All the dahlias are in flower now :O)

Oh, these are lovely! Should be stunners next year!

they are so beautiful, so pleased with the colours, they are stunning, the last one is amazing. They are lasting for ages too, I keep deadheading and watering/feeding so hopefully they will keep producing for a while yet. Will put them to bed in the little greenhouse and cover them over in their pots and hope that they do ok. I have two about to flower that were outside over winter, one in a tub and one in the ground, would not dare risk these beauties they are a bit special. \;o)

They are lovely. Mine are all lined up in their pots on the south facing wall of the house, not a flower on any of them. I picked three last week which have just faded, but no more coming yet. So disappointing, but I think I have used poor pots and poor compost for them. And the awful cold June didn't help..just after I'd put them out of the greenhouse. Was chatting with a delivery man last week and he said his are the same, so it must be partly the weather I think.

Karen I use John Innes No. 3 in all my pots and tubs and these, because they are up by greenhouse, got a feed or two with tomato feed also. They are westerly facing up there and have done really well after the slow start.

I used westland multi purpose...but its too light, and I didnt use large enough pots. I've even thought about potting them on now because we get a good september usually. I think I will...cant do any harm.

well if you pot them on they can stay in the pots in the greenhouse over winter. Think I would use soil based compost if you want to make it lighter add some multi purpose compost to it. You have nothing to lose unless you do something you might lose them and that would be a shame.

Yes, it would. I just need to get the compost.

Lovely Olive...Mine are all in flower too...they are my favs.. as im sure you already know.. lol

yes I did know Moti, indeed I think it was all your lovely pictures that set me off wanting Dahlias. I was actually looking at them when Karen said she had bought me some and was sending them to me, now that was amazing because I had not mentioned it to her. lol. telepathic or what!!

Definitely. And I've read several times, that this side of a woman comes to the fore during menopause, which would account for some of my really spooky dreams lately!

I have spooky dreams a lot of the time Karen, just think it is an overactive brain. I sleep like a log but on odd nights wake up having had a bad nightmare, but after saying that it has happened most of my life. Sleep walking and nightmares what are we like!!! It can take ages to get back to sleep after waking up in a nightmare but I have found that putting the news channel on tv soon bores my brain and makes me nod off again lol.

ps:

Just made raspberry jam, it looks good!

Oooh, yum! Now Mum, I have repotted all of my Dahlias and put them in the greenhouse. If they don't flower now...well, I've done all I can. They were filling the pots and the pots were wet, so insufficient drainage was part of the problem. I put lots more holes in all the pots I used to move them up. Had to make do with a mix of topsoil and good potting compost, but I think that will be perfect actually. All we need now is some sunshine. I took my sweet peas down today as they were on very short stems now and they were shading the greenhouse too much. Also tided up all the toms...chucked the worst of them and cut off all the dead stuff so just a few more to ripen then they can go. Going to put my little Apricot Tree in there to see if I can get any fruit next year, and my Lemon Tree is already in. Almost ready for the autumn now. Will clean it out properly when the toms are finished.

very hot down here, too much heat for gardening, so sat indoors trying to stay cool, which is not being very successful. yuk! Sarah and Kevin have taken Lottie to Blackpool for a few days so we have the old dog here, its his birthday today 13 years old, bless him the heat is too much for him too.

Yes, Labs don't cope that well with heat do they. But here it is not so bad. Willow is coping well. Bouncing all over the place as usual. Can't lie on the hammock as her favourite game when I do is to hit me hard on the head with her head! She's from Glasgow...says it all.

She is one crazy doggie.

Dahlias need large pots to do well, OH has moved one of his on because of it outgrowing it's pot.......

thanks for the tip Dd. will have to buy some bigger pots now in readiness for next year. :O) good excuse to go to garden centre again................

I am sure that you don't need an excuse!!

:O)