Floret Farm's Discovering Dahlias: A Guide to Growing and Arranging Magnificent Blooms

FALLING FOR DAHLIAS

Of all the flowers I’ve ever grown, dahlias are my favorite. These treasures are one of the most well-loved and widely grown flowers for cutting because they come in a dazzling rainbow of colors, they produce an abundance of flowers from midsummer into autumn, and the range of shapes and sizes available is staggering. In addition to their being such a beloved cut flower, their incredible ability to multiply over the course of a growing season is unmatched: you can start with a single tuber or rooted cutting, and by season’s end be digging a full clump that contains 3 to 10 babies from the original plant. Similar to a sourdough starter, once you have it and as long as you take care of it, you’ll have a steady supply to share with others and plant for yourself, every season.

Many years ago, when I was just starting to grow cut flowers, I got a phone call from a local flower grower telling me to load up the kids and my shovel and head over to her house. It was a crisp morning in October, just after our first autumn frost, and I found her digging up dahlias. At the time I knew very little about these bloomers, only that I admired them every time I visited her garden. We worked through the morning lifting her massive clumps of tubers, splitting off a chunk of each variety for me to take home to my garden. Her generosity was my first real taste of just how giving and passionate flower people are. When I offered to pay her or pull weeds in exchange for the station wagon full of tubers that she had so generously shared, she said she didn’t want anything in return. Her one request was that I pass along some of the abundance to another gardener in need once my plants were established.

Since that fateful October day many years ago, my dahlia garden has grown beyond anything I ever imagined. This past season we grew nearly 800 unique varieties and over 18,000 plants in total, a far cry from a station wagon full of muddy tubers. One thing I’ve learned when it comes to dahlias is that once you’ve been bitten by the bug, there’s no going back. They have a strangely magical quality that somehow ends up taking over your life in the most fun and beautiful way. But the best part of all is having the opportunity at the end of each season to pass their magic on to others.

While dahlias have a large and passionate fan club, with growers spanning the globe, there has been a notable shortage of current information about how to cultivate these beloved plants. On the pages ahead, I share how to get started with dahlias; demystify their many sizes and forms; teach you step by step how to grow, harvest, and arrange these spectacular flowers; and feature hundreds of my favorite varieties, sorted by color.

I have been blessed by the generosity and optimism of so many gardeners along the way and offer this book as a gift in return. My hope is that it will inspire you to fill your life with dahlias, and even more importantly, share them with others.

CHAPTER ONE

UNDERSTANDING DAHLIAS

Part of what makes dahlias so beloved is their spectacular diversity. These glorious flowers come in a huge range of sizes, forms, and colors, offering a variety for virtually every garden space and personal preference.

As you learn more about dahlias, you’ll find that different organizations classify dahlias in different ways, usually based on color, bloom size, and flower form. For example, the American Dahlia Society (ADS), a widely known dahlia-focused group, recognized 6 sizes, 20 forms, and 17 colors at the time of this printing, and these numbers can change as new dahlias are discovered. The ADS then combines these in a detailed system in which they place each variety. When shopping, you’ll find that some dahlia sellers follow the ADS system, while others make no mention of it at all. Since I created this book for those who want to grow and design with these incredible flowers, I’ve pared down the classification information so it’s as straightforward and easy to understand as possible. The details ahead are based on what I’ve found that most home gardeners, flower farmers, and floral designers need to know and will be most useful in finding the dahlias that are right for you.

SIZES

Whether you’re growing to make arrangements or simply to enjoy dahlias in your yard, there is a huge range of sizes to choose from. While some sources approach size classifications in different ways, we find the following 8 sizes to be the most commonly used for general gardening and designing.

POMPON, UP TO 2 IN (5 CM), ALSO KNOWN AS P

Miniature round blooms look like little lollipops on long, wiry stems. They’re a fantastic addition to any bouquet, as they’re long lasting and weather resistant. Plants are typically on the smaller side.

MINI BALL, 2 TO 3¹/2 IN (5 TO 9 CM), ALSO KNOWN AS MB

These have the same rounded shape as ball varieties but are very easy to incorporate into arrangements because of their versatile size. They’re also long lasting in bouquets and weather resistant.

MINIATURE, UP TO 4 IN (10 CM), ALSO KNOWN AS M

This diverse class features many petite blooms that are well loved by all. So many unique forms fall into this range of sizes.

BALL, OVER 3¹/2 IN (9 CM), ALSO KNOWN AS BA

They’re the largest of the rounded blooms and come in a wide range of choices. They make excellent cut flowers as they’re some of the longest lasting, can handle heat, and are generally weather resistant.

SMALL, 4 TO 6 IN (10 TO 15 CM), ALSO KNOWN AS BB

This class boasts the greatest number of varieties by far. They’re well suited for home gardens, and flower arrangers love them because the blooms are easy to incorporate, as they’re not too big or fragile.

MEDIUM, 6 TO 8 IN (15 TO 20 CM), ALSO KNOWN AS B

One of the biggest, most versatile, and best represented sizes, this broad group includes many of the most coveted varieties for flower arranging.

