Dahlia Dell at Golden Gate Park
Visit the Dell
Dahlias primarily bloom in summer, each plant with it’s own timeline for growth. With over 700 plants, the Dahlia Dell has brand new blooms for months. This means every visit will offer a unique experience. Time of day, sunshine (or foggy skies) also create different experiences for viewing the flowers.
In San Francisco, our peak blooming season runs June through October (the height is usually around August or September), though flowers can appear as early as May and as late as November.
Peak bloom season: June through October
Location
The Dahlia Dell is located in Golden Gate park just east of the Conservatory of Flowers.
Easily accessible by foot, bicycle, and the free Golden Gate Park shuttle.
Parking: JFK is closed to traffic. The closest parking is by Nancy Pelosi Dr. and Bowling Green Dr., Conservatory Dr. West, and outside the park on Fulton St. by Arguello Blvd.
A Volunteer-Run Garden
Though within Golden Gate Park (run by SF Recreation & Parks) the Dahlia Dell is run and maintained solely by the Dahlia Society of California. Our dedicated members have volunteered not only their time and labor, but also plants and gardening supplies to keep the garden thriving.
The primary “teardrop” space and “hillside” are divided into plots, each overseen by a different society member. DSC members volunteer and apprentice with our expert gardeners.
History of the Dahlia Dell
Dahlias have had a dedicated plot near the Conservatory of Flowers since the mid 1920’s.
In the 1980s, Roy Takeuchi grew dahlias in both the oval and on the hillside. While Roy’s father hybridized many kinds of vegetables, Roy focused on dahlias and grew them commercially.
When Roy became ill in the early 1990s, Erik Gaensler began planting in the Dell. Deborah Dietz joined him the following year on the hillside. Two years later, Erik and Gerda Juul became involved, followed the next year by Lou Paradise. In 2012, Pat Hunter took over from the Juuls. Today, Tinnee Lee, Sue Glazer, and Nicholas Gaensler grow on the hillside, while Pat Hunter, Lou Paradise, and Deborah Dietz grow in the teardrop.
As dahlia enthusiasts around the world became more connected through the internet, the exchange of tubers expanded widely. Over the years, the Dell has welcomed varieties from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, England, Holland, Austria, Japan, and Mexico. The Juuls and Lou Paradise are also respected hybridizers in their own right.
Beginning in 2004, an irrigation system was installed in part of the Dell. It helps save time and labor while also conserving water. The overseers of each area donate all of the tubers, and volunteers help with planting, disbudding, leaf removal, pinching, pest care, watering, deadheading, and digging up approximately 500 clumps of dahlias each year.
For more about the Dahlia Dell, visit our sister site dahliadell.org
Erik Juul in his section of the teardrop.
Deborah Dietz mentoring junior DSC member Abby.
Do you have photos of the Dell?
Email them to Sarah, and let us know if you’d like to be featured.
Dahlia Dell in the Press
Kickstarter for “DAHLIA”:
Support the upcoming book launch
DAHLIA is a hardcover photobook exploring the flowers of Golden Gate Park’s Dahlia Dell through color, form, and abstraction. Created over months of close observation, it reflects both the blooms and the community that cares for them.
By, Cristina Carrizosa (DSC member and Dell volunteer)