Charing House Gardens

Tuber Availability 2012

Olly — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:02:21 +0000

(Updated Jan.14 2012)

The following varieties are SOLD OUT for the 2012 growing season:

Baarn Bounty

Gitts Perfection

Islander

Kelvin Floodlight

Maarn

Peach Brandy

Seduction

Silverado

Valley Porcupine

Vassio Meggos

Additional Varieties for the 2012 Season

Olly — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:56:43 +0000

These varieties that are not listed in our catalogue are available for 2012:

Baron Katie (4″ orangey pink)

Clyde’s Choice (10″ orange dinnerplate)

Elsie Huston (9″ bright pink dinnerplate)

Ferncliff Cameo (5″ soft pink shades)

Gladiator (11″ orange & yellow dinnerplate)

Hy Patti (6″ orange)

Who Dun It (6″ white with purple tips)

Calendar of Events

Olly — Thu, 26 May 2011 06:33:05 +0000

Tuesday February 14 2012: Presentation to the West Carleton Garden Club, 7:30, in the Carp Memorial Hall.

Saturday March 3, 2012: Charing House Gardens sells dahlia tubers at the very popular ‘Seedy Saturday Ottawa’ sale, Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, Britannia Beach, 102 Greenview ave (10 am to 3 pm). Seedy Saturday is primarily a seed sale and exchange, however all businesses and associations of an organic, horticultural or ecological nature have a place. Proceeds for the day will go to Seeds of Diversity Canada.

Monday March 26 2012: Presentation to the Almonte and District Horticultural Society, 7:30, at Cornerstone Community Church, 1728 Concession II.

Tuesday April 10, 2012: Presentation to the Cornwall Horticultural Society.

Monday April 16, 2012: Presentation to the Manotick Horticultural Society, 7:30, in the Main Hall, RCMP Long Island Campground.

Sunday May 13, (Mother’s Day) 2012: Charing House Gardens sells tubers at the Rare and Unusual Plant Sale, at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, 9 am to 1 pm. Located at the parking lot beside the Tropical Greenhouse on Maple Drive at the Central Experimental Farm. Also for sale will be some favourite perennials including Crambe Cordifolia and Beckky Daisies.

Friday August 26 2011: The Flower Cart is up and running every Friday and most Saturdays from now until frost. Generous bouquest are all $10, and can be chosen from the self serve display in my driveway (32 Charing Road, Craig Henry). A money box is located on the end of the cart to leave your payment. Usually everything is set up by noon. Phone 613-226-8112 to reserve a bouquet or request specific colours, or if you have questions.

The best way to get your bouquet home is in the beverage holder of your car. You are welcome to borrow the vase the flowers are in, or an empty cup from the cart. (Don’t forget to add a little water to the cup.) Any donations of old vases you no longer want are appreciated.

The extreme heat has delayed the flowers this year, but there are plenty of buds, and hopefully we will enjoy lots of blooms now that the days are a little cooler. When you stop by the Flower Cart, you are welcome to take a minute to see the dahlia patch. Just follow the path behind the garage to the back hedge. The dahlias are on the other side. The perennial hibiscus are putting on quite a show right now.

Tuesday June 21, 2011: Presentation to the Ottawa Horticultural Society, 7:30 pm. at the Tom Brown Arena.

Saturday June 4 2011: Charing House sells tubers at the Little Italy Market on Preston Street. This will be the final sale of the season, although a few tubers will still be available for those who call or email.

Saturday May 28 2011: Charing House sells tubers at the Great Glebe Garage Sale. Look for the white canopy at 41 Glendale Ave, south of Chamberlain Ave, east of Percy St, north of Renfrew Ave. All bloom sizes will be available, including the dinnerplate extra large types. About 30 varieties in all will be at the sale. Set up and ready for sales by 7 am.

Saturday May 21 2011: Charing House sells tubers at the St. John’s Presbyterian Church Garage Sale Middle Road, Kingston, Ontario.

Saturday May 14 2011: Charing House sells tubers at the Little Italy Market on Preston Street.

Sunday May 8, (Mother’s Day) 2011: Charing House Gardens sells tubers at the Rare and Unusual Plant Sale, at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, 9 am to 1 pm. Located at the parking lot beside the Tropical Greenhouse on Maple Drive at the Central Experimental Farm.

