June 2024 Newsletter

See the full original newsletter pdf with photos here: June 2024 Newsletter

NEXT MEETING:

Tuesday, June 11 at 9th and Lincoln at 7:30 PM.
Program: Integrated Pest Management. Tim will talk about green growing in Sisterhood Gardens with plenty of Show and Tell items. We will follow with a group discussion about what has worked on which critters and bugs and what has not. Zoom link will be sent the Monday or Tuesday before our meeting. Last chance to buy tubers, cuttings, and milk cartoned dahlias. Please bring your extra$ for our final $ale. Who will bring tasty treats for hungry gardeners?

FROM 1880 TO 2024

Erik shared rare old photographs of our Dell sand dunes. After the 1906 earthquake, homeless people camped in huge tents there. Eventually the tear drop developed; tourists visited dahlias on horseback and in Model T’s. In 1926 The Dahlia was declared the official flower of San Francisco in honor of so many commercial growers out in the Sunset area. During WWII the Dell sprouted with Victory Gardens. DSC used to mount huge DigOuts and lavish picnics when we could still drive cars into our little circle off JFK. The Hillside creosote timbers erected after V-Day devolved into dangerous ruins, were elegantly replaced this spring. Besides history, Erik shared slides of the 21 official forms, some of the combocolors, and some of the hazards of leaving clumps in too long. Erik took home all the dubious tubers from our amazing sale. He placed them in flats, covered them in moist towels and put this tuber lasagna in his guest bathroom shower. More than 2/3 developed eyes. Obviously the tubers relished this treatment; Erik’s wife and cat less so. He brought all these tubers to educate us about finding eyes and confirming eyelessness. At the end of the meeting Erik set off a stampede by declaring, “All remaining tubers and clumps: FREE!” Wow! Feeding frenzy, indeed.

Big thanks to Karen, Tinnee and Pat who brought in the last of the greenhouse cuttings along with photos to match. Such great varieties. Deborah’s milk cartoned beauties whisked out the door, too. Thanks to Jenn for operating the charge square. Delighted with our crowd, Paula commented, “Any hobby group would be amazed by how many people attended here tonight.”

Grazing gardeners were grateful to Lola for her chocolate covered macadamia nuts and chocolate chips. Erik and Jenna donated a whole cookie collection. Susan’s cheese sticks complimented her dried mandarins. Peggy, Maggie, Pat and A&A, and Anita all fed our jones for cookies. MMMM Thank you Paula for the praline pecans. Oh, Steve! the blackberries were soo good. Thank you to all who contributed to the welfare of our Dahlia Community!

COLLOSAL TUBER SALE!

Thank you to all the trucks who picked up flats of more than a thousand cuttings at the greenhouse on Friday and to all the people who set up tables and arranged the plants in alphabetical order. Jenna reports, “I got to the Auditorium at 11:30 (with multiple copies of table plan) with Pat, Karen, Collette, and Jen, (a few more?) but MOST importantly my DJ! He was like a super hero, tossing out tables like hotcakes!” Thank you to Tara’s husband who hauled in several milk cartons, gallon pots and bags of tubers so his wife could take their daughter to a distant volleyball tournament. Jenna was amazed that it took only 2 hours because everyone co-operated so well only to get home to find a wall of bankers boxes full of tubers and clumps from Liebe’s Blue Dot farm in Nicasio. Some came with 2-letter designations and a translation sheet; others were humongous clumps—beautiful, huge, anonymous and undivided. Daunting.

Set Up
Great turnout at 7 am on Saturday! Some members usually seen only on Zoom joined the faithful to immediately sort tubers. How wonderful to see green aprons from our PSW conference as well as floral aprons protecting volunteers. A whole team dedicated themselves to transcribing Liebe’s 2-letter code into full names. Selflessly, Ellen and Chris set up a dividing station to liberate individual tubers from Liege’s massive clumps. Annette labeled all the boxes with form and color. Ale donated a whole box of tubers, bagged up and labeled and began helping integrate milk cartons into plants areas. Then Lisa rolled in with a whole wagon full of baggies and labeled beauties! Wow. Anita debouched her considerable largesse. From Palo Alto arrived over a hundred beautiful, smooth tubers with stamped names.

