August 2026 Newsletter

See the full original newsletter pdf with photos here: August 2026 Newsletter

NEXT MEETING:

August 11, Tuesday night at 7:30 at 9th and Lincoln.  Parking available at 10th and Lincoln.

Program: Sarah will go over the special sections of our schedule one more time.  Marisa will confirm volunteer stations and opportunities.  Final details for the  show will be nailed down.  Tim and Deborah will field cultivation questions.  Who will bring yummy fuel for excited dahlianeers?

SEEDLINGS ARE SOOO MUCH FUN!

Thank you to Tim for his beautiful slide show about his hybridization projects at Sisterhood Gardens. We eagerly anticipate the release of his three year old wonders soon.  Go check out Sisterhood Gardens; gates stay open until at least 5 PM.  

NOVICE ONLY MINI SHOW

Wow! So many growers staging at 6:30 PM before our meeting!  So many first-time exhibitors and several seasoned novices.  So GREAT. 

Everyone learned how to fill out their entry tags with the official ADS numbers.  They learned that Section A is always a single entry; B holds triples; and C is for those daring 5 of a kind.  Whew!  Ray and Ale’s gorgeous KA Champagnes battled petal a petal for best stellar.  Zowie! Nine waterlilies but no A’s or AA’s.  Judging, Deborah and Jenn T winnowed the extravaganza down to the final Best Large, Kelgai Ann;  Best Small, Josudi Neptune;  and Best Open Centered, Bumble Rumble.  All meeting attendees voted for their favorite.  Josudi Neptune prevailed as Best in Show.  Joe beneficently awarded ca$h prizes and gorgeous ribbons crafted by our creative Jenna.  

FUEL FOR DAHIANIERS

Thanks to Anita and Levi for fresh raspberry bars and to Alex and Allison for oatmeal raisin cookies.  Brigid’s ginger cookies snapped back just the right amount.  Yay, Jenna! The crowd scarfed up your macaroons.  Katy, your sea salt caramels went  straight to our  derrieres but so willingly.  Pat you ALWAYS bring something wonderful like those toffees and nuts.  Steve—you outdid yourself: a charcuterie plate with meats and cheeses.  We are sooo lucky to have such generous supporters in our community!

DSC DAHLIA SHOW! POSTERS

Send these posters out on whatever social media platforms you use:  Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, What’s App…..  Ask your friends to forward the posters to their friends.   Our Big Show, our Floribunda!  is one of the last great FREE events in San Francisco.  Let’s celebrate our 100th Anniversary of the Dahlia being the Official Flower of San Francisco!  Let’s celebrate in BIG ways!  

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

We are hoping for volunteers around 3pm on Friday August 14 to set up tables, lay out exhibit cards and arrange section stanchions.  Jenn T has already committed her “Gang of Big Men” to the roustabout team.  The Galleria should be open for exhibitors to begin staging their blooms by 7 PM through the night until 9am Saturday morning.  We will open to the public at 10am Saturday.  Whew!  Hard to believe it’s already been a whole year!

This is our official show poster.  Copy it.  Send it to all your social media friends.  Tack it up in libraries, flower centers and dental offices.  Let EVERYONE know about our FloribundaSF SHOW SCHEDULE

Here is the link to our show schedule:

https://www.dahliadell.org/upcoming-events

This lists all the categories into which you can enter.  It lists the rules.  It defines the arrangement categories and the 4 photography sections.  Exhibitor numbers can be had from Deborah    dahlia.dietz@gmail.com     or you can sign up when you stage at our Galleria.  Here is a page of four blank entry cards.  Print this out and customize it for all YOUR exhibits!   

SHOW PACKING LIST

Are you hoping to exhibit at our show this year???  It’s so much fun and really changes the nature of your show experience.  

Show Packing List:

• Scissors or snips         

• 5 gallon bucket with your name

• Watering pail with name

• Many towels    Stylet Oil to clean leaves

• Containers with solidly attached pin frogs!

• ADS Classification Book

• Pens/pencils                                         

Optional items: 

• Your XL spread sheet with cultivar names and ADS #s

• Pre-printed entry cards

• Stylet Oil to clean leaves

• Extra fat stems for supporting too gracile stems

• Trolly for transporting exhibits

• Floralife additive for vases

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

reported by Jenna K

Dahlia Ambassadors Jenna and Jen took part in the festivities of the 90th Anniversary of the West of Twin Peaks Central Council on June 22nd,  held at the Forest Hill Clubhouse. Armed with a stunning bouquet provided by Tim, they made sure everyone in attendance received a free postcard and  knowledge that the dahlia was the official flower of SF for 100 years. It was extra special to spread the good news with SF Mayors Lurie and Willie Brown, as well as District Attorney Jenkins and Supervisors  Mandelman and Wong. Thanks to WTPCC president Denise for including us. Our Dahlia Society loves taking part in local community organizations, spreading dahlia joy! Do you know of or have a group that would benefit from a visit? Reach out!