LARGE, 8 TO 10 IN (20 TO 25 CM), ALSO KNOWN AS A

The sizable blooms in this class make wonderful additions to bigger flower arrangements and look spectacular in the garden. They’re slightly smaller than dinner plate dahlias, but still have high impact and are easier to use in arrangements.

GIANT, 10+ IN (25+ CM), ALSO KNOWN AS AA

These are often referred to as dinner plate dahlias. The massive blooms in this class require a little extra protection from weather due to their tremendous size and delicate nature. Well suited for large-scale arrangements, these beauties are real showstoppers.

FORMS

Along with their range of sizes, dahlias come in a dazzling array of forms, most of which fall into one of the following groups. Some are perfectly symmetrical, with tightly spaced petals, while others have a loose, lush look. They may have different petal styles and lengths, with open centers or not. When it comes to choosing varieties, people’s preferences vary widely—some prefer cactus types, while others will grow only informal decoratives. I’m personally drawn to the oddballs, including anemone, stellar, incurved cactus, and orchette. Over time you might find yourself gravitating to particular classes, and understanding the differences between them will help you when selecting new varieties. I offer detail about each form on the following pages.

INFORMAL DECORATIVE (ID)

Informal decoratives have a soft, romantic quality to the blooms, and their petals are typically lush and billowy. This class includes many of the most beautiful and useful varieties for making arrangements.

MINIATURE BALL (MB)

Similar to ball varieties, these include a wide range of smaller, rounded blooms that are very long lasting and weather resistant. If you’re looking for hardworking varieties to sell, these fit the bill.

FORMAL DECORATIVE (FD)

Though there are fewer overall varieties of this kind, formal decoratives are among my favorites to use for designing. The large, showy blooms have a more uniform and refined quality than some other types, and they are a stunning addition to large arrangements.

POMPON (P)

These are some of the cutest varieties imaginable. The petite ball-shaped flowers are the size of large shooter marbles, ideal for adding interest and texture to bouquets. Floral designers can’t get enough of them.

BALL (BA)

With the longest-lasting, most weather-resistant, medium-size round blooms, varieties in this class are essential to add to your beds if you’re growing dahlias for market.

LACINIATED (LC)

This class is filled with shaggy, fluffy blooms with outer petals that look as if they’ve been snipped with pinking shears. Flowers are more prone to weather damage, since they are on the delicate side, but if given a little extra protection, they are wonderful textural additions to the garden and the vase.

NOVELTY FULLY DOUBLE (NX)

This class is another grab bag of varieties that don’t easily fall into other defined classes. Their common trait is a closed, tight center and petals that are proportionate in size.

WATERLILY (WL)

One of the classes most loved by flower arrangers, waterlily types have flowers borne on long, strong stems and typically hold their heads upright. Aptly named, the tidy saucer-shaped blooms resemble floating waterlilies.

ANEMONE (AN)

This class includes fun novelty varieties that most people would never guess are dahlias because of their unique appearance. Flowers have a ring of reflexed petals that surround a domed pincushion-shaped center, similar to double-flowered echinacea.

STRAIGHT CACTUS (C)

Brimming with spiky, textural varieties, this class has had dahlia breeders’ focus for many years because the flowers are so striking in the garden. I’ve found these porcupine-like blooms to be quite fragile when it comes to weather damage, and their tips tend to show heat stress very easily.

SEMI-CACTUS (SC)

Another popular class with breeders, semi-cactus types come in loads of choices in every color. They are similar in shape to straight cactus varieties, but with petals that are less defined and tubular and much more relaxed. These flowers typically have long stems and are good for flower arranging.

INCURVED CACTUS (IC)

Of all the cactus types, this class is by far my favorite. Their flowers remind me of Muppet characters with their twisted, tubular, feather-like petals. They are a fun addition to the garden and are always a topic of conversation with visitors.

NOVELTY OPEN (NO)

This class is somewhat of a catchall for rare varieties that don’t clearly fit into other classes. What makes this group unique is that the flowers’ single centers are proportionate to the ring of outer petals.

STELLAR (ST)

This class is filled with striking, textural blooms that are very eye-catching. Their sharply edged petals are reflexed back toward the stem, resembling colorful shooting stars.

ORCHETTE (OT)

This class is similar to orchid types but has flowers that boast a fluffy collar of inner petals, giving the star-shaped blooms a more delicate, romantic appearance. I love incorporating them into bouquets because they add a fun, textural quality.

COLLARETTE (CO)

Darling single blooms that have a collar of ruffled petals encircling glowing single centers make varieties in this class lovely as bouquet additions.

SINGLE (S)

This class is one of my favorites because the daisy-like flowers are a cheerful addition to arrangements. While petal shapes vary widely from rounded to pointed, they all have a striking single center.

ORCHID (O)

Fast becoming a favorite among designers, this class is filled with long-stemmed, star-like flowers with petals that roll inward. Pollinators love them, they’re an eye-catching addition to the garden, and these beauties are also perfect for bouquets.

MIGNON SINGLE (MS)

With miniature single blooms that have rounded petal tips, these petite flowers have a diameter less than 2 in (5 cm).

PEONY (PE)

This class has few varieties. Flowers have a ring of at least 2, but not more than 5, rows of petals around the outside edge encircling a single, open center.

COLOR