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March 7th 2022

Dahlia Breeding Update

Written by
Floret

When I started growing dahlias I had no idea that you could grow them from seed. It was actually a good 10 years into my journey with them that I learned that there was a difference between growing dahlias from tubers or cuttings, which is how you clone a variety, and growing them from seed, which is how you create or breed a brand new variety.

Once I dipped a toe into growing dahlias from seed (i.e. breeding), I got completely swept up in the process and it has since become a huge part of my life. It’s funny how my little side weekend projects inevitably become the next big thing we’re working on. And dahlia breeding certainly falls into that camp.

Erin Benzakein tending dahlias in a Floret greenhouseThe first year I learned about how to breed new varieties, I collected some seed pods from my favorite varieties in the field and the hoop houses (‘Café au Lait’, ‘Appleblossom’, ‘Peaches N’ Cream’, and ‘Waltzing Mathilda’) and saved them aside to grow out the following season. 

Field of dahlias at Floret Flower FarmMy first dahlia seedling patch consisted of a single bed (a few hundred plants) tucked in my backyard, and of all the things I grew that season that one little row was by far the most exciting.

Waiting for each new flower to open to see what emerged became addicting and I just couldn’t get enough. 

Erin Benzakein holds up a dahlia seedling ready to plantTrays of Floret breeding dahlia seedlings Planting rows of dahlia breeding seedlings at Floret Flower FarmThat season I collected as many seeds as I possibly could, and the following season we had enough to plant out a patch of 13,000 seedlings—an entire field block. It is probably one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever grown! 

If you want to learn how to collect seeds off of your dahlias and breed new varieties, we dedicated an entire chapter to the subject in Discovering Dahlias, starting on page 88. 

Erin Benzakein flagging favorite breeding dahlia varieties to observe in the fieldShelves of cut breeding dahlias on display in the Floret studioShelves of cut breeding dahlias on display in the Floret studioOut of those 13,000 seedlings I ended up with about 500 promising varieties that I flagged, dug, divided, and saved to observe the following year. 

Erin Benzakein digging up dahlia tubers in the Floret breeding patchFloret team digging up dahlia tubers in the breeding patchI approach dahlia breeding like one giant treasure hunt. No matter how much you try to guide them in a direction (hand crossing, isolating breeding pairs, bagging individual blooms) in the end you don’t really know what you’re going to get. Most of the dahlia breeders I’ve talked to only save one out of every hundred seedlings they grow, often even less.

Simply put, it’s a numbers game. 

Overhead of Floret breeding dahliasErin Benzakein photographs a handful of breeding dahlias in the fieldOver the last few years, as I’ve gotten deeper into the process, I’ve really tried to focus my efforts. I’m looking for varieties that have unusual colors and forms, making them ideal for flower arranging and design work. To me, color is the most important quality and then form or shape is the second.

Good stem length is also very important along with vigorous growth and good plant health. 

A handful of Floret dahliasFloret breeding dahlia growing in the fieldFinding all of these qualities in one single variety is nearly impossible so tens of thousands of seedlings have ended up in the compost pile because they don’t meet all of my criteria.

I know that sounds harsh, but if I kept every variety (and they all are beautiful in their own way), there’s just no way that we could ever manage that volume of work, so I find that it’s important to be very selective and try and stay as true as possible to my breeding goals each season. 

Buggy filled with Floret breeding dahlias Overhead of buckets of Floret breeding dahliasTraditionally, dahlia breeders have mainly focused their breeding efforts on varieties that will rank high in competition, with the exception of Kristine Albrecht at Santa Cruz Dahlias who has bred some incredible varieties perfect for arranging.

If you don’t already have Kristine’s wonderful book, Dahlia Breeding for the Farmer-Florist and the Home Gardener, it’s a must-add to your library if you’re interested in dahlia breeding. She also shares wonderful short video tutorials over on Instagram and has a great website.

Erin Benzakein arranging a handful of dahlias in the Floret field A handful of Floret breeding dahlias in the fieldWhen it comes to variety selection, I’ve found that I’m drawn to the oddballs with muted coloring, unusual forms, and stems that sway in the breeze.

None of the varieties that are in my breeding patch will likely ever win a blue ribbon at a dahlia show, but I think flower arrangers, farmers, and gardeners will love them, and that is who these magical varieties are intended for. 

Rows of breeding dahlias in the Floret field A row of breeding dahlias in the Floret fieldThis past season it became really clear that the dahlia breeding project had ballooned to the point that it was in serious need of some focused attention and thoughtful organization. We hunkered down and mapped everything out with a ton of detail. Each row was numbered, every variety labeled at eye level and then detailed maps were drawn up.

Up until that point, I had been working on the project in the fringe hours mostly by myself, but with close to 500 varieties to manage, I needed to call in reinforcements.

Erin Benzakein lifts a handful of dahlias in the Floret field A handful of Floret breeding dahliasSo Jill, Nina, Chris, and I spent the season organizing, observing, documenting, photographing, and cataloging all of the varieties in this project.

It was a massive organizational feat, but I’m so happy we gave these varieties the focused attention that they deserve.

Erin Benzakein, Jill Jorgensen, and Nina in the Floret dahlia breeding field Erin Benzakein sets up an overhead breeding dahlia shotTwice a week from mid-July to early October we walked the rows, observed the plants, selected which varieties would move forward, harvested flowers from the varieties that made the cut, measured blooms, wrote descriptions in our big breeding binders, and brought them into the barn to have their portrait taken.

Here is a little sampling of the flower portraits: Collage of red Floret breeding dahlias Collage of raspberry Floret breeding dahlias Collage of orange Floret breeding dahlias Collage of peach Floret breeding dahlias Collage of blush Floret breeding dahlias Collage of yellow Floret breeding dahlias Collage of white Floret breeding dahlias Collage of pink and purple Floret breeding dahliasThere are so many beautiful little treasures emerging from this project and looking at them all leaves me a bit overwhelmed, in the best possible way.

