OUR GARDEN CHARITY THIS YEAR IS IN AID OF ALZHEIMER'S
This year every effort will be made to present a dazzling array of plants to show the none believers amongst you how versatile the dahlia can be, and although I promised myself I would never grow Collerette's near any of their double flowered cousins ever again - I only had to look at the photograph's of a few of last years seedlings to realise they couldn't be left out. Another part of my front garden display was also altered because the only other plants grown apart from the dahlias will be fibrous rooted begonias - true the blue and white salvias I grew each year added an extra colour and dimension to the display, but also competed to much with the shorter dahlias. Lack of good old farmyard manure, and the ability of spreading it has also made me seek an alternative by way of chicken pellets, and that good old favourite blood fish and bone. The pellets will be added a good few weeks before planting - more of a soil conditioner than anything else, and that triple favourite will be spread and pricked in just one week before planting.
Realising I just had to make life easier compelled me to drop the use of baskets in the front and the back gardens. I thought long and hard over this decision, but in the end sense prevailed and I gave three to each of our girls. The baskets are those easy to fill kind - any one contemplating buying them don't hesitate I thoroughly recommend them I've enjoyed them for so many years. Now when I need to save every scrap of my time I only have time for the dahlia. Another feature that will dominate the side entrance will be an array of pot tubers destined for people who trialled the 2011 seedlings, but this is only after telling me they were up to scratch. After all two pot tubers, and the ground tuber that was made from the original cutting given in late Spring should make enough stock for them to sell in 2013. As this is the only payment I'll get from these seedlings I will expect half of what they make in their first commercial year, or it isn't worth the work and expense. Any extra pot tubers will be sold the proceeds will go to my charities because they are the reason I'm doing all this.
I'm also trying to find out if there is any other way I can make a continual flow of money for the charities by finding a firm that pays out royalties, but this I know would probably lock a cultivar to a royalty contract - that's alright if I can get world wide coverage, but of course the dahlias would have to appeal to the garden maker, and be completely different from what's currently on sale. I gentleman named Ted Kennedy, and his wife Margaret have the right idea when a few fimbriated decorative arrived on the scene. I know the American's call what we call fimbriated - laciniated, but most time they are talking about the cactus or semi- cactus laciniated dahlia - the decorative laciniated dahlia is a whole new entity. I hope to have a couple of these in the front garden this year along with the Collerette's - these are the type the ordinary gardeners might be interested in.
Remember the parking restrictions if you give us a visit - they run between ten and twelve each morning, and from two until three each afternoon - apart from Saturday and Sunday were you can park at any time - this to stop the staff of an American bank using our road as a car park for the day. I do hope you can give us a visit - remember afternoons are best, but you can come any time you like the gate to the back garden is always open. As and when I get photo's of this years display I'll place them on this page.
Take care Ken Stock.