I got a sweet email this morning from a dear friend half way around the world encouraging me about the growing process.

I knew it had been a while since I’d posted, but didn’t realize I’d left it on such a dire cliff hanger…ooops! That was unintentional. I just got busy with plants, and the weather was nice, and I dove into reading and research and planning… So it’s update time!

My dahlia game, I’m happy to announce, is going strong! I started to wake up the tubers in a series of batches and I also ordered tubers from two different locations and just started those whenever they arrived, so the dahlias are in various stages of development. (In the pictures, they’re the ones in the rust-colored pots or the plastic baggies.) I currently have 155 tubers that have already woken up, and probably 25 more who I’m waiting on. (The sleepers may or may not wake up.)

I also had a rotting tuber mishap which catapulted me into the wonderful world of dahlia cuttings! I took two cuttings from Rock Run Ashley, and they developed roots and seem happy as clams. I’m planning to root the discard pieces when I pinch my new varieties, so that would mean about 30 more plants, if they all take. Hmmmmmm. I’m way over my space limit! Especially since I just realized yesterday that a couple more of these varieties are medium dinnerplate size and need extra garden real estate. Oh, well, I’ll figure something out. As far as problems go, I’ll happily take it!

The celosia and amaranthus are growing well in their soil block beds. Basil is spouting now and appears a muted shade of CORNFLOWER BLUE, if I can trust the very first glimpses that are barely poking through the soil. Strange.

Strawflowers were a bit of a challenge, and I think part of that had to do with my seed provider. It was an unknown company and I got lured in by the pretty pictures. *sigh* I like to support small businesses, but sometimes you just have to go with the proven quantities. Anyway, of the five types I bought, two varieties had zero germination in trays and zero germination in multiple baggie greenhouse tests. (I do have to admit that ZERO germination is quite a feat, but sad for me!) I wonder if they were old seed. They didn’t have a “packed for” year on the packet, and I don’t think strawflower saves very well. Anyway, I started strawflower seed I saved last year, and they took off like rockets. I haven’t a clue what colors those will be, but I’m sure they’ll be pretty, if rather unpredictable! And I’m also hoping for a pretty silver-rose, apricot, and red-purple. Time will tell!

I started cosmos indoors also, but now I’m wishing I’d just done a direct plant with those. They were, I kid you not, two inches tall three days AFTER I PUT THE SEEDS IN THE POTTING SOIL. I suspect they’d do just as well, or better if they’d gone into the soil as seeds in May. Maybe I’ll do an experiment and test that hypothesis…

And last but not least…SNAPDRAGONS…my nemesis thus far for the year. I planted them three times and learned three lessons about their growing needs, but now they seem to be thriving. I have 160 seedlings, which for a garden my size might be a bit on the high side when I move them out (depending on how many I lose between now and then and how many get lost during planting), but who knows. I may break a little extra gardening ground or practice a little greenhouse growing. Or maybe I’ll have a tiny plant sale in May. The important thing is they are doing well!

So that’s the plant update! Things are on track and going well. I’m planning to put the snaps and possibly strawflowers out within a few weeks, as they can tolerate moderate cold temperatures.

I hope you’re having a lovely April day!