What a lovely time of year this is! We gardeners are so anxious to get out in the garden. You might want to start your spring planting with some hardy shrubs. The rock roses (Cistus) are great candidates. They vary in size and color – flower colors are white and shades of pink.

It’s so reassuring to plant perennials that promise to return year after year. They’re just starting to fill up the bins at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Delphiniums are gorgeous plants in colors white to darkest blue. We stock them in 4″ plants, 6 packs, gallons and even have a few 12″ specimens. These plants seem to thrive in heavy soils but be on the lookout for earwigs!

The North County loves vegetables! Tomatoes top the list of desired plants. There are just too many varieties to be able to carry them all but we try to order the ones that are favorites. The old timers are Early Girl, Celebrity, Better Boy, Sweet 100 and Sungold. Juliet, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim and San Marzano also seem to have a following.

What’s happening in the shade house at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero? We have a striking new Heuchera from Monrovia. It’s named ‘Red Lightning’ and will surely light up your shady area! The leaf colors on these plants are ever expanding. The plain old green varieties sport charming bell flowers and also merit a place in your shade garden.

A jumbo pack of strawberries seem to go hand in hand with a cart full of vegetables. It’s hard to surpass home grown strawberries. Varieties include Seascape, Chandler, Sequoia and Albion. Although some are classified as everbearing they tend to peter out in the hot summers. A crop of delicious early berries is still worth the effort. We also have other berries in small quart pots including blueberries at Bay Laurel Garden Center.

Summer annuals brighten your borders and containers. Calibrachoas (million bells) are always a favorite. The color palette expands endlessly! We have hanging baskets of these lovelies or you can make up your own at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Check out the marigolds, petunias, sweet peas, Cleome, and nasturtiums among others.

New houseplants are arriving every week at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. We have some handsome specimens. The fiddle leaf figs (Ficus lyrata) have been very popular – some of them require a very tall ceiling! We have lots of smaller plants for the more moderate consumer.

We’ve added some new items specifically targeted for hydroponic growers at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Most hydroponic enthusiasts tend to grow marijuana or tomatoes. However, some of these products contain bacteria and mycorrhizae which can be beneficial for any grower.

As the bareroot trees slowly recede into the horizon Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero turns green! It’s an ongoing process with new plants arriving weekly. Early blooming shrubs include Genista (Sweet Broom), Forsythia, Ornamental Quince and Coleonema (Breath of Heaven). We also have some lovely deciduous Magnolias.

The vegetable season is ongoing at Bay Laurel Garden Center. We have some giant artichoke plants. You can plant lettuce, broccoli, celery, herbs and lots more. Search the internet for recipes for Escarole (it’s big in Italy). And we finally succumbed to the tomato devotees and brought in a limited number of 6 packs and some 4″. Strawberries are here in jumbo packs.

For tomatoes beware the cold night temperatures of March – or even possibly April. If you have a greenhouse, you’re safe. Otherwise be prepared to cover them. A couple of solutions are available at Bay Laurel Garden Center. We have sheets of row cover. The other protection is “Kozy Coats”, formerly known as Walls of Water. These water filled reservoirs will protect the plants and can be kept on until the weather warms. Each package contains 3 coats and they can be used for several years.

Perhaps you neglected to plant all the glorious fall bulbs that should be blooming now. We can help at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. We have plants of Ranunculus and Italian Anemones. And we have small containers with dwarf daffodils and violas.

This is a great time to fertilize and there are quite a few options. We stock Down to Earth organic fertilizers for fruit trees, citrus, vegetables and more. A popular local product is Black Diamond worm castings. This product will maximize the effects of your fertilizer. Many soils lack sufficient iron, or they require more acidity; we have solutions. Gypsum will help break down heavy clay soils.

A few more early spring inspirations for your landscape. Erysimum ‘Sunstrong Violet’ is available in 3 sizes at Bay Laurel Garden Center. It sports bright violet purple flowers, needs minimum irrigation and blooms when you most need it! Pair it with some dark purple Osteospermum and white Iberis (candy tuft).