Our mystery donor turned out to be a friend of Tim’s from Palo Alto, Nancy Wu who grows in a Raconada Community garden 1000 square foot plot. She drove all the way up to SF to drop off her munificent cache. How did she achieve those professionally stamped names? An adjustable rubber stamp! So efficient. Thank you, Nancy Wu! Who brought the carefully Saranwrapped individual tubers? The theory is that those who grow beautiful dahlias one year, bring back more tubers the following year; this multiplying principle certainly proved true this year! You donated more roots that we have ever had before! Wow! Deborah brought in two double white tree dahlias from the Wardens, which sold in a thrice for $18 and $25! Tinnee matched cuttings with photos. Veterans showed newbies how to check varietal names either in the ADS Classification Book or on their cell phones. Rachel Perls set up two of her hyper-realistic dahlia paintings and gave a classy sanity to our merry mayhem. Even the guard, caught up in the spirit of cooperation, began sweeping up shavings and vermiculite.

Shopping
Because everyone worked so efficiently, the volunteers were able to shop prior to allowing the public in. Wow! The air shimmered with the energy of so many people so excited! Such outstanding options! Julie waited for the go ahead over the Kelgai Anns like an osprey over fish . While DSC members searched out potential Best in Shows, Erik addressed the largest crowd we’ve ever attracted outside. He urged them to “Diversify their portfolios by including some collarettes or orchids or poms.” People had long lists and crossed fingers. They streamed into the auditorium, grabbing “shopping baskets”—Lou’s cardboard flats—in order to plunder the astounding variety of choices. The unprecedented amount of Surprises—unnamed tubers—afforded beginners an extremely inexpensive way to start their dahlia gardens.

Selling
Thanks to Jenna and Jennifer, we had the best signage ever inside and outside. Our customers clearly saw that Paula and Deborah would take their cash and Joe and Jennifer would process their credit cards. Every time Deborah received a Grant or a Benjamin or her twenties began heaping up, she’d stuff them under her bottom; she literally sat on a fortune! Paula kept noting cool tubers in her buyers’ boxes. “Labyrinth! Ivanetti, KA’s Cloud, Home Town Hero! Why didn’t I check the tuber section?” Counters expertly totaled up Jenn’s Check Out Receipts. Some counters, like Susan, did an excellent job of up- selling Tara’s $2 baggies of bone meal. DSC members answered questions, helped people choose suitable varieties, and showed them to the table with all the growing instructions. Even though he had no suitable space, Steve—swept away with Dahlia Frenzy—couldn’t help himself and purchased 3 cuttings. Bemused he asked, “Now what will I do with them?”

Merchandise
Meanwhile, Debbie accepted double-digit new memberships and renewed existing ones. Steve and Soraya sold CELEBRATE DIVERSITY T-shirts, pencils and Jenna’s darling note cards. As cuttings zipped off the table for foreign gardens, volunteers consolidated the tables. As tubers were nabbed up, volunteers cleared empty trays until we were down to a single table of tubers and a single table of plants. Wow! in 1 1/2 hours! Exhilarating. BUT, we could have sold more tubers and cuttings. So next year, we need better publicity to attract even more buyers. Think about how you might reach more potential growers. Fortunately Ellen and Peggy were able to transfer some of the cuttings for the San Leandro sale the following weekend. Erika carted some to her school’s weekend fair. Erik took the questionable tubers home, making a tuber lasagna which he put in his dahlia thermidor, the guest shower. The tubers were happy; his wife and kitty, less so.

Eating
Aw, potluck lunch! Cara, a whole basket of your kumquats! Who made that wonderful fruit salad and the bean salad? Great enchilada rice casserole. Beautiful cake. We gratefully sat down to talk over how smoothly our event unfolded. No drama! Seeing that people were still hungry, Jen sent out for pizzas which hit the spot. Because DSCers had been breaking down tables and tidying the whole time, final clean up went quickly. Erik reached for one of the vases of Kauna’s beautiful ranunculus only to have it snapped out of his hands. “Mine! I earned these!” exclaimed Jenna. A small cat fight ensued with several other people attempting to grab a few of the beautiful blooms. Fortunately, Kauna had brought two huge bouquets of her home-grown ranunculus, so easily divvied up. Thank you for making our sale more beautiful!

So many Bests:
Best Volunteer Turnout, Greatest amount of tubers, Best signage, Most Merchandise, Longest Line of buyers awaiting opening, Least Drama, and Mo$t $old. Congratulations DSC!

DUES DUE!

It’s time to renew your annual ADS (American Dahlia Society) and/or DSC (Dahlia Society of California) membership. Our membership year is from May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025

The dues are as follows:
Dahlia Society of California only:
Individual Membership……………………………..$10.00
Family Membership…………………………………..$15.00

American Dahlia Society AND Dahlia Society of California
Individual Membership……………………………..$40.00
Family Membership…………………………………..$50.00

To learn about each of the above categories and to join please visit dahliadell.org and click on Join. You may also print out the membership form and mail it with your check to Debbie Frank, 226 28th Ave, SF CA 94121.

