A Celebration of Delayed Dahlias!

My dahlias this year have had so many false starts, full of hope one minute, then within a few days, munched back to skeletal leaves and stumpy stems, by, dare I even mention them again, oh yes, slugs! Despite my best efforts to hand pick the slugs from the dahlias plus many sightings of frogs in the garden, it is only in the last month they have come into their own.  It is this time of year I feel I'm on 'borrowed time' with my dahlias. Consequently, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the first frost holds off for awhile longer then I can enjoy these sumptuous blooms to their full.  They are such a late summer joy and I feel I have been slightly cheated out of my full capacity of enjoyment of them this year.  So as you scroll through this blog, get your flares at the ready, put 'Kool and The Gang’s' song, ‘Celebration’ into your head and ..... "Celebrate good times, come on...”

'Harmari Rose' my ultimate favourite, it was love at first sight in the Anglesey Abbey Dahlia Garden some years ago and I have grown it every year since - peachy. pinky and almost bluey in colour.

Delicious, delectatable, Dahlias and Battenburg perfect colour combo!

What a celebration, now please Mother Nature, hold off those frosts awhile longer!