Dahlia tubers have been very popular and therefore we have ordered more at Bay Laurel Garden Center. A new offering this year are the cold hardy bulbs of the orchid Bletilla. The pink flowers will bloom for about 6 weeks in spring or early summer and the plants become dormant in winter. Bletilla requires at least part shade and does well as a container plant. We also have some lovely, fragrant lily bulbs. If you’re planting bulbs or tubers in the ground we highly recommend using wire baskets. We have some new very sturdy quart baskets.

The potting of bareroot fruit trees has begun at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. If you have trees on order to pick up or wish to buy those still bareroot, hesitate no longer!

Ceanothus, one of the most spectacular native California shrubs is about to burst forth! This drought tolerant shrub has brilliant blue flowers as well as white and light blue. We recommend using Ceanothus as an accent as it can be a bit temperamental, often living only 5 to 7 years.

The bare root season has been in full swing for a month at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero – many delicious varieties remain. Please call us at (805) 466-3449 to check availability. Rain can complicate gardening, but we remind you to spray the peaches and nectarines with copper in between the showers. A sticker spreader will help keep the spray on the tree.

Bare root roses are no longer available this spring at Bay Laurel Garden Center. We do, however, pot them in biodegradable pots so you can plant them without disturbing the roots. If the rose of your choice is sold out we will order additional varieties later in the season. Please call us at (805) 466-3449 to check availability.

More delights to fill your cupboard – vegetables! Lettuce is in high demand and we’ve brought in lots more at Bay Laurel Garden Center. We also have 4 inch and gallon artichokes and jumbo packs of strawberries.

Potato lovers rejoice. You will find the inspiration for any potato recipe with our potato starts. The selection includes French fingerling, German butter ball, Purple majesty, Russet Burbank and more. Garlic mashed potatoes? Add some California garlic or Elephant garlic bulbs to your shopping list at Bay Laurel Garden Center.

Take advantage of the rain – spread the seeds of our native wildflowers about. We have packages large and small of California poppies and mixes of native California wildflowers. Great for ground cover are white and strawberry clover in 1 pound packages.

There’s never a month without California native plants in the nursery. Newly arrived at Bay Laurel Garden Center are 1 and 5 gallon Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia). A tough plant with many attributes – glossy leaves, evergreen, bright red berries and extremely drought tolerant. The deer may nibble at the bottom leaves but you can trim the shrub into a standard tree. A native iris Iris x Pacifica ‘Native Warrior’ sports raspberry red flowers.

Summer flowering bulbs are here at Bay Laurel Garden Center. We have a great selection of dinner plate dahlias. None of the growers are offering them in containers later in the season so now is the time to purchase the tubers. The large, colorful flowers are quite spectacular. The plants require good soil and regular fertilizer. It’s important to head them back when young to ensure strong, full plants.

The Italian Anemones are a great improvement over the old varieties. The flowers are much larger and display more dramatic colors. We don’t have a source for the tubers but have received 4 inch containers from Premier Color Nursey. The current selections are ‘Blue’, ‘Bordeaux’ (dark fuchsia) and ‘Tiger Wine’.

The popular ground cover thyme has returned. Currently in stock at Bay Laurel Garden Center are flats of pink, red and elfin thyme. Elfin is the tightest of the three. It’s great to plant in between stepping stones and unlike the other two it seldom flowers.

Bareroot trees take over Bay Laurel Nursery in January! Planting time is now – plant your orchard with the bounty of the season and there are lots of great trees to be found. For apples we still have lots of Pink Lady. Its many attributes include the tart-sweet flavor, crispness, attractiveness, size and the fact that it’s one of the last to ripen. Add to that, it’s self fruitful and is adapted to diverse climates.

One of the newest varieties of fruit trees developed are the inter-specific hybrids. A big word to describe hybrids of two different types of fruit. The pluots, apriums and plumcots have been around for quite a while. New arrivals are the pluerries – a cross between plum and cherry. All these varieties are quite unique and very tasty.

Don’t wait too long to make your bare root choices from our bare root website. You can visit the website https://baylaurelnursery.com/order-online.html to get the latest availability info. Of course you can also come into Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. If you are unable to plant at this time, you may reserve your plants to pick up at a later date.

