Firmly Rooted

Outdoors Firmly Rooted

For the love of Dahlias

by Tori Carver

Please don’t tell the tulips, but dahlias are my favorite flower. Prior to becoming a flower farmer, though, I wouldn’t have given them a second thought. I had heard of them, and seen a few, but I was never particularly drawn to them. Looking back, I suppose the only dahlias I was familiar with were the exhibition varieties with their giant blooms or brightly, multi-colored petals. Exhibition dahlias are different than garden dahlias and especially different than the garden type grown for cut flowers.

I was hesitant to grow them as a new flower farmer but decided after much research they were a must-have. I was intrigued and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I purchased about eighty tubers (go big or go home, right?) and planted those potato look alikes as soon as the ground warmed. I waited. And waited. And fretted. And fretted. And I can assure you there has never been another flower that was more highly anticipated than those firstseason dahlias. Almost as much as the Corpse Lily made famous by the Dennis the Menace movie. The moment that first bloom unfolded, I was hooked. I was bitten by the dahlia bug for which there is no cure.

Nowadays, I can’t get enough of them. I’m in constant awe of their stunning array of colors and the perfect symmetry of their petals. Each plant gives way to an abundance of blooms from mid-summer to the first frost of Autumn and multiply underground during the growing season. What’s not to love?!?

Unfortunately, I think dahlias have been given a bad rap along the way and I honestly cannot figure out why. I’ve heard comments about them being finicky and difficult to grow or complaints about having to be dug up and stored each winter, etc. While this may (or may not) be true, I find the reward of their blooms far outweighs the effort.

I could talk for pages and pages (and days and days) about my love of dahlias so I’m finding it difficult to keep this short and sweet. Perhaps I can get into the weeds later and talk about growing tips, digging and dividing, and maybe even hybridizing.

In the meantime, I’ll share with you that in addition to my desire to bring joy to people through flowers, my secondary flower mission is to encourage each person I meet to fall in love with dahlias too. Dahlia season is upon us, so I encourage you to follow me on Instagram or Facebook because I plan to share photographs of every dahlia on the farm. Of course, photographs rarely do the real thing justice so farm fresh dahlias will be included in each mixed bouquet. I will also offer straight bunches of dahlias so you can decorate your favorite vase at home.

Happy Dahlia season, friends!! I hope you enjoy it to the fullest!

Victoria (Tori) Carver is a flower farmer. From the thousand bulbs and plants that she puts in the ground each year she creates lovely bouquets. Many enjoy her flowers in their home each week. She has established a subscription program for her customers or a honor-system bouquet sales for random purchases. Tori and her husband and children make their home in Clayton, where they are a treasured part of the community. If you are interested in Firmly Rooted Flower Farm please reach out by email to firmlyrootedflowerfarm@gmail.com or phone 706-4900041. You will also enjoy their website at www.firmlyrootedflowerfarm.com

“A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat determination, and hard work.” ~ Colin Powell