The Potted Patch

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The Potted Patch Australian boutique home nursery specialising in Dahlias, Cactus and Succulents

It's not quite warm enough yet for the dahlias, but my little Magnolia is in full bloom. This was planted approx 9mth ag...
11/10/2026

It's not quite warm enough yet for the dahlias, but my little Magnolia is in full bloom. This was planted approx 9mth ago, a potted nursery plant which was approx 30cm tall, unfortunately I list the label and can't remember the variety. It's a dwarf variety which is now happily growing in a large half w**e barrell. Its now a good 1mtr high, and in full-bloom.

Dahlia planting starts in 2 weeks! Stay tuned....

Waking tubers for cuttings.Last week (approx 8 days ago) I put some of my favourite Dahlia varieties into damp potting m...
26/09/2026

Waking tubers for cuttings.

Last week (approx 8 days ago) I put some of my favourite Dahlia varieties into damp potting mix on a heat mat to start sprouting for cuttings, prior to the tubers being planted out in late Oct/early Nov.

The pics below show a few with eyes starting to sprout, as well as one over achiever that already has several sets of leaves and will be ready for a cutting to be taken next week.

Handy hint...tubers sprout best in the dark...so initially I have them on the heat mat closed in the grow tent, with lots of humidity but no light. Once sprouted, I shift them to the other grow tent under UV light for 16 hr per day to encourage root development and leafy growth.

I often get asked why I take cuttings and dont just plant them now? Cuttings allow me to easily increase the number of plants of my favourite varieties. Secondly, our days are warm but nights are still getting down to only a couple of degrees so there is not enough consistency in soil temps just yet, which is best for optimal plant growth & development.

Planting later in optimal conditions results in healthier plants.

While most of my Dahlias are planted in raised beds, a few dozen are in pits, which I only dig & divide 2 yearly and are stored under cover until the nights warm up. As you can see below, the pitted tubers are up & going already, in comparison to my tubers in storage which are still dormant.

Happy growing everyone.

Can you grow rhubarb in pots? Absolutely!!! This is a second season seedling that is loving its pot....my dirty gumboot ...
20/09/2026

Can you grow rhubarb in pots? Absolutely!!! This is a second season seedling that is loving its pot....my dirty gumboot joined the photo for size/scale of these giant leaves....

Dahlia 'Breannon'. By no means is this variety a unicorn here in Australia...it can commonly be found in a majority of D...
28/08/2026

Dahlia 'Breannon'. By no means is this variety a unicorn here in Australia...it can commonly be found in a majority of Dahlia growers beds. Whilst common, it's a trooper, consistently producing masses of small decorative blooms approx 10-12cm wide. Colouring includes a blend of dusty salmon/pink/apricot/lemon/coral which for me, vary slightly across the blooming season with temperature changes. For me, Breannon continues blooming non-stop right up until the first frosts. Good stems, and not a fussy grower. A great producer of tubers which store well over winter.

The only thing to be wary of with this variety is that with so many growing and sharing Breannon, genetic quality of stock in tbe market varies considerably. There is a high level of poorer quality stock in circulation which is prone to green centres and early blown centres in blooms. Reports indicate that Breannon may tend to lose its genetic integrity over the years earlier than many other varieties. When purchasing tubers, I would recommend requesting photos of the bloom quality from the most recent growing season.

I have been growing Breannon for many years due to its long and prolific blooming season, with colours that blend well stuffed in a vase with almost any other variety. You don't need to spend $$$ chasing down rare varieties in the annual tuber hunger games to have reliable beautiful blooms. Many of the cheaper, common and easily accessible varieties are just as beautiful.

Happy growing everyone.......

Despite being the middle of winter and still getting frosts with many nights below zero, my Dahlia compost pile is award...
16/08/2026

Despite being the middle of winter and still getting frosts with many nights below zero, my Dahlia compost pile is awarded 10/10 for eagerness......

Introducing Dahlia 'Parklea KB'. This lovely mini dec was bred here in Australia. It might not be a giant, blouse unicor...
09/08/2026

Introducing Dahlia 'Parklea KB'. This lovely mini dec was bred here in Australia. It might not be a giant, blouse unicorn, but I feel is much under-rated. For me, this variety is such a consistent performer, lots of blooms throughout the season, stores well over winter, and is not a precious or needy grower, so is a great one for new growers add to the patch.

The deep Autumn tones vary for me through my flowering season in our e treme temps, but holds well even in the 40+ degree sun. The colours pair well in a vase with any other red, oranges, yellows, creams, whites, reds. My favourite thing about this variety is its long, straight stems. The attached photo was taken at the very end of the season so centres were blowing early and this bloom was presenting clock faced, but throughout the rest of the season produced full, 90 degree blooms. It was also one of the last to be blooming as the frosts kicked in. Also a decent tuber producer.

A highly recommend variety to add to your list, and generally easy enough to source.

Happy growing everyone....

01/08/2026

In the middle of winter I really miss the beautiful blooms! It won't be long & we will be on the countdown to spring which means getting ready to prepare mulch & soil for planting.

In the meantime, it's the perfect time for planning which tubers will be planted in the upcoming season. So many favourites it's hard to decide which make the list and which don't.

Hoping to play with more seedlings as well this year. Whilst most of them end up in the compost, at least seedling take up very little room so you can cram lots in the the same amount of space as a few full sized dahlia plants.

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as I share some more of my fave varieties from last growing season that have definitely earned place in next seasons plan.

Time to start re-potting the winter succulents and their offspring. Started with this poor Sedum 'Little Missy' who was ...
27/06/2026

Time to start re-potting the winter succulents and their offspring. Started with this poor Sedum 'Little Missy' who was accidentally left hanging directly in our 40+ degree summer sun.....šŸ˜¬ oops.

The lovely growth from last season was burnt to a crisp, but these guys are tough and as soon as the Autumn weather kicked in, so did the healthy new growth. Today it was time for a tidy up and shifting a bit deeper into the greenhouse away from the frost.

Stay tuned over the next week as I get into separating and re-potting some of the other beauties I'm excited to share.....

Happy growing everyone.

Love this hairy chonky fellow......
12/06/2026

Love this hairy chonky fellow......

While the Dahlias are sleeping for winter, I take the opportunity to separate and repot our succulents. So each week ove...
12/06/2026

While the Dahlias are sleeping for winter, I take the opportunity to separate and repot our succulents. So each week over the coming months in addition to introducing some of my favorite Dahlia varieties, I will also post a selection of our succulents,

Today I start with a cactus, and this little super hairy fellow is a fave of mine. I received it as a baby 2 years ago in a mystery box, he is now chunky & 20cm tall and looking like he is well rugged up for winter dormancy.

Happy growing everyone.

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PO Box 8082
Wodonga, VIC
3690

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