Three top favorites are:Closeup and overhead of breeding dahlia 'Floret'C33/Floret is one of the sweetest varieties I’ve ever grown. The large glowing pink outer petals encircle a smaller row of lighter pink inner petals that are layered and twisted. As flowers age, the golden centers grow fluffy and outer petals fade to soft apricot.

This was her third year growing and the tuber count is now 154.

Closeup and overhead of breeding dahlia 'Little Miss Sunshine'C171/Little Miss Sunshine looks exactly like a kids’ illustration of a sun. Flowers are a glowing clean lemon yellow with domed puffy centers. Plants have a branching habit and each stem has a ton of flowers. I’ve never seen anything like it!

This was her second season on the farm and she already produced 72 tubers.

Closeup and overhead of breeding dahlia 'Firefly'C144/Firefly has pointed slightly incurved petals that are soft buttercream brushed with raspberry-red. They have long wiry stems and the plants are covered in flowers all season long. Pollinators love this variety and it also has surprisingly good tuber production.

This was its second year and we already have 51 tubers. 

Jill, Nina, and Erin divide dahlias in the Floret greenhouse Bins of Floret breeding dahliasA few weeks ago we finished the massive project of dividing all of the breeding tubers and I’m still in shock over just how well they did.

In all, we ended up with 9,953 tubers from 215 different varieties!

Erin Benzakein holds a bunch of Floret breeding dahlias Erin Benzakein photographs a bunch of Floret breeding dahliasI’ve been asked by so many people that if we’re no longer offering dahlia tubers for sale, why have I invested so much energy and so many years into breeding new varieties? I always feel a little nervous answering this question since this project is still unfolding.

I know I want these special varieties to find their way out into the world someday (when they’re ready), but I’m not sure how that will happen just yet—whether we take on the task of producing and shipping the tubers ourselves or we work with other growers to bring them to market. 

Shelves of Floret breeding dahliasCloseup of Floret breeding dahliasBut the real (and probably most important) reason that I’m doing this is that it brings me so much freaking joy.

I’m so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to get to discover all of these little flower beings, help bring them into the world, and just be along for their ride, wherever it may go.   

Overhead of Floret dahlia breeding binder Closeup of Floret dahlia breeding binderThis next season I want to devote more time to working with these varieties and continue refining the collection and our record-keeping process.

I want to measure each variety’s vase life, photograph them in the field, and see which varieties are the most suitable for arranging and which ones are better in the garden. 

Erin Benzakein in the Floret dahlia breeding fieldFirefly Floret breeding dahlia growing in the fieldI’m also planning on growing another big seedling patch to see what new treasures I can discover. While I’d love to fill another entire field block, I don’t know if I’ll have the time to observe as many so I’m capping the seedling patch at 7,000 seedlings, which is still plenty. 

When I started this little side project I had no idea that it would turn into what it is today. And what’s so funny is that I feel like this is just the tip of the iceberg and I can’t believe how many varieties I’ve discovered in a relatively short amount of time. 

Overhead of Floret breeding dahlia seed heads Overhead of Floret breeding dahlia blooms If you’ve never grown dahlias from seed before, then I encourage you to give it a try. If you can’t get your hands on any seeds this season then be sure to leave a few blooms on your dahlia plants and let them go to seed so you can collect them in the fall for planting next spring. See our Recommended Dahlia Sources post for a list of our favorite tuber suppliers.

Growing dahlias from seed really is the ultimate treasure hunt! You never know, you may discover the next ‘Café au Lait’ blooming in your backyard.

Overhead of Discovering Dahlias books and Floret breeding dahlia bloomsSince this week marks the one-year anniversary of Discovering Dahlias being published, I thought it would be fun to give away five breeding-inspired goody boxes. Each box will include a signed copy of Discovering Dahlias, five packets of dahlia seed from my breeding patch, and a copy of Kristine Albrecht’s wonderful book Dahlia Breeding for the Farmer-Florist and the Home Gardener

To enter to win, please tell us what your dream dahlia would look like. What would you be thrilled to find in your seedling patch? The five winners will be announced here on Tuesday, March 15. 

Update: A big congratulations to our winners Melissa, Megan Fischer, Laura Flournoy, Michelle and Janet.

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3,610 Comments

  1. Karen Womack on

    I thought I always loved the giant pastel colored dahlias I’ve seen before in the shops but after looking at all the varieties you grow, its overwhelming, so much now that I have many favorites. I would be thrilled with any of them growing in my garden!

    Reply
  2. Irene on

    Wow so many beautiful dahlias! For record keeping of lots of new breeds and their various characteristics, MySQL database immediately came to mind. It might make things easier to keep track of

    Reply
  3. Misty on

    When will these be available for purchase?

    Reply
  4. Louise Belzile on

    Bonjour,

    Je viens de m’inscrire à votre infolettre. Comment pouvons-nous commander des racines de Dalhia?
    Mon intérêt est pour la C11 et C33.

    Je demeure à Québec, zone 4. Est-ce trop froid ou courte saison pour ces variétés?

    Merci et j’attends avec enthousiasme votre réponse.

    Reply
  5. Elisia on

    I know the giveaway is done, but my favorite would be a 3-4” ball dahlia that varies from mulberry to plum shades and makes thick, elongated tubers that are easy to divide and store!

    Reply
  6. Colleen Eschner on

    My first year growing seed and to be honest it was seeing your IG acct and FB and falling down the rabbit hole that is Floret. Growing dahlias from seed has blown my mind and then to see the squee little tubers forming. What?! Small still and fighting heatwaves and record temps in Vancouver BC. But Bees Choice all sprouted. Red Queen Lime Zinnias, Apricotta Cosmos and bronze calendula. I’ve add some blues and black scabios and sunflowers. Its all small still but I can see it. Joy filled. Thank you.

    Reply
  7. Kirsten Ann Larsen on

    My ideal dahlia would be a form similar to Firefly seen above, but a bright fuchsia color with purple streaks. That color combo reminds me of my 12 year old boy. He’s obsessed with dahlias and keeps lobbying me to give up growing veggies to get more dahlia space. He’s a firecracker, and those colors are his favorites.

