Alluring Flamboyant Dahlias
By Ken Lain, The Garden Guy

My wife, Lisa, and I like to vacation where we can discover and enjoy what different people, cultures, and resorts have to offer. Back at home we try to recreate elements of favorite vacation spots in our backyard for our year-round enjoyment and relaxation. Birds singing, the sound of water running in the distance, and the relaxed feeling that comes over me as I sip coffee off my private suite, I mean home, are very real pleasures in our homegrown paradise.
We have been busily making ready for our Mother’s Day party; it’s a good time with family coming in from all over the state to join the celebration. It’s rewarding to see family and friends inspired by the beauty we’ve created and experience that same relaxed feeling we enjoy when they’re in our backyard.

Everything in our garden paradise is automated, low water, and low maintenance. However, at least once a week there is a task I must perform and it’s not too tough to take. I have my coffee in the early morning as I inspect all the flowers, nip off their spent blossoms, and take in the rich flavors the morning air offers. Deadheading is essential to any garden’s appearance, and somebody’s gotta do it!
Over the years I have settled on several favorite flowers because of their consistent color, ease of care, lack of pest issues, and/or minimal problems with vermin. Without a doubt my favorite flowers are dahlias. I enjoy them so much I insist that my lead grower dedicate an entire greenhouse to grow nothing but my favorite varieties and colors. Some call it an obsession; I call it my passion. We now grow so many varieties that every spring we hold the “Dazzling Dahlia Festival” and the grower feels the pressure to make sure the crop is in full color by this time each year. The crop is in and I have to say, “Well done Shaun and crew! It’s another crop of breathtakingly beautiful dahlias!”

Dahlias are as valued in today’s gardens as they were when prized and hybridized by ancient Aztec gardeners. I feel it's one of my purposes in life to be a dahlia champion. That’s why I say that every good garden should have at least one dahlia. If you choose the right varieties, there are few better garden plants. Not only do dahlias create stunning, almost flamboyant flowers, but they also give you some of the best value and color, with the least maintenance demands. There is no better plant to keep borders and containers beautiful from now through autumn.

These deeply rooted flowers have robust tubers that hold moisture and nutrients to form ever- blooming flowers. They are the only flowers still showing deep Venetian tones that every late summer and autumn garden needs. Brilliant pinks and magentas give an invaluable splash of color, and the reds verging on scarlet shockingly cut through the richness of any other blooms. I especially enjoy the acid yellows that look so good with shades of purple, deep orange, and magenta-purple. There's enough going on in a dahlia to impress even the non-gardeners in your life.

One of the main reasons I like this flower so much has to do with rodents and other garden marauders. I’ve grown this flower in every home we have owned from Prescott Valley to Skull Valley and I find that javalina, rabbits, and deer do not like the taste of these little blossom factories!

The only negative thing I have to say about my beloveds is about the size of some of the blossoms. The taller specimens produce flowers the size of dinner plates and must be staked to keep them upright in our mountain winds. I like to support these giant blossoms with tomato cages painted contrasting shades of red, purple, and green. They add some artistic fun to the landscape that we, and our guests, find irresistible.

A lot of color is had for the dollar because dahlias are sold as annuals, meaning that they bloom like crazy for a year and then die, but this quirky plant actually believe it’s a perennial. In fall I put a 3-4 inch layer of shredded cedar bark over each flowering tuber; this extra insulation encourages their return the following spring. Through the coldest winter months I water them a couple of times to ensure that the roots remain supple and moist. With this modest amount of attention each flowering investment continues to bloom for many years.

The very first dahlia crop is in and it’s brighter and bolder than ever. If you try some of these veritable eye candy plants I’ll bet that you too will become hooked on the stunning effects of dahlias in your garden.

Note: This column covers all things pertaining to mountain landscaping and gardening. It will take more than two years to cover all the topics I have planned from my ever-growing list of subjects, and I’ve found it difficult to touch upon so many topics within the confines of these few lines. The frustration of never enough space for in-depth coverage is the reason for my radio show, “The Mountain Gardener”. Consequently, when you shoot me an e-mail with your garden topic ideas and they can’t be covered adequately within this column, I address then within the more generous boundaries of the airwaves. Listen in to any of the four frequencies broadcast all over Northern Arizona at KQNA 1130AM and 99.9FM any Saturday from 11a.m. to noon. Sundays the same garden information airs from 12:30 to 1p.m. on two public stations at KJAZ 90.1FM and KJZA 89.5FM.

Until next week, I’ll see you in the garden center.

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