Dig on Dahlias

For the love of all things dahlia

Heidi Zierdt ADS Chairperson, Trial Garden Director 11/11/2025

Heidi Zierdt ADS Chairperson, Trial Garden Director Join Joann and Allison chat with Heidi Zierdt. She is the North Central Trial Garden director as well as the ADS Chairperson for all Trial Gardens. We discuss what an ADS Trial Garden is as well as how to go about entering hybridized blooms to be evaluated. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/38992275

Jean Heeringa of Vista Dahlias 10/28/2025

Jean Heeringa of Vista Dahlias Join Joann and Allison chat with Jean Heeringa of Vista Dahlias! Her niece Lindsey, of IA Flower Farm, joins in on the conversation. Jean truely has a love for growing this beautiful flower, paired up with her innovative husband, Ron, the two grew thousands of dahlias in Whatcom County. Jean no longer sell hers tubers. You can find them with Lindsey at and another family member, Stacy, . You can read more about Jean's dahlia history at the Dahlia Legacy Project webstie here: . /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/38808420

Joann and Allison: Chatting about the season coming to an end 10/08/2025

Joann and Allison: Chatting about the season coming to an end Join Joann and Allison chat about our recent adventures and our emotional preparation for the seasons end. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/38512100

Melissa of Bee Merry Farm 09/23/2025

Melissa of Bee Merry Farm Join Joann and Allison chat with Melissa of Bee Merry Farm talk all things running a dahlia farm while simultaneously working two other jobs. Melissa's love for dahilas and compassion for others is very apparent in all the wonderful things she does. Listen in as she shares what she is up to! You can follow Melissa on social media @beemerryfarm and on her website . Follow her newsletter and her social media page to recieve updates on her tuber and seed sales. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/38326165

Nina of Trillium Finch and Heart Song Roses 09/16/2025

Nina of Trillium Finch and Heart Song Roses Join Joann and Allison chat with Nina about her new rose business Heart Song Roses. While Nina has been in the floral industry for years as Trillium Finch, she is braching out with a renewed love for old heritage roses selling varieties that are nearly impossible to find. Follow Nina on social media @trilliumfinch to find out more about Heart Song Roses and where to buy these roses and to find out information about Nina's annual tuber sale. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/38237820

Senior Judge and Dahlia Hybridizer Connie Young-Davis 09/09/2025

Senior Judge and Dahlia Hybridizer Connie Young-Davis Join Joann and Allison chat with Connie Young-Davis. Among many other talents outside of the garden, Connie is an exceptional dahlia exhibitionist and dahlia hybridizer (prefix Connie). She shares with us how she plans and tends her garden so her blooms can end up on the head table time and time again. Connie's garden is up in Canada, her varities are more easily accessible through Canadian tuber stores, however, they are starting to trickle down to the states. Check out the Dahlia Legacy Project's article here: for more information! /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/38141725

Dahlia Hybridizer and Book Author Bec McConnell 09/02/2025

Dahlia Hybridizer and Book Author Bec McConnell Join Joann and Allison chat with Bec McConnell of Serenade Dahlias over in Australia. Bec is growing primarily for the cut flower market and hybridizing beautiful traditional and new and interesting dahlia forms. Bec has released a couple books about growing and hybridizing dahlias. You can find out more about Bec and Serenade Dahlias on social media @serenade_dahlias and online at . /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/38058570

Senior Dahlia Judge and Hybridizer Wayne Lobaugh Discusses the Market Bunch 08/26/2025

Senior Dahlia Judge and Hybridizer Wayne Lobaugh Discusses the Market Bunch Join Joann and Allison chat with Wayne Lobaugh, senior dahlia judge, exhbitior and dahlia hybridizer discuss the new ADS show entry, the Market Bunch. Wayne discusses a little history of how the market bunch came to be and how it has been going with the clubs that have added it to their show entries. Wayne runs Lobaugh's Dahlias www.lobaughsdahlias.com. You can see his beautiful new intorductions by following him at his website or on social media IG @lobaughsdahlias. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/37959660

Senior Dahlia Judge and Exhibitor Paul Howard Interview 08/12/2025

Senior Dahlia Judge and Exhibitor Paul Howard Interview Join Joann and Allison chat all things dahlia exhibition with well accomplished dahlia exhibitor and senior judge, Paul Howard. Paul and his wife, Cheryl, will surely be on the head table at each show they attend. They carefully grow and tend to their plants to perfection. Paul shares with us how to also be successful at growing dahlias for exhibition. While, at the current time, their focus is not on hybridizing, they have introductions under the Lulu prefix. We just right into conversation with Paul! We hope you enjoy as much as we did. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/37777305

Joann and Allison: Current Garden Happenings 07/09/2025

Joann and Allison: Current Garden Happenings Joann and Allison discuss what is currently going on in our gardens and how we are adapting to new spaces and new garden challenges. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/37350000

