Roses, Dahlias and Sunflowers in a September garden

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Hi there! Welcome to my blog. I’m happy to say that the weather has been favorable! We welcome September in with high hopes of a beautiful autumn. The flowers in the garden might be what I’d describe as summer flowers, but they continue to look beautiful as we start the fall season. Of course, weeding takes place all year round and has been keeping me busy! It is one job that I never seem to get completely finished. 🙃

I made another flower arrangement this week (of course!). This time I added coral and pink roses to the dahlias. I was quite happy with it.

I’m adding in a non-gardening photo this week, too. I’m away in Waterford with our local cycling club (Cuchulainn Cycling Club) and I had such a brilliant ride yesterday that I had to share. It was along the Copper Coast and it was quite challenging for me. But boy was the hard work worth it for those views! Ireland is truly a beautiful country.

I’m joining Garden Ruminations for our Six on Saturday meme. It’s fun to see what’s growing around the world!

Enjoy the tour.

In Peace,
Dana

collection of sunflowers (Claret being the biggest)

1 – Collection of sunflowers. They are still looking good! It’s definitely worth planting different varieties, and lots of them, to keep the supply going. While I love the traditional yellow and brown, the dark colors of the Claret are a nice contrast.

collection of David Austin roses: from top right: Boscobel, Emily Bronte and Eustacia Vye

2 – Collection of David Austin roses: from top right: Boscobel, Emily Bronte and Eustacia Vye. I had to wait a while for this second flush of roses, but it’s now lovely to see roses again. The blackspot does not seem to be quite as bad as it usually is at this stage, which is great to see.

View of the cutting garden with dahlias, gladiolus, and sunflowers

3 – The cutting garden. This has dahlias, gladioli, and sunflowers. I love having the flowers all together here. It’s a fun collection of shapes, textures and colors and it makes me smile every time I see it. 🙂

A pink and coral flower arrangement with dahlias, roses, gladiolus and verbena.

4 & 5 – A coral and pink arrangement. I challenged myself to use the Boscobel and Olivia Rose Austin roses with the dahlias. The dahlias include: Totally Tangerine, Fancy Pants, Great Silence, Daisy Duke and Jowey Frambo. Gladiolus: Pink Parrot. Verbena Bonariansis. I used chickenwire to help the flowers stay in place. It’s a bit awkward, but much better than having nothing (and floral foam isn’t good for the environment). I was happy how the colors worked together! I think the Fancy Pants dahlias are my favorite for their unique shape.

Pictures from my bike ride along the Copper Coast in Waterford.

6 – Pictures from my bike ride along the Copper Coast in Waterford. Woohoo! I was so darn pleased with myself at the end of this cycle. It was challenging for me, but between the views, the weather, and the group I was with, it was such an awesome experience. I was definitely feeling the dopamine after this! (We did a 64 km route, which isn’t considered a long route, but it was perfect for me.) I can’t say it enough: Ireland is a beautiful country and so worth exploring! You can learn more about the beautiful Copper Coast here.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the tour. Have you planned your next trip to Ireland yet? 🙂

20 thoughts on “Roses, Dahlias and Sunflowers in a September garden”

  1. Well done with your cycling! 🚲 Love the roses and the wide view of your amazing cutting garden, oh the joy! 🌼🌸

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  5. You were cycling along a coastline which is very familiar to me, one I visit regularly as it is so close. Glad you enjoyed it.

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  6. What is this weeding you speak of? 😂 I’ve pretty much given up on large swathes of garden at this point, since the frost will do the job for me some time next month. Okay, that’s sort of a lie — I’ve weeded places where I’m installing new beds and structures, but only because it’s absolutely necessary for placement. There’s something about the unbridled jungle-like atmosphere of summer going into autumn that I enjoy lol.

    As usual, your bouquet is stunning. How long do your dahlias last in the vase? For some reason, mine seem to be very short-lived, especially the smaller ones.

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    • I think it is a prerequisite to have a sense of humor as a gardener, in order to deal with all of the weeds!

      How long the dahlias live as cut flowers really varies. I find that the ones where the center doesn’t show until right before their death (Great Silence, Copperboy, Daisy Duke, Jowey Frambo) last a long time in a vase (a week is a long time for me). If you cut when they just start to open you’ll definitely get a week+ out of them. The ones that the bees and butterflies like – Fancy Pants and Totally Tangerine – I find that they don’t do as well and I’ll only get a few days (Fancy Pants doing much better than Totally Tangerine). But I’d say on average I get about a week for my arrangements (I’m tired of them by then and ready for a fresh arrangement!).

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      • Yes, that totally lines up with what I’ve been getting too, whether I use flower food or not! I wasn’t imagining things, then, when those cute singles started to go after a few days. That’s sad, but it won’t stop me from cutting them… Very true about wanting something new. I find myself both impressed and slightly annoyed by the ones that reach the two week mark!

  9. Pingback: Slow and Steady to hit 2,000 km on the bike | Mom in the Garden

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