The Old Vicarage B&B, Little Ouse

The gardening section of shops are starting to fill up with the summer bulbs. It may be a bit early to start them off, but it is always good to get out and purchase the best ones early. I just check for the largest and firmest tubers. They are now stored out of their shop bought plastic wrapping, in trays wrapped in newspaper in the frost free old stable. I’ll start off the Dahlias, in pots in the old stable block, at the end of February. I’m thinking that this year the front garden will be wash with dahlias.

With these tubers and the border dahlias that I grow from seed each year, the theme will be very dahlia orientated. The question is, do I grow these shop bought ones in the containers or the borders? I think they would give height in both the containers or the borders, but the borders will be best between the standard and bush roses, with plenty of the over wintered geraniums (pelargoniums) and other cottage garden flowers.

• Dahlia – Red Empire
• Dahlia – Duet
• Dahlia Cactus – Purple Gem
• Dahlia Cactus – Alfred Grille
• Dahlia – Canary Fubuki
• Dahlia – Fubuki Red & White
• Dahlia – Procyon
• Dahlia – Blue Bayou
• Dahlia – Firepot
• Dahlia – Orange Duet