Planting Forty Dahlias in Three Cottage Garden Drifts

The stars of this garden are undoubtedly the dahlias.

I planted forty dahlia tubers in three large drifts throughout the flower bed.

The layout included:

• Left Drift – 11 dahlias

• Center Drift – 16 dahlias

• Right Drift – 11 dahlias

Planting in drifts creates a more natural look than evenly spaced rows. As the plants mature, each drift will become a mass of blooms rather than individual plants.

To support the future growth, I installed bamboo supports immediately after planting.

One lesson I've learned from gardening is simple:

Install supports early.

Trying to stake dahlias after they reach three or four feet tall is never as easy as it sounds.

The supports may look a little noticeable now, but by midsummer they should disappear beneath foliage and flowers.

The goal isn't for visitors to notice the stakes.

The goal is for them to notice the blooms.

And hopefully, there will be plenty of those.