September

Magical dahlias anyone? They come in so many shapes and colors, they are irresistible! I initially grew two varieties of water lily type dahlias successfully (i.e. not eaten by deer, learned to stake them and give them enough light), so I expanded a garden bed to accommodate many more varieties. So many more varieties have been added. Because, yes, I LOVE flowers and would grow all of them if I could (and you do need to dig up all the tubers and store them for the winter here in zone 7a, as well as stake them and fertilize and water frequently, and ideally give then an indoor head start in a pot—so not low maintenance). Dahlias, zinnias, black-eyed susan, cosmos, celosia, roses, ageratum, aster, calamint, and nicotinia are all in bloom as is the magical yellow fireworks sprays of Solidago. And I just added many varieties of roses which bloom throughout the summer into fall and will be more prolific with time. The purple and yellow themed boutonnieres, bridesmaid bouquets, and table arrangements were for a micro family wedding in September, and 90% from my garden.