Dahlias
From mid-summer on the dahlias in the Moosey garden start flowering. I don't have many named varieties, certainly no ornamental multicolored ones. My favourites are the large plants with simple flowers. They are my dahlia inheritance - all were growing here when I first arrived.
Red Summer Dahlias
There were lots of medium sized scarlet dahlias here in the garden when I first arrived. In those early days I must admit I dug quite a few clumps up and threw them on the rubbish heaps in the Hump (the rise under the original shelter belt trees). They have cheekily flowered in there each summer.
Don't Rubbish Dahlias!
Feeling very guilty for assigning them to the rubbish heap, I've moved some back into proper positions, where they are even happier. With the bigger scale of the gardens here bright red as a colour really works. The red dahlias look particularly good when the lawns are newly mown. I have even spent money on acquiring a Bishop of Llandaff, with stunning dark wine foliage and dark red flowers. I love it.
Floppy White Dahlias
I'm really fond of a large white dahlia whose flowers are almost singles. I have several versions of this plant, one at the back of the Pond-side border, and one in the Island Bed, which I can see from the house. This is a beautiful, big, floppy plant with big, beautiful, floppy flowers. It should be staked - oops.
Over the years, internal hybridising (thank you, bees!) has produced some beautiful dahlias which mix between red, magenta, and yellow. Some are even slightly stripey, others look like the colours of fruit salad. Just gorgeous.
Cerise Dahlia and Yellow Rose
One of the original deep magenta dahlias still grows near the house, under the soft buttery yellow Graham Thomas rose. They are a perfect pair, and their combined colours in February and March (when the rose produces its second flush of blooms) are quite stunning. I wish I could claim I designed this planting!