    Reply
  8. Sharon Jensen on

    I suppose I’ve been growing dahlias since I was 10 years old when I stopped to ask a gardener planting dahlias at a nearby church what she was planting. She gave me a tuber which hooked my mother on dahlias and at 89, she still grows over 50 varieties. Now that I have my own garden, dahlias are one of my passions. I love the dinner plate dahlias which bring so much dazzle to the garden and I’m drawn to colors, especially those which blend peach, yellow, pink into laciniated form. Discovering Dahlias is an amazing read, thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  9. elizabeth W szamreta on

    This is my first year growing dahlia from Floret seed and I am ecstatic to watch them grow. I’d be thrilled if one was two tones in the shrimp colors. Honestly, any beautiful flower that comes from my garden makes me smile. I’m not hard to please. I admire all the precise steps you follow to make your gardens so productive and outstanding. Thank you to Floret for all your labor.

    Reply
  10. Nicole Montesano on

    I’m a sucker for the big, fluffy blooms; Rip City was one of my favorites, and I’m so sad that I lost mine, and haven’t been able to find it since. A couple of years ago, I started dahlias from seed and saved the tubers; they were gorgeous! Dark reds in single or just barely double blooms, with dark purple foliage, and the bees loved them. Even hummingbirds visited them, although I was never sure if they were actually getting nectar. This spring, chipmunks got in the greenhouse and ate the sprouts — and in some cases the tubers! just as they were getting started. #%#!*&&@#@! :(
    So I’m starting more seeds this year, really hoping to find those again. Really hoping the couple of tubers that survived, but are unlabeled for some reason, are those favorites. And trying to figure out how to chipmunk-proof gallon pots for next year…
    A dream dahlia — perhaps a big, puffy bloom in shades of apricot and copper, that shift and deepen almost to red as the bloom opens fully, or maybe the petals are backed with red — so a vase of them looks like a spectacular sunset.

    Reply
  11. Brooke Adler on

    Dahlia’s were my initial fascination as a started my journey into flower gardening. While I am still a newbie, I have loved improving my growing techniques and producing some lovely dahlias. This year, I am growing many from seed and hope to discover some treasures. I would love to find a blueish, lavender variety. I know they don’t exist, but I have high hopes that one day they will (even if it’s more of an illusion). Thank you for the continued inspiration, Floret!

    Reply
  12. Beth on

    I love the C33 pink dahlia, she is so sweet. I’m a new flower farmer and I couldn’t afford tubers this year so I’m growing everything from seed in an effort to save money and still have dahlias I’m growing two rows of dahlias from seeds purchased from floret and I’m so excited to see what grows. Thank you Erin and the floret team for all your work with the breeding projects I can’t wait to see what we find!

    Reply
  13. Melanie on

    Blue! The hunt is still on for a blue dahlia!

    Reply
  14. Kathleen on

    I fell in love the first time you posted C33 on your Instagram. That’s my perfect dahlia. Open-centered for the pollinators, slightly kooky, twisty petals, and that gorgeous, changeable pink.

    Reply
  15. Kelly on

    I love any pink Dahlia. C33 Floret is so beautiful!

    Reply
  16. AMY DENDY on

    My dream patch would be shades of pink,peach, coral,and purple dahlias. There would be many varieties to choose from and sway in the wind.

    Reply
  17. AMY DENDY on

    My dream patch would be shades of pink,peach,coral,and purple dahlias. There would be many varieties to choose from and sway in the wind.

    Reply
  18. CJ on

    pointed and the colors of a sunrise

    Reply
  19. Brandi Bigalke on

    This is my first year growing seedlings – honestly I will be so freaking happy if I get just ONE blossom! I love Apple Blossom and have been trying to get my hands on that one for a while.
    This is year three into my dahlia journey and it has grown to a passion that has allowed me to bond with my mother, and that alone is the most beautiful gift! Calling and texting about every step in the process and laughing – sometimes wanting to cry – about different things that happened on our dahlia journey. This flower will forever remind me of her and our bond over this crazy passion!

    Reply
  20. Stephanie on

    The shape of C144 with a deep raspberry color throughout. This is my first year growing Dahlias on my farm. I have 50 tubers but started 150 seeds. I had read that the germination rate can be quite low. So I hoped for 20-50 seedlings to emerge. I have 146 seedlings! I’m so excited. I can wait to see what comes of them. I plan to start Dahlias from seed every year. The joy and excitement those little seedlings have brought me is just wonderful.

    “I’m doing this is that it brings me so much freaking joy.” Loved this! For all that you have shared with us, you deserve so much freaking joy!

    Reply
  21. Amber on

    I would love to find a peach/apricot version of ‘apple blossom’! Can’t wait to see all the varieties you’ve discovered!

    Reply
  22. Jonatan on

    I would be very interested in purchasing seeds from your Dahlia breeding project. I fully realize germination rate and resulting plants may be all over the place. If they were categorized by type and color as a starting point with pictures of mothe rplants it would just as much an exciting surprise on my end.

    Reply
  23. Joseph Daoang on

    My dream dahlia would be bright and vibrant pink, with medium and ball shaped flowers that have petals of multiple shades. The flower would have a long-lasting bloom season and thrive in my tropical climate. I’d love to see this beautiful flower gracing my garden soon and to give away to friends and family.

    Reply
  24. Patricia E on

    Looking forward to the day you write a book about breeding and show many photos of the awesome varieties you’ve created and have withstood 3+ years and are still all keepers. I wish I could have that variety that is photographed second below the one of you taking a photo of pink dahlias.

    Reply
  25. Alicia Tompkins on

    I LOVE the muted tones and the brown tones of cafe aulait (never thought I would say I love brown flowers). I also love peaches and oranges in the fall when the dahlia patch starts to bloom. My customers love my purple dahlias with frills (not sure on name) even though it’s September in MN before I see their pretty blooms. I tend to enjoy the dahlias that look straight up and are smaller in bouquets but all are fun to have and grow.

