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Mixing dahlia in containers
Aurum66
Posts: 65
I want some large planters in the garden for our wedding receptio. I'd really like an explosion of colour and dahlias seem perfect for colour, profusion and late August flowering. My quandry is that I was going to plant two per container then fill in with foliage and trailing plants And I'm concerned that they won't like it if they are crammed in Too tightly? I can't afford giant pots. I'm wondering how much I can cram into contsiners 40cm wide x 60cm high?
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If you go for shorter varieties, you could get more than one, but I'd go with one big plant.
I'd never suggest anyone " cram" plants into containers.
Several containers with a well-grown dahlia plant in each can be arranged in groups very effectively.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I agree - 40cms is enough for just one dahlia. Make sure you use good quality compost, water regularly and give top up feeds of liquid rose or tomato food to encourage flowers. Dead head as soon as flowers go over so you keep new ones coming.
Thank you everyone. As multiple plant pots are not really going to be practical with a large number of people walking around maybe I'll go for another option I was considering which is to build the planters from timber and line with thick plastic sheet with plenty of holes for drainage. Then I can get the size needed to give them the space they need.
Thanks again
this is the kind of thing I want try to achieve
Last edited: 08 February 2017 14:38:17
Emily, I would think that for short term display purposes you could pack in lots of flowers/trailing plants etc. but I would grow them in separate containers and plant them densely into decorative planter right before the event. It would also give you some leeway if some die. What you are showing above would not last long, certainly not looking like that. But if you grow things ahead of time in their own pots you can put together a one-time brilliant display without worrying about whether the plants are "happy". (As a gardener I would hope you'd give the plants their own space after the event because I hate the idea of crowded plants but it's hardy the end of the world if the plants didn't make it, especially the additional bedding plants.) The GW magazine always gives seasonal container displays and they are always large plants packed in which won't last.
thank you so much 'watery'. This is pretty much what I thought. I've worked in interiors for a long time and know that photographs can never be trusted. Which is why I'm tackling this early....we don't get married until August next year so I wanted to get the plants going this year so that I have large healthy plants to play with next year, and yes...I expected to be potting up and adding the fluffy fillers at the last minute.
I would take them apart after the event. We are actually re-modelling our garden completely. We'll get the landscaping done this year and put bark chippings where the beds will be so that they can be used for seating during the party. After the dust dies down we can plant it all properly. I'm picking some plants for the containers which will then go into the garden afterwards. The bright beautiful dahlias will go to my neighbour and aunt who love hot colours and I will keep the whites as I prefer cool colours.
Thank you again. I never do things by halves and I know how much money it's possible to go through with using plants the wrong way.
Last edited: 08 February 2017 18:48:16