Awards Banquet / Demo Garden Wrap Up

Our annual Awards Dinner was held on October 16, 2013 

at the Granger Christian Church.

It was fun to get together to celebrate the end of a great dahlia season.

 Vanetta with Mark 

 Our buffet was from Joe Morely BBQ.  

It is a favorite with our group.

 Ryan with Baby Iris

 The Taylors

 Cheri with Bill and Barbara

 Elizabeth and Jan with husbands Alan and David

 Ryan and Julie get kudos for traveling from Logan with their darling girls.

Bill and Barbara receive their award from Megan and Mark.

Demo Garden Wrap Up

We cut down the plants and stored the stakes on November 9, 2013.  We had lots of help so it took less than 90 minutes to get it done.  
Thanks to everyone that helped!

Mark, Megan, Cheri, Sandy and Karen dug the tubers on November 20, 2013.  Because we have lost so many tubers the last two years Spence came to the rescue.  We simply dug and washed the clumps of tubers and Megan delivered them to Spence.  He did the rest by packing them in bags and storing them in his root cellar.  

We will divide the tubers next spring in time for our tuber sale.  It is always good to mix things up and try new things.  We have our fingers crossed for a good outcome.

Happy Holidays Everyone! 

Can't wait to see you next Spring!

Garden Tour - Dick and Marilyn Taylor

It is a little sad to post the last of my Garden Tour photos for the season.  But on the bright side it brings back memories of a lovely day that Megan and I spent going from one Utah Dahlia Society member's garden to the next.

 We were in the area of Dick and Marilyn's garden but knew they were not home and on another one of their grand adventures.  We decided to go anyway and felt totally welcome when we encountered this sign in their front yard.

 So, "Come and Enjoy" we did!

 This was a very creative way to incorporate the swing set that their children once enjoyed.  Now, the dahlias use it for support.  Also, notice that the dahlias in this area are planted in lovely soil contained in 17" X 17" pots.   The gravel that made the "playground" now is the walk way between the rows of buried pots that contain the dahlias.  The pot idea saved all the work required to remove the gravel to get to the soil underneath.

 Dick and Marilyn's dahlias invite you 

to look behind the hedge.

 The little red shed belongs to the Taylor's neighbor. 
 It provides such a nice background for the rows of dahlias that is decorated with multiple bird houses.

 Thanks to Dick and Marilyn for inviting everyone to enjoy their beautiful garden. 

 I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did.

Watch for the last post of the year. 

 Bill took some photos of our Awards Dinner that I'm sure will be great.

Dave Ross Garden Tour

Dave Ross has been a Utah Dahlia Society member from the beginning.  

He is an accomplished rosarian and added dahlias to his list of hobbies.

Dave has had prize winners in every 

Utah Dahlia Society Exhibition Show.

 He has earned those awards by lots of hard work to create the perfect soil conditions.  He and his wife, Laree bought a new home 14 years ago.  I had to tease him a bit when I guessed he hardly looked at the house after he saw all the land that came with it and could imagine the roses, dahlias and vegetables he could grow.  The soil however was hard clay which is typical for the area.   He got to work and built raised beds and put in a drainage and irrigation system.

 He grows many dahlias each year always trying new varieties but sticking with some of his favorites.

 This is his experimental garden.  

Many of us in the UDS are trying Mel's mix in raised beds to grow our dahlias.  He is very impressed with the results.  The varieties he put in this bed are superior to that in his other garden.

 The rose and dahlia beds thrive side by side.

 More roses on the south side of their home

 Laree, Cheri and Dave giving perspective to the size of the Ross property.  

 What do you do when your Laurel bushes succumb to a harsh winter?  Paint them pink! It is a fun welcome to their home and are the foundations for Holiday decorations.

Dave has followed through with one of the main goals of the UDS to share our knowledge and enthusiasm with our community.  This dahlia garden was started by Dave's  neighbor with his help.

Thanks for the tour Dave and Laree and congratulations on your UDS ribbons at the show again this year!

Dee and Elaine's Garden Tour

There is a common thread I have discovered this past summer doing these tours.   It is simply that dahlia growers make them a priority in their gardens. Often times going out of their way to make room by removing most anything, including trees that may be in their way for a few more plants. 

 Dee and Elaine's garden is no exception.

 Miss Delilah and a few others welcome you to the garden in the front yard giving you just a taste of what is in store as you go into the back garden.

 They have dedicated a good portion of their garden to grow one of their favorite flowers in many of the wonderful varieties and colors available.

 Spartacus 

 Dee has grown dahlias for many years and enjoys the colorful blooms that bring smiles to his neighbors, friends and family.

 The bees are obviously very happy.

Thank you for the tour Dee and Elaine.  It was beautiful!

Frost has hit most of our gardens this past week which is always sad but a chance to decide which varieties were our favorites and worthy of saving the tubers.  Digging and storing tubers will begin the middle of November here in Utah.  That time frame usually gives the tubers a chance to harden off before a hard freeze.

Members, don't forget our 

Awards Banquet Wednesday, October 16th.