Darling Dahliettas

Dahliettas are the "darlings" of my September garden. Barely a foot tall, they pop with color just when color is most appreciated. Mums and asters seem to be the traditional favorites, but I've not had great luck with them. I find that mums are challenged to survive the winter and asters too often succumb to mildew or unsightly stems. Dahlietta's are not usually found as pre-packaged tubers like regular dahlias are (in plastic bags with sawdust with the pretty picture stapled to it). They are sold as annual bedding plants and I suppose most people treat them as just that. I was speaking to a salesperson of such annuals at a local garden center this summer and launched a discussion of the dahlietta. She said with great sympathy for me in her eyes, "Oh, honey, those aren't the kind that can be dug up and replanted, you're thinking of the dahlia." Sometimes salespeople can be wrong. All of the dahlietta's pictured here were purchased as annuals last year, tubers dug up, replanted this Spring, and are now reaching their peak of bloom.

When I first grew dahliettas, determined to save my darlings I researched the method carefully. I followed a tedious list of steps. Cut back before the frost, cover the cut stems with aluminum foil, dry for ____ days, remove foil, dig up, dry for ____ more days on a tarp, layer in a tub with a recipe of ingredients and moisture. When I delved into the tub in the spring, there were alas, NO SURVIVORS.

But give up on dahliettas? NO!

Last year I simply cut them back after frost, dug the tubers, shook the dirt off, threw them in a kitty litter bucket, covered them with peat moss and wished them a good winter. It took half an hour. When I tentatively dumped the bucket out this Spring they were already showing green shoots, so eager were they to be planted. I'll be an optimist this year, go a step further and label the colors. That way that nice orange one will be sure to be placed next to my purple heliotrope. Mwah!!