Spring is coming. Discovered on the south slope today.
11 Likes
Does anyone have Dahlias? I know myself well enough that I wouldn’t actually pull up the tubers every fall, but I love them so much. My boss told me that she has some and just doesn’t pull them and they keep coming back. I’m in zone 6 and what I’ve read is that they tend to be perennial starting in zone 8. I can of course just try some but would rather not waste money if not necessary. Maybe if i plant them against the house where it’s a bit warmer?
1 Like
Can you ask on a local gardening group for some?
I had mine in a planter. I didn’t store them properly and only had 2 good tubers left to plant the following year in annother planter. Then a squirel dug them up and ate them. The end (of my dahlia experience).
3 Likes
Ha. My squirrels are jerks too.
I know nothing about dahlias or cold weather but I know they do sell potted dahlias here and could bringing pots inside be easier than digging them up?
1 Like
I might try that, thanks!
I need to stop buying flower seeds. I have so many now and not a huge space to plant annuals. I didn’t have enough variety last year so I ~might~ have gone a bit overboard. But it’s all so beautiful that I want everything! 
3 Likes
relatable!! i live in the city. i rent so i cant really dig up the whole yard to garden. so why do i have 10 varieties of sweet peas and 10 more of snapdragons and 10 more of zinnias? the flower beds encroach onto the lawn a bit more each year…
2 Likes
I’m glad I’m not the only one! By the way, it’s really all your fault I’m even doing this. I saw the pictures you posted the first year and HAD TO HAVE THEM.
I’ve got seeds for 10 different perennials but they go in different areas so I’m not really counting them. I’ve always had a lot of perennials. But I think I have 45 packets of annual seeds now. Today I ordered a couple of foliage type things plus of course I threw a flower packet into the order as well… I already made my annual bed larger last fall, I really don’t want it even bigger.
2 Likes
haha sorry not sorry!!! flowers are always worth it. i hope you are able to grow every last one of them this year! it was so fun seeing your beautiful bouquets last year 
3 Likes
i started a bunch of hardy annuals today 
it made me really happy to get some stuff going! i planted 15 snapdragons, 32 sweet peas, some yarrow, some rudbeckia, and some feverfew.
plus my winter sowing experiments seem to be working – i have a bunch of teensy babies under my bins i took the photo below the day i planted them so i could remember which seeds were under each bin.
it’s almost FLOWER TIME, people!!!
8 Likes
i may have just scrolled through this whole thread and bought more seeds 
5 Likes
I just laughed out loud.
How large is your garden? Can you make it larger since you rent?
3 Likes
i added one new bed on the edge of the lawn… i may add another out front
3 Likes
i just checked the grow tent and my babies are coming up!! one of the five sweet pea varieties + yarrow + rudbeckia + feverfew! the sweet peas are now outside in my little plastic greenhouse so they can get bigger in the cool weather they like, and the other babies will stay in the grow tent for a few more weeks until they get big enough and it gets warm enough to move them outdoors.
aaahhhh i’m so excited!!
7 Likes
yes! i pinch snaps, cosmos, zinnias, and dahlias. i’m gonna pinch my sweet peas, too.
But… it’s scary! I should do it this year. There’s just so much to learn!
you could experiment and pinch half and leave half alone and see what you like. the unpinched ones will flower sooner, so it’s almost like doing succession planting without actually planting several times.
3 Likes
That’s a good idea, thanks! I would love staggered blooms.
1 Like