SISTERHOOD GARDENS 

Tim’s Sisterhood Gardens displays amazing dahlias and over 500 seedlings as well as other types of flowers.  Gates are open until 5 PM daily.  Take a picnic lunch and dine in splendor.  

GREEN GREEN FENCE 

Marilyn and Phil have once again sponsored the painting of the Dell fences, the benches and the stair railings coming down from the Conservatory.  David Zhen and his crew did an exemplary job under tough conditions: they were not allowed to drive into the park.  So they loaded all their gear and power sanders into wheelbarrows each day along with tarps and lunches. “A class act” declared Phil.   David Zhen  davidwhzhen@icloud.com  Cell: 415-518-7998.   

SONIA AND ABBY SWEEP ALAMEDA FAIR!

Young Abby acclaimed Best in Show with River’s Dark Chocolate and stunned the Judge’s Choice with a dahlia arrangement featuring River’s Can’t Elope, Winkie Lambrusco, and a number of family seedlings.

Sonia, mom, scored her first big ribbon with a first year seedling. 

“We had an early start to the season since we started indoors, but powdery mildew is already hitting us, the seedlings in particular.” Nevertheless, Sonia and Abby brought home major ribbons and acclaim for DSC.  Yay!

DAHLIA CALENDER

Monterey Dine Around
Aug. 1         
Email here

Central Coast Show
Aug. 8-9
United Methodist Church
1515 FrederickStSLO
Flowers of the Year: Misfit Kaleidoscope, Reann’s Tiger’s Eye

DSC Exhibition and Competition
Aug. 15-16
9th and Lincoln GG Park SF
FOY:  Skip to My Lou

Monterey Bay DS Show 
Aug. 22-23
Capitola Mall

Marin Dine Around
Aug. 27           
3 Gardens, Everybody welcome

National Show        
Aug. 27-30     
Grand Rapids, Michigan 
ACT NOW!  things are filling up!

SLDC Show
Sept 5-6
JJ’s Eliot
Venus BB NXO

DSC Anniversary Picnic 
Sept. 13     
Dahlia Dell

Sierra Nevada Show  
Sept. 19          
703-228-9860 

Show Schedules for SL, Monterey, SoCoast, and Reno can be found on their websites

YOU ARE INVITED: MILL VALLEY DINE AROUND!!

When:  Thursday, August 27th   What a wonderful opportunity to see 3 very different types of gardens, and confabulate with dahliaphiles.

5:30  Drinks/Appetizers at Bayfront Community Garden (Katy, Christiana), 1 Hamilton Drive, Mill Valley CA 94941

6:30  More Snacks at Edna McGuire Elementary School (Anita), 80 Lomita Drive, Mill Valley CA 94941

7:15  Dessert at Paula Jaffe’s Garden, 30 Corte San Fernando, Bel Tiburon CA 94920-2014

WE HAVE MERCH!

delineated by Jenna K

The DSC invites you to browse our 100th Anniversary logo  merchandise in our SHOP on our website. In addition to the soft and fabulous t-shirts, we offer an apron, hand towel, various mugs, a sticker and more!

https://www.sfdahlias.org/shop

LONELY BOUQUET PROJECT

report from Jenna K

Imagine finding a small bouquet on a park bench with a tag that says “take me home!” Our DSC aims to bring cheer to local citizens while delivering our dahlia info at the same time. We encourage our readers to create bouquets from your own blooms. Pop in a tag, printable  from our website, and YOU become a Dahlia Ambassador! We learned about the Lonely Bouquet Project from our friends at the Monterey Bay Dahlia Society. Check out their link and ours, Lonely Bouquet under the  Events tab on our website.   sfdahlias.org 

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

Lucy visited Alex and Allison in Mill Valley. Look how her dahlias  dwarf Allison. Great dahlias and  fabulous fruit trees.  In Marin, Rosemary reports that all the dahlias Erik’s team brought her are blooming.  Check out her River’s Crystal. Katy’s going wild for waterlillies!  Steve built an arrangement. Whole videos of fantastic dahlias  come from Tara up in Napa.  Maybe she will choose her favorites and send us still pix to include next month. Thanks for sharing your gardens with us!

OVER HILL AND DELL

WOW!  More blooms earlier than ever before!  Sarah’s Blomquist   Pinwheel blooms stellar pretty in pink. Tim’s massive orange Augie White is more pet than flower; it’s sooo huge.   Sue’s Myrtle’s Brandy, Korb’s Yellow Highlight, Vassio Meggos and gorgeous Bohemian Spartacus light up her right half of the hill.  Guess who bargained for  naming rights to Lou’s latest BB SC FL, Eden Brigid? Her husband! Congratulations!    Tinnee and Gerry’s enormous Nick Srs. stop visitors in their tracks! Their extravagant  Clearview Jonases display such staunch stalks. Deborah delights with a monster Clearview Magic, Wyn’s Farmer John and a new AC L, a big lavender semi cactus.  Her bi-color Jessicas and  KA’s Peppercorns attract a lot of attention.  Antoinette and Jennifer led Saturday noon Walk n Talks pointing out Kung Fu Kitty to the throngs’ delight.  New volunteer, Kyla, took her first collection of deadheads to a Fourth of July Party.  “BYOF: bring your own  fireworks,” she laughed.  Marilyn and Phil brought in a double-headed Nick Sr.  “What’s going on here?” they asked.  Just wonky genetics  producing a crazy nature’s oddity.  Look for similar examples at our Big Show.  Was that a sit-in at the Dell?  No, just the art class  from City College painting plein air dahlias.  So fun to see what “models” each artist chose to render in  watercolors. Kyla’s partner Ben delivered a huge bag of coffee grounds to sprinkle along the stone boundary of the Petting Zoo area to discourage gophers,  moles and voles.   

