant  to loosen the soil. 

• Gently lift the plant stub to expose the tubers. These are the long bulbous portions of the root. Be careful not to break or crack the tubers long neck. A tuber with a cracked or broken neck may not grow.

• Gently remove the soil from around the tuber. Allow to dry if they are wet.

• Place several tubers in a plastic bag that you have pierced with small holes. Add sawdust  or shredded paper to absorb the moisture. 

• Store the dahlia tubers in a cool (above freezing) dry, dark place.

Just a little work now 
will bring back those lovely dahlia blooms 
next Summer!

Dahlia Fairy Castles in my Garden Kingdom

Gallery Dahlia Art Nouveau

"I fell in love with Dahlias visiting my Great Uncle's garden as a little girl.  He lived a few minutes from my home, but too far to walk, so mother would often take me there for visits.  Uncle Cliff was a tiny little man, 4'10", but he had a rather large heart for all things gardening.  He and his sweetheart, Elfie, were not blessed with children of their own, but there were many who adored them and loved to visit their beautiful gardens.  
 
Dahlias galore resided in my Uncle Cliff's gardens and he knew the names of each one of them.  The short varieties stood as sentinels at the edge of his flower beds.  Evenly spaced, they appeared to be the guardians of the garden.  My imagination gave reason to believe these perfect, colorful blossoms were actually parasol's for the tiny creatures who most surely lived in this garden kingdom. If one were extremely patient and had a quick eye, you might see them as they frolicked about.  Patience, unfortunately did not describe me at such a young age, however it never detered me from believing none the less.

The tall, stately dahlias planted  in the heart of the garden were the fairy castles of the kingdom, beckoning my fertile mind to dream of the princes and princesses who surely must reside there. Though I never actually saw them, if I closed my eyes and was very, very still, I could on occasion hear them whispering."

What sweet memories filled my mind 

as I planted Dahlia's in my very own garden this morning!

Dahlia's are perennials native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. In my garden, they are annuals, however the tubers can be dug up and stored over winter. The Aztecs gathered and cultivated the dahlia for food, ceremony, as well as decorative purposes, and the long woody stem of one variety was used for small pipes. 

I have chosen the Gallery Dahlia Art Nouveau to brighten my perennial garden this year.  It has beautiful red violet colored blossoms 4" across with deep green leaves.  It will grow 14-18" tall and produce an abundance of flowers throughout the summer months. Pinching the dead blossoms will encourage them to keep blooming. Dahlia's enjoy full sun with light afternoon shade in hot areas. I have planted three plants and I'm quite certain they will become a favorite in my garden this year.