dahlia monoculture fix?
Diane Whitehead (Sat, 20 Aug 2005 17:07:37 PDT)

I'm on the board of a public garden that has a dahlia test garden run
by a volunteer group. Looks fine when the dahlias are blooming, but
the rest of the year it's an eyesore. We get a lot of visitors even
in midwinter, so I'd like some ideas for what to grow the rest of the
year.

The club digs out their dahlias after frost, which doesn't leave much
time for something to get going and be respectable in winter and
spring. I had thought of doing a "rice-straw revolution" sowing of
something early in fall, but I'm sure the digging of the tubers would
destroy most seedlings.

They come in again in mid-May, rototill and plant the new dahlias.

Our usual pbs suggestions of companion planting for bulbs is for
bulbs that will remain in the garden, so perennials and small shrubs
can be grown. That won't work with dahlias, though.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

--
Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8
cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually)
sandy soil