June Digest 2023
Dear Dahlia Friends,
Please read below for a note from our President, information about the DSO merchandise, 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 and Happy June!
It’s that time of year where we are all getting our tubers in the ground. This dry, hot weather seems a bit unusual for May/early June but I’ll take it! I’ve had mine in the ground for a couple of weeks now and they seem to be doing great. I’m keeping my eye out for pests and trying to get on a weekly regiment of pest control/fertilizing to be more proactive than last year. For me, this consists of using JMS Stylet Oil and a fish fertilizer used as a foliar feed that I snagged from Yoder’s Produce in Fredricksburg (but you can also pick up Neptune’s Harvest or something similar).
While these are products that I use, most of our members use other products in their garden with great success, which leads me to our next DSO meeting topic “Ask the Experts”. We’ll have a number of members on hand for the next call ready to answer any questions you may have about growing dahlias. A reminder that this meeting will be June 16th at 7:00 pm.
I've also pulled together some resources for you to help with some early growing tips.
https://www.dahlia.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Early-Season-Dahlia-HInts-web.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGAVaqUIDbE (pinching dahlias from Santa Cruz Dahlias)
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4381537238576125 (pinching dahlias from Floret - although please sanitize your snips between each plant)
Pest Maintenance (LeeAnn from Coseytown Flowers
Jess
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: Hillary Bedell
City/Town: Twinsburg Township
Tell us a little about yourself: I grew up in Cuyahoga Falls and moved away for school. I moved back to NEO in 2013 for my PhD at CWRU and now during the day, I manage a team at a local software precision medicine company, GenomOncology. I also am a busy wife and mom with two kids, 6 and 1. In any free time I have, I am pretty much planning what I want to grow, gardening, or reading.
Number of years growing dahlias: This will be my third year.
How did you get into the world of dahlias? I owe my dahlia addiction to Erin Benzakein, from Floret. I happened upon a book of her's a few years ago and was captivated by many of the flowers she grew, especially dahlias. I ended up buying a couple tubers the following season and in the past 2 years have dramatically increased my collection.
What is your favorite dahlia to grow? Belle of Barmera - the color of this one is so beautiful!
Name: Seth Brooks
City/Town: Bowling Green, OH
Tell us a little about yourself: My name is Seth and I’m originally from Seattle, WA, but I moved to Ohio a few years ago for grad school. Currently, I’m a PhD candidate studying organizational psychology at BGSU. In terms of work, I’m involved in learning & development as well as talent management. I have a ton of hobbies! I love to read, but that’s basically what I do for a living so I try to spend my time on other things. My background is in art, so I’m a bit of a crafty person. I love to knit, crochet, macrame, paint, and make glass art! I also spend quite a bit of time roller skating and soaking up the sun. When I lived in the city, I really got into houseplants because I didn’t have access to a garden, so that’s another big hobby of mine. My favorite houseplants to collect are from the genus Hoya. I live with my partner and we have two cats. Their names are Peaches and Goose.
Number of years growing dahlias: Three years
How did you get into the world of dahlias? My mom is a gardener. Ever since I was very little, I’ve spent time in the garden with her. She has been a big fan of dahlias for many years. Now that I have my own place, I’ve created my own garden that reminds me of home. Dahlias are a big part of that.
What is your favorite dahlia to grow? I love Peaches and Cream because of how generous it is with blooms. I’m also not good at picking favorites.
Social media profiles: Instagram @sethsplants
