Dig on Dahlias

Join Joann and Allison chat with Dr. Troy Peters, Professor and Director of the Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems and Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Washington State University. Dr. Peters shares with us considerations for watering systems across different soil types.

You can find out more about Dr. Peters at the Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systesm website: https://cpaas.wsu.edu/contact_overview/director/.

Join Joann and Allison chat with Steve Lloyd of the Dahlia Doctor. Steve shares with us his dahlia history as well as how he turned to evidence-based research to grow them better. Initially what started as a quest to better his own growing, turned into The Dahlia Doctor Research Library. Steve utilizes AI to find dahlia specific research articles/seminars/thesis papers and uses that information to write articles as a resource to others so they too can make evidence-based growing decisions.

Before meeting, Steve asked us to come up with a question he could use his research system to find an answer. Joann asked, "Can line breeding stabilize color in seedlings?" Listen in to find out the answer! Visit https://www.dahliadoctor.com/pages/podcast for Steve's supporting documents to his answer.

To find out more about Steve and the Dahlia Doctor Research Library, check out his website https://www.dahliadoctor.com or on Facebook @DahliaDoctor.

Join Joann and Allison chat with LeeAnn Huber of Coseytown Flowers. Coseytown Flowers focuses on hybrdizing dahlias in a way that solves flower farmer needs. Rather than being focused on just a pretty flower, they put plant vigor and health at the forefront. LeeAnn shares with us how she runs her dahlia farm as a working business.

You can find out more about Coseytown Flowers on social media IG @CoseytownFlowers or on their website www.coseytownflowers.com.

Join Joann and Allison chat with Agronomist, Blake TeVelde. Locally, Blake works for an Agronomy Center helping local farmers improve their crops. In this episode, Blake takes that knowledge and shares with us how we can test and treat soil to support overall dahlia health.

You've heard Blake before when he joined buisness partner, Thomas Bloomquist, on Season 2 Episode 4 when they shared all about their dahlia farm, North Cascade Dahlias. You can find more about North Cascade Dahlias on their social media @NorthCascadeDahlias and on their website https://www.northcascadedahlias.com.

Join Joann and Allison chat all things iris with Josh Prieb of Fascination Iris Farm. Josh operates Fascination Iris Farm out of Whatcom County, WA where he grows hundreds of iris varieties, including a few of his own cultivars. Josh shares with us a bit of his gardening history as well as the the processes of how to hybridize and classify iris.

To learn more about Josh, you can follow along on social media @fascinationirisfarm and on his website https://jprieb751.wixsite.com/fascination-iris.

Join Joann and Allison chat with Stacey Kons of Sweet Collarette Flower Patch. While newer to hybridizing, Stacey is having great success and creating some beautiful dahlias. Stacey finds rest and solitude in her dahlia patch and encourages others to do the same. She blogs about her experiences on her website.

To learn more about Stacey, you can follow her on Instagram @sweetcollarette or on her website https://sweetcollarette.myshopify.com

Join Joann and Allison chat (more learn from) with Adrienne of @Tah-Dahlia! on how to take better pictures of our dahlias using our phone cameras. Adrienne shares with us several different considerations on how to set up your scene, how to utilize lighting and how to capture the perfect picture. Helpful to those looking to enhance their social media and/or improve the images on their website.

You can find out more about Adrienne on her Instagram @Tah-Dahlia!.

Join Joann and Allison chat with Roe of Sweet Briar Flowers. What started off as relief at the end of a long day in coporate finance has flourished into a love for flower farming, dahlia growing and hybridizing. Roe and her husband grow thousands of dahlias in the Pacific Northwest. Her first introduction, Roe's Seanshine, landed the cover of the 2026 dahlia annual, Dahlias of Today! Listen to find out how they use dahlias for good.

You can find out more about what Roe and Sean are up to on their website www.sweetbriarflowerspnw.com and on social media IG @sweetbriarflowerspnw.

Join Joann and Allison chat with Sabika of Seattle Girl Farm. Sabika shares her story how gardening to support her father during health concerns unexpectedly brought her to grow and love dahlias. Once in the tech world and fashion design, Sabika now finds herself growing hundreds of dahlias, a member of her local flower cooperative, SnoCoFlo, and a memeber of her local dahlia socieity.

You can find out more about Sabika on her social media Instagram @seattlegirlfarm and on her website www.seattlegirlfarm.com.

