Dahlias Brighten Fall Gardens

Chester gardeners are mindful of the need to be prepared for all kinds of weather but, having enjoyed a pleasant warm September, most of us were caught by surprise when a sudden, unseasonable, hard frost hit our gardens on the night of October 6th. The photos in this post were taken by CGC member Myra earlier  that day, with no hint of the sad spectacle that would greet her the next morning -  limp blooms drooping  from their stems and leaves blackened and lifeless.  We are posting a selection of her photos as a reminder of the beautiful blooms that we did enjoy in our gardens before Thanksgiving, which arrived three days later and brought summer temperatures again; alas, too late for any dahlia fans.

Critchton Honey (ball type)

Camano Choice

White Cactus type (name unknown)

Yellow Baby (pompom type)

Master Michael (pompom type)

Zorro (informal decorative type, about 10 inches diameter) 

Looking ahead, members are reminded of the forthcoming meeting on October 17th, at which artist Sharon Boyd will hold a workshop on creating decorative garden stones. The event will begin at 7 pm and will be held at the usual location -  St. Stephen's Parish Community Centre in Chester.