My First Year of a New Obsession!
I like flowers that entice me with a scent as I walk by. In a catalog, on a website, I would catch sight of a picture of a dahlia and get a case of an intense I Want That. Yet, as they don’t have a strong scent, I passed them by for years.
Then read further and ask myself if I really wanted to commit my limited space to a dahlia. Not to mention I wasn’t a fan of yet another flower I would have to commit to over-winter care. Dammit Zone 5!
This year I finally submitted my dahlia order. I found a small company in their second year, as the larger companies were already sold out of the colors I wanted. It took me days to decide which colors I wanted and yes, I was aggravated I waited almost too long to make what should have been a fun and simple decision. Three dahlias, funny considering it took me three days to settle on the colors I wanted. L.A.T.E., Spartacus and Labyrinth from https://www.bearcreekfarm.com/dahlias/#
So glad I purchased these flower tubers! An obsession was born. Room for THREE? HA! It’s 2022 as of this edit and I have converted so much lawn to garden, in part so I can grow all of the dahlias.
REVIEW
The bulbs came months after the order, about 2 weeks before the optimum planting time. The tubers were each in a plastic bag and the order came with a personal note of thanks. I appreciated that I could mix and match dahlias, as I wanted to try one of a few types, and not have to purchase a set as is required by most larger flower companies. Bear Creek were out of my first choice, but not a problem as other sites were out of all my choices. I was a pretty grateful client. Doing some reading, there is a dahlia culture and some varieties of this flower are expensive and highly desired. I did not find the prices unreasonable. Can I say again how pleased I was to be able to mix and match?
L.A.T.E. – The first of the dahlias to emerge. This tuber was planted in an outside planter in a soil mix of yard dirt and primarily leaf compost. The plant made multiple flowers and, to my delight, multiple tubers for next year! That single plant grew to be about 5′ tall and provided at least five 4″ blooms before seasons end.
Labyrinth – This flower is a stone cold STUNNER. I have to have this every year. So many compliments! It was the second flower to come up, soon after L.A.T.E. The tuber was planted in the ground near a maple tree. It grew to about 3′ tall and provided three blooms before the end of the season. The blooms were approximately 6″ across. Only one tuber for next year so I will be purchasing another tuber as back-up because I cannot have a flower garden without Labyrinth.
Spartacus – I did not get a picture of this flower in maximum bloom as someone picked the flower! This tuber was the last to come up, I think because the place in the yard I planted it was too shady, too near a lilac shrub. Before frost, the plant provided the approximately 6″ picked bloom and another partial bloom. This plant was strong, about 3′ tall and I feel confident the reason I missed out on better blossoms was gardener error.
Give Dahlias a try!
Update three years later: My experience with Bear Creek Farms year two has caused me to no longer purchase tubers from that particular vendor, nor can I recommend that vendor. They altered a picture of a dahlia to make it a rare color it wasn’t, as well for many years in a row they have had issues not allowing some customers (due to a cache issue on their end) to buy dahlias when their sales window opened. Too many other vendors to stress over one who isn’t business ready.
Update four years later: I did purchase three tubers from Bear Creek Farms. Again, a variety went out of stock moments BEFORE the sale went live. Bait and switch, yet again. Less than a minute before the sale. I’ll update further once and if I receive the few tubers I purchased.
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The End