Join Joann and Allison chat with Catheriya Burke of South Moore Garden. Catheriya is a hobby grower who fell into learning how to clean dahlias of virus through tissue culture because of her desire to grow healthy stock after purchasing some expensive international cultivars. Catheriya openly shares with others how to be able to do the same on her social media. Catheriya has started hybridzing dahlias and is creating some beautiful blooms!

To find out more about South Moore Garden and all Catheriya has been up to, you can visit her Instagram @SouthMooreGarden or you can contact Catheriya through email at info@southmooregarden.com.

Join Joann and Allison chat with Liz Appleby of Lilibet dahlias. Growing and exhibiting dahlias over in East Sussex, Liz focuses on growing dahlias both for exhibition and improving cut flower varieites. Liz shares with us her story of how she got started in dahlias and what she is currently up to. Spoiler, Liz is a waterlily lover!

You can find out more about Liz on Instagram @lilibetdahlias an on her website www.lilibetdahlias.co.uk

Join Joann and Allison chat with Philip Merritt, dahlia enthusiast and successful dahlia exhibitior. Philip went all in on dahlias after planting a few during the COVID lockdown. His love for dahlias exponentially grew into entering blooms into exhibition and winning Best in Show! While he was newer to growing dahlias, Philip is certinaly not new to growing and arranging beautiful flowers. Listen in to hear his journey with flowers.

Join Joann and Allison chat with Karen Sanchez, ADS Classification Chair. Karen shares with us a look into keeping all the show results organzied within the Classification Handbook of Dahlias, an annual publication sent out by the American Dahlia Society summarizing all the show winning and newly introduced dahlias.

Karen is an active senior judge in the Pacific Northwest. She has released a few blooms with the Hacienda prefix. Her new blooms are released through Lobaugh's Dahlias.

Join Joann and Allison chat with one another about it being the Dig on Dahlias' second anniversary! We have had so much fun meeting all of you. A huge thanks to all of you who support and listen in each week!

Join Joann and Allison chat with Brenna Estrada of Three Brothers Blooms all about her experiences writing the book, Pansies: How to Grow, Reimagine, and Create Beauty with Pansies and Violas. Brenna shares with us some of her inspiration, travels and connections that made this book possible. Pansies just recieved the 2026 AHS Book Award, sure to be enjoyed by anyone who picks it up.

You can find out more about Brenna on her website www.threebrothersblooms.com and on her social media FB and IG @ThreeBrothersBlooms.

Join Joann and Allison chat with collarette breeder Stuart Wilkinson. Stuart grows and breeds dahlias in the UK. His dahlia prefix is DN, for dahlia nut. He is currently working exclusively on growing gorgeous unique collarette form dahlias, especially those with a dark center. Stuart also shares with us what it is like growing in his area.

You can find more about Stuart on his Instagram, @dahlia.nut. He is also active in the facebook group, Collarette Corner.

Join Joann and Allison chat with Michael Burns, the current President of the Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society of Canada. Michael's excitement and love for dahlias is infectious. He is growing and hybridizing dahlias in Ontario, Canada. He is both a successful hybridzier and exhibitionist. His dahlia hybrid prefix is Eire. Micheal has a few blooms that have been released and has many more in the queue.

You can find out more about Michael on social media. Facebook, Dahlias by Michael, or on Instagram @tattooeddahliaguy. To find out more about his new collaboration, Bonded by Blooms, with Murray Thompson and Lori Peplinskie, check them out on Instagram @bonded_by_blooms.

Join Joann and Allison chat with John Farris, Physical Therapist, share some insight on how we as gardeners can care for our bodies during times of often sudden significant increased activity. In his practice, John helps gardeners work through common problems caused by over use/repetitive movements, prolonged posture, and heavy lifting. He shares some diffierent practical techniques on caring for our bodies and generously offered a PDF of exerices we should all be doing (found here).

Join Joann and Allison continue our interview with Dave Gillam of Dave Gillam Dahlias. Dave is currently serving as Chairman for the UK National Dahlia Society. He is an exceptional exhibitionist. During this Part 2, Dave shares with us more about how the UK National Dahlia Society trains judges, classifies new blooms, his history of how he got into dahlias and some of his favorite blooms to grow and show. You can find out more about Dave on his YouTube @DaveGilliamDahlias.

Join Joann and Allison chat with Dave Gillam of Dave Gillam Dahlias. Dave is currently serving as Chairman for the UK National Dahlia Society. He is an exceptional exhibitionist. During this Part 1, Dave shares with us his passion for dahlias and what it is like to exhibit dahlias over in the UK.

You can find out more about Dave on his YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/@DaveGillamDahlias or on social media @DaveGillamDahlias.

Part 2 will release next week, March 24,2026!