Dahlia delight

Five years ago (who can believe it?!) I bought an adorable old farmhouse with a white picket fence.  I bought it in August when the garden was in full bloom.  It looked easy enough, right?  Just a little wedding here, some watering there.  Oh boy, was I wrong!  As soon as the house was mine, I was convinced I would ruin everything, especially the amazing dahlias out front.




I'm happy to report, they're all alive...















...and growing so well!














The trees in the parking strip are growing vigorously, shading the row of dahlia plants along the fence.  I fertilized them this year and it's been a really wet, cool summer, so they're doing ok, but not blooming as much as the ones in the sun.  I may have to replace a few of them but I can't bring myself to do it.

I just love the way they look in vases around the house.