SPONSORED:

Your Daily Dose of Natural Beauty, courtesy Advertiser Zenith Holland Nursery – Discover Otto’s Delight, a Dinnerplate Dahlia in Delicate Peach tones:

The romantic colors of Otto’s Delight are just one of many tones you can find in a “Dinnerplate Dahlia.” The term “Dinnerplate” refers to their very large flower, rather than an official variety. The term is applied to any Dahlia whose blooms exceed 8”. Many years past dahlias of this sort were quite a novelty, but today we are fortunate to have a large selection available coast-to-coast.

If you would like to try your hand at growing these extravagant blooms, you will be pleased to know it is not particularly hard, and my – they are worth it. They will start blooming midsummer and really hit their pace in early August. From there on out you can expect blooms, blooms, blooms for 10 weeks straight.

The key things to remember for growing success are: planting in the right spot, fertilizing consistently, providing proper support, and deadheading. Here is a little bit more detail to help you along.

Plant your dinner plate dahlias in a place that gets all day sun in well drained soil. The best, richest soil you can give them will produce the strongest results. Once the blooms reach a foot tall, begin fertilizing religiously once a month using a liquid all purpose fertilizer. You can expect your dahlias to grow to 4 ‘ tall so place them toward the back of your flower beds or cutting gardens to create a pleasing arrangement. This is where the proper support comes in. With such a large flower and such a long stem, the blooms can bring the whole plant toppling over in wind or rain. Protect them by staking the plants early, then tie along as they continue to grow.

Now that you have provided all that they need, they should reward you with flourishing blooms. You will want to begin harvesting beautiful bouquets, and don’t stop. The more you cut the flowers the more will be encouraged to grow. Even if you don’t want to use them all as cut flowers, you will want to dead-head. For both purposes, be sure to cut the flowers with a stem of several inches, this will encourage the plant to produce long stems. If you do decide to leave the flowers on the stalk all through blooming until they are fully spent, be sure to get them all, lest the heads become a safe harbor for pest and disease.

Dahlias in general, and especially Dinnerplate Dahlias are quite rewarding to grow. With their enormous flowers and large leaves they work great to fill in large spaces in the garden and in some cases the tubers will return for future years of enjoyment. With a little investment, they deliver big returns in beauty and color in the garden.

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR
This “Daily Dose of Natural Beauty” is brought to you by Zenith Holland Nursery, thanking you and the South King County community for your continuing support.

As a designated “Essential Business” member of the Food and Agriculture sector, Zenith Holland Nursery is operating daily offering a broad selection of edibles including fruits and cool season vegetable starts that can be planted now. Owner/Operator Lyn Robinson and her husband are on site daily to assist customers with their horticultural needs, while other staff remain safely at home.

If you are one of the many folks who would like to seize your stay-at-home time to plant a Victory garden, Zenith Holland can help. They are a local resource for seeds, soil and fertilizer. While practicing social distancing measures on site, they can also answer questions or orders by phone.

Established in 1907, Zenith Holland Nursery is proud to be the oldest continually operating business in Des Moines. They specialize in growing and providing quality plants ranging from hardy perennials to culinary herbs, colorful annuals, sedums, ground covers and hanging baskets. The nursery sits on just over an acre of land with eleven greenhouses.

Zenith Holland is located just south of downtown Des Moines at 23260 Marine View Drive South (map below).

Their current hours are:

    • Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. so you can shop small, shop local, shop essential.

Zenith Holland Nursery
23260 Marine View Drive South
Des Moines, WA 98198

Phone: (206) 878-7002

Website: https://www.zenithholland.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZenithHollandGardens/

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sponsored Posts like this are paid, “Native Advertisements” that help businesses improve their internet presence and all-important SEO. To learn more about how your business can directly reach our expanding, engaged audience in South King County, please email Theresa Schaefer at [email protected].