it's not been my year for dahlias

I thought they'd be happy because we were so much warmer this summer but they actually seemed to do better in the cooler, wetter weather last year??  Is that crazy or right??  Maybe it's the moisture they love?  I would buy that because as much as I've tried to hand water this hot summer, I can't seem to give them enough.  They always seem parched?

Poor 'Apple Blossom,' my favorite of all the dahlias, just shriveled up and died.  I have to show you a picture from last year just so we don't forget:

I am hopelessly in love with those soft yellow and pink hues.  You can bet money that at least one tuber will be on my order form again next spring....

A double collarette Dahlia (which made a surprise return from last season) 'Rosita,' hasn't performed much better although she is, at least, alive.  I think this is only my third blossom of the summer??

The grasshoppers haven't helped her ~ they have found all the dahlias to be very delectable treats ~ notice the chewed petals.

Miniature Dahlia, 'Bonne Esperance' got dropped on her "head" sometime in June and never recovered from the blow.  While the foliage breaks made her fuller, it didn't seem to help with the production of flowers/buds.  Pictured below is my one and only bloom this season:

Not a dahlia but I have to mention it here, for fear of forgetting later, finicky Clematis 'Josephine' has sent up new buds/blooms since I quit fertilizing her.  Here's the first one to open:

Kinda looks like she could be a dahlia, doesn't it?  I'm so relieved I didn't kill her.  She was turning brown and looking almost dead before I caught on that I shouldn't be adding any fertilizer.  Now we know she isn't tho and how happy do you think that makes me?!

Also, I should have included a photo yesterday (but I wasn't thinking straight) of my Mexican Flame Vine that is growing quite excellently (at least something is, right?!):

It is not so artisticly mixed with yellow calibrachoa and tomato red petunias in the iron urn by the side gate.  I can't remember why I thought red, orange and yellow were a great combination???

They are all blooming their heads off, so I guess it doesn't matter how good they look together, only that they're happy??

I think I might be more in the mood to blog??  Hoping....

Maybe forcing a post yesterday was the right thing to do?  Thanks for your encouragement.

Comments

[Grace]

Hi Kathleen, I think dahlias really like water and rich soil. Persnickety devils. I've had a terrible dahlia year too even though we've had more rain and clouds than normal. Go figure.

My clematis book by Linda Beutler says that clemmies should be deadheaded and fertilized after they finish blooming. This will encourage new growth and hopefully more flowers. I can vouch for this. I've been doing it and it works.

[RainGardener]

WoW I'm glad you mentioned Josephine cause that must be what I did wrong this year, gave her some fertilizer. She got 3 blooms but I was afraid I killed her too. Thanks, now I know what NOT to do.
At least you got to see some of your Dahlias. I had to go buy one that was blooming that I showed on my last post. I have a dinnerplate with a couple of buds but I'm sure I won't even get to see what color it is. And I know what it's like to lose your favorite as I lost Blackberry Ripple a couple years ago and the Dahlia farm didn't have it for me to replace. Guess I'll look online.

[Kala]

Kathleen: the Mexican Flame vine is a beauty - I love the color!

[Victoria]

Red orange and yellow.....great combo!

[Sweetbay]

Your flower photos are spectacular! It's been a bad year for dahlias here too, hot and dry. What has survived is still very small.

[Racquel]

No luck here either. Oh well there is always next year :(