Susie Ripley Gardening

Susie Ripley Gardening Stories from my Dunedin garden.

My favourite seed grown dahlia 2026.
12/04/2026

My favourite seed grown dahlia 2026.

My new season dahlia seeds are now available on my website. For me growing dahlias from seeds isn't about finding a perf...
11/04/2026

My new season dahlia seeds are now available on my website.

For me growing dahlias from seeds isn't about finding a perfect specimen but about enjoying the vast variation that emerges. Apart from a couple of acid yellows that I pulled out, I loved everything I grew this year. My patch leaned towards pink in colour but there was also apricot, lemon and white. Most forms were singles of various petal shapes along with a few balls that I didn't manage to capture a photo of.

I start my seed inside at the end of August and plant out in November. My seed patch flowered two months before my tubers!

I will have fresh Zinnia seeds for sale next month but now is a good time to save some of your own.
05/04/2026

I will have fresh Zinnia seeds for sale next month but now is a good time to save some of your own.

On my table today, all grown from my seed range (except the elder berrys).Scabiosa Fama WhiteScabiosa ochroleuca Achille...
02/04/2026

On my table today, all grown from my seed range (except the elder berrys).
Scabiosa Fama White
Scabiosa ochroleuca
Achillea Cerise
Achillea millefolium Summer Pastels
Digitalis grandiflora

Piggy Sue (seeds coming for spring). Vigerous grower, delicately scented with long stems perfect for cutting.
27/03/2026

Piggy Sue (seeds coming for spring). Vigerous grower, delicately scented with long stems perfect for cutting.

Dusk.
24/03/2026

Dusk.

Autumn magic.
24/03/2026

Autumn magic.

At the very bottom of my property, a mini meadow has grown from the previous years compost pile. It had Poppies, Corncoc...
22/03/2026

At the very bottom of my property, a mini meadow has grown from the previous years compost pile. It had Poppies, Corncockle (Agrostemma) and Orlaya in spring, the Dara (Chocolate Lace Flower) and Lupins have been constant all summer and a few weeks ago Succisa pratensis started flowering. I have had to w**d out a few unwanted plants but mostly I've loved whats popped up.

This area turns into a bog during winter. We have underground springs to thank for this so anything that grows here must survive the wet. I was very happy to learn that Succisa pratensis or Devil's Bit Scabious like the wet so hopefully it will still be there in spring. Seeds for this lovely bee friendly perrenial will be in my next seed release.

I have one last area to turn from grass to garden and as you can see in the last couple of photos, I've been laying down my cuttings including lots of dried seedheads. It's stopping the grass from growing and breaking down to make lovely new soil. I've enlisted the help of my neighbours chooks to help things along and they are doing a stella job.

A new favourite for me, Scabiosa atropurpureum 'Oxford Blue'. I'm starting my hardy annual seed sowing this week and I...
21/03/2026

A new favourite for me, Scabiosa atropurpureum 'Oxford Blue'. I'm starting my hardy annual seed sowing this week and I will be sowing lots of these.

Cosmos Apricotta 🩷🧡
23/02/2026

Cosmos Apricotta 🩷🧡

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8a Dowling Street
Dunedin
9012

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