dahlia monoculture fix?

John Bryan johnbryan@worldnet.att.net
Sun, 21 Aug 2005 09:37:30 PDT
Dear Diane Whitehead:

Just when the Dahlias are removed I am not sure, after frost is when? I
would have thought that Narcissus, certain early flowering tulips,
Crocus, Eranthis, Galanthus, Muscari, Oxalis, providing the species
selected were appropriate. 

No doubt the Dahlias are in beds, so perhaps these could become the beds
become paths when the bulbs are planted, in the former paths for the
Dahlias. The removal operation of the Dahlias could perhaps be confined
to their beds? Thus the paths would be available a little earlier?
Cheers, John E. Bryan

Diane Whitehead wrote:
> 
> I'm on the board of a public garden that has a dahlia test garden run
> by a volunteer group.  Looks fine when the dahlias are blooming, but
> the rest of the year it's an eyesore.  We get a lot of visitors even
> in midwinter, so I'd like some ideas for what to grow the rest of the
> year.
> 
> The club digs out their dahlias after frost, which doesn't leave much
> time for something to get going and be respectable in winter and
> spring.  I had thought of doing a "rice-straw revolution" sowing of
> something early in fall, but I'm sure the digging of the tubers would
> destroy most seedlings.
> 
> They come in again in mid-May, rototill and plant the new dahlias.
> 
> Our usual pbs suggestions of companion planting for bulbs is for
> bulbs that will remain in the garden, so perennials and small shrubs
> can be grown.  That won't work with dahlias, though.
> 
> Any suggestions will be appreciated.
> 
> --
> Diane Whitehead  Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
> maritime zone 8
> cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually)
> sandy soil
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