Dahlias with Deborah Dietz April 17, 2009

Dahlias yield more cut flowers per square inch of garden than almost any other flower. In the Bay Area they can bloom from Flag Day to Thanksgiving, yielding colorful pleasure for months. Come learn how to jump start tubers with a hands-on planting. From slides and lecture, you will learn the 3 ways to propagate dahlias, the 15 colors, the 18 various forms, and practical tips for maximizing your dahlia growing success. Learn how dahlias can be used in containers, color spots, or even dedicated dahlia dells. Discover clever solutions for thwarting dahlia enemies such as aphids, gophers, caterpillars, powdery mildew, or too much sun.

(This is a hands-on class. Each class member should bring a 1/2 gallon coated paper milk or juice carton, cleaned and dried, in which our tubers will be planted. Tubers and planting medium are included in the registration fee.)

Deborah Dietz has been growing and showing dahlias for 25 years, including supervising the dahlia collection in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Editor of the Dahlia Society of California newsletter, she judges national dahlia competitions and was just named to the Dahlia Mentor Hall of Fame by the American Dahlia Society. Her friends affectionately call her the "Dahlia Llama."

$30 members, $40 non-members.

Official Website: http://www.gamblegarden.org