No better month than January to sharpen the pruning shears and have at it. Most fruit trees benefit greatly from judicious pruning. The specific needs vary from fruit to fruit. The most important time to prune is when the trees are young so as to give them a good structure to build on. We have a great small book available at the nursery. You can also visit the Dave Wilson site –https://www.davewilson.com/home-garden/backyard-orchard-culture/. This is an extensive primer on fruit tree pruning.

Beautiful bareroot roses to tempt you at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero! A great array – hybrid teas, floribundas, climbers, shrubs, miniatures. And not listed on the web site, tree roses in three sizes. A special type, “Romantica” from Star Roses are similar to the old-fashioned full and fragrant ones. These, however, bloom much more frequently. Hybrid teas are much touted for cut flowers. Floribundas come in clusters and tend to bloom non-stop. Go to our Fruit Trees Online website at https://baylaurelnursery.com/order-online.html for pictures and availability.

Roses tend to grow quickly in our area. Once the branches have added 2 to 3 inches, apply fertilizer. Ones that have at least 10% phosphorous are best for promoting bloom. If fungus problems including black spot, mildew or rust are prevalent, spray with products such as Neem oil. This is also a great time to prune roses. We have some gloves to protect your arms from those prickly thorns!

Most peaches and nectarines are susceptible to a fungus commonly called Peach Leaf Curl. This fungus distorts the leaves and fruit and can kill very young trees. We carry the spray Liqui-Cop, the suggested remedy. It’s best to spray 2 to 3 times during the dormant season – the most important right before the buds open. You can purchase it in 3 sizes including one that attaches to your hose, great for treating larger orchards.

This week we are expecting an influx of bedding plants to bring color back into the landscape at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. These cold hardy plants include pansies, violas, snapdragons, stock and primulas. We will also have Iceland poppies and California poppies in 6 packs. Additionally, we are expecting seed packs of California native wild flowers.

Vegetables? Yes-they’re arriving at Bay Laurel Garden Center. You can still get a planting of cool season vegetables in the ground. Expect several varieties of lettuce including green oak leaf. You might want to try the new Swiss chard named ‘Celebration’. We added to our strawberry collection jumbo packs of the everbearing types ‘Quinalt’ and ‘Eversweet’. And we have bareroot rhubarb and 4″ plants of artichokes.

It’s that “Let’s celebrate and be jolly” time of year. We’re here to help at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. We don’t have any mulled cider or hand warmers to sell but we do have some plants to add to the holiday good cheer. As pictured, handsome wreaths. Live Christmas trees from tiny to tall can be set indoors for a couple of weeks and then added to your garden décor and enjoyed for many years.

You couldn’t have a proper holiday without a colorful Poinsettia or two in the house. We have 6″ and 4″ plants in several colors at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Christmas cactus have also arrived.

As promised we have a substantial supply of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, figs and pomegranates ready to purchase and plant at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Blueberries are somewhat demanding as they require an acidic soil which you would have a hard time finding here! Amendments are the solution. The many varieties of blackberries fall into semi-upright and trailing types, qualities which determine where to plant them. They do best with rich organic soil and adequate moisture. Bumper Crop is our very popular organic amendment to enrich your soil.

Two items no longer available as bareroot are strawberries and artichokes. Both, however are still available as plants at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. We have some very nice 4″ artichokes and both 4″ and six packs of strawberries, including the very small but tasty white alpine strawberries.

Two contrasting succulents – both cold hardy and popular anytime of the year. The first, ‘Ogon’, is a great brightener for shady areas. ‘Chocolate Ball’ is one of the newest varieties – its yellow flowers go nicely with the chocolate colored leaves.

A few suggestions for holiday gifts at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. When all else fails, there’s always a Bay Laurel Garden Center gift certificate!

Good enough to eat? We’re not sure – but they look awfully cute in a container. The weather may be a bit chilly but we have lots of tough guys to withstand it at Bay Laurel Garden Center. In addition to all the lovely annuals including calendula, pansies, violas and stock, you can add some perennials to the mix. We have 4″ hollyhocks, delphiniums, ‘Hot Lips’ Salvia and lots more.

