What Changed?

unknown variety of dahlia

 

What changed? How does one go from not caring one iota about dahlias to suddenly having huge plantings of them throughout the garden? For that matter, how does one afford such largesse?  The simple answer is that dahlias are seductive. They lure you in with their rich color and forms... and then you're hooked. Luckily, they are also (generally) prolific growers. One tuber begets many tubers. This is a good thing because buying new tubers can be expensive. 

 

 What I discovered in year two was that dahlias grown from seed are a crap shoot.  I don't mean that it isn't worth doing, but rather you have no clue what you might get. Dahlias are promiscuous as can be. I can't count the number of photographs I have of dahlias that have bees in them. I would guess over 2/3 of the images have bees in them. None of my other flowers in the garden have that level of attraction. One caveat I will mention is that bees are drawn to the open centered flowers. As the flowers become more ball-like, and the center with the pollen becomes harder to get to, they struggle to get into the flowers. Something to be aware of if you are aiming for a pollinator-friendly garden.

Cactus variety of dahlia, grown from seed 2022

What is there to say about dahlias that hasn't been said a hundred times in other books by far more reputable horticulturalists? 

If you grow them, cut them. Often. The more they are cut (or pinched back), the better they grow. I can't emphasize that enough. Some flowers appreciate a good pruning... but dahlias respond with vigor! When the season draws to a close in the late summer, I usually try to let the bees have a few flowers. In many cases, the bees will be incredibly protective of their flowers, even going so far as to stake a claim to a particular variety. There's always enough to go around. 

 

 What started out as just a few tubers in a box on the side of the road now looks like hundreds of tubers in boxes in my basement. Want to know how I store them over winter? Want to know what the planting out process looks like? Want to see how we space things during planting? Let me know.  

 

 

Sometimes when I am walking around the garden in the late summer afternoon, taking in the first cool breezes of the afternoon shade as it moves across the garden, I like to think back to when we were first getting to know these amazing tubers. We grow them in raised beds made from metal watering troughs that we picked up used before the pandemic. As a result, the flowers bloom at head height and beyond. There is something magical about blooms on that scale. 

 

 

We invite our neighbors and friends to come over and walk through the garden after work and on weekends. We hand them a five-gallon bucket and a pair of shears. Inevitably, there is this fear that they shouldn't take any because it will upset the masses of color. It usually takes some prodding and encouragement to get the first few flowers picked.... and then it becomes a game to fill the five-gallon bucket. Before long, the bucket is full and we haven't made a dent in the wall of flowers. 

 

 

Nancy goes out almost daily to pick armfuls of dahlias to bring into the house. Sometimes she'll surprise me with flowers by my desk. Between the dahlias, zinnias, and whatever else is blooming at the moment, these bouquets fill a room with color and texture. I'd love to have an accomplished flower arranger visit to help teach us the best ways to cut and trim flowers to create the best displays.  

 

Our goal for this coming season is to open the garden up for neighbors and visitors. It might only be for a limited time on the weekend. I don't really know yet. On the one hand, we want folks to feel like they can walk through the garden freely, and on the other hand, I don't want to have to worry about when "we're open". At that point, it can start to feel like work. I love showing people around, while at the same time, I love getting work done. It's a balancing act, for sure. 
 

In closing, I return to my opening question: What changed? The simplest answer is everything. Dahlias jumped into my life and grabbed hold! This all started from two small boxes of donated dahlias left by the side of the road. If you're local, and interested in trying out dahlias in your garden, stop by and visit in May. Chances are pretty good we'll have some dahlias in pots waiting for a new home.