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Post by Moonlight on Nov 11, 2013 21:04:46 GMT
I ordered Multi headed daffs
and Pink Pride
The bulbs look ok through the packet but I haven't opened them to take a proper look and I won't know if they grow or not until Spring. Anyway I am not stressing about it.
Just thought, have camera - I can take a photo of my planting plan.
There something to smile about. 
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Post by Moonlight on Nov 12, 2013 20:48:18 GMT
Feeling quite chirpy tonight.
I managed to have a chat with my Mum and Dad after I got home from work. We talked about the order I am trying to place with dahlias from the US (bit frustrating because I have everything in the shopping basket when I try and get it to recalculate the carriage / shipping and then update it does not register.) he has got a very long wish list for dahlias from New Zealand and Australia. I showed him the Clearview Audrey - it is a BB which is a small but most of the Clearview dahlias we have had are actually a size larger. Audrey is my Dad's Mum's (My Nana's) name and it looks good in the photo so that will be on the shopping list.
The other thing about the Clearview dahlias is that they are very good at taking photos of their dahlias. Some companies have shots which really don't do their varieties justice. Clearview photos are the opposite problem, their photos are really good but they have yet to live up to the beauty of their photos. Fingers crossed for next year. |
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Post by Moonlight on Nov 12, 2013 20:49:15 GMT
Feeling quite chirpy tonight.
I managed to have a chat with my Mum and Dad after I got home from work. We talked about the order I am trying to place with dahlias from the US (bit frustrating because I have everything in the shopping basket when I try and get it to recalculate the carriage / shipping and then update it does not register.) he has got a very long wish list for dahlias from New Zealand and Australia. I showed him the Clearview Audrey - it is a BB which is a small but most of the Clearview dahlias we have had are actually a size larger. Audrey is my Dad's Mum's (My Nana's) name and it looks good in the photo so that will be on the shopping list.
The other thing about the Clearview dahlias is that they are very good at taking photos of their dahlias. Some companies have shots which really don't do their varieties justice. Clearview photos are the opposite problem, their photos are really good but they have yet to live up to the beauty of their photos. Fingers crossed for next year.
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Post by Geranium on Nov 13, 2013 5:45:19 GMT
Will they have to have 'plant passports', Moonlight? My friend buys Hemerocallis from the USA and has all sorts of problems with the health checks they make. One batch was half dead before they got to her.  |
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Post by Moonlight on Nov 13, 2013 18:36:15 GMT
Will they have to have 'plant passports', Moonlight? My friend buys Hemerocallis from the USA and has all sorts of problems with the health checks they make. One batch was half dead before they got to her.
This years tubers from the US were in better condition than ones that arrived for the UK. Sad but true. |
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Post by Moonlight on Nov 14, 2013 10:09:40 GMT
  Really Fed Up and Stressed Out.
It is over 2 weeks ago that we had our English big storm and I am still having problems.
The company that I rang and chopped down the tree slumped on the fence next to the Next Door's Swimming Pool came the same day I rang. They chopped it down the same day.
They were back the following day and chopped our tree in the front garden. My Dad was there he has storm damaged trees and he asked them to come to their house to quote. Dad didn't give their house number because they are having problems with it and is a nightmare to get hold of because she has 3 or 4 mobiles and it is a random lottery as to which one I get through to her on.
So I offered to help by giving them my contact details.
They said that they were really busy and wouldn't be able to get back to them till following week.
Well the week came and went. So I rang them and left a message on their home / landline number.
They didn't ring back.
So I rang the mobile number. Eventually I got through. Explained the situation. They were supposed to go on yesterday. They didn't turn up.
I've rang them 4 or 5 maybe more - haven't been counting - mobile answer message. So I haven't left a message.
I feel so upset and stressed about it because if I hadn't of said that they were really good then my parents would not have wanted them to come and do the quote.
Mum and Dad said that they don't know why I am getting stressed out about it because it is their problem but it is my Mum and Dad and I feel responsible. I don't want them to get hurt or a tree smash into their next door neighbours or another that is resting on a branch of another tree snap and smash into Dad's shed.........
So I've been stuck in home since the storm on hold, waiting for a phone call from the tree people. I wanted to go to my Mum and Dad's partly because I want to see how bad the tree damage is and partly because I want to learn how to dig up a tuber. I want to see my Expert do his, rather than be dependant on him doing it for me and I certainly don't want to much it up by chopping up a tuber by accident.
But I don't care about the dahlias. I just want my Mum and Dad safe. 
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Post by Rosie on Nov 14, 2013 10:17:21 GMT
Thats bad customer service ML. I'm sure there would be other folks who could take care of your folks tree.
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Post by Moonlight on Nov 15, 2013 0:41:29 GMT
Looking forward to tomorrow my Dad is going to come round. Wonder what might come up in conversation. 
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Post by Moonlight on Nov 15, 2013 11:06:36 GMT
Looked at my plans. I grew 30 dahlias this year and next year I can grow 38 but I can grow more if I have any seedlings...... so no plans for the Nationals but the main thing is that I can get any to grow.
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Post by Moonlight on Nov 15, 2013 11:23:25 GMT
Here is the plan:
The 4 poms and my Downham Royals on the right are in the front garden.
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Post by Moonlight on Nov 15, 2013 11:31:28 GMT
This was this years:
Highlighted Dahlias are ones that are going to be grown next year - if the tubers survive.
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Post by Moonlight on Nov 15, 2013 12:31:53 GMT
I've just dug up my 1st ever tuber and I can honestly say I don't like the clicking sound as the smaller roots snap.
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Post by Cherry on Nov 15, 2013 17:23:50 GMT
You are very organized ML. The snapping sound does not matter because the tuber will not need the old roots. It will make fresh new ones.
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Post by Moonlight on Nov 15, 2013 22:51:45 GMT
Worrying about my tubers in my greenhouse. HH thinks there will be a low of around 4 degrees and that there might me a frost tonight. I wish that I had said to Dad take them home with you. 1st night out of the ground and I am worried that the frost will kill them.
1 big stress bucket me.
Why on earth am I doing this?
Dad looked a bit shocked when I told him that I was going to grow 28 dahlias this year but more if I get any seedlings...
I think that he is surprised that I want to have a go.
I am really seriously tempted to put my tubers in my purple wheelbarrow and wheel it back into my house. That would go down quicker than a molten lead balloon.
Which reminds me, I've got to go get a sock out of my coat pocket.
It's got some more Spanish Dancer seeds in it. I had been so good at (trying - not always perfect prob. 86%) stopping picking heads and splitting them to search for seeds but when your Father picks one up, splits it, looks at the seeds inside and passes them to me. Well, it's not my fault guv'nor 'e made me do it.
He shocked me when he looked at all the Happy Halloween seed heads, "Not collected any of them then?" No. "Nice colour tho, you never know they might have mixed with something nice....."
You can see where I get it from. I didn't tell him that I had been sorely tempted to collect a couple of seeds and I feel guilty about the Colorado Classic because Pirate Yellow Wellies likes it, so I wondered about keeping a couple of them.
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Post by sweetpea on Nov 15, 2013 22:55:07 GMT
Next year instead of digging up dahlia tubers ML put a few cuttings back for pot tubers. They take up less space, are easier to overwinter and are in my opinion better than stored field tubers.
A 5" pot laid on its side and covered with some fleece or similar will overwinter quite well in an unheated g'house.
I usually lay mine in the tomato trench when the tomatoes have gone.
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