At this time of year it’s great to have some red berries for decoration. Our native Toyon (Heteromeles) can oblige. Pyracantha is always a great source. Some manzanitas are in bloom now – a good food source for hummingbirds in these chilly days.

There is some activity going on in the shade house at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. We have added 4″ primroses to the 6 packs. Additionally you will find 4″ Cyclamen. The Camellia for the season, ‘Yuletide’, is present as well. Taking a break from the holiday plants are some lovely 1 gallon Foxgloves.

Fill your garden with these cold hardy lovelies at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. Pansies and violas are always at the top of list – there’s so much diversity! Some of the newest varieties include ‘Tiger Eye’ viola and ‘Midnight Glow’ pansy. A welcome change from the yellow and orange Calendula is ‘Ivory Princess’ allowing for a more subtle tone into the mix. Lots more choices include ornamental kale and cabbage, Linaria, sweet peas, stock plus Cyclamen and English primroses for the shade.

Many perennials die totally down to the ground but others keep up their appearance. For instance – Euphorbias. These hardy plants are among the first to bloom in the spring. Cut down the spent flower stalks and witness new growth for the next spring and summer. The ever popular Greggii type Salvias (ie.’Hot Lips’) do stay above ground but should be pruned to prevent woodiness. The same is true for Lavender. A few more examples of evergreen perennials include Gazanias, Scabiosas and Teucrium.

The bareroot season looms ever closer. We normally receive berries, figs and pomegranates near the end of November at Bay Laurel Garden Center. They are mostly in small pots and not technically “bareroot”. Again, just a reminder to order your bareroot plants before they sell out. Check the web site for current availability – https://www.baylaurelnursery.com

California natives are still in good supply at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. One of the more unusual evergreen shrubs is Peritoma, formerly named Isomeris. The plant has finely divided leaves and sports bright yellow flowers in late summer. The common name, Bladder Pod, refers to the unusual seed pots which form in fall. We are expecting some 1 gallon Matilija poppies this week. These can be difficult to establish but fall is certainly the most auspicious time for planting them.

Vegetables still arriving weekly at Bay Laurel Garden Center. New ones this week include two varieties of Kale and the newest vegetable entry, Brokali. We have snap peas; plant them now and wait till spring for them to shoot up and produce. The same is true for ornamental sweet peas. The weather will soon take down basil but you might want to grow some in a sunny window. You can use the microwave to dry the leaves.

A few samples of our extensive house plant collection – plants large and small – exotic and ordinary at Bay Laurel Garden Center. We have the fern ‘Kimberly Queen’ in 8″ containers. This variety, unlike the old ‘Boston Fern’ is a great improvement in that it does not shed its fronds about indoors!

We’ve already experienced some chilly night temperatures but the lowest is yet to come. Row cover to the rescue! We have 10′ x 12′ sheets to protect your tender plants at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. Also available are hot caps if you have an individual plant such as a small tender succulent.

The really big Amaryllis bulbs are here at Bay Laurel Garden Center. We have plenty of Paper White narcissus. Try the alcohol method to shorten the flower stems. This year we offer Leucojum bulbs, ‘Giant Snowflake’. They flower later than many other bulbs and provide gently swaying bells in white. Christmas trees should be arriving later this month.

The days get shorter and cooler and exciting possibilities tempt the gardener at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. Late blooming perennials extend the season of color. The new hues of Echinacea are definitely tempting. Red Gaillardias are a relatively new addition to the genus and they are a hardy addition to the perennial garden. Salvias also just keep churning out their colorful flowers in so many shades. Salvia chamaedryoides flowers in sky blue and marine blue.

The long awaited fall vegetable starts have arrived at Bay Laurel Garden Center. We’ll keep adding as more become available. Lettuce seems to be on the top of everyone’s list so we’re going for lots of variety. We have artichokes in gallons and 4″ as well as 4″ rhubarb. Don’t forget to throw in a few jumbo packs of strawberries – nothing beats home grown!

We have fall bulbs, of course, at Bay Laurel Garden Center. We have a great selection of daffodils because they have so many great attributes – deer and gopher resistance, year after year performance and a very cheerful demeanor! A couple of new additions this year – wood hyacinths and fritillaria. Arriving later are paper whites and amaryllis.

