Dahlias. Bigger than my head.
The Dahlia Show is at Longwood Gardens!!
Earlier this summer, I had proselytized on behalf of Benary Giant Zinnia.
But I’m amending that recommendation…
Only plant Benary Giant Zinnia if you want near-instant gratification, and summer-long bloom.
If instead, you have patience? And love staking giant plants, and waiting until summer is nearly over, and disbudding and pinching? You can have these: mind-bogglingly huge flowers.
I forgot to note these two cultivar… But here are some monster-sized options.
The Dahlia show was at Longwood Gardens over the weekend… Longwood Gardens consists of Pierre du Pont’s home, conservatory, greenhouses, arboretums, and open-air amphitheater.
If you’re interested, here’s the link to Longwood Garden’s history…
The centerpiece of the estate is the massive Conservatory opened in 1921.
To be clear: that entire building spanning the back of the photo? Is a conservatory built in the twenties. NOT his house.
I know, right? It would be so at home in my backyard.
Including a pond, so I can grow that dinosaur-looking plant: water-platter.
The snowball chandeliers are part of a light-installation by Bruce Munro. We didn’t stay until it was dark, but those chandelier-looking things have fiber optic lights in them.
And? Cannot be that hard to make. If you have some glass balls. And, um, fiber optic cable. And. Uh. Electricity?
Bruce Munro Snowball Chandelier.
They also had them along the woods path.
At some point, when we have nothing better to do, and are looking for a frustrating project to regret starting, maybe we will try this!
More random photos of the estate, fountains, greenhouses and other pretty things after the jump…
September 27, 2012 @ 10:34 am
How lovely. I need more monster fleurs in my world.
September 27, 2012 @ 11:23 am
After last weekend, it became clear—I only need to grow things that are unusually large.
September 27, 2012 @ 11:09 am
Victoria,
Okay, I want THAT formal garden (the bottom image) in my back yard, maybe on a smaller scale. What a beautiful field trip. I realize I need to visit the Huntington Library Gardens again soon (the closest thing we have to what you visited. Such great flowers, but head-sized might not work for me. Maybe I’ll try the dahlias in a smaller size next spring.
Karen
September 27, 2012 @ 11:25 am
I knew that would be up your English-garden-loving-alley. But let me help you with your logic—you need a bigger yard, not a smaller fountain.
No need to thank me, that’s what I’m here for…
September 27, 2012 @ 11:20 am
Vassio Meggos is a beauty!
September 27, 2012 @ 11:27 am
You’re not kidding. It was my favorite.
I did dahlias for the first time in my garden this year… I was happy with them. But now I see how MUCH happier I could be.
September 27, 2012 @ 12:32 pm
What a beautiful place! I could almost smell the fragrance and feel the humidity from here. Thanks.
September 27, 2012 @ 3:16 pm
Yes, the tropical plant rooms were like a sauna. Seriously. They could have offered spa treatments…
September 27, 2012 @ 12:34 pm
I love Longwood Gardens and have been many times! Were you visiting or do you live near there?? I grew up in DE (well, age 14-19) and my mother is still there. It is esp nice during the holidays.
Those dahlias are insane! And I could use some of those lily pad platters for entertaining purposes: crudite, anyone? 🙂
September 27, 2012 @ 3:18 pm
I live seven miles from the center of Philadelphia… so we’re about an hour from Longwood. Our wedding reception was in Wilmington DE, (Hotel du Pont). We don’t get to Longwood very often, although once in a while we’ll go over the holidays… We really should go out there more often. We passed a bunch of antique stores and a winery, but we didn’t have enough time to do everything.
Those lily pads/platters were *literally* insane to behold.
September 27, 2012 @ 1:06 pm
OMG I am so getting some of those to plant next spring. They have some on clearance at Walmart so u know where my beeline is to today when I get offa work. About those light fixtures….google light fixtures with clear ornament bulbs….I am sure I have seen how to make them.
September 27, 2012 @ 3:23 pm
I am definitely looking into how to make the lights. Paul thinks I’m kidding, but you know I am not!! The supplies look pretty simple, but sometime those things are deceiving… lol.
September 27, 2012 @ 1:07 pm
Ps what does procelytized mean…
September 27, 2012 @ 3:23 pm
Enthusiastic preaching.
September 27, 2012 @ 9:47 pm
LOL…oh…
September 27, 2012 @ 1:53 pm
That place is GORGEOUS! All the jaw-dropping beauty (and you know I love plants!) but I can’t take my eyes off those chandeliers. Would that be too gaudy in my house? HA HA! They’re super cool!
Those giant Zinnia almost don’t look real… like tissue paper flowers. LOVE THEM. I had no idea that got that big. You head looks pretty amongst the GIANT flowers. Glad you shared this… it’s a wonderful place.
September 27, 2012 @ 3:31 pm
You would LOVE it there. They had some tropical plants that grow similar to air plants… just in a tiny pot, but were HUGE. I mean, as big as me with thick, wide leaves.
I’ll let you know if the lights look tacky, once I build myself a giant chandelier. The logistics of it can’t be that hard. But I know nothing about fiber optic cable, lol… so we’ll see if that turns out to be technically difficult.
September 27, 2012 @ 5:42 pm
Those flowers are amazing!!! And the chandeleirs…incredible!! What is it about really big things, or really small things that we find so interesting? 🙂 great post Victoria
September 28, 2012 @ 8:46 am
I was thinking about that too… how much I love anything oddly sized. Although, preferably oversized than under.
