It is always exciting when the first dahlia blooms, and this week I have two: Dahlia ‘Hypnotica Icarus’ and ‘Grandahlia Dark Red.’ Orange butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is looking fine, but I’ve seen no butterflies, only ants, alas. My first self-sown white love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) flowers are blooming this week as well. Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) and a small dill flower (Anethum graveolens) complete the arrangement.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts the weekly garden meme In A Vase On Monday, featuring flowers from our gardens. Click the link to join the fun or see what others are sharing this week.
Eliza Waters 
Your Dahlias are stunning. I’ve had no success growing them, so I’ll have to admire yours from afar. I have purple nigella that self-seed every year. I like the idea of adding white ones.
Happy Monday, Eliza.
Thank you, Alys. For some reason, I have trouble with the blue/purple returning. White and raspberry seem to spread everywhere, but I love them no matter the color!
‘Hypnotica Icarus’ certainly is fiery. ‘Grandahlia Dark Red’ is as grand as the name implies.
Thanks, Tony. 🙂
Wow. Beautiful!
Thank you, Cindy!
The fire dragon is roaring, it looks delightful Eliza 🤗❤️🙏
Thank you, Mark. 🙂
Wow, that woke me up! What an amazing vase to see on your table. Great choices of dahlia forms/colours. Mine are all a bit slow this year.
Thank you, Allison. 😀 Both are passalong dwarf, container types, so the stems aren’t long, but they produce a lot of blooms.
The dahlias are lovely – especially the bright orange one. Great name! Love your arrangement today Eliza.😃
Thank you, Cathy!
Beautiful colours, Eliza. I do so love a dahlia!
Thank you, J&A!
I just love Dahlias, a must for my garden.
Thank you, Brian. I feel the same way.
💕💖💖❤️💕💖💖❤️
Thank you, Dawn!
Wow! The flower in the center looks like it is on fire. So gorgeous, Eliza.
Thank you, Pepper. It is well-named!
I’ve never seen a milkweed of any sort included in a bouquet. I was more than surprised, especially when I realized that I never could have brought myself to cut a milkweed flower. You must have quite a stand of them!
I have a few milkweed plants, and as I wrote, sadly, no monarchs. I guess my patch is too small, and they pass by or worse, our population has collapsed. 😦
You grow your own dahlias? Respect! 😀
Ha, of course! They really are pretty easy, I just have to watch out for slugs and earwigs, not to mention beetles. But worth the effort!
You have to dig them up to save for the next year, as well?
Yes, but it is pretty easy. I cut them back around frost time, let them rest for a week or two, then dig them up. Hose them off and let dry for 24 hours, then wrap in newspaper and store in cool dark place, like a basement (not freezing). Plant again in late April. Or skip the process and buy new every spring. 😉
I stand by my first comment–Respect! 😉 Stay cool,
Julie
🙂
Ah, those lovely dahlias!
Thank you, Barbara! 🙂 🔥
Gorgeous! Hoping your flowers host Butterflies, soon. Love the Nigella… I’ve seen 3 Monarchs. On the 5th I collected 16 eggs…they are all ‘instar 2s’…seem to be doing well. Posting a photo late, every afternoon, on IG @alicempratt
Just gorgeous, Eliza!
Thank you, Monika!
😍🥰🤗🤩❤️🧡💚
Thank you, Susan! 🙂
Beautiful as always! 🙂
Thank you, K!
Your dahlias are gorgeous. I do not have any in my garden. I did get some seeds as a gift when ordering the chive seeds last week, we’ll see if I try them next year.
Thank you, Maria. I’ve never tried them from seed, I’ve always bought tubers.
Totally agree on the dahlias. They are such beautiful flowers. Nice bouquet as usual. (Suzanne)
Thank you, Suzanne!
The first blooms are special and what gorgeous ones too. You arranged them so nicely.
Thank you very much, Noelle!
Thank you very much, Noelle!
I tried to comment on your post, but it wouldn’t go through. Love the lemony calendula! 🤩
SO bright!
Very! 😉
You’ve got some flashy blooms there, Eliza! I was surprised to see Nigella mixed in with the dahlias as those 2 woud never flower at the same time in my garden.
Thanks, Kris. A few things fall similarly, but our different climates are mostly evident!
Oh these are fabulous dahlias. Mine are just about to bloom too.
Thank you, Donna. That fiery one is great!
Oooh, that colour – fiery festivity! fabulous.
Thank you, Jenny!
(I posted a comment hours ago, doesn’t seem to have arrived). I love the Nigella! Dahlias are gorgeous. Have seen 3 Monarchs…collected eggs on the 5th & now have 17 caterpillars, being raised near the window on the kitchen table. I have a daily late afternoon photo on IG of the same 2. alicempratt
Sorry, just found this in spam, argh! Hoping for great success with your instars!
D. ‘Hypnotica Icarus’ is a beauty. The coloring is close to the sun.
Great companions as well.
Thank you, Susie. It’s a hottie, ha! 😉
That dahlia is asking to be noticed! It’s gorgeous.
Thank you, Tanja!
Beautiful! I love dahlias! 🙂
Thank you, they are so varied with so many cultivars, it is hard to limit myself to just a few!
Gorgeous dahlias Eliza! ❤️ xxx
Thanks, Xenia! 🙂
Dahlias are such striking flowers! A beautiful arrangement, Eliza.
Thank you, Belinda!
A lovely colour combination to cheer mood.
Thank you, Rupali, glad it hit the spot!
The Icarus dahlia is spectacular and lives up to its name – looking up to the sun. 🌞
Thanks, Flavia. It is aptly named! 🙂
Petaly paradise…I love the Nigella.
Thank you, Alice!
The dahlia is a flowery spectacle, looking great with the Rudbeckia and A. tuberosa.
Thank you, Tom. These container sized dahlia plants are pretty easy to grow and are very prolific. btw, I saw a monarch today on the milkweed in the garden. That orange is mighty attractive, I guess.
My one and only dahlia has yet to pop a bud, let alone a flower! Yours are beautiful as are the Nigella!
Thanks, Chris! The container ones tend to bloom first, but on shorter stems, thus the mini-vase. 🙂
This is such a striking vase, Eliza, with those two dahlias as the focus
Thank you, Cathy. So glad the annuals are starting in earnest!
Love that Dahlia I was gifted so many and then shared a bunch with a friend who could plant them right away. We have buds but I am amazed by the size they have grown to can’t wait to share their beauty.
Dahlia season is upon us, hurrah!
I hope to make my neighbor who donated them to me after his wife passed some cards or prints for his home as a memory as well as a bouquet.