09/19/2026
Because it’s almost tuber sale season and I’m feeling spicy 🌶️
Do you have specific dahlia hot takes??
Cafe Au Lait has never been particularly good for me, and I’ve finally culled it from my dahlia patch. There are way too many amazing blush cultivars to continue to put up with her being so late, mediocre productivity, and inconsistent color.
Some of the substitutes we love around here: KA’s Penny Lane, KA’s Mocha Jake, DL’s The Special, Florelie Antique
In a world filled with a bajillion pink cultivars, nobody’s got time for bobble headed blooms, low productivity, or poor vase life.
I’m willing to be a little more flexible on the other colors. I guess. Maybe.
Some of our favorite pinks: Westerton Pearl, RM Pixie Dust, Pink Sylvia, KA’s Poppin Pink
A couple of run ins with gall have left me hyper vigilant. Everything around here gets bleached or Virkon-ed with minimum 10 minute contact time. You won’t find me spritzing anything. SOAK IT.
Plus, nothing makes me shudder like shared tray water.
Myth: Your dahlias need a frost before you start digging.
These divas have been in the ground since late April. They’re fine. And look, if it’s not frost, it’s powdery mildew or a thunderstorm or a man eating praying mantis that won’t let me in the garden. I’m done by October. I don’t bank on having late season blooms and book events, so why not get a jump on it?
Plus, I’ve found I enjoy dividing when I’m not cold, and it makes confirming IDs easier if they aren’t all frost bitten.
Shipping issues are a new pet peeve, and something I check in seller terms. If something goes wrong and USPS or UPS loses a package, the seller should be on the hook for issuing the refund and filing the claim. Nothing tells me a seller doesn’t understand carrier terms and coverage like telling buyers to file claims with UPS for dead cuttings. Live plants are generally excluded!! As are perishable tubers. If I buy something from literally anywhere, and it gets lost or damaged before it gets to me, I’d expect the seller to just take care of it.
Finally, I grow a lot of new release / unicorn cultivars, and I occasionally get nasty comments about my pricing. It’s just economics, f