There is no better time than fall for the planting of California natives. Our selection is extensive at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. Native Salvias vary in size with most bearing lavender flowers in spring. The Clevelandii varieties grow into shrubs up to 3 feet tall. ‘Bee’s Bliss’ is a great ground cover. The white sage has tall flowers up to 5 or 6 feet. Manzanitas are the back bone of a native garden. Varieties on hand include ‘Howard McMinn’, ‘Sunset’, ‘John Dourley’ and more.

Say adieu to the vibrant flowers of summer and embrace their worthy counterparts. What could be more charming than a pansy or viola? And what more dramatic than a plant of dark leaved millet? Add more variety to your fall palette with calendulas, snapdragons, stock, English primroses, and more at Bay Laurel Garden Center!

We assiduously search for deer resistant plants at Bay Laurel Garden Center. We find Euphorbias are an excellent solution. Several varieties are in the genus. Two of the most colorful are ‘Ascot Rainbow’ and ‘Miner’s Merlot’. ‘Tasmanian Tiger’ provides a bright spot in the garden with its white variegation. Euphorbia myrsinites is a very tough ground cover. Most Euphorbias bloom in the very early spring when many other plants are dormant.

Citrus and Avocado trees are on sale at 25% off at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. We have Navel and Valencia oranges and several Mandarins. Avocados include Hass, Lamb-Hass, Fuerte and Pinkerton. None of these plants are ideal for the North County – but they can do well if they receive protection from the frost.

You can now wrap your hands around our 2024 Bareroot Catalog at Bay Laurel Garden Center. And you can also go to https://baylaurelnursery.com and get the latest updates on what is currently available and order online. It’s not too early to order – we have sold out of only a few items. There are rumors of a wet winter so you might want to prepare your soil early so you can just slide your bareroot right into its new home.

Relish the arrival of cool, tolerable weather! Fall is fast approaching and we’ll be stocking lots of cool season vegetables at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. Pictured here is one of the most reliable and colorful Alstroemarias – ‘Indian Summer’. These plants are noted for their long life as cut flowers. A truly 5 star plant!

The traditional days of ivy geraniums in hanging baskets are over. Enter sun loving Lantana and Vinca. Arriving this week at Bay Laurel Garden Center for the shade are the bountiful Begonias in shades of red.

A striking addition to our exotic house plant collection at Bay Laurel Garden Center is Philodendron selloum ‘Gold’. This plant requires bright, indirect light and should be allowed to dry out between waterings. A hard to find plant, Aglaonema “Silver Bay’ has arrived in an 8” container. These plants are very low maintenance and can get by with low light conditions. We’ll definitely attempt to have more when this specimen sells!

Succulents – a very encompassing category! Our selection at Bay Laurel Garden Center includes the large and small. The more diminutive varieties are suited for containers and small ground covers. A couple of new and unusual varieties are ‘Chocolate Ball’ and ‘Atlantis’. Agaves are great for the landscape – drought tolerant and deer resistant. A handsome variety is ‘Quadracolor’.

Keep the color coming! Make sure you have some late blooming perennials in your garden. Small blue daisies top the California native Aster ‘Purple Haze’. It’s a great addition and also a tough one. Currently in stock at Bay Laurel Garden Center is the dark blue flowered Caryopteris. It grows to about 3 feet and is deciduous. Lantanas and Gaillardias should carry on till frost.

Spectacular Hostas for your shady garden. Great variation in the leaf color can really add drama to the landscape. As they will totally disappear in the winter, mind you remember where they’re planted! A new member of the Lysimachia genus is ‘Night Light’. The bright yellow flowers contrast nicely with the dark bronze leaves.

Be a fashionable gardener – we have canvas hats in a rainbow of colors at Bay Laurel Garden Center. We also have gloves including Womenswear. We carry Sloggers shoes and boots and can get just the right size for you.

Look for Choisya ternata in our shade house at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. We wonder why it disappeared from availability in the recent past. It is a very useful plant. Assets include deer resistance, drought tolerance and fragrant flowers in the spring. Finding deer resistant plants is becoming more of a challenge. A couple of additional evergreen shrubs include Boxwood and Myrtus communis compacta.