    Reply
  26. Melissa on

    Wow!!!!! Just wow… I’m obsessed with dahlias and I can’t wait to try saving some seeds this year to see what I can grow! It’s amazing how one plant can produce such different flowers. I’d love to see more pictures, and what you got from each parent plant.. my idea of heaven would be walking through your amazing dahlia patch.

    Reply
  27. Tanja Smith on

    I’m growing some dandy collarettes from seed. Is that the same thing?

    Reply
  28. Lauren Blanchard on

    C162 is what my dreams are made of! Puffy cotton candy hippie creamsicle!

    Reply
  29. Caroline on

    This is fascinating. I’ve wondered why you made the shift but after reading your blog I can totally see it. The science of it, the anticipation and delight, and all the opportunities that come with starting something new must be exciting. I’m just getting started with growing tubers but would love to experiment with hybridizing in future years! Thank you for sharing and looking forward to following this journey.

    Reply
  30. Rachel Below on

    Glad to see lots of muted, more antiqued shades. Palest pink, dusted brown and rich raspberry would be my choice. Hapet Pearl, Genova, Wizard of Oz and April Heather are some of my favorites in. Floret, Little Miss Sunshine and Firefly are all lovely

    Reply
  31. Jill Armstrong on

    Beautiful write up and seeing all the pictures gets us excited for planting season. My dream Dahlia would be earwig free😁 and the color of a pink sunset or close to your precious metal variety.
    I would be excited to see iceland poppies poke thru!
    Thankyou
    Looking forward to all thing Floretfarm!

    Reply
  32. Stacie on

    Thank you for sharing your beautiful story! I loved watching your docu-series on Discovery+…or shall I say, it “discovered me” during a critical time in my family’s life. It helped me to remember who I am & to not let our hardship destroy the most beautiful parts of me. I could especially relate to the endless work hours & days when you couldnt afford heat or diapers & felt so small & insignificant. You inspired me to dream again & most importantly, to believe that “the future can be better than the present & I have the power to make it so” (quote by D. Brooks).

    Sincerely, Thank You.
    Peace, love & the best of health to you & yours, always.
    Ms. Stacie Banks & Family

    Reply
  33. Johnna King on

    Love this blog post and giveaway. I love your story and to be honest, as a Mom of 8 little kiddos and pregnant, my dream dahlia would simply be one I grew myself. It would be a dream to use our land for flowers and more gardening – but much of my day is with my children and I’m slowly doing more with our land. I would love to see a beautiful flower that we planted together from seed come up as a celebration of our season of life – that we can do it together at the right time

    Reply
  34. Lisa on

    Since my space is SO limited (I’ll try to squeeze in 50 plants but I really should only be growing 10!) I have to carefully analyze every seed I choose. I would love if other breeders started photographing their seeds that they end up growing. Obviously if would only work on a small scale but if enough of us did this, maybe we could discover a pattern. There are so many differences in the seeds, shapes, size, color and texture. Some have lines, some have color variations. And actually, the shapes are similar to various petal shapes, making me wonder if that’s a hint. Wouldn’t in be cool if we could get some indication what seeds will produce what forms at least? Then we wouldn’t have to grow 100 seedlings in hopes of getting one keeper.

    Reply
  35. Danielle on

    Congratulations ladies!!! So exciting !! Pure JOY

    Reply
  36. Andrea Walsh on

    Not sure if I’m too late for the competition, but this year will be my first year growing dahlias from seed in Northern Ontario, Canada. A dahlia that I would love to see in my patch would be a deeper ‘Merlot’ colour, with large, soft-looking petals that beg to be touched. It would have a long, strong stem for arranging. Thank you to everyone at Floret for your inspiration and guidance!

    Reply
  37. Michelle Renshaw on

    WOOOOHOOOO!

    I am one of the lucky winners! To say I am over the moon is an understatement! I can assure you all…I will pay it forward

    Reply
  38. Bekah Yohn on

    Congrats, Melissa, Megan Fischer, Laura Flournoy, Michelle and Janet!!! <3 <3

    Reply
  39. CHERE TOURNET on

    How much joy I had last year, when I planted and grew your Dahlia seeds! I didn’t know what would pop open from the promising buds – and this was SO much fun! Like you, it is the anticipation that thrills me. Just to think of what could emerge from that tiny seed!
    Also, the tubers each plant developed were phenomenal – I never imagined that a large tuber could grow in such a short span of time. I really don’t have a favorite Dahlia but I love dusty purple tones, so: my dream dahlia would have a dusty orange center with dusty purple, fringed petals. It would be simple in design but tantalizing in color.
    Thank you for this opportunity and for all of the inspiration you seed into our lives.

    Reply
  40. Danielle Farmer on

    First off ErIn and the team y’all are AMAZING!! And thank you for bringing so much JOY into my life and the world!

    Dream dahlia would be nude and different shades of white, variety of sizes! I would be thrilled to find nude, whites, and variety of pink dahlias, surprise me with an assortment as I am new to the gardening world and have always had a passion for flowers! I had surgery in February and my mom and aunt got me the most beautiful assortment of yellows, whites and nudes. I thought wow! How much pure JOY these flowers are bringing me!! I want to be able to spread the love and joy at our local farmers markets, give back to our community! I don’t want to go into detail in the surgery but this has changed my life! Laying in the bed unable to move watching Floret and thinking WOW ERIN is an amazing inspiration! I have started brain storming and finding inspiration from her books and show! Last name is Farmer, so Farmers Floral has begun!

    Reply
  41. Nancy Foerster on

    Nancy. March 15th 2022… My Dream Dahlia would be the darkest of purple (center and all) almost an inky black except when it’s shown in the daylight. Its bloom would be as big as a head of cabbage and the peddles would tightly woven into each other almost creating a birds nest. The leaves and stem would be…something in the Kelly green family or maybe chartreuse and would cradle its bloom. The stem would be designed to suck up as much water and glycerin as possible so that it could be preserved for a very long time. This wonderful Dahlia could stand on its own or be strong enough to create a topiary of purple wonder! I’ve been gardening flowers and vegetables for the past 30 years. After taking a few years off I plan to get back to putting my spade, shovel and hands into dark rich soil again. Thank you for your inspiration and teaching all of us about nature, flora and fauna.

