I first found Erin Benzakein of Floret, on the internet moons ago. She and her husband, Chris, were mixing up fresh fish bones into their compost pile with a tractor scoop. Perks of living in Washington state. My first thought was they know how to garden. I could imagine the odor and also the healthy…
Tag: Dahlias
When To Plant Dahlias
Dahlia Tuber Families Weather makes the final decision here for the, “When to plant date,” at our board meetings. Other members present, myself, coffee and Dahlia tubers who outnumber the days in a year many times over. Weather is our friend at this time of year and remember, a good friend is a good listener….
Garden Nursery Run
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…
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…
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…
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…
Dahlias and Japanese Beetles
Growing sustainable flowers can turn a flower farmer into an amateur entomologist. Studying bugs that come to your dahlia party without an invitation, can help you deal with the little devils. Study your enemy, I say. There are many more bugs than humans on this planet, but that doesn’t mean they get to rule my…
Read This Before Ordering Dahlias Online
During those bone-chilling Winter months the colorful, tropical dahlias are such a welcome paradise to view. Our wintry escape, only if momentarily, into a warm, sun-drenched Summer. Perfectly lit photographs and elegant words move us from mere dreaming to quickly ordering dahlia tubers that help soothe our Wintery blues. If you are a Dahlia Grower…
Once Upon A Dahlia 