My dahlias have given an impressive display
Autumn appeared like a lightning bolt and literally flooded the garden with a month’s rainfall in a week. The last radiant blooms, hanging on for dear life, were subjected to some seriously challenging weather. Petals sagged under the weight of water and many plants simply gave up the fight and called it a day.
Dahlias were on top form this year. I grew ‘Bishop's Children’ from seed, which produced a kaleidoscope of sumptuous colours, from burnt orange to magenta to crimson, and never failed to impress. The hilariously named but thoroughly gorgeous ‘Mingus Toni’ repeatedly flowered with numerous radiant red heads, alongside ‘Arabian Night’ and the pink hues of ‘Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Onesta’ dotted around prolific lavatera ‘Pink Blush’ and the frothy foliage of cosmos ‘Double Click Rose Bonbon’.
It’s always nice to swap varieties and try something new, particularly if you have a glut and someone else is without. So I grew ‘Bishop’s Children’ from seed for a friend while she gave me her huge ‘White Perfection’ dinner plate dahlia tubers to nurture through winter. They’ve been a tremendous asset to my garden. The only downside is they need some hefty tying up as their giant heads are unable to support their own weight.
The big question at this time of year is to lift or not to lift tubers? I’ve done both over the years. Personally, my preferred method is to leave tubers in the border and cover them with a thick mulch, a bit like wrapping them up in a cosy blanket. On the whole mine pop up and bloom the following summer without the labour intensive lift and store, but I also hedge my bets and buy a new tuber or two each year.
My greenhouse has been packed
with chillies. I grew organic ‘Jalapeno’, ‘Cayennetta’, ‘Numex
Twilight’, ‘Hungarian Hot Wax’, ‘Purple Serrano’, ‘Cherry Bomb’ and ‘Orange Wonder’. Check out the Scoville scale to discover the heat strength before you make your selection.
Yet again the greenhouse has produced an abundant crop – far too many for everyday cooking – so this year I’m going to make chilli jam. I certainly don’t want any to go to waste.