There’s more summer to come at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero! Temperatures vacillate from high to not as much. Thankfully there are some tough plants that can weather the changes. The ever popular Crape Myrtles are showing their colors – pick your favorite. The new red shades are at the top of the list but you may prefer a softer look – light pink or lavender. We have some very attractive patio trees at this time, but multi-stemmed plants are just as desirable.

Echinacea or cone flowers come alive this time of year. These popular perennials have gone through some real innovations over the past several years. The rosy hued flowers have given way to red, orange and yellow. These hardy plants should be a durable addition to your perennial garden. Don’t forget the gopher cages if applicable.

The summer vegetable planting season is no more. Not true for herbs. We recently received a new infusion at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Pair these with your tomatoes, your squash and eggplant. The regulars include parsley, rosemary, thyme. Not just any thyme. Try English, lemon, the newest variety – ‘Tabor’. This variety is an improved English with larger, dark green leaves. New also is the oregano ‘Zaatar’ or Syrian oregano. It’s used in Middle Eastern cooking. We have French tarragon, basil, and catnip among others. ‘Berggarten’ sage is great for cooking but it along with its variegated mate are both good, tough ornamentals. Lime thyme can also be used as a low growing ground cover.

We love the birds. We feed the birds – but not with the succulent, sweet fruits we labored so hard to produce! Help can be had. Remedies include netting, scare balloons, holographic tape, row cover and inflatable owls. If you’re in need of more fruit trees, our bareroot list should be available in about a month at Bay Laurel Garden Center.

Summer annuals can be looking a bit spent after all this heat. Here are a few good replacements from Bay Laurel Garden Center. Angelonia (summer snapdragons) which come in colors of white, raspberry, blue, purple and bi-colors. Vinca – available in 6 packs, 4″ and hanging baskets. Pentas with star shaped flowers which bloom until frost include shades of violet, red, white and pink.

We’re pleased to have two varieties of the native Asclepias (butterfly weed) on hand in 4″ containers at Bay Laurel Garden Center. These provide the food so important to the Monarch butterfly. Both plants will be drought tolerant when established but give them regular water the first year. Also in the nursery are 4″ containers of the tough Salvia apiana (white sage).

Mick has been busy organizing the Gift House at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. It looks great – check it out when you come by next time. We received some reasonably priced pots from Mexico and have a good supply of Talavera as well.

Many ornamental grasses are in their peak bloom at this time. The very popular Calamagrostis variety ‘Karl Foerster’ is one of them. This grass can eventually grow to 6 feet. Another tall grass with variegated leaves is Miscanthus ‘Cabaret’. Its blooms will appear nearer to fall.

Spring flowering trees have had their moments of glory – it’s time for the summer stars to shine at Bay Laurel Garden Center. The trees that put on a show for this season include Crape Myrtle, Vitex, Chitalpa, Cercidium (Palo Verde) Magnolia and Albizzia (Mimosa). Crape Myrtles are the only trees with a variety of flower colors. They range from white to red with lavender and pink in between. Sizes also vary. To get the perfect color for your garden, buy when in bloom.

Bay Laurel Garden Center is infused with citrus! In spite of the fact that these fruits are not that well suited to the North County, they are very popular! Some of the available varieties include Valencia orange, Dancy tangerine and of course, the most popular of all – Meyer lemon. There are various ways to protect citrus during the cold winter months – Christmas tree lights, row cover or if in a container, moving to the inside. Here’s a link to a very interesting article about the Meyer lemon: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/meyer-lemon

This has been a great year for Dahlias at at Bay Laurel Garden Center. You see three of the lovely varieties we’ve been able to obtain. When planting in the ground be sure to protect them from gophers. Unless you have very heavy soil, it is unnecessary to remove the tubers every year. But no matter where they’re planted we recommend dividing them every 3 to 4 years for better flower production. Shorter varieties are great in containers. When cutting dahlias make a horizontal cut at the bottom of the stems and immerse in 2 to 3 inches of hot water for 1 hour before arranging them.