Standing in line to get rung up at a garden nursery is not a problem. I am in an oasis of healthy plants and it brings a calm. Like the calm just before it snows. Tranquility. No one minds waiting if the phone is continually ringing, if a cashier has to wait idly and apologize…
ADS, American Dahlia Society—A Little History Gathered
ADS, not to be confused with Attention Deficit Syndrome or Advanced Draining Systems. No. This is the wonderful, wild, world of dahlias where members get together to share information, dahlias and have shows to find the “best of the best.” There is history of show winners and the dahlia flowers who placed put together by…
Dahlia Plant Pet Names
The Little Dahlia That Could. I nicknamed a stem shoot that I clumsily lobbed off of a dahlia tuber. I thought I had a careful grip. It’s normal to give your plants pet names: Isn’t it? “Itsy Bitsy, Tiny Punch” and “Little Foot” are others. I never toss the bud-stem-shoot growth away even if it…
Books: Naomi Slade and Georgianna Lane Dahlias
It was on Instagram that I first found Georgianna’s Paris photography. It had such a romantic feel and when I looked into every photograph, I longed to step into each light-filled scene and spend a week or two there. Her style is “branded” and I could pick her photographs out of my feed lineup without…
Proof Dahlias Thrive in Heat
Hot weather. Hot topic. Dahlias can be grown in hot weather. If I read, “Dahlias do not like hot weather” again on a gardening site, I might shout. Just consider this a muffled shout. Normally numbers don’t interest me but we need some baseline numbers here to determine exactly what is considered “hot weather,” when…
Five Reasons to Grow Dahlias in Your Garden
My romance with the dahlia family has flourished for years. It began with the massive, bold-colored dahlias in the city. Since they could not cross the city street to me, I made the first move and crossed over to them. Then I made a commitment, to spread “dahlia love.” Let’s get right down to why…
How to Photograph Dahlias on 8+ IPhone Macro Lens
Find out how to make your friends envy your photography skills with your handy, ever present IPhone. In this sweltering, Summer heat no one wants camera straps pulling on their shoulders when working on a hot day weeding, staking and cutting flowers in the dahlia field. It’s a work day, different from a wedding party….
Sowing a Love for Gardening
Everyone loves the harvest. A gardener loves the whole process, from sowing seeds to the generous bounty that follows, to collecting seeds again. My parents were gardeners, though that was not their occupation, they were solid gardeners just the same. My grandparents were gardeners and I’m certain my great grandparents loved gardening too. There is…
Jowey Winnie Dahlia Breeder
Ball dahlias are well balanced and symmetrical like a kaleidoscope in three dimensions. Jowey Winnie Dahlia fits the description to the letter T. Who bred this ever so popular dahlia, I have often wondered and finally set out to find out who stood behind this dahlia. It was Jozef Weyts in Europe and he is…
What is a Flower Farmer?
Flower Farmer is a modern term for floriculture, for us smaller growers. It’s a lifestyle. It involves growing flowers, shrubs and plants (also called Specialty Cuts) for weddings, CSA customers, florists and possibly, farmers markets. It is also a lifestyle that involves a lot of physical labor. One learns about anterior and posterior muscles of…
Once Upon A Dahlia 