Annie's Gardening Corner

Friday, October 16, 2015

Digging the Dahlias

The last of the Dahlias as we fall into cooler temperatures


Though Dahlia prowess still reigns in the garden

Did you plant Dahlias this season? Maybe you're still enjoying their flowers in the fall garden. As you can see above, our Dahlias keep sharing their magic even with some cooler evenings. But this beautiful flower does harbor a secret, at least if you live in a cold climate like New England. You must dig them up if you want them to flower next spring. So let's get started with the rundown; a few quick Dahlia tips.

Dig when the tops of your Dahlias go down. Cut off their tops but do not compost the stalks. Dispose of what you won't be storing and place in your trash so as not to harbor any diseases in the garden next year. (A common tip but it's always worth repeating.) Onto to the drying process. Once you dry properly, shake off any excess soil . Okay, now what? Time to pack for winter vacation. Carefully place and pack the dried tubers in peat moss. The perfect luggage for Dahlias - small wooden crates (approx. 6" X 12") work awesome for storage bins. The next question on your list - where to keep them until spring? Store in a cool, dark part of your basement or an area of your garage that does not get too cold. Seems pretty easy, right and not too much work? Hold on, there's another tiny plug or plus come the following spring. You can determine a brand new area to plant your Dahlias. You're given this grace period, winter, for fine-tuning, adjustments and planning so consider a part of your spring transplanting, at least a part of it, done months ahead. And if you planted them in a not so perfect place this year, it's redesign time or as we like to call it, 'plant chess.' It's one of the best parts about spring plantings.

Remember, if you leave the Dahlias you planted this year behind, under the soil to overwinter, you won’t be digging the beauty of your Dahlias next year. Keep your Dahlias going for longer than an annual can give you. Dig when the tops go down so you can truly dig their beauty in the coming years. If you didn’t plant Dahlias this season, make sure it’s on your list of what to plant next spring. And don't forget the fall rules for keeping them blooming year after year.

If you like this blog, check in for your daily share's worth of garden inspiration, landscape architecture and design tips; always original, not cookie cutter and copied. Just like our design work, we strive for unique! We invite you to contact Bilowz Associates, Inc., or to browse our portfolios. Like our Facebook follow on Twitter or subscribe to the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. You can follow with visuals on Pinterest and find us on LinkedIn and Houzz, too. And you can also find us back on our Google+ Business Page. (Landscape architects/Landscape Design/serving Massachusetts and New England.)

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Harvest Season


Harvest Season

What we love about fall...harvest season!

All of the above colorful abundance and then some was produced in our own small victory garden because life isn't a victory if you aren't having fun doing what you love. Besides our own passion to create and design unique and beautiful landscapes, we're passionate about so much else. Food is a big one and harvest season can be such a buzz, especially when you grow it yourself. With the upcoming long weekend, make sure you get out and partake in the harvest season that makes fall so special. It's a fast track to cooler weather and shorter days so before the harvest season buzzer goes off, make sure you enjoy this beautiful fall! And don't forget that autumn is also the perfect time to think design indoors and out!

Friday, September 18, 2015

Staying in Love with Your Landscape

How goes the final days of summer? Are you still loving it, your landscape that is or are there moments of apprehension or worse, a feeling of dread rather than enjoyment? We all set off on an ambitious path when we undertake our outdoors spaces. So what keeps your love going and growing in your own landscape?

This Delphinium's second bloom comes just in time to meld nicely with the late season grapes. Sometimes things just happen in a garden. Call it synchronicity or timing - it's the simple surprises you can find in a 'loved and cared for' landscape.

Texture and color in the landscape go hand in hand. Don't settle for ho-hum. Keep it vibrant.

Leave spaces for seasonal changes like this big pot of Mums. Its range of color blends make it a happening space.

Here's an interesting tidbit from a recent Ted Talk on staying in love - 'to stay in love is a choice'. Sounds pretty simple but we all know it's work. Yes, even when it applies to our landscape. We often forget there's a bit of give and take. And often, when it becomes more 'give' in keeping the vibrancy of a landscape going, we call it quits. This alive, growing work of art cannot be ignored or given up on if you expect it to remain.

If your choice is to keep that landscape vibrant, colorful and interesting must be part of the daily routine. Don't settle for ho-hum. Rather than just falling into autumn, make a choice to keep your landscape colorful and interesting. After diving big, even when the seasons change, this alive and growing work of art takes on a whole new meaning when you make a daily choice. Share what you're loving or not loving about your landscape. And for those mourning the loss of summer, enjoy these last few days before we fall into autumn - my favorite season. And if you're looking for the fairy tale, there's always my favorite pumpkin - Cinderella.

Cinderella it is. In case you missed this month's earlier post, here it is again.