    Reply
  42. Leianne on

    My dream dahlia would be one that has a subtle, variegated shade of purple, darker towards the center, slowly fading away towards a light purplish-white, but then having a soft pink tips at the very end. I’m partial to the more decorative dahlias, so I think it would be the best display of the coloring, however, I wouldn’t be opposed to any dahlia with that kind of coloring. If I could borrow my neighbor’s yard, which is nothing but sun (unlike mine), I would fill it with all sorts of flowers, but mostly dahlias.

    Reply
  43. Monica Judd on

    I haven’t even ventured into dahlia planting yet but have your book. I’m especially drawn to the creamy colored blooms and also love shades of pink. For size, I’d say a moderate to large size bloom to serve as the statement in bouquets. Thank you for being a faithful student and for sharing all your knowledge.

    Reply
  44. Barb Moore on

    My Dream Dahlia would be various shades of purple, starting with a darker periwinkle purple on the inside and fading to the lighter shades at the ends. I haven’t had the joy of growing my own dahlia’s yet, perhaps this year will be my first time!

    Reply
  45. Jeanine on

    My dream dahlia would be the exact color of the pink clouds just after the sun sets. Thanks for all the beautiful work that you do! It is my first year growing dahlias from tubers and I can’t wait for them to arrive in April. So excited to be on this journey of growing my own flowers.

    Reply
  46. Karen on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinnerplate with subtle color variations within each bloom and so full you would wonder how all those petals could possibly fit and in on flower and the petals would be textured (either ruffles or spikey) on the edges, either a bold dark purple-black or a soft salmon/peach color.

    Reply
  47. Jill Cullen on

    My dream dahlia is purple with a orange with a yellow center, like a beautiful sunset.

    Reply
  48. Tali Hurst on

    My dream dahlia would be a beautiful dusty rose color with a hint of orange warmth in the center in a formal decorative form. A color palate and shape that so naturally draws me in to it’s beauty. Can’t wait to see what this growing season brings!

    Reply
  49. Charlene Ng on

    My dream dahlia would be to find a white dahlia over time it will be chartreuse-y color. (Maybe it exists? I’m not sure.) I’m just starting my adventures in the dahlia world but waiting for it to open, getting them before the earwigs do are all part of the process. Happy gardening!

    Reply
  50. sue costello on

    My dream dahlia would be the discovery of the first blue dahlia… a Forget-me-not shade of blue in a single-petaled dahlia.

    Reply
  51. Katie Crowe on

    It is hard to pin point what my dream dahlia would be. The first thing that comes to my mind is a large full petal bloom that has a vibrant center color and fades out to some softer colors. Almost inspired by a sunset that makes you stop and take in all of the beauty it has to offer and provides a sense of peace and calming. That’s what gardening is to me. It’s my escape from the busy and the peace that my soul needs.

    Reply
  52. Charlotte on

    I dream of a dahlia that is twice as big as the big dinner plates dahlias and that is the perfect light coral color, that looks like it is almost glowing.

    Reply
  53. Gabby Boisen on

    The dahlia of my dreams is a terrific hot pink color with a bloom as wide as my head!

    Reply
  54. Erin Whitemarsh on

    My dream dahlia would be a coral to white version of firefly!

    Reply
  55. Laurie on

    My dream dahlia might be similar to the new Floret – I love soft colors with a more “wild” dahlia look with fewer petals and a nice yellow center, kind of like Appleblossom.

    Reply
  56. Grace on

    I too love the creams, peaches and soft glowing colors. I definitely prefer heights below 3 ft, my composted horse manure sometimes creates monsters in height. If it says 3-4 ft in the description then I might as well count on 5-6 ft! I love sturdy stems as opposed to wimpy ones that don’t hold up! I love all shapes from Poms to singles but must say that your firefly really caught my eye. I love reading your blog, I’ve been gardening for over 40 yr now but continue to learn and grow every season. Thank you for all your hard work.

    Reply
  57. Julia Y on

    Oh my, how to pick one?? I love blush colored flowers and the larger the better! It would be a show stopper. It would be amazing to win some seeds to plant at my new home! I’ll be starting from scratch there.

    Reply
  58. Mary Bass on

    My dream dahlia would be in my garden, not a flower field. The plant would be about 24” tall and about 18” wide. The flowers would rise 6-10” above the foliage with three levels of flat petals ranging in shades of pink and salmon, and variations of those shades. The flatness, similar to single varieties, would allow easy access for pollinators. Many of the inner level of petals would twist & turn for interest. The interior would be darker shades of the same pink, salmon, and bits of yellow, making for beautiful macro photographs. They would have great vase life and tolerate overwintering in the soil in my zone 7a garden, with the help of an extra layer of leaves.

    Reply
  59. Lisa Murphy on

    I love ALL the dahlias! But I think I would like another St. Nicholas. (I think that’s his name). I grew one last year and he was large, red and beautiful. The tuber was from a friend, but I’m not sure if it survived overwintering. (Long story) Anyhow, Dahlia’s are definitely my favorite flower to grow, thanks to my botanist neighbor. He, along with my dahlia’s have been a great big beautiful asset to my new garden <3

    Reply
  60. Cassie Melton on

    A compact pom flower. Lemon yellow petals, with orange tips.

    Reply
  61. Jennifer D Heath on

    My dream dahlia would somehow combine purple and lime green either in the petals or the leaves. My Mamaw June really liked purple and my Mamaw Pauline was born on St Patrick’s day. I miss them both so much. They both instilled a love of flowers and gardening into me. I have flowers from both of their yards in my yard now that remind me of them when they bloom. I would call this dahlia the Memory of Mamaw dahlia.

