Lots of Colorful Dahlias at the Farm
It's dahlia season and here at my Bedford, New York farm, we have lots of gorgeous, bright, and colorful dahlia blooms indoors and out.
I hope you saw the recent dahlia photos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 - our first of many dahlia arrangements. This year, I designated a large space for growing dahlias right behind my vegetable greenhouse. Many of our dahlia tubers are from Swan Island Dahlias in Oregon, a family owned business and the largest and leading dahlia grower in the United States. Others are from Floret, a family farm and floral design studio in the State of Washington, and from The Flower Hat, a flower farm based in Bozeman, Montana. We'll have many colorful, spiky flowers from small to giant dinner-plate size blooming now through the first frost.
Enjoy these photos.
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- I often place cut flower arrangements here on my servery counter – the color combinations look so pretty in these glass vessels. When arranging, always strip off all the leaves that would be below the water line in the vase. This is true for all flower arrangements, not just dahlias. When leaves stay underwater, they decay and release bacteria that shorten the vase life of the flowers. And change the water daily so they look fresh and last longer.
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- This year, we grew our dahlias in a bed behind my vegetable greenhouse. This location gets great sun. Dahlias grow more blooms when they get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. And because this spot is behind this large structure, it is also protected from strong winds.
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- The array of flower colors, sizes, and shapes is astounding. Dahlias come in white, shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, shades of purple, and various combinations of these colors – every color but true blue. In the 19th century, a London newspaper offered a pound, or a little more than a dollar, to the first breeder to create a blue dahlia—the reward was never claimed, but there have been many attempts that are near-blue. Like many flower varieties, there is also no pure black variety—only dark red and dark purple. This one is a soft pink.
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- Dahlias are named after 18th-century Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. He actually categorized dahlias as a vegetable because of their edible tubers. The tubers are said to taste like a mix between potatoes and radishes.
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- This dahlia is a special mix of white and soft lavender. The flower is upward-facing and borne on long, strong stems. The genus Dahlia is native to the high plains of Mexico. Some species can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador & Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced.
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- Currently, there are about 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. A member of the Asteraceae family of dicotyledonous plants, some of its relatives include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia.
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- Dahlias produce an abundance of wonderful flowers throughout early summer and again in late summer until the first frost. This large bloom is a beautiful creamy white with a hint of yellow in the center.
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- These tuberous plants have slender erect stems which are not always capable of supporting the large flowers, so they must be well-supported. We use strong metal stakes to keep them up through the season.
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- Dahlias are classified according to flower shape and petal arrangement. Here in New York, by the end of August, the flowers start to burst open with such beautiful blooms just as others have sadly past their prime.
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- This gorgeous dahlia is medium pink with a bright white center.
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- This is a single dahlia with just one row of petals surrounding the center disc. They range from a charming single, daisy-like flower to the popular double varieties which can range from the two-inch-pompons to 12-inch dinner plate size. They are divided into 10 groups: single, anemone, collarette, waterlily, decorative, fall, pompon, cactus, semi-cactus, and miscellaneous.
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- This is a cactus dahlia with its beautiful ‘spiny’ petals rolled up along more than two-thirds of their length. Dahlias are herbaceous perennials, but typically grown as an annual.
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- Pompon dahlias yield masses of intricate, fully double blooms measuring up to two-and-a-half inches across. This dahlia is a pretty salmon color.
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- Dahlias thrive in rich, well-drained soil with a pH level of 6.5 to 7.0 and slightly acidic.
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- The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects.
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- Dahlias are very attractive to bees and hummingbirds.
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- This dahlia is a soft, creamy pink with a dark yellow center.
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- Experiment with the varieties – dahlias look great arranged in different colors.
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- Or as a bunch of the same variety. The striking colors and forms look so pretty. The stems don’t have to be too long – we cut these to about a foot each and then trimmed them indoors to fit these vessels.
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- And when cutting, to prevent wilting, cut only in the early morning or late afternoon. And only cut them after they open to mature size – dahlias will not open after cutting. Enjoy your dahlias!
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