Eugene and Rosie of River's Dahlias 06/24/2025

Eugene and Rosie of River's Dahlias Join Joann and Allison chat with Eugene Kenyon and Rosie Cooper-Vert of River's Dahlias in Oregon. We discuss what they are up to on the farm, how they are invovled with their local club and what breeding goals they currently have. You can find out more about River's Dahlias on their website www.riversdahlias.com and on social media Instagram: @riverswbdahlias Facebook: River's WB Dahlias. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/37133175

Jim Kassner: 2025 ADS Nationals Show Chair 06/17/2025

Jim Kassner: 2025 ADS Nationals Show Chair Join Joann and Allison chat with Jim Kassner. Jim is the Show Chair for the 2025 ADS Nationals in Chicago. He is responsible for making sure everything is in order for another fantastic national show. While we didn't spend much time discussing it, Jim is an excellent exhibitor and senior judge. Jim covers a few of the differences between exhibiting dahlias in the Pacific Northwest compared to exhibition in the Midwest. We also get a sneak peak into the speaker line up. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/37040480

Marryn Mathis of The Farmhouse Flower Farm 06/03/2025

Marryn Mathis of The Farmhouse Flower Farm Join Joann and Allison interview Marryn of The Farmhouse Flower Farm. Marryn shares with us a bit of her journey starting up a flower farm and how it has transitioned to focusing on dahlias and sweet peas. Marryn has recently released her book Sweet Pea School: Growing and Arranging the Garden's Most Romantic Blooms. They are also beginning a new adventure in agrotourism remodeling a nearby farmhouse to offer some in-person flower farm experiences. You can find out more about Marryn on her website and on Instagram @thefarmhouseflowerfarm. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/36833145

Adrienne of Tah-Dahlia! 05/06/2025

Adrienne of Tah-Dahlia! Join Joann and Allison interview Adrienne of Tah-Dahlia! Adrinne is back on the podcast and gives us an update on her meristem and tissue culture experiment with Hapet Old Charm. You can find her first interview here: To follow Adrienne's dahlia journey, follow her Instagram account @tahdahlia. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/36454815

Joe Morse of Wood Lily Farm 04/29/2025

Joe Morse of Wood Lily Farm Join Joann and Allison interview Joe Morse of Wood Lily Farm. Joe recently married into a family of dahlia giants and is taking on growing the legacy of his wife's late grandfater Lewis Bloom. Lewis has many introductions under the Bloom prefix that Joe is working hard to find and grow out. Joe didn't stop there and has been on the hunt for nearly lost varieites of the past. You can find out more about Joe on instagram @WoodLilyFarm. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/36354295

Ellen Frost of Local Color Flowers and FlowerMore 04/22/2025

Ellen Frost of Local Color Flowers and FlowerMore Join Joann and Allison interview Ellen Frost. Ellen owns a local flower cooperative, Local Color Flowers, shares a weekly newsletter and hosts an online community of growers called FlowerMore. Ellen shares with us how dahlia growers can effectively market themselves to local florists. To find out more about Ellen, visit or on instagram @ellenfrostflowers. While you're there, don't forget to sign up for her newsletter that provides weekly tips for florists and growers at no cost! /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/36261695

Alison Kutz with Sound Horticulture 04/08/2025

Alison Kutz with Sound Horticulture Alison is back for a second episode! Join Joann and Allison interview Alison Kutz of Sound Horticulture discuss biological controls for pest and disease managment. She is a wealth of knowledge and always a delight to have on the show. A little of what we cover today includes soil dwelling pests and the symbiotic relationship among plants. To find out more about Sound Horticulture, visit their website www.soundhorticulture.com or follow along on social media @SoundHorticulture. To listen to Alison's first episode with us, visit https://digondahlias.libsyn.com/allison-kutz-of-sound-horticulture-interview. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/36051220

Emily Fontes of Idlewild Blooms 04/01/2025

Emily Fontes of Idlewild Blooms Join Joann and Allison interview Emily of Idlewild Blooms discuss how she incorporates data collection into her growing and hybridizing of dahlias to help her more effectively make growing decisions. You can find out more about Emily and her farm and her data collection system at as well as on social media @idlewildblooms. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/35960425

Anne Maria of the Dahlia Legacy Project (DLP) 03/25/2025

Anne Maria of the Dahlia Legacy Project (DLP) Join Joann and Allison interview Anne Maria of the Dahlia Legacy Project (DLP). Anne Maria shares with us all about the purpose of the DLP and all the exciting things they are doing. You can find out more about the DLP online at https://www.legacy.nwdahlia.org or on Instagram @the_dahlia_legacy_project. The DLP is hosting a "Once-In-A-Decade" tuber sale starting April 28th! Find out more online. A sale not to be missed! /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/35854250

Steve and Sandy Boley of Birch Bay Dahlias 02/26/2025

Steve and Sandy Boley of Birch Bay Dahlias Join Joann and Allison interview Steve and Sandy Boley of Birch Bay Dahlias. Steve and Sandy share what they consider important when you are planning your garden specifically for hybridizing. Steve and Sandy have a wealth of information available on their website . They are reciepients of a long list of dahlia cultivar awards and acknowledgments from the American Dahlia Society. It comes as no surprise that they are well respected and appreciated among the dahlia community. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/35440220

