April 29, 2024
Today’s post will be about one of my absolute favorite hobbies of all, gardening. Much of my gardening has been a series of experiments, complete with lots of failures but many joys along the journey.
Disclaimer: I am NOT a professional gardener, so take or leave what I say with a big grain of pink Himalayan salt (wink, wink).
Regenerative Gardening With Blossom and Branch, a new-to-me YouTube channel, has been a tremendous inspiration and help to me. Check out Briana's videos on zinnias and dahlias for professional advice and ideas!
Many years ago a friend introduced me to zinnias, and ever since that wonderful day, I have been hooked on this humble, vibrant flower.
Why do I love zinnias so much?
--They are hardy and don’t require lots of fussy maintenance.
--They love sun which we have plenty of here in SC.
--They are easy to grow from seed and are thus very cost-effective.
--Their lush and unstructured form is the ideal look for a cottage garden.
--They make excellent cut flowers.
Need I go on?
Even though I have been planting zinnias for years, I loved the tips and advice from Regenerative Gardening. Briana advised planting the zinnias in shallow furrows formed with the hand (which I have tried this year). I am excited for a more organized approach instead of my usual scattering of seeds.
Briana also taught that zinnias are ideal for poor soil. When I heard that nugget of wisdom, my mind immediately thought of the hard, nutrient-lacking soil by our barn which I have been wrestling for years to little avail. I am hopeful that zinnias will grow and maybe even thrive in that desolate spot.
So now I move on to a new-to-me flower...dahlias.
Last summer a friend shared a stunning bouquet of her home-grown flowers. The dahlias in that bouquet intrigued me, and a seed was planted in my mind to attempt this flower in my own garden. So I bought dahlias from Aldi and Walmart, and I am excited to plant them! Thus far, I’ve planted some dahlias in my front flower garden, but the remainder will call one of our new raised beds home.
From a basic search on this delightful flower, I’ve discovered that dahlias are trickier to grow than zinnias. Dahlias grow from tubers (like a mini sweet potato), and they require certain conditions—not too cold over the winter and not too much water. Many gardeners in cold regions dig up their dahlias and store them in a temperature-controlled environment over the winter. Honestly, such industry does not interest me as a busy mom, and I am hoping to leave my dahlias in their earthy homes over the mild SC winter (fingers crossed).
I'm excited to see how the dahlias do in my garden!
Thanks for joining me for a little gardening chatter! Do you like to garden? If so, what are you growing this season? I’d love to hear!
-Ashley
Personal Disclosure
As the author of Ashley Qurollo Blog, all opinions are my own. Any possible applications are universal in nature, not directed at any one individual or people group. My sincere desire is to help others by sharing what I am learning. Nothing stated on this blog is ever intended to hurt others. Ashley Qurollo, owner of Ashley Qurollo Blog and Website, is not held liable in any way for any application of the ideas and thoughts stated here.
#gardening #gardens #garden #flowers #flower #grow #plant #planting #plants #outside #outdoors #air #sky #grass #green #sun #sunchine #sc #southcarolina #state #house #home #family #kids #children #ashleyqurollo #ashleyqurollomusic #frugal #zinnias #dahlias #zinnia #dahlia #new #tennisshoes #capris #black #green #white #pink #sidewalk #mom #sahm #motherhood #industry #regenerativegardening #regenerative #blossomandbranch #sweetpotato #tuber #tubers #winter #spring #summer #tips #hobby #favorite #experiment #joy #journey #failure #success #professional #not #himalayansalt #salt #pink #grain #shallow #furrow #hand #approach #organized #organize #cottagegarden #cottage #cottagecore #cottagelook #cottagedecor #farmhouse #farm #house #cozy #beauty #lovely #joy #enjoy #joyful #life #living #simple #frugal #intentional
Zinnias...so pretty. Thank you for inspiring me!