The First Dahlia Bloom

I am enjoying my very first dahlia bloom of the year. Ironically, it is the only tuber that I didn't pot up. You see, as I was potting up my "Weston Spanish Dancer" tubers, I realized that I only wanted four plants down in the big garden and I had five healthy looking tubers on hand. So on a whim, I walked the extra tuber over to our front flower bed and planted it. I covered it with a small protective cage and then promptly forgot about it. The next time I gave it much notice it had sprouted and was growing larger than the cage. I removed the cage and crossed my fingers. As you can see, the deer have left it alone - so far!- and it is doing beautifully. The front bed receives only morning direct sun, so the colors are staying bright and vibrant on this bloom. The plant is much larger than my four down in the garden and is just covered in buds. It should be a show-stopper in about two weeks - if the deer don't discover it first!