Hosta time

Diana Remembered

   Spring is almost over and several dozens of dahlias in pots are still waiting for their turn to be planted in the ground. When do I find time to do that?! Therefore my Hosta beds do not ask for much time except for time to enjoy happily growing young plants. All of them were planted last summer so they are just babies in terms of Hosta lifespan. This plant can easily grow for 20+ years on the same spot without asking for much care. Hosta was named a perennial of 2011 by Swedish Perennagruppen and is very popular garden plant considering the number of varieties already existing and constantly being added to the registration lists of various Hosta societies. In my garden I have about 50 Hosta varieties of different sizes and color combinations. Here are some that I like the most right now:

Earth Angel

June

Lakeside Fruit Loops

Paradigm

Red Stepper

Rhino Hide

Hanky Panky

Meeting with Svenska Dahliasällskapet members

   Yesterday there was a perfect day to meet members of Svenska Dahliasällskapet at my place. I enjoyed very much to talk about dahlias and not only dahlias and to have some coffee on our terrace in a nice company. Kerstin and Irene took some pictures and kindly let me to use them for this post.

   Marie Ohlson shared her views on important characteristics that good dahlia variety should have.

   The day was pretty warm and sunny so that most everyone tried to stay in the shadow.

   I hope we'll meet again and see more gardens of each other.



   Вчера у меня в гостях собрались георгиноводы-участники Шведского клуба любителей георгин. Мы очень славно посидели, поговорили о георгинах и не только. Несколько моих черенков нашли новых хозяев. Было приятно поближе пообщаться с Мари Ульсон и обсудить с ней достоинства и недостатки тех или иных сортов. Попрощавшись с гостями мне сразу захотелось встретиться с ними вновь. Надеюсь, что мы еще увидим сады друг друга в цветении.

Surprise dahlia package

   Few weeks ago there was a discussion on German dahlia forum about a tuber swap. And Walter, one of the long-time forum members, offered me some varieties from his dahlia collection for a swap. So couple of weeks ago I received a surprise package with dahlia tubers and cuttings from Germany. Unfortunately, some of the cuttings could not survive 8 days of travel with post. But some are doing fine as well as tubers. I'm very grateful to Walter for this nice surprise. Here are some of the great varieties that I got from Walter.

Wyn's Radiant Star A IC DkBl Pr/W 2008

Picture borrowed from FGL Dahlias

Wyn's Pinking of You A SC Dk Pink 2010

Picture borrowed from Wynne's Dahlias

HaPet 2008/121

Picture borrowed from Peter Haslhofer's homepage

Black Jack

Picture borrowed from Peter Haslhofer's homepage

Dagla 80

Picture borrowed from Peter Haslhofer's homepage


   В прошлом месяце на немецком георгиновом форуме обсуждали обмен клубнями, и мне крупно повезло. Вальтер, один из постоянных посетителей форума предложил мне для обмена несколько сортов из своей коллекции. Так я получила из Германии посылку с несколькими сортами американской и австрийской селекции, за что я очень благодарна Вальтеру. Несколько черенков не выдержали тягот восьмидневного путешествия по почте, но парочка выжила и клубни тоже.

New arrivals to my dahlia collection

   During last 2 weeks all of my dahlia tuber orders for this season finally arrived. So I can make an overview of my new arrivals and collect some pictures here.
   In the catalog of one Latvian dahlia farm I found a variety with name Olga and I couldn't resist to order it together with some laciniated varieties. I received perfect quality tubers that I could split even more to get 2-3 separate plants from each.

Olga

Picture borrowed from the catalog of Aivars Baroniņš
Northlake pride

Picture borrowed from Dave's Garden forum
Vista Lindsey

Picture borrowed from ADS Dahlia Handbook

   From Accent Dahlias I received tubers of US bred varieties hard to find in Europe. I'm very excited about those and looking forward to see how well they will perform in my garden. Tubers are although small but of excellent quality, all are sprouting already.

AC Ben	AC Cougar	AC Dark Horse

Skipley Swingtime

Trelyn Rhianon

Pictures borrowed from Accent Dahlias Photo Gallery
Kenora Fantastic

Picture borrowed from Dick Ambrose PBase Gallery
Vista Cody

Picture borrowed from Flamanville Dahlia Garden

   One more French order arrived 2 days ago from Conservatoire de la Société Française du Dahlia á Flamanville. Here I have ordered some French bred varieties together with 2 American varieties. Tubers are not in a best condition, some were rotten and others are pretty dry, but I hope they will survive anyway.

Alauna Aurora

Anthéa

Coriallo Boréalis

Hollyhill Voodoo

Juul

Mingus Laura

Pictures borrowed from the catalog of Conservatoire de la Société Française du Dahlia á Flamanville

Snow in May

   The winter tried to come back to our garden on May 3rd. It was snowing and cold. Luckily temperatures were not going below zero and all emerging perennials and flowering bulbs survived fine.

   As for my dahlia plants I had to wrap the greenhouse with them with several layers of fiber cloth to protect from cold.

   Зима попробовала вернуться в наш сад 3-го мая. Пошел снег и резко похолодало. К счастью, не было заморозков и все начавшие вылезать из-под земли многолетники и цветущие луковичные не пострадали. А георгины я укутывала в несколько слоев лутрасила в их тепличке.