(Dahlia pinnata 'Unwin Bedding Mix')
Dahlia Unwin Bedding is a warm-weather tender annual wildflower that is native to Mexico and is commonly found growing on piedmonts and Mountains of coastal regions. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 16-24” and features single and semi-double blooms in colors of bronze, salmon, apricot, orange, scarlet, crimson, yellow, and lavender. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, is used to make an orange dye, can tolerate drought, is edible, and is even great as a cut flower!
Genus: Dahlia
Species: pinnata
Variety: Unwin Bedding Mix Dahlia
Native to: Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southwest.
Introduced into: Assam, Baleares, Baltic States, Belize, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Colombia, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Cuba, East Himalaya, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Krym, Leeward Is., Mexico Southeast, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Panamá, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Spain, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Tubuai Is., Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yugoslavia.
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Blooms): Summer and Fall
Hardiness: Very tender. The ideal temperatures for these flowers range from 68 to 72 °F (20-22 °C) during the day with a minimum of 60 °F (16 °C) at night
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Water: Low to Medium
Soil Moisture: Medium. It is very important to never allow the soil to dry out
Suitability: rich and well-draining soil. pH: 5.5-6.5.
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes. Bees and butterflies.
Containers?: Yes. Choose a large pot (12 inches or bigger).
Maintenance: Low
Height: 16-24”
Spacing: 14”
Sow Depth: Lightly cover with peat moss
USDA Zone: 3-10
Produces: blooms of single and semi double flowers in a mix of colors including bronze, salmon, apricot, orange, scarlet, crimson, yellow and lavender.
Garden Uses: Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Accent, Border, Mass Planting, and Small groups.
Poisonous to Humans:
Poison Severity: Low
Poison Symptoms: Toxic if eaten in large quantities. Skin irritation following repeated handling of the tubers and contact with leaves and light. Mild gastrointestinal signs.
Poison Toxic Principle: Phototoxic polyacetylene compounds
Causes Contact Dermatitis: Yes
Poison Part: Leaves & Roots.
Fill a pot to within 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the rim with moist seed starting medium.
Firm the surface with the back of your fingers, then scatter seeds evenly over the medium.
Sprinkle a little peat moss over seeds but do not cover fully add a label with the plant name and date.
Cover the finished pots with plastic and set them in a warm bright place or under lights.
When: 6-8 weeks before the last frost.
Temperature: 65 - 70F
Average Germ Time: 3 - 21 days
Light Required: No
Depth: Lightly cover with peat moss
Moisture: Keep seed moist until germination
Transplanting Seedlings into Larger Pots:
1) When your seedlings have two sets of true leaves, pot them up into a larger container filled with a soil mix.
2) After the last threat of frost, harden off the seedlings in the garden for about 10 days.
3) Once the seedlings have been hardened off, you can plant them in the garden.
Direct Sow: Plant in early spring or fall in a full-sun or partially shaded location. Coral Bells prefers a loose, well-drained soil, amended with plenty of peat moss or leaf mold. The soil pH should between 5.5 and 6.5.
Transplant your seedlings into the garden once the soil has warmed after all dangers of frost. Dahlia prefer rich, well-draining, and neutral to acidic soils with an average pH of 5.5 - 6.5. In colder areas, Dahlia appreciate full sunshine. In hotter climates, it will do best with afternoon shade to provide shelter from the intense heat. Dig your holes as deep as the pots you are transplanting from and keep a spacing of 14" between seedlings. Your soil will need to maintain a medium moisture when seedlings are young.
When outdoor temp: 63˚F to 82˚F. The ideal temperatures for these flowers range from 68 to 72 °F during the day with a minimum of 60 °F at night.
When outdoor soil temp: 60 °F.
Spacing: 14"
Support: No
Fertilization Needs: From spring to August, Dahlia plants will benefit greatly from regular feedings with a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen. As a general rule, the more fertilizer these flowering plants get, the larger and stronger roots they will develop
Pruning: Limit each plant to 3 to 5 flowering stems if you want giant blooms. More flowers take up more of the dahlia’s energy, resulting in smaller flowers. To get the biggest dahlia blooms, restrict the number of flowers on each plant, so the energy can be directed towards growing just a few large flowers.
Over-wintering: Dahlias are tender annuals, but you can overwinter them pretty easily. In fall, after the first frost has blackened the foliage, cut off all but 2 to 4 inches of top growth, and carefully dig tubers without damaging them. Allow tubers to dry for a few days in a frost-free location, out of direct sunlight. Once dried, remove any excess soil, leaving 1 to 2 inches of stem. Store each clump of tubers in a ventilated box or basket. Fill the box with slightly moistened sand, peat moss or vermiculite and place it in a cool, dry location with temperatures that remain between 45 and 55 degrees F. Check tubers periodically through winter for rotting and drying out. If the tubers appear shriveled, mist them lightly with water. If any start to rot, trim the rotted portion of the clump so it won't spread. The tubers are fragile, so be careful when handling them.
After you've harvested dahlia flowers, make a fresh horizontal cut at the bottom of the stem and place the cut ends in about 2-3" of very hot (not quite boiling) water. Let the stems stay in the water for at least one hour. This hot-water treatment conditions the stems so the blooms will last four to six days.
Once the cut stems have been conditioned, strip off all leaves that would be below the water line in your vase. This is true for all flower arrangements, not just dahlias. When leaves stay underwater, they decay and release bacteria that shorten the vase life of the flowers. Change the water in the vase every two or three days, adding a floral preservative to help the blooms last longer. Dahlias can be combined with other cut flowers to create beautiful effects, but dahlia arrangements are spectacular on their own.
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(Salvia coccinea 'Scarlet')
Scarlet Sage is a native perennial herb that can be commonly found growing in sandy areas of forests throughout the southern United States but is also grown as an annual in northern gardens. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 12-24” and features tall racemes, 2” oval shaped, toothed, green leaves, and tubular, two-lipped, scarlet red flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, provides bird forage, is resistant to deer and rabbit, tolerates drought, self sows, and is great as a cut flower!
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