As we are almost into September the temperatures have finally dropped enough for my sweet peas to bloom. They were an impulse purchase, reduced to clear at the DIY superstore when I was buying yet more paint. In all honesty they were planted too late, in too small pots and then were unfortunately hit with the heatwave we experienced this summer.
Apparently, high temperatures cause sweet peas to pause their flower production, they prefer cool nights and cool days, so that would be a normal English summer! But finally, yes, they are blooming.
Another impulse purchase of desperation back in May were some random dahlia tubers. They too have eventually begun to bloom displaying ‘surprise’ colours mostly neither colour combinations nor shades I would choose if picking from a dahlia catalogue.
The very dark red ones are fine and can stay, but I have been busy in the backyard ticketing the rest, yellow, messy yellows and muddled pinks as ones for the compost at the end of the season. Somehow they just made the dreary backyard (not even a work in progress as yet) look even more of a dump. However, when I chopped off all the flowers and brought them in (any flowers indoors are better than no flowers at all) I was genuinely surprised that they made a passable arrangement.
Now I have the dilemma of whether to keep them or not. Mmm, actually that will be probably not. If I had more space or an allotment where I could grow flowers just for cutting I would, but in such a small backyard all plants will have to work hard for their space and fit into my overall scheme.
Oh yes, there will be an overall scheme, but, deep sigh, it is all going to have to wait at least another year.
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Agnes Ashe 
Yes, your dahlias look fine in a vase, but they are a flower I have never learnt to love. Too stylised and structured for me I think. Sweet peas though. I’m glad they came good in the end.
I do love dahlias for the end of summer, they just keep going and going until first frost, but usually I am very picky over which ones I have. My favourite is Nuit d’Eté. It’s a freer, spiky, cactus dahlia and is a very dark red, a complete opposite to these suspect, yellowy things. It was an ever hopeful purchase and a lesson learnt!
The ones in the vase, I think maybe they need to be viewed as close up and make a poor impression in a mass, I can see that. But your photo shows them off to perfection. A very elegant old fashioned look I think they have. Charming.
Yes, in a mass in the yard they simply look a mess. The photograph is doing what photos do, it is telling a lie – it is the plain, black background contrasting with them that, I think, makes the flowers look better. I agree with you old fashioned and charming, but in a vase on my kitchen table they don’t look great. 😐 I must do better next year! 😊
I’m still marveling that despite their relative insipidity, you make them look distinct and with personality. You saw that in them and brought it out. The photo is paying them a compliment. I love that.
Ah that’s very nice of you say that. 😌
I see what you’ve done with the black background, but they looked perfect for me. Of course, if you gave me the choice, then I go for red, yellow/gold and/or purple.
Well, I most certainly agree with you about the red on this occasion – almost as good as a dark red rose only no scent!