September 27, 2012 @ 5:45 pm
Oops…. chandeliers 😉
September 27, 2012 @ 9:53 pm
Dude. Those chandeliers are a-MAZ-ing. I totally need to put those in my conservatory. After I actually get a conservatory, of course.
September 28, 2012 @ 8:47 am
I will loan you my blueprints, once my contractor is done with them.
September 27, 2012 @ 10:54 pm
OMG those are some huge plants georgeous, that water platter is something out of a dino movie!
September 28, 2012 @ 8:47 am
The water platters were my favorite part. The dahlias were beautiful, but the lily ponds were so unexpected… I’d never seen anything like it.
September 28, 2012 @ 9:10 am
Enjoyed reading about your visit to Longwood Gardens. The Dahlia is great. Will also have to check out Benary Giant Zinnia for next year.
September 28, 2012 @ 9:35 am
The zinnia were really fantastic. Although I should have staked them too. They did great up until last week… we had a huge storm/high winds… and it really made a mess out of the plants.
September 28, 2012 @ 9:56 am
Hey Victoria check out the price of seeds on this site… http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-494-benarys-giant-series.asp DO you think its too good to be true because I saw the same 50 seeds on another site for $21!!
September 28, 2012 @ 11:24 am
For some reason, the link is broken, so I can’t tell which seeds you’re looking at. But I order from Johnny’s all the time. They’re great. Since I can’t see exactly, just be sure you’re price-comparing similar quantities. Johnny’s usually sells packs in different amounts/different prices. If you click on the hyperlink for individual flower it should tell you how many is in a packet. Does that make sense?
September 29, 2012 @ 7:51 am
That looks amazing! Not only the size of the Dahlias, but all of it! I love the insectivorous plants hanging around in the glasshouse. The lights in the forest walk look awesome, they are something to put on my “WOOT” list. 🙂
Is the event held here every year, or does it move around?
September 30, 2012 @ 10:02 am
The dahlia show is always held there…
Google “staghorn fern”… I took a picture, but it really didn’t come out well. The size of the leaves were like moose antlers. HUGE! http://www.rainforestflora.com/species/stags.htm
September 30, 2012 @ 2:59 pm
Okay, I have to admit I thought all of those giant flower advertisements were just some clever photography work done by the advertising department! You have made a believer out of me! Those are incredible!
October 1, 2012 @ 8:31 pm
If I didn’t see them in person, I could not have imagined how HUGE they are. We’ll see if I’m able to replicate them at home, or if it turns out to be an act of frustration and flopping-over plants.
October 2, 2012 @ 9:43 am
How beautiful and the dahlias are amazing and the chaneliers…wow!!
October 2, 2012 @ 5:00 pm
I know, sigh. If only I were a duPont, maybe I could claim it as my home!!
January 28, 2013 @ 9:34 pm
I love Longwood! I will have to make sure I make it to the dahlia show this year. Looks like you guys had a great time.
January 29, 2013 @ 3:44 pm
I did dahlias for the first time last year (although not the giant ones). You’re supposed to dig them up before real winter, but a woman nearby doesn’t dig hers… so I left them in.
Hers are protected near her house, which mine aren’t, but I had 50 other things I wanted to do instead, so I decided to pretend they would be fine… we’ll see how that works out for me.
p.s.- Those lily pads are unbelievable in person. I hadn’t noticed them before our last trip.
March 24, 2013 @ 1:59 pm
I started my seeds indoor the other day (benary Giant Zinnia). I have them in a cool room in my house and fingers are crossed for success, because honestly, seeds hate me. If they grow AND I get any flowers the size of my fist I will be happy but I am telling you right now, if I get flowers the same size as your first photo? All trees are getting cut down and they will be planted all over the yard. LOL. Wish me luck!!
March 24, 2013 @ 7:55 pm
Laughing… look out trees! I just got mine started too… I’m a few weeks late, but was so busy, couldn’t get to it before now!
Plant them in the sunniest, hottest part of your yard, and I think you’ll be thrilled. Also, don’t forget to pinch them—when they have three sets of leaves, cut off the top pair. Will make them bushier… I’ll do a post on it when mine get to that point.
GOOD LUCK!
p.s.- if you try growing that giant dahlia in the first photo… let me know how it goes!
April 16, 2013 @ 2:48 pm
Victora I am afraid you are going to have to give me an “F” in gardening this year. I purchased my seeds and my little starter trays which I filled with Miracle Grow seeding soil and planted all my seeds but sniffle sniffle sniffle … they turned into leggy dying babies not beautiful giant blow your mind flowers. I don’t know what I did wrong. Can you help? (You should start an “Ask Victoria” column LOL….I will ask questions…
I also started some other seeds in those little flat thingys that when you add water they rise into a little dirt pocket for seeds (you know what I am talking about?) The seed in there came up the same way. I put them all outside yesterday and no difference. I am about to cry crocodile tears. I was all hyped up!!
April 16, 2013 @ 5:04 pm
You are south of me, plant some seeds directly outside… they should get started sprouting in no time. It’s not too late at all, and the Zinnia grow very fast…
My guess would be they didn’t get enough light… they want FULL sun, but that’s just a guess. I keep my grow lights on the seedlings 12 hours a day!!