Joann and Allison: Starting Dahlia Seeds 02/12/2025

Joann and Allison: Starting Dahlia Seeds Join Joann and Allison talk about how to grow dahlias from seed. You can find a detailed print out of the dahlia seed starting process here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62884bb9e41b241b62679f29/t/677df188a1c802279d2a20e8/1736307084881/How+to+Grow+Dahlias+from+Seed-2.pdf /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/35249140

Thomas Bloomquist and Blake TeVelde of North Cascade Dahlias 02/04/2025

Thomas Bloomquist and Blake TeVelde of North Cascade Dahlias Join Joann and Allison interview Blake and Thomas of North Cascade Dahlias share how they are are growing and managing 50,000 dahlias and an additional 4,500 first year seedlings on five acres continuing the Bloomquist dahlia line. Listen in for a sneak peak into Thomas' new line of dahlias and details on their upcoming spring sale. You can find out more information about North Cascade Dahlias on social media @north_cascade_dahlias and on their website www.northcascadedahlias.com. Their next sale is February 18th, 2025 at 6pm Pacific Time. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/35150485

Christine Tareen of Misfit Dahlias 01/14/2025

Christine Tareen of Misfit Dahlias Join Joann and Allison interview Christine of Misfit Dahlias. The three of us discuss Christine's upcoming sale that includes her very first dahlia introduction, Misfit Kaleidoscope, how she is selling for several local hybridiziers and some discussion around the current dahlia market. To find out more about Christine and what she is up to, head over to her website www.misfitdahlias.com or follow along on social media @misfit_dahlias. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/34850855

Joann and Allison: Breaking Down What We Want from Dahlia Sellers 01/07/2025

Joann and Allison: Breaking Down What We Want from Dahlia Sellers Join Joann and Allison discuss the results of a social media post about what buyers want from dahlia stores. What is important to us as buyers and how we can collectively make it easier for people to tuber shop with confidence. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/34761740

Joann and Allison: Considerations for Dahlia Sales 12/03/2024

Joann and Allison: Considerations for Dahlia Sales Join Joann and I discuss our experiences with buying dahlia tubers and cuttings online and how it doesn't always go as planned. Following this episode, The Dig on Dahlias podcast is taking a winter break. We will be back for Season 2 in January 2025. Thank you for spending the year with us. We wish you a wonderful holiday season! /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/34272510

ADS Nationals Wenatchee: Jenica with Dahlias 4 DIPG 11/05/2024

ADS Nationals Wenatchee: Jenica with Dahlias 4 DIPG Join Joann and Allison interview Jenica with Dahlias 4 DIPG. Following the loss of their son, Levi, Jenica and her family started this dahlia business as a way to raise funds and awarness for childhood cancer. Come listen to all the awesome things they are doing for families walking through the same journey. You can reach out to the Levi's Legacy team and find out more about Dahlias 4 DIPG on Facebook. Find the Dahlias 4 DIPG page or the Levi's Legacy DIPG Foundation page. Their tubers will go for sale in spring at https://dahlias-4-dipg.myshopify.com/password. Also, follow their facebook page for dahlia auctions. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/33791902

Joann and Allison: Dig, Divide, Dry, Pack and Repeat! 10/30/2024

Joann and Allison: Dig, Divide, Dry, Pack and Repeat! Join Joann and Allison talk about how they have been digging and dividing their dahlias. We discuss some of the things we did differently this year and how they worked out in our gardens. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/33684497

ADS Nationals Wenatchee: Adrienne with Tah-Dahlia! 10/22/2024

ADS Nationals Wenatchee: Adrienne with Tah-Dahlia! Join Joann and Allison interview Adrienne of Tah-Dahlia! at the ADS National show in Wenatchee, WA. Adrienne shares with us how she grows dahlias in Colorado's challenging climate as well as an exciting collaboration with a local potato grower to do tissue culture with a special dahlia. Find about more about Adrienne and her beautiful flowers on instagram at @Tah-Dahlia!. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/33566822

ADS Nationals Wenatchee: Amy Matteucci with La Vida Dahlia 10/15/2024

ADS Nationals Wenatchee: Amy Matteucci with La Vida Dahlia Join Joann and Allison interview Amy from La Vida Dahlia (previously Rock Yard Blooms). Amy shares her excitment over attending her first dahlia show! She went big traveling to the 2024 ADS Nationals! Amy also dives into the challenges of growing dahlias in New Mexico. You can find more information about La Vida Dahlias on social media, @LaVidaDahlia and her website . /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/33467032

Joann and Allison: Seed Collection 10/08/2024

Joann and Allison: Seed Collection Joann and Allison discuss how they are collecting seed now as well as how they are planning to collect seed for the 2025 season. /episode/index/show/a925e18b-026c-466a-b5fe-d8b2d844181d/id/33381217

Dig on Dahlias

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