Delightful Dahlias

Dahlias are really having their moment. They seem to have quickly moved from drab to fab and I am very much here for this moment. They are colurful and gorgeous and they produce more flowers the more you cut them- this is just the lashing of generous love that we all deserve in 2022 when budgets are tight and strawberries are expensive. They look most fabulous sitting forlornly in a tiny vase on their own or swaying ravishingly in a field. They are the flower we wanted and the flower we need and they are even on sale at Aldi next Saturday. $7.99 for a small pack of tubers from memory. Get onto it, but please not before I get there.

I have planted tubers in my Melbourne garden already this year. Bulleen Art and Garden (the Holy temple for Melbourne gardeners who do it themselves) tells me that you can plant anytime from September onward. They also have a lovely range of Dahila tubers in stock at the moment and they were the first place that I ever purchased Dahlias’s from. At the time I was simply looking to plant something pretty near my veggie patch that would attract the bees and make me smile but from the first hot, dry Summer moment that they blossomed, I was hooked. Now I am rather serious about them and Summer would not really seem like Summer without their willowy embellishment.

I am not the only person to take them seriously. The Dahlia Society of Victoria was “formed to promote Dahlia culture”. Now I might be wrong but I am pretty sure that Melbourne is known as the culture capital of Australia and Dahlia’s really should receive more credit for the part they play in this . Amsterdam has their tulips, Tokyo has its cherry blossoms, Tuscany has it’s sunflowers and Melbourne has its wattle but if the Dahlia society has its way, also its dahlias. Get thee to Aldi and make it happen my friends.

Plant now and reap the benefits in Summer. Cut the flowers as they bloom and enjoy them in your home.

Here’s hoping mine survive the rabbits and my golden retriever who very naughtily seems to enjoy eating the tubers when he manages to dig them up.

Happy planting.

Dani xx

Simple ways to love your garden in May

Seven simple ways to love your garden in May

with Sam

love your garden in May

It’s May, and we are settling in for the ever so damp and dreary wintery Melbourne weather. Most of us are setting up to hibernate – wood fire roaring, tea brewing safe from the elements of the outdoors. Don’t be fooled, though; while the rest of the world is hiding under the sheets snuggled up warm and desperate to stay in bed until september, your garden is actually hard at work beneath the surface – preparing for spring. What you do in the month of May can impact winter survival and spring readiness. Here are some of my top tips:

how to love your garden in May

 In the culture of ‘eat your street’, these tips are relevant to gardening in May. You may need to adjust accordingly.

To mulch, or not to mulch. That is the question.

The purpose in mulching in Spring and summer is to discourage weeds and keep the moisture in. But what about in winter? It’s still best to mulch, particularly if you live in a frost-prone area. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s best to mulch just a little bit less than in summer in order to let some precious sunlight in. When you think about it, there is a naturally occurring mulch from autumn leaves – so perhaps we are ought to mulch after all! Continue reading