    Reply
  62. Elisheva on

    My dream dahlia is round and either lilac or apricot in hue, with a lot of petals.

    Reply
  63. Jackie on

    I would LOVE anything purple and white and bigger than a dinner plate too!

    Reply
  64. Laura Doty on

    My dream dahlia would be similar to your C33 Floret variety but a paler pink that is a bit darker at the tips and light yellow center. If I planted some seeds. I’d be thrilled to find a big, beautiful Cafe au lait popping up :)

    Reply
  65. Cindy R Thompson on

    I love all the soft muted peachy pink shades that have lots of petals. Would love to have a bunch growing in my garden..(Thanks for being you!)

    Reply
  66. Emery Adona on

    My dream dahlia is a variety called Gitts Crazy! Orange petals with wine colored edges. So pretty!

    Reply
  67. Lexa on

    I am quickly falling in love with apple blossom and scabiosa-type dahlias. These blooms are so unexpected and bring me endless joy. I would love to grow something in this form with some delicious tequila-sunrise coloring, or maybe a peachy-yellow that reminds me of candy. I want my customers to marvel and say “what is that flower?!” and surprise them with the answer.

    Reply
  68. Kim McDonald on

    I would love to have big pink blush coloured dahlias as well as baby yellow ones to plant all around my house I am redoing It an odd looking house but will be beautiful once my flower garden is done . We still have about 4 feet of snow here in eastern Quebec. Can’t wait to see flowers

    Reply
  69. Karen on

    I got my love of flowers from my grandmother and now that we own 2 acres I want to grow my own flower patch. I love pale orange and dark pink, dark red and orangish yellow combinations.

    Reply
  70. Kelly R. on

    If I were to imagine a new dream dahlia it would be a white center fading out to a muted pink and then ending in a dark pink with slightly incurved petals. But honestly, all dahlias are so beautiful, each color and variety has something unique to offer.

    Reply
  71. Gretta Lattal on

    I first fell in love with Dahlias studying abroad in London many years ago. My favorite florist displayed the beauties one stem each, in milk bottles seated on an old church bench outside her shop. Glorious! But honestly, my heart stopped just a few years ago when I found “Dinner Plate” Dahlias at a garden center nearby. They were a solid, deep purple color.
    If I could design my own dream Dahlia it would be a full traditional head , deep purple in color primarily, with a touch of white contrasting petals around the outermost edges and some variegated petals of purple and white in between.

    Reply
  72. Ana Teixeira on

    I really like pom pom dahlias and absolutely love the ones with a fringe of colour… would like a salmon pom pom dahlia with a raspberry fringe on the petals!

    Reply
  73. Becky on

    There are already so many amazing dahlias, but if I were to image a new dream dahlia it would be a muted peachy pink with a light center and darker borders around the edges. That is of course, until nature creates something even more magical than I can imagine!

    Reply
  74. Shaleen Dodson on

    My dream would be shaped like Cafe Au Lait starting in hue on the outer rim muted magenta getting darker towards the center. I’m just starting my first flowers from seeds this year but I am so excited that I have been having dreams of dahlias and zinnias!

    Reply
  75. Veronica on

    Well as long as I get to fantasize…. My dream dahlia would be hardy to zone 6! Or an anemone that has the size of a dinner plate with the colors of a cloud just starting to pick up the light of a setting sun.

    Reply
  76. Meghan Murphy on

    Yay to lots more fluttery imperfect open faced dahlias!

    Reply
  77. Elena Rose on

    Cheers to one year! My dream dahlia would be a small lily shaped bloom, a deep berry magenta with a hint of fluorescence in the right light. One that’s a little difficult to capture in a photograph and described as “you just have to see this one in person”. I would call it Double Take, because that’s what you’d do when you walked by one :) Crossing my fingers!

    Reply
  78. Bronwyn Bonnar on

    I would love to discover a rich deep purple Pom Pom style dahlia.
    I love the beautiful mesmerising form the Pom Pom takes on.

    Reply
  79. Hailey on

    My dream Dahlia would be mostly pink with a little bit a purple, of the dinnerplate variety with strong stems

    Reply
  80. Lea on

    I’d love to discover a Dahlia that was “soft iridescent” in nature. Can you imagine how beautiful she would be?

    Reply
  81. Briana on

    My dream dahlias would be “highlighter” colors! Just the brightest of neons! 💕

    Reply
  82. Mallory Troyer on

    My dream dahlia would be a large, softball sized version of a pom pom dahlia (I love the petal form) and range in hues from muted rose to blush pink. Thanks for all you do Erin and team!

    Reply
  83. Jama Keaffaber on

    My heart skips a beat when the evening sun hits my “Manor Jubilee” and “Hollyhill Black Beauty” dahlias. Their petals look as if they were cut from iridescent deep dark Cabernet colored velvet.

    I would love to see the colors of a “Thomas Edison” crossed with a “ Karma Choc” or “Hollyhill Black Beauty”. Only In the form of a Stellar. Call it “Enchanted Evening”- THAT hybrid would absolutely knock my socks off!!

    Reply
  84. Nicholas Waters on

    My dream dahlia would be a easy to grow variety, creamy- apricot tones, and an extended season of blooms.

    Reply
  85. Kim Moens on

    I am in awe over the geometry of dahlias! Combine that with my favorite flower colors of corally pink with a touch of green and that sounds drool -worthy!

    Reply
  86. Pam R Ward on

    My favorite flower and a dream to grow myself, and white and pink my favorite!

    Reply
  87. Sophie on

    I think my dream dahlia look like a white and burgundy pompon, the dahlia is the most satisfying in flower culture.

    Reply
  88. Cheryl Davis on

    To honor my mother who’s favorite flower was dalhias, I’d choose a peachy coral color that deepens into a slightly darker coral, with wide feathery petals. She’d never fail to ask every fall if I’d dug my jewels up!

    Reply
  89. Tammy Hardee on

    My dream dahlia would be full and ruffley and varing shades of pink. However – every dahlia is my dream because they are my favorite flower!!

