In the Garden: Dahlias

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been planting a cutting garden. I love having fresh flowers in the house and wanted to have more variety to choose from. The flower bed is small so I have to be discerning about what to plant. However, there was no question that dahlias would be included. Similar to annuals, dahlias bloom continually, but like perennials, you can replant them yearly. Their greatest attribute is the more you cut them, the more the flowers grow. Once cut and in water, dahlias are one of the longest-lasting cut flowers. Follow the jump for more on these summer beauties.

• Dahlias have about 120 day growing season. From mid-summer to the first frost, they bloom beautifully. 
• They are not hard to grow, but don't do well in extremely hot or humid climates. 
•  Dahlias grow more blooms with 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight, and prefer morning sunlight. 
• A trick to making fresh cut dahlis last longer is to make a horizontal cut at the bottom of the stem and then submerge the ends in 3 inches of very hot water (not boiling) for one hour. 
• After their "hot bath," strip off  the leaves towards the bottom so there will be no leaves below the water line of your arrangement.   
• Change the water about every two to three days, and if desired you may add a floral preservative.  

Here is some more information on how to grow dahlias. The White Flower Farm is about an hour away from us in CT. We love stopping by their farm to soak up all their knowledge.