Dallying with dahlias the delightful dicotyledon Karin melberg schwier When Larry met Val in 2012, he knew in his heart the relationship was the real thing. But just to seal the deal, he took a chance and showed her his big dahlias. She was not only impressed; it turned out she was a dahlia lover, too. “When we drove out to his place near Delisle, it was an unbelievable sight. The
dahlias were so big I thought they were rose bushes. I’ve always just loved them.” Larry and Val have grown dahlias for nearly 40 years. Some people remember this particular flowering plant as big, bushy and colourful on farms and small-town plots, a traditional staple in Baba’s garden. But they’re equally at
home and ‘trendy’ in urban flowerbeds today.The dahlia is a retro plant that has blossomed again with new popularity, a bit like the old hollyhock staple of every farm garden. “Dahlias are so easy to plant,” Val insists. “I just dig a random hole, stick the tubers in and that’s it. They’re an excellent plant for filling up
Lillian lane a big garden space and the large blossoms are so pretty.” Sunflower Family The dahlia, Mexico’s national plant, is named in honour of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. The Mexicans have loved it since Aztec times, and it is used for ceremonies and décor.
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