I have been growing dahlias for 2 years now. I had been on a waiting list for an allotment for 4 years and I finally got one the day my daughter was born. I was in hospital with her when I received the email to say would I still like one. I said yes. I wanted to grow veg yes, but I wanted a cut flower bed most of all, full of dahlias.
Obviously the first year on the plot was not ideal with a newborn and I learnt a lot. My dahlias were lovely but not properly supported or fed or loved. I just didn’t have the time but I did get to cut some stems and I got the bug.
I originally really wanted to have a cafe au lait. I planted the tuber I bought from a generic garden centre and waited patiently. When the plant finally bloomed it wasn’t cafe au lait! I was gutted. I didn’t like any of the dahlias I had that first year and the harsh winter killed most. So I started again this year. With more…. 30 to be precise at the allotment and 7 at home in pots. I planned out the bed they were to be planted in, built a corralling support for them, potted them up in my garden greenhouse (which is a tent one) and waited. Once established enough out they went into the ground.
I travelled around Mexico in my 20s and we spent a fair bit of time there. Whilst there, I saw so many amazing plants. Among them poinsettias growing like trees! But also dahlias, species dahlias. I didn’t know what they were at the time but I liked them and took lots of pictures. Fast forward and I was working at Heligan in 2018 the year the Cornish Dahlia Society had the planted dahlias in the flower garden. I worked in marketing so it was my job to collect content and photos. I was addicted to photographing the dahlias. I guess that’s what got me started with wanting to grow dahlias. My travels and work experience of them, I just needed some land. My garden is very very small. In came the allotment finally.
I entered the competition this year to prove something to myself. I am not horticulturally trained, I work in horticulture and have always had a chip on my shoulder I suppose that I’m not good enough and don’t really know anything. The allotment and having a baby has shown me, I can do anything, so I thought it might be fun to see if I could win. It was so much fun and I did win.
Entering the competition was a lovely experience. I spent an evening before the show with my headphones on dancing with my dahlias picking all these beautiful flowers I had worked so hard to grow over the season. A trip to Heligan is always lovely for me too, it’s a special place. I was very nervous on the actual day when we got there. But I found the team really helpful, one chap in particular was lovely. He took the time to get the vases out for me (I had my toddler in tow) and talked me through my dahlias and their individual merits. I’m sorry I didn’t get his name, but thank you if you read this.
He encouraged me and noted some of the stems I brought would have been well placed in the novice category. So I’ll be back to see if he is right next year.
Editors Note:
Thanks Ellie for telling us your story and we are so glad you enjoyed your experience. We are a friendly bunch and always happy to help and provide useful advice. The gentleman you refer to was our President Roy Knight and he always enjoys helping new growers. Well done and we certainly will look forward to seeing you in 2024.
