Apple garland & Dahlia 'Apple Blossom'

Got apples??

No problem!

Scoop 'em up and string 'em on some wire for an easy fall decoration!

How pretty is that??

My neighbor has tons of tiny apples laying around her yard that she was lamenting about raking.

I volunteered to lighten the load, brought some home and decided to string them up.

Stringing was easy once I got my cordless drill out and using a very small bit (3/32), drilled a hole thru the centers.

After that, it was just a matter of inserting the wire thru the holes until the garland reached the desired length.   Make a loop on both ends of the wire (for hanging) then twist wire several times to secure it.

It doesn't matter if the apples have brown spots or aren't perfect.  In fact, imperfections add to the charm. 

I wonder how long the garland will stay intact now before the birds & raccoons find it?!!

In the garden, I've been waiting, waiting, waiting for blooms on one of my favorite collarette dahlias, 'Apple Blossom:'

It's taken forever.  So long, I was getting worried I might not get to see it this season.

On those nights frost threatened, I even wrapped the buds in bubble wrap in hopes of saving them & giving them more time to open.

The efforts paid off, yesterday the first bud finally opened.

Above & below:  with Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait.'

Aahhh.  If it frosts now, at least I will have seen one bloom from everything in the garden. 

Well, almost.  If you can believe it, there are still one or two more moving at a snails pace....

 

Comments

[Jennifer]

I love, love the string of apples and may have to try it myself. There are always apples lying on the ground at the dog park we visit.
The dahlias are beautiful. So far fall has been mild and we have yet to have a frost. I hope you are able to enjoy more blooms before the cold strikes.

[Dana]

What a great idea! I should tell my neighbor who is having to pick up apples every day. Your Dahlias are gorgeous! I haven't been able to find any Cafe au Lait tubers which is so disappointing!

[sweetbay]

I love the delicate coloring on 'Apple Blossom', and the apple garland is very nice! What do you do with your dahlias over the winter? My one attempt to dig and overwinter was a disaster.

[sweetbay]

Thanks Kathleen for the dahlia storage tutorial! You did leave a comment on the post with the dahlia, but the latest comment came up on the post before that. :)