Dahlia madness is coming to the Comox Valley.
As it is one of the most rewarding flowers you can grow, people fill their gardens with dahlias that bloom each year from June until November. They're a relatively easy flower to grow as well, with sunshine, well-drained soil and good quality tubers being all that's needed. Some dahlia perfectionists look forward to the autumn ritual of dividing and carefully storing their tubers in a dry, frost-free place until spring. On the other hand, many enjoy starting fresh every year, with new colours and varieties to enjoy.
Then there's the breeding route.
"While we may have learned about Gregor Mendel and plant genetics in peas, the world of dahlias would have given poor Gregor a headache," a release from the event organizers says. "Rather than two sets of chromosomes (like humans), dahlias have eight sets. This translates into an almost infinite 鈥� and unpredictable 鈥� variety of flowers that can be grown from a collection of seeds. While tubers are clones, like potatoes, the only guarantee you get when planting dahlia seeds is that the new flowers will not look like those belonging to either of its parent plants."
For most gardeners, the temptation to plant seeds is almost impossible to resist. If you have a lot of garden space, go for it! Just be aware that out of 100 dahlia seeds, you may only get one or two plants that you like. Aside from the flower shape and colour, some hybrids will be strong, others weak. You will need to grow and regrow the tubers over three or four years to see whether this is a strong and stable dahlia.
Fortunately for the Comox Valley, we have several dahlia breeders with the passion and the space to undertake this labour of love. They plant hundreds of seeds every year, collected by crossing varieties that have traits that interest them. While one grower may be looking for pure white dinner plate flowers, another may be obsessed with dark leaves. The excitement as new plants grow and buds form is a bit like watching their children come into their own, all in a single growing season.
This year, hundreds of dahlia tubers hybridized in the Comox Valley will be offered for sale, along with thousands of tubers from more than 500 national and international named dahlias. Growers and breeders will be on hand to talk about their favourites and make suggestions based on your garden space.
The event will be on April 12, at the Royston Community Hall from 9 a.m. to noon.