MARIN GARDEN TRIPLE PLAY

Paula’s Hillside
The Rose society featured Paula’s expansive Tiburon hillside on their annual garden tour, so Paula invited a few dahlia pals to visit, too. Indeed, her roses were magnificent! So many and so many fragrant! In this day of highly bred Tea Roses with no scent, the heavenly aromas from these older varieties laved our happy noses. Fat iris and tall aloe stood out against multiple magenta smoke bushes. Her dahlias beguiled us with strong leaves and famous names. She generously gave Deborah a Snoho Sonia, Susan a Hollyhill Exotica and Allison a Kelsey Annie Joy. Talk about delighted! Her persimmon and apple trees bode a bounteous Fall. Her grandchildren love raiding Paula’s myriad blueberry bushes. MMM.

A&A Amazing Forest
What surprises grow beyond the hedge in Allison and Alex’s Mill Valley home! Allison grows her veggies, dahlias and companion marigolds in a raised area behind the gaily spread picnic tables. Alex collects an array of unexpected trees: hazelnut, pecan, almond, avocado, pistachio and a mango tree that he takes on sunny walks pushing its container on a dolly! In addition, Alex grows so many fruit trees including a persimmon. After soaking them in vodka, Allison hangs the ripe persimmons on a clothesline to desiccate and crystallize. What a rare and delicious treat!

Anita’s Educational Oasis
In an area 4 or 5 times larger than the Dahlia Dell, Anita leads the Edna McGuire Elementary School garden project. On this Sunday, the school was throwing a Fair with children dashing about everywhere. Anita’s section sold vegetable and dahlia plants. Arranged from 0001 to the 9000’s, Anita stocks her dahlias in 5-gallon buckets. She strolled us through their greenhouse where she plans to make lots of cuttings next year. Past the veggie and herb sections grows an orchard with 40 fruit trees and burgeoning undergrowth compliments like artichokes. When people comment on this magic, Anita replies, “Not magic. Just dedication and really hard work.”

EDIBLE VERMICULITE?

Tom D. handed out baggies of tubers to his favorite spin class taskmistresses. They looked at the packing material and thanked him for his odd granola——or maybe marijuana? They were even more pleased to learn they were supposed to plant the dahlias, not eat or smoke them.

FIELD DRESSING POTLUCK

Nothing like combining work and fun. Sarah and Tara field dressed several of Lucy’s tuber clumps. Allison tooth-brushed off sections looking for eyes. Deborah’s Beast (her electric Dremmel) divided them. Alex slashed milk cartons, Susan labeled them, and Karen potted them up. What a smooth machine! Then they all tucked into a sumptuous lunch on Lucy’s patio with the full panoply of her blooming terraces rising in backdrop. What spectacular towers of fuchsias and huge clematis! For a finale, Lucy brought out an amazing cream puff cake both crunchy and gooey. MMM.

FIRST BLOOMS!

So exciting to see the beginning of the summer festival unfurl. Lola shared first Alloway Candy and Just Peachy in early April! Ken and Kathy have cross-hatched their twine—like do-it-yourself Hortanova—to keep their dahlias upright and supported. Great idea! Check out their huge shaded dahlia enclosure. Out in the Valley too much sun needs to be tamed a little.

HILLSIDE HAPPENINGS

The whole Hillside is turning green! Buds are fattening and flowers will begin the first of June. Mini rimmed her cages with copper; it looks fancy and thwarts the snails and slugs. Tim’s front row wonders flaunt fat buds, soon to burst into color. Sarah rides her bike over often to keep her cuttings gently watered. Wow! So many people are finding fun ways to enjoy the new structure. Personal Trainers love the space for small training groups. Stroller pushers like the big bench for snack breaks. The benches are wide enough to nap upon.