AWESOME AUGUST

Rogue

Continue to check your dahlias for problems.  When twisty scrunchy leaves persist with so-so bleh blooms, throw the whole plant away!  Plug in one of your back up dahlias; it will make you lovely flowers in October and even November.  In my section, Nicole has begun  pulling out unsatisfactory plants like this Polyvention Supreme that only blooms with popped  centers.  But she couldn’t bear to toss it, so she took it home.  Other wizened unhappy bushes she chucked directly into the trash not the compost!  

Check Your Labels

Is your Jessica a yellow incurved cactus with red tips?  Excellent! If not,  what went wrong?  Make sure your name matches the dahlia’s description.  Remember Lou’s admonition:  A dahlia without a name is just a weed…..

Do You Deadhead Far Enough?

“Cut down to new growth!”  Look carefully to make sure you see NEW GROWTH just below where you chop off your deadhead.  If you do not cut clear down to NEW  GROWTH, your plant will stop growing on that stem.  If you fail to cut to NEW GROWTH severely enough, your dahlia bush will begin to turn brown and die.  

Cocktail of the Month

Mildew entrenched early.  Grrr.   I have tried a lot of  things.  I just ordered very expensive Serenade.  I’ll tell you how well it works in our September newsletter.  So Serenade is my first ingredient this month:  Serenade, a fungicide.  Others are using MilStop or Activate for mildew.  GRRR.  Next, I add about 2 tablespoons of JMS Stylet Oil per gallon of water.   A TBSP of liquid fertilizer. Sarah uses Max C, 3-20-20 for Maximum bloom this time of year.  Lou sprays Miracle Grow.   A TBSP of baking soda to change the ph on the leaves.  I put the TBL of baking soda in a small jar half filled with milk and shakkkkkke it until all the baking soda dissolves.  So far I have not needed Spinosad or Captain Jack’s Dead Bug; the munchers have been pretty much kept in balance by preying mantises and lady bugs.  I also add a TBSP of dishwashing soap to help “stick” the spray to the leaves.  I employ a very fine mist nozzle and spray the UNDERSIDE of my leaves as well as I can reach.  What you are doing to subdue this nasty mildew???

Draggled Petticoats?

Do your lower leaves look like petticoats that have been dragged through the muck?  Time to strip off these aging uglies.  Not only does this dissuade bugs from climbing up into the cushy understory, it also allows for better air flow.  Do you have tiny green limbs starting to form down near the ground?  This is the ideal time to carefully jimmy this off the stalk and start it in a little 1x1x4 or 4x4 to make some backup pot roots for next year.  I do NOT let these little branchlets grow near the base of my dahlias.  Why not?  What happens is that they get larger and heavier until suddenly they break off under their own weight.  Then I’ve lost all that vigor and energy.  By removing these sniglets when they are small, I allow all that energy to propel growth  in other areas of the bush.  

Too Much Sun?

Where San Francisco rarely gets warm, other areas near the Bay can actually get too much sun for our dahlias.  What to do?  Some people put up umbrellas.  August is the peak of magnificence  for most dahlia gardens.  Invite friends and fellow dahlianiers over to enjoy them!  Go visit other growers gardens like the Marin and Monterey Die Arounds.  Secrete a few  Lonely Bouquets out our email address and show dates around your neighborhood.  Make someones day!They shield the dahlia plants from direct sun but allow plenty of indirect light.  If your sun is unrelenting like our friends in Lodi, you might need sun shade atop your entire patch. 

Interviews

Jenna’s press release brought a lot of attention to our Dell.  Tim, Deb, Sarah and Erik have been interviewed by various media.  Search  SanFranciscoExaminer dahlias for a fun article.  

The Show! The Show!

Participate!  Exhibit.  Build an arrangement. Volunteer. Take lots of pix. Bring friends and family. Put our fabulous Dahlia Dell picnic Sept. 13 on your calendar.

Yours in dirt,
Deborah 

Photo Credits:  Dibner, Dietz, Fei, Gaensler, Kaiser,  Krivoruchko, Tanlimco

Punctilious Proofreader: Steve

Webmaster: Mini

Webmaster Mini says she put a special section about our show at sfdahlias.org        https://www.sfdahlias.org/annual-dahlia-show

Ever had an only left gloves day?