    Reply
  90. Sam malleis on

    My ideal dahlias would be a ombré pink version.

    Reply
  91. Katie Bell on

    Dream Dahlia would be…peachy, muted, and medium sized!

    Reply
  92. Amy Collett on

    I would love a mid-size dahlia that starts as pink but as it matures becomes a darker pink. Realistically, I have only grown dahlias one time successfully (out of trying for 2 years). I’m going to keep trying though – they are beautiful!!

    Reply
  93. Eileen on

    Just planted my first dahlia seeds from Green Witch Seeds.
    They have germinated and are starting to grow. It will be fun watching them grow and bloom.
    Long stemmed deep raspberry blooms with butter cream edges.. So many colours, shapes and endless possibilities.

    Reply
  94. Sarah Johnson on

    I would love for a dahlia to be a mix of purple and pink – starting with a deep purple middle and fading out to a rich pink color. So many pretty flowers and so Many possibilities!

    Reply
  95. Angela Cronin on

    My Dream Dahlia would be like one of our Aussie’s iconic Lime Splits. Creamy White with Lime Centre. Big and blousy with so much vibrancy and flavour.

    Reply
  96. Ashley Bryers on

    My dream surprise would be a pointy petal of raspberry red, licked with creamy, buttery cream and a puffy dark red center. Long stems so that a vase full would bounce in the soft New Zealand summer breeze.

    Reply
  97. Angel Joyce on

    Am in love with penhill watermelon, and Cafe latte, first dinner plates I have ever grown this year…
    Not disappointed…

    Also love collerett dahlia

    Love hot colour’s, would love more dinner plates , or collerett please

    Reply
  98. Zsuzsa Berenyi on

    My dream colors are deep dark brown, which will be peach towards the wind.

    Reply
  99. Marcey Keefer Hutchison on

    Dahlias are simply divine, simply beautiful. The ultimate dahlia is one that draws the eye into its petals with its iridescence. The color is undefinable and therefore perfect. The sanguine curl of the perfect dahlia petal delights and is not defined by a type but rather by the joy it brings. That is my dream dahlia.

    Reply
  100. Joyce Fowler on

    Would like a pale orange with pink centers and pink feathering like a beautiful sunset.

    Reply
  101. Christina on

    My two favorites right now are Copperboy and Polka – I’m feeling a little weary of blushing beauties – and both of these seem to glow in their own unique ways.

    Reply
  102. Heather on

    Lovely article and project! Good luck with “treasure hunting” the fields. I would love to see more color changing varieties to expand use in one variety for space saving vs use in one arrangement. A peach to blush to white?

    Reply
  103. Erica on

    This post is amazing! I feel myself slipping down the slide here. How much room, could I dedicate to seedlings… The results are incredible!!! Your top three are so great – I almost think the little miss sunshine is the most exciting. So whimsical. The perfect name. Please share some day. :)

    If I could imagine any new dahlia, it would be trying for any version of blue. I have a tuber coming this season that in theory is one of the most “blue” purples out there. I wonder what could be created over time. Could it get bluer? Or would the blue-ish color look more blue with other colors on the same stem? It would be sooooo cool.

    Reply
  104. Brooke on

    I would LOVE a smokey coral, with a deeper backing to the petals in a coral/rose shade 💕
    This is my first year growing Dahlias and I am totally addicted!

    Reply
  105. Kellie Wiedman on

    I’d love a huge bloom that’s full of petals almost fuffy like. Beautiful peaches and cream. Maybe lighter to darker with dark tips. Really I love everything big.

    Reply
  106. Amy on

    My dream dahlia would be a huge informal dinnerplate with muted hues of apricot and peach. Extra points if it had dark foliage and stems.

    Reply
  107. Lisa on

    Ideal: A nice big romantic flouncy thing that evokes a heritage rose, tones from creamy pink to peach and ivory.

    Reply
  108. Sherry Mejico-Hochenedel on

    I’m new to gardening and I LOVE DAHLIAS! My dream dahlia would be a combination of red and orange.

    Reply
  109. Michelle G. on

    My dream beauty would be an ombré sunset colored dinner plate dahlia. Something reminiscent of coastal sunsets over the ocean.

    Reply
  110. Chelley Brenner on

    A muted salmon and cream two toned dahlia 4-5” with long vase life, strong stems and disease resistant.

    Reply
  111. Kirby Chamblin on

    A creamy white informal dinnerplate with a peach center 😍 I love them all though

    Reply
  112. Colleen Donahue on

    Greetings from Bellevue, WA. I just love the joy of growing flowers you bring to the world. I’ve been growing for 25 years and like to mix things up from year to year. I’ve searched for the unicorn I have concluded simply doesn’t exist. My dream Dahlia would look much like Labyrinth with those curvy, luscious two toned petals but in a much more manageable size, please! Small 4-5″ blooms are much easier to manage in the garden and in vases, so that’s what’s I’d love to one day discovery in my seed growing efforts. This spring I’m growing 100+ plants for display at the Bellevue Demonstration Garden and can’t wait to get started!!

    Reply
  113. Michelle on

    My dream dahlia would be a dark purple with yellow somewhere in the mix. I would also love to find a C144/Firefly in my garden!

    Reply
  114. J on

    I would be delighted with a chartreuse mini ball dahlia!

    Reply
  115. Emily on

    I would love a dahlia that reminded me of a sunset – coral colored bloom bleeding into peach and light yellow. Beautiful!

    Reply
  116. Robert on

    Café au lait is my favorite but I love whites and mauve colored ones too.

