July Digest 2023
Dear Dahlia Friends,
Happy July! Please read below for a note from our President, information about upcoming events, details on how to stage a bloom, and profiles of two DSO members.
Meg
If you'd like to be featured in future issues of the Digest please email me at digest@dahliasocietyofohio.org.
A Note From Our President
Hi All!
We’ve officially hit summer and I would guess that most of us have our dahlias in the ground and are counting the days to seeing those first blooms.
For me, I already have a few dahlias blooming because I pre-start them so I can get a jump on the cut flower season. My hope is they can start going into bouquets this week.
I thought I’d share a video I found useful, especially if you have a plant that looked like it was doing well and then all of the sudden started drooping. This happened to my Hollyhill Serenity last year, and it is doing the same thing again this year (not sure if others have had issues with this variety as well).
Unlike Kristine’s tuber in this video, mine just had a rotted tuber but a decent root system. So I chopped the tuber off that was rotting and stuck it back into the ground and it rebounded nicely.
We will have a few in-person events coming up so I hope that you’ll be able to attend. It would be great to see you all in person.
Jess
Annual DSO Picnic
The annual DSO Picnic is quickly approaching and I’m looking for a volunteer to help organize the event. If interested, please email me at president@dahliasocietyofohio.org.
The date is August 5th from 12 pm - 3 pm at the Moebius Nature Center in Aurora, OH. The DSO will provide the main dish and everyone is encouraged to bring a dish to share.
If you haven’t been in the past it’s a great time to get to meet other DSO members and talk about dahlias.
After lunch there will be an in-person judging seminar which is a great way to learn more about dahlias and the upcoming shows. If you’re interested in becoming a judge, it’s a great way to dip your toes into it and for those who are candidate judges a way to reacquaint yourself with the judging process.
A form will be sent out mid July for people to RSVP to the picnic.
Want to be featured on the DSO social accounts?
We’d love to share photos of your garden on our social media pages. If you’re interested in having your photos shared, please send pictures to info@dahliasocietyofohio.org.
A brief description and the name of the flower would be appreciated!
How to Stage a Bloom Workshop
Last year we hosted a How to Stage a Bloom workshop for anyone interested in learning more about how to show dahlias.
As we approach the show season (with the Cuyahoga County fair coming up quickly), I thought it would be a good opportunity to share the video that we took from last year’s presentation.
Our very own Tony & Jackie Evangelista shared tips (and maybe a couple trade secrets) along the way and it’s a great tutorial on everything you need to know in order to prepare to show your flowers.
Watch the Video
Show Season
We’re quickly approaching show season so we thought we would share dates with you so you can plan to attend/exhibit.
Cuyahoga Fair | August 12-13
ADS National Show | August 24-28 (Portland, OR)
Geauga Fair | September 2-4
2023 Midwest Conference | September 8-10 (Pittsburgh, PA)
Summit Mall | September 16-17
Petitti’s | Sept. 30 - Oct. 1
If you have any questions about the upcoming shows, please reach out to Jerry Moreno at moreno@jcu.edu.
Bouquet Arranging Workshop - August 19th, 2023
We’ve had numerous people reach out to let us know that they’re interested in learning more about arranging bouquets.
DSO Member Tracy Gardner, who has worked in the floral industry for over 30 years, will be walking you through the aspects of how to arrange bouquets, talk about mechanics and answer any questions you may have.
We’d love for you to bring flowers/filler from your garden to arrange with but some will also be provided for you to use.
There will be limited space available for this event, an email will be forthcoming with the location information and how to sign up.
Questions? Email those to info@dahliasocietyofohio.org.
DSO Merchandise
If you didn’t know, you can now purchase DSO merchandise. We are using a vendor called Spring to offer a number of different t-shirt, sweatshirt, hats and more!
It’s perfect way to represent the DSO at shows or just around town in NE Ohio.
Introducing New Members!
Name: Megan Ashker
City/Town: Lorain
Tell us a little about yourself: By day I am an associate professor at Bowling Green State University and a PRN respiratory therapist for the Cleveland Clinic. When not at work I am home with my family. My husband, Jake, and I have been married 8 years and we have three beautiful children (Mikey-6, Teddy-3, & Sally-1) My favorite hobbies include gardening (of course!), baking, participating in the county fair, reading, exercising, and doing anything with the kids.
Number of years growing dahlias: Three years.
How did you get into the world of dahlias? My mom introduced me to dahlias several years ago when she fell in love with them and had great success in her first year growing them. That first year she got a blue ribbon for her dahlia entry in the Cuyahoga County Fair and we watched the live dahlia judging at the DSO show. Afterwards we admired the beautiful flowers and met some of the members. They were so kind and welcoming to mom and I that that only furthered our love of dahlias.
What is your favorite dahlia to grow? Jackie Evangelista (my 1st DSO blue ribbon)
Social media profiles: Facebook
Name: Caroline Allex
City/Town: Norton
Tell us a little about yourself: I am an 8th grade science teacher. I also work at a stable where I teach horseback riding lessons. Gardening is a huge passion of mine. I have a small veggie garden, cut flower garden, a shade/hosta garden, and have recently been working on a perennial/pollinator friendly portion of my garden. My two goldendoodles like to supervise while I work outside.
Number of years growing dahlias: 3 years
How did you get into the world of dahlias? I bought a dinner plate mix of dahlias at Sam’s club and absolutely fell in love with them. Since then, I have expanded to 25 different varieties. I look forward to continuing to expand my collection of dahlias.
What is your favorite dahlia to grow? Cafe au Lait and Cornel Bronze. I can’t pick just one!