Thursday April 21, 2011: Presentation and tuber sale to the Rockcliffe Park Garden Club, 380 Springfield Road.

Saturday March 5, 2011: Charing House Gardens sells dahlia tubers at the very popular ‘Seedy Saturday Ottawa’ sale, Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, Britannia Beach, 102 Greenview ave (10 am to 3 pm). Seedy Saturday is primarily a seed sale and exchange, however all businesses and associations of an organic, horticultural or ecological nature have a place. Proceeds for the day will go to Seeds of Diversity Canada.

Thursday morning (9:15 am) February 24, 2011: Presentation at Bells Corners United Church. All are welcome! Refreshments served. $2 admission.

August 20 2010 until First Frost: The Flower Cart will be available Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 32 Charing Road, Craig Henry, Nepean. All bouquets are $10, and the Cart is designed as self serve. Leave your money in the locked box, and choose any bouquet. Ring the doorbell or leave a note if you need change, or have questions. The Cart will be set up by 3 pm at the latest. Phone 613-226-8112 to reserve a bouquet for any day of the week.

Sunday May 16, 2010: Tubers are available for sale at the Ottawa Farmers Market, 8 am til 3 pm.

Sunday May 9, 2010: Charing House Gardens demonstrates the planting and growing of dahlia tubers on opening day of the Ottawa Farmers Market, at 1:30 at the demonstration stage. The Market is open from 8 am til 3 pm, and tubers can be purchased throughout the day. The Market is held at Lansdowne Park, Bank Street, in Ottawa, north of the Cattle Castle.

Sunday May 9, 2010: Charing House Gardens sells tubers at the Rare and Unusual Plant Sale, at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, 9 am to 12 noon.

Tuesday April 20, 2010: Presentation to the Stittsville Goulbourn Horticultural Society.

Monday April 19, 2010: Presentation to the Gloucester Horticultural Society.

Thursday evening April 15, 2010: Presentation to the Nepean Horticultural Society.

Thursday afternoon April 15, 2010: Presentation to the Ottawa Garden Club (Rockcliffe Park).

Saturday April 10, 2010: Charing House Gardens has a table for tuber sales at the Ontario Horticultural Society’s Annual Meeting, held in 2010 in Kemptville Ontario.

Sunday March 14, 2010: Charing House Gardens sells dahlia tubers at the ‘J’aime le Bio-équi-table’ (Day of Seed Gatineau) sale, Gatineau City Hall at 25 Laurier St., Gatineau (10 am to 5 pm). There are lots of interesting lectures to take in, all in French. More information at bioequitable.ca

Tuesday March 9, 2010: Presentation to the Champlain Garden Club.

Saturday March 6, 2010: Charing House Gardens sells dahlia tubers at Seedy Saturday Ottawa sale, Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, Britannia Park (10 am to 3 pm).

Tuesday November 10, 2009: Presentation ‘Growing Dahlias in Ottawa’ to the Old Ottawa South Garden Club.

Friday September 11, 2009: Dahlia Tea at Charing House Gardens. Walk through the gardens to see the dahlias. Enjoy a cup of tea as florist Sue Courtney demonstrates simple dahlia arrangements.

Tuesday September 8, 2009: Presentation to the UCW at Christ United Church in Lyn Ontario.

Saturday August 29, 2009: The Quebec Dahlia Society visits the gardens. This bus load of dahlia fans is from the Montreal area.

Monday, March 16, 2009: Presentation to the Russell Horticultural Society.

Tuber Availability 2011

Olly — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:40:42 +0000

(Updated May 4 2011)

The following varieties are SOLD OUT for the 2011 growing season:

Baarn Bounty

Emperor

Fleurel

Gitts Perfection

Islander

Kelvin Floodlight

Swan’s Sunset

Valley Porcupine

Notes on Starting Tubers Ahead, and Staking Plants

Olly — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:30:16 +0000

STARTING TUBERS AHEAD OF PLANTING: If you pot up the tubers about 6 weeks ahead of the frost free date in your area, you will have nice sized plants to plant out when that time comes. This will advance the first blooming date by about five weeks, which is a great thing to do! Dahlias will keep blooming until frost so lengthening the season up front will give you lots more blooms. I suggest you use pots about 6″ or more in size, and line each with two sheets of newspaper, leaving the paper above the pot’s edge. Keep the soil just slightly moist, but not wet. When you plant them out, remove the newspaper keeping the soil ball in tact, causing the least disruption to the root system possible. Plant it, paper and all, so that you have three or so inches of soil above the tuber when in the ground. It need not be that deep in the starter pot, especially if it is a large tuber.
STAKING: I am ‘real estate’ challenged here, so I want my plants to grow tall rather than wide. I always stake my plants, and even prune a little to encourage height. If you have several sprouts from one tuber, it will naturally take a bushier shape. If you reduce it to one strong sprout, it will tend to grow taller. Some of the dinnerplates can get a stalk the size of your wrist, if reduced to one stem. I usually remove the bottom few leaves once the plant gets to be 18″ or so high, so that it continues to grow taller. This makes it easier to apply fertilizer close to the base as well, but it does allow the soil to dry faster close to the plant. The need to stake also depends on how sheltered from the wind your location is, and how vigilant you are with fertilizer and picking. Extra potassium rich fertilizer will strengthen stems to some degree, but I haven’t found it to work as well as staking. Those big blooms are so heavy. I lose some to wind or rain even when I am constantly tying and wiring. My location is wide open to the wind. You are best to put in a stake when you plant (one or two rebar work well), so that you don’t risk piercing the tuber when doing it later. Olly at CHG

Jill Hopkins

Question Submitted on 2011/02/10 at 6:06am

The site is so well set up. Thank you for that and for making me think of summer in the garden, in the depths of winter.
Is it necessary to stake plants with the 8 to 10 inch blooms? Is there any advantage to starting the tubers inside and then placing them out when danger of frost has passed? Thank you.

Charing House Favourites for 2011

Olly — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 03:25:09 +0000

The following varieties are the top recommendations from our collection for the 2011 season. They are listed in order of their success in the unusual growing season of 2010, when June saw temperatures in the 30′s for several days which appeared to shock or stunt some varieties. Cut flower popularity (long strong stems, sought-after colour, and bloom longevity), plant vigor, abundance of bloom, and tuber production and stability have all been considered. Please keep in mind that all our dahlias are grown in Ottawa Valley heavy clay soil with little amendment, and differing soils will impact results. More varieties may be added as the tubers are prepared for sale over the next few months.

Minnesota
Maarn
Seduction
Mystique
Garden Festival
Karma Lagoon
Wanda’s Aurora
Ferncliff Tango
Marry Me
Chimicum Kate
Vassio Meggos
Ferncliff Copper

CBC Radio Interview

Olly — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:29:49 +0000

An interview with Olly about Charing House Gardens aired on June 1st, 2009 on CBC Radio One’s Ontario Today.

Listen to the segment

Additional Varieties for the 2011 Season

Olly — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:26:54 +0000

These varieties that are not listed in our catalogue are available for 2011.

Ben Huston (10″ light orange dinnerplate)

Bride to Be ( 4″ white waterlily)

Chimicum Katie (4″ bright pink ball)

Clyde’s Choice (10″ orange dinnerplate)

Elsie Huston (9″ bright pink dinnerplate)

Ferncliff Cameo (5″ soft pink shades)

Gladiator (11″ orange & yellow dinnerplate)

Hy Patti (6″ orange)

Intrigue (4″ coral)

Marry Me (6″ soft pink & white)

Oretti Ella (5″ mauve pink with yellow tinge)

Who Dun It (6″ white with purple tips)

CBC Radio Interview September 27, 2010

Olly — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 23:09:13 +0000

Click the link below to listen to our most recent CBC interview. This one is about the Charing House Gardens Flower Cart.

http://charinghousegardens.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/CBC_DahliaLady_2010.mp3

The Flower Cart for 2010 Season

Olly — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 13:51:48 +0000

The Flower Cart will be available most days at 32 Charing Road, Craig Henry, Nepean from around noon until dark. When frost comes, the season will be over for the year. Generous colour-coordinated bouquets are displayed in vases for you to choose from. All bouquets are $10, and the Cart is designed as self serve. Leave your money in the locked box, and choose any bouquet. Ring the doorbell or leave a note if you need change, or have questions. Phone 613-226-8112 to reserve a bouquet for any day of the week, or if you have questions.

The Flower Cart provides a way for friends, neighbours, and the public to purchase fresh cut dahlias at a low price, allowing everyone to enjoy flowers in their home. The support and interest in the Flower Cart is greatly appreciated!