Digging In: The First Dahlia Planting Weekend

Every year, just as the ground begins to warm and the sun holds a little longer in the sky, I find myself back in the dirt, planting dahlias. It’s a ritual that feels equal parts hopeful and overwhelming. The tubers, which look more like potatoes than flowers, are humble things. But what they hold inside — the potential — is what keeps me coming back.

Let’s be honest: planting dahlias is not a “pop it in the pot and go” kind of job. It’s hauling compost, checking drainage, labeling varieties (because you will forget), gently dividing last year’s tubers, and tucking them in just right. It’s a lot of work, and when your back is sore and your gloves are crusted with soil, you might ask yourself: Why am I doing this again?

And then I remember: the blooms.

Like the one in the photo — that perfect sphere of coral petals, arranged like nature’s own mandala. Probably a ‘Cornel’ or similar ball dahlia, this flower is what makes every bit of the spring hustle worth it. In a few months, these green patches of dirt will explode with color, and I’ll be cutting armloads of blooms, arranging them into mason jars, and handing them out like little joy bombs.

That’s the magic of dahlias. You put in the sweat now for the payoff later — a lesson I find echoing through a lot of life.

So here we go. One tuber at a time. Here's to sore backs, dirt under our fingernails, and the glorious payoff that’s just around the corner.

-jw