Fall for flowers

Late summer/ early fall equals dahlia season for me! My interest in dahlias began a few years ago when I found some tubers on sale and planted them. When they bloomed a few months later, I was hooked. I buy a few dahlia tubers each year to keep my little flower show going. Covering the tubers with dirt in late spring is like a present to my future, autumn self. Dahlias maintain excitement when the rest of the garden loses its luster. Charismatic dahlias are a final hurrah before the landscape begins to hibernate for the winter.

I’m not very skilled at over-wintering or dividing tubers yet. This aspect can get fussy, and I don’t worry about it much. Sometimes plants will come back year after year, and sometimes they choose not to. One tuber can give me two months of endless gorgeous flowers, if all goes well. Additional years of blooms are a bonus if the plant survives the winter, in my view. Other than sunshine, good soil and regular watering, not much is required to grow dahlias. If flowers make you happy, and you have a sunny spot in your yard, you can’t go wrong with planting these flowers.

If you like dahlias, you might also enjoy visiting:

• Longwood Gardens, during their dahlia show for one weekend each September. The Longwood Ballroom is filled with all types of dahlias during this competitive show. Admission to the show is included with a Longwood Gardens general admission.

• Swan Island Dahlias, the largest producer of dahlias in the US. During their free summer festival each August and September, you can walk through huge fields of dahlias and visit their beautiful dahlia-themed gift shop.

So, why all the flowers? "Where flowers bloom, so does hope." I hope you've enjoyed seeing these flowers as much as I enjoyed being in the moment taking photos. More importantly, I hope you have hobbies that give you joy, away from what you do in your profession. Even when you love your work, and especially when you dedicate much of yourself to your vocation, life is richer when you set aside some time to stop and enjoy the flowers.