I know. It’s still winter. But this is when you start planning for dahlias! As winter drags on and on wanes, one of my favorite things to do is mentally fast-forward to summer by shopping for garden bulbs. If you’re really on your game, pre-ordering for spring bulbs starts in late fall. (That’s when you put the grab on coveted varieties).

“Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year; for gardening begins in January with the dream”

– Josephine Neuse

Oh, yes, gardening is for dreamers and undying optimists. The harsh realities of rocks, tangled roots, and too much rain don’t exist while surfing the internet under a blanket, sipping tea and looking at perfect pictures of flowers that can be yours, ALL YOURS!

What Should I Spend?

This is precisely why I set a budget for myself — what do they say when entering a casino? … “Don’t bet more than you can afford to lose.” Because, let me tell you, life is fragile, and I have lost the garden game a time or two (or three). My rule of thumb (because sometimes it’s black) is to justify spending what one pretty bouquet from a flower shop would cost. I figure, if I only get that many blooms out of the entire process, I’ve broken even. But usually it’s more than a bouquet’s worth, so ‘Happy Spring/Summer/Fall’ to me! I like to purchase from Longfield Gardens because their website is easy to navigate, but there are dozens of options out there.

And if we’re talking dahlias, the payoff goes late into the fall in southwestern Connecticut! Here, they start in August, and don’t quit until a deep freeze hits. Because they bloom into November, I’ve learned to add in some moodier varieties so they sort of ‘match’ my interior decor as fall sets in with leaves, harvest colors, etc.

How to Plant Dahlias

Dahlias come not as bulbs, but ‘tubers’. They’re the color of potatoes, and shaped like wimpy sweet potatoes. Most of the online nurseries I’ve ordered from over the years won’t send them until it’s time to plant (so convenient). If you have to store them, just keep them in a cool, dark (but not damp) place until any danger of frost has passed. Then pop them into the ground with the sawed off previous stalk at the top. The clump of tubers will spread out from that stalk like a root system. Instructions vary, but about 4-6 inches deep with the old stalk near the surface.

I stake when I plant so I remember where they are (and can gauge the success rate). Later, I use the stakes to stabilize the plants (attached with a twist tie) because dahlias eventually get heavy-laden with blooms and tip over.

As they’re sprouting, one important tip from the nursery is to pinch it back once four sets of leaves have unfurled. This encourages a more controlled growth pattern. It’s hard to do, but trust me, and then turn around and watch everything else in the garden bloom.

The Payoff: Cut Blooms

When the main summer show is over, the dahlias will just be getting started. And they don’t quit, producing more blooms than I can cut. Some varieties are long-stemmed, but many are short, so I use bud vases or those cute, glass or ceramic French yogurt jars to display them.

One word to the wise… let dahlias sit for few minutes and shake them a bit before bringing them inside. Bugs like to hide out in all those layers and layers of gorgeous, tightly-packed petals!

Once the season is over you can dig dahlias up in northern zones, and store them in peat in the basement for next spring. Otherwise, sacrifice them to the soil. I’ve taken both approaches over the years depending how busy life is. The obvious benefit to digging them up is you don’t have to buy new ones! The benefit to letting them die… you have to buy new ones! 😉