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU

DELL DOINGS

What a great month for volunteers and dahlia friends. Lillian brought over her cache of milk cartons: yes, sir, yes, sir, two bags full. Despite falling from his roof and breaking sooo many bones, Soc defied his doctors’ belief that he would never walk again; indeed, he walked in unaided to the Dahlia Dell just before Bay to Breakers. Go Soc! After weeding an entire aisle, Grace transplanted several 4”x4’s into gallon pots. Susan thought she would just observe, but in a thrice off came her cashmere sweater, on went her purple surgery gloves and she, too, transpotted a dozen cuttings. Greg and Linda strolled by to check on developments and to donate a package of copper flashing tape to thwart snails and slugs. So thoughtful. John P. thoughtfully dropped by to plant a bunch of milk cartoned dahlias whilst Deborah made labels for them all. Despite the unexpected rain/drizzle, Tony zeroed in on willful weeds. Suddenly, his faithful boot of many campaigns gave up its sole. “Now I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Tony sighed. Thinking quickly, Sarah tied the top to the bottom in a temporary kluge! Lou is fully planted, many with both a tuber on one side and a cutting of the same variety on the other. It’s fun to watch the race; the cuttings seem to shoot up, but in no time his tubers catch up and they all bloom together. Tinnee and Gerry have planted their back row. Elvira is showing pink!

PARADE OF 2023 DAHLIAS

Hollyhill Pink Tigress, Ka’s Cardinal B, Kelsey Annie Joy, Hollyhill Gloria, Tsuki-Yori-No-Shisha, Winnie Truffle

JOLLY JUTTING UP JUNE

Pinching, Topping, Stopping

No matter which word you use—removing the terminal or axial set of main bud, pair of side buds and leaf

pair—results in sending all the energy back to establish hearty roots and to promote a robust round of first blooms. I like to take the

two leaves below the central bud and hold it over the 3-4 buds to clearly see where to snip. Check out the YouTube videos or comeby the Dell on a Tuesday or Saturday morning to see in person. It’s so hard to pinch out when you want to see that first flower so

badly, but it really does make for a bushier bush.

Cocktail du Jour

Which bugs plague dahlias in June? I still have little slugs and a few earwigs which I ply with Sluggo Plus wherever I note munched

leaves. If the leaves have holes in the center, it’s probably indicative of earwigs!!! Sluggo Plus also foils these nocturnal

grazers. The Dell has been full of lady bugs for the last two weeks which is mystifying. Lady bugs love to eat aphids; but I haven’t

spotted any green or black aphids on my young plants. Why would lady bugs hang around without food??? Aphids often infest a

single bud on dahlia plant; so the easiest and greenest solution is just to cut the entire stem off. I have a quart spritzy bottle with

1/3 teaspoon Baking Soda and a teaspoon of Captain Jack’s Dead Bug for plants that look hard hit by critters. I use it quite

sparingly. However, the first week of June I will be spraying all my dahlias with some liquid fertilizer and some Baking Soda. The

Baking Soda changes the ph of a leaf’s surface and makes it less likely to retain mildew spores. The San Francisco Bay has so

much fog and moisture in the air that mildew abounds. Grrr.

Clearing the Bottoms

As your dahlias grow in height, some of their lower leaves will scrape the ground and/or turn brown. I have begun to gently

remove these lowest unsightly fronds. Not only is this a prettier presentation, it also thwarts bugs from climbing into the bush and

affords better aeration.

Dahlia Insurance

Into gallon pots go my extra snazzy varieties just in case something befalls the ones I have planted in the Dell. As these

continue to grow, they will make excellent replacements if I have to fill in for some sort of catastrophe. You can grow excellent pot

roots from cuttings in 4”x4 pots. Sixteen in just the size of a flat!They will send roots out through the bottom, bloom beautifully,

and keep their tubers in the little container for next year.

Weed Suppression

I have been seeing online a lot of people laying out weed cloth and punching holes into which to

plant their dahlias. This is a great idea. My dahlia godfather, Bob Bloomfield, used to dump his grass clippings on the isles

between his magnificent beauties. The following year he would plant where he’d been laying down green compost, alternating every other year. I like to eliminate weeds because it surely looks better. Moreover, weeds attract unwelcome bugs and take up nutrients our dahlias could use.

How Late Can We Plant?

We are so lucky here in the Bay Area because we almost never suffer a killing frost. So technically, we could plant clear through August and get blooms through October and November. I still have 30 spots left to fill at the Dell and a loft full of just-sprouting varieties that I want to establish well before tucking into the soil in The Park. Right now they get more heat, light and wind protection than they would out in the Real World.

Yours in dirt,
Deborah

Photo credits: Baker, Capps, Darcy, D. Dietz, T. Dietz, Escribano, Fernandez, Gaensler, Hamilton, Kaiser, Smith, Stijfs, Tobiason, Twining

Punctilious proofreader: Steve

URL Queen: Mini

Photo credits: Dibner, Dietz, Donohugh, Escribano, Gaensler, Kaiser, Petite, Tanlimco, Tobiason