Gardening:
Standing in the wildly colorful and exuberant dahlia display garden at the Rosarium Garden Center certainly proved that dahlias are the queens of the fall garden.
Dahlias in shades of red, scarlet, pink, yellow, white, purple and blends surrounded Carol Newcomb and me as we discussed the different types of flowers. Some grow as diminutive 2-foot-tall plants, others to giant 6-footers. Their flowers can be tight orderly balls or wild mops of long petals. Any way they come; they are best heralds to the end of the growing season.
Our walk and talk that day was in preparation for the second annual Dahlia Festival to be hosted by the Rosarium from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday with free admission. Newcomb has gathered 12 local cut flower and dahlia growers to show off their end-of-summer crops and bring a colorful end to the flower season. The growers will be selling their flowers and taking orders for dahlia tubers. One farmer will have a selection of plants used to produce dyes. There will be several speakers and classes offered as part of the festival, as well as live music and food trucks. The Rosarium is located at 9405 Williams Lane between Cheney and Spokane.
If you can grow tomatoes, you can grow dahlias. Like tomatoes, the tubers are planted after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Dahlias can be large plants, so it’s important to set a stake or tomato cage around them to tie them up to later in the summer. Setting the stake at planting prevents damaging the growing tubers late in the summer. Dahlias need full sun and even watering but are somewhat drought tolerant. When buds appear, thin out two of the three that appear on a stem to encourage larger flower development. When the first frost hits, it’s time to dig and divide the tubers. Gently dig clumps then divide them so each new section has growing eyes. Tubers need to be stored in a frost-free place for the winter. While this is a short description of growing dahlias, speakers from the Spokane Dahlia Society and Tall Grass Farms will have more detailed information on dahlia care and dividing with lots of time for questions,
Besides talks on dahlias, Susan Mulvihill, author of the “Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook” and Spokesman-Review columnist, will be speaking on the organic control of flower garden insect pests. Amanda Thiessen, of Sunset Highway Farm, will speak on the use of medicinal herbs. There will be classes on making dahlia bouquets, pumpkin succulent gardens and designing a trio of bud vases. You must register for the classes.
Other vendors will offer opportunities in flower crown making, sugar scrubs, a tour of the dye garden, jewelry, soaps, skin care, clothing, fine and metal art, all garden themed. Tall Grass Farms will be taking orders for dahlia tubers and the Rosarium will have their locally grown, own-root roses available.