The Birds and the Bees

In case you didn't know, this is what makes my garden grow:

Flowers attract bees and the bees pollinate other things, and all of that craziness contributes to a life cycle that, if I'm lucky, brings me tomatoes and peppers and herbs and all kinds of good stuff.

But some flowers would be worth growing even if they never attracted a pollinator.

These are called dinner-plate dahlias, and I planted two varieties. This one is bright pink, and quite large:


The other one is orange with pink and yellow tones on some petals. The dahlia has an interesting growth pattern, a lot like a sunflower. It puts out a deceptively small bud, which unfolds a petal or two at a time for a couple of days. Only at the end, when the outer petals are starting to die, does the flower reach its full potential.

I planted these badly, because I didn't know any better. Next year, they'll get supports and more space. But even with the constraints of my tiny raised bed and the neglect of 6 weeks without attention, they're going gangbusters and producing a gorgeous bounty.