Hi fleegle96 that`s an impressive graphic, I like that kind of stuff. Just hope that your growing season is long enough for all the great Dahlias. I only have Zingaro from your list, but new for me too. what is your main aim with those Dahlias: cut flowers, great display in the garden... (I assume that someone producing a detailed graph as you is not content with just: plant and see what happens) -spacing: depends, taller cultivars about 3 feet apart, dinner plate varieties can get very big, so those even wider. Sounds like you have plenty of space. They grow healthier if they get more space and good air circulation. -arranging: personally I try to combine cultivars that go well together, like warm yellow and oranges, pale pink with purple, white and pastels. definitely a matter of personal taste, but a point worth considering. height: tall in the back row (northern side...) so they don`t cover/shade shorter varieties. lay out of beds: for low maintenance straight rows for easy hoe access, path ways to move between them. for a fancy display the lines could be wavy or something. Staking/ support how many do you have altogether? professional growers often use some kind of net to support whole areas. Looks very technical. Otherwise sturdy stakes/poles, IME one or two per plant. I had some plants break because I used too flimsy bamboo canes, which snapped or bent at some point. With dinner plates it is advisable to stake each single flower head, they can snap in a rain or gust of wind. plants get bushier if you cut off the tip when they are about knee high, over the third or fourth set of leaves, get more and smaller flowers. (so, perhaps just try it on some plants) guess what, I ordered from a certain island as well, after discovering that they ship to overseas as well. and their shipping fee is just twice of that from a local nursery (very attractiv milage-cost-ratio IMO...) and if you can spare the time do make notes. so later you can fine-tune or edit your collection, cull the dull or whatever-ones. Have a great Dahlia season, bye, Lin

Oh, sorry to hear that! I know the pain! I was just checking out hydrangeas at a nursery and the NB blooms looked awesome. I too would be upset to find them all brownish. It sounds like the plant could not supply enough moisture to the blooms fast enough. High temperatures, high winds and low soil moisture could have combined to cause the problem. I once had a similar problem caused by a sprinkler problem that I was not aware of! Luis

Hi calliope! Ours here do the SAME thing. I have been seeing groups of 6-8 Blue Jays flying together across the yard, all of them yelling loudly the whole way. I don't think that the behavior is connected to a hawk here. I noticed it last year when the parents fledged their young. They stayed in and around the yard for a long time, and they would engage in this same screaming Blue Jay posse behavior. I'm not sure why they do it though.

It is GOOD to be back when you all have such nice comments. Thank you! Karen - so far, when we've had guests over to try out the new furniture, they notice the plates before the furniture! So glad, I got them, still wishing they had more but maybe I'll find something similar elsewhere. Letmag - glad you enjoyed the pics - makes it worthwhile posting them! Luvs - it is now my coffee week at work again so of course, did the table (beach theme similar to one I've posted on here without the place settings) and I also made a "Pineapple Fluff" type dessert which they all devoured. The staff do appreciate it so it makes it fun. Jane - I will pass on your compliments to DM. (and the others) She will be surprised she is "on the 'net" and others are seeing her work! Jaybird - DM has about a 10 place setting collection of Silver Birch (?Royal Albert) but she says she is tired of it now. That's why she used the gold/cream plates with it on her table. I feel like going to her house to "play" with the SB as I didn't appreciate it enough when I was growing up - it is a unique pattern with the birch trees on it. DD