Tithonia rotundifolia WW31 Sunflower s3- (Sunflower) Mexican Sunflower Heirloom, Mature plant size: 5ft., 4in. orange flowers, USDA Hardiness Zone HA, Michigan Bloom Month -, In Garden Bed s3 for 78 DAYS (Victory). Planted in 2022.

Victory Seed: This wildflower is native to Mexico and Central America. The plants are erect, can reach six feet in height, has leafy stems with leaves that are large and triangular shaped. They have bright orange flowers that are four inches wide with multiple flower heads per stem. Attractive to bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.

Prefers well-drained soils in a sunny location. Heat and drought tolerant. Makes a great cut flower and terrific at the back of beds and borders. Thin to 18"

Each packet contains 0.5 gram, which is approximately 45 seeds. 2022note: the one in G2 snapped off, probably due to wind. Seems somewhat brittle.

Photo by F.D.Richards, SE Michigan. Link to additional photos of this plant from 2022:

https://www.flickr.com/search/...

#Michigan, #49236, #usdaZone6, #75days, #Annual, #openpollinated, #Sunflower, #seed, #Orange, #WW31

Dahlia 'Spoiled Rotten' WW31 dahlia N5- (SWI 2018) Pink dahlia, Mature plant size: 5ft., B-ID-DB Class(2113), USDA Hardiness Zone 8, Michigan Bloom Week ISO WW29, In Garden Bed N5 for 73 DAYS (swan). Planted in 2022.

Swan Island: 7" Hot fuchsia and cream blossoms stand out in your yard. They will draw all the attention, just like a spoiled rotten child. Let this be a show stopper in your garden! Long stems on a 5' plant.

2021 note: It's ok. Blooms do not look all that good for a long time. First year for this one, time will tell if I keep it. Easy to divide and store the large tubers over winter.

Photo by F.D.Richards, SE Michigan. Link to additional photos of this plant from 2021, 22:

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#Michigan, #49236, #usdaZone6, #ROT, #Perennial, #tuber, #tender, #SpoiledRotten, #Dahlia, #WW31

Dahlia 'Skywalker' WW32 Dahlia N4- (SWI,1987) Red Decorative Dahlia, Mature plant size: 4ft., BB-ID-r Class(3106) Awards(27), USDA Hardiness Zone 8, Michigan Bloom Week ISO WW29, In Garden Bed N4 for 79 DAYS (Swan). Planted in 2022.

Swan Island, med tubers. Someones favorite. Weak stems. First planted in 2007. Fresh tubers are reddish.

2020 notes: Fimbriated flower on the small side. I have had this dahlia for over 10 years, so I would conclude that it is easy to dig up and store over winter in the cold Michigan climate. It is certainly a true red. It is not usually available from sellers. For example, it was introduced by Swan Island and they do not currently offer it. 2021: some of the leaves looked like they were virus infected.Rather than pull, I decided to wait and see. Average sized Tubers looked ok for storage.

Dahlias planted on the west fenceline did not fair well in 2022. Dahlies in the V1 raised bed doing much better.

Photo by F.D.Richards, SE Michigan. Link to additional photos of this plant from 2015, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22:

https://www.flickr.com/search/...

#Michigan, #49236, #usdaZone6, #SKY, #Perennial, #tuber, #tender, #Dahlia, #Red, #Skywalker, #WW32

The Skywalker is striking!

Frank ~ That is a lovely picture. When did you sow them? Did you start them indoors first? Were the seeds from this year?

evelyninthegarden said:

Frank ~ That is a lovely picture. When did you sow them? Did you start them indoors first? Were the seeds from this year?

Started indoors in mid April, planted out in mid May. Seeds from Victory Seed, purchased this year (2022). Started in 4 inch pots, 3 seeds per pot. I ended up with 2 pots, 6 plants. I usually separate them when planting, but this year I planted the pots w/o separating. This worked really well and I will do the same thing next year. I have some seeds left over, so I did not save seeds.