Glorious Dahlias!

dahlias

The day before the first killing frost in the Spokane area, Bill and I headed up to Manito Park so we could admire the last of the blooming dahlias in the test garden. Boy, am I glad we did because they were absolutely gorgeous!

dahliasUnfortunately, many of them had a number rather than a cultivar name — which could be because some of them didn’t have a name just yet — so I think you’re just going to have to admire their beauty! Sorry about that. But at least these photos will give you an idea of which types of dahlias appeal most to you.

I’ve only grown dahlias from tubers once because, when you live in a zone 5 climate like we do, the tubers have to be dug up, prepared and stored for the winter. It’s not that I’m lazy, it’s just that there’s so much end-of-the-season stuff to take care of, locating and prepping dahlia tubers is not at the top of my list!

Thank heavens for test gardens like these, where we can go and admire the beauty of these amazing flowers without any muss or fuss. I hope you’ll enjoy the photos below. Many of them are adorned with raindrops, courtesy of the main rainstorms we’ve been having lately. So lovely.

dahlias

dahlias

dahlias

dahlias

dahlias

dahlias