    Reply
  117. Greta Wallace on

    I have been growing dahlias for years and enjoying your website for just as many years. I have several of your books! As an artist and graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago I am painfully visual! I work obsessively, trying to discover the right combination of flowers and grasses, but not in a floral bouquet. My love is in garden design. I don’t grow dahlias in rows, but amongst other flowers, so I make life hard for myself! I also don’t use chemicals, so I’ve got bugs that love to nibble on the petals. And I’m single so I do this all by myself on 4 acres. Also on disability so I can’t do everything I dream of. I have not had very much success with seedlings. But I think the trick is that I need to figure out how to start them sooner indoors without grow lights and to start all of them. 13,000 or 130,000 would be an insane amount for me. I wish we could just start them in the ground but I live in Iowa where they don’t even have a Dahlia club! Mine often turn out single. I have been told that if you grow singles and collarettes, like POOH , you’ll end up with mostly singles, even from your dinnerplate dahlias. I had the most flouncy beautiful white single dahlia with a dark hot pink edge, but I lost it over the winter in storage. I love anemones with the big puffy center. It is hard to decide which would be my favorite! I love unusual shapes and colors, rather than the large dinner plate decorative dahlias. I wish I had that one Dahlia seedling back–the flouncy, care free, giant sized single, with the hot pink edges!

    Reply
  118. Judy Tingley on

    I love so many colors , but I think I would love a bright apricot with tones of pink and yellow throughout. I would love having a variety of colors to plant out in my garden. Thank you for bringing so much beauty into our lives!

    Reply
  119. Amanda Pratt on

    I love rich, dark purples (almost black) and magentas. I’d love to find a dinnerplate variety with that color.

    Reply
  120. Krin Warr on

    I am just starting my research to figure out what dahlias might grow well in Houston TX. Hoping to find some varieties to have success with. I love the color purple so a plum purple, soft but not necessarily pastel would be lovely, maybe a purple version of your c33/floret . I do love the beautiful peachy-coral-pink-yellow ones though. I am fairly new to following floret flowers and appreciate all the information and pictures that you have spent time putting together and then share.

    Reply
  121. Stephanie on

    I favor anything with fine outlining on the edge of the petals – much like your ‘firefly.’ White trim on dark colors or complimentary dark trim on pastels. Looks like you and your team have a great eye for finding the truly special! Best of luck!

    Reply
  122. Ashley Jones on

    I love all the dahlias! I really love the dinner plate sized one and the big puff balls, particularky the muted color range! Such an elegant, beautiful bloom!

    Reply
  123. Regina on

    My dream dahlia would be a collarette series that has strong stems and the vase life of a ball. Any colors, but I do tend to gravitate towards the blush, pink, lav/purple beauties.

    Reply
  124. Laura on

    My dream Dahlia would be almost dinner plate size with wrap around petals, and would partially close at dusk. Coral peachy orange in color with iridescence that glittered in the sun. I grew this Dahlia once, it’s color only due to something in my soil! I dream of this dahlia!

    Reply
  125. Kathy on

    I have admired Dahlias from a far for years. The first time that I saw these beauty’s was in a nursing home that my Dad was in, they were in vases on the front desk. A nurse that worked there grew them in her Garden. What Joy she brought to people with her beautiful blooms. I want to try growing them in my flower Garden this season! My favorite colors are Coral and Peach.
    Thank you for all of your wonderful information about your journey, it’s so inspiring.

    Reply
  126. Nadja on

    As large and fluffy as possible, soft pink with darker pink outlines on the petals! This bring me so much joy too. Will start a breeding project in my tiny garden this year. We’ll see what’s possible. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply
  127. Connie Ferguson on

    I’m such a softie – I would love whatever miracle grows! Just the feeling that a living, beautiful thing is there because of my efforts is enough for me. I talk to them – greet them every morning, “good morning, Little Sisters!” Love to watch the ladybugs and birds enjoy them. Love to watch my dogs sit in their shade. Love to hear my wind chimes and water bubble in the bird bath – and hold back my tears. I love whatever grows in my garden.

    Reply
  128. Maddison P on

    I’d love to see more bicolored dahlias!!

    Reply
  129. Alana Anderson on

    My dream dahlia would be dinner plate size and have a peachy/pink ombre pattern! These would be so pretty in my garden as well as in my home!

    Reply
  130. Mary on

    I love to dream, so my ‘dream dahlia’ would have a bright fuchsia fluffy center with pointy burgundy outside petals. They would also be quite large!

    Reply
  131. Amanda on

    My dream dahlia would be a large fluffy dahlia with multiple petals. Pale pink with veins of deep pink.

    Reply
  132. Jackie on

    I tried dahlias last year for the first time! I’d love to find some big cream and peachy salmon blooms growing in the backyard.

    Reply
  133. Sarah Rattaseri on

    My dream dahlia would be dinner plate sized, and a color I would call tea stained— light browns and pinks as if you spilled hibiscus tea on a white linen napkin. Seedlings of dinner plate varieties would be my dream. The dinner plates are like bright, beaming faces staring back at me.

    Reply
  134. Katie Lampen on

    I would absolutely love to get a formal decorative shape that has a peachy orange base with pops or coral throughout and dusted with that beautiful shimmer sparkle I’ve found in only a couple varieties 💕🔥😍

    Reply
  135. Rachel Williams on

    I usually love dinner plates, but I’d love to grow a peachy, salmon ball type.

    Reply
  136. Stephanie on

    I would love a muted purple, fluffy dahlia with lots of petals. A variety that bees would love! I am a dahlia newbie and I’m so excited to get my first flower bed growing this summer

    Reply
  137. Swagata on

    Mine would be a watermelon coloured collarette with bursts of yellow!

    Reply
  138. Lindsey on

    I am a school garden coordinator and we were given one of your books by our local garden club. We are hoping to experiment with dahlias this year and I am really interested to know that we can try to grow them from seed. I tend toward more yellows and oranges, and love the larger dahlias that seem to have such organized centers with petals that get fluffier on the outside.

    Reply
  139. Theresa on

    I’m so excited that dahlias are back in the spotlight. My dream dahlia would have to be slightly incurved petals of pale cream with strokes of yellow and bronze apricot. It would of course be called ‘Spotlight’.

    Reply
  140. Anita Chowdhary on

    My dahlia will be a pale pink with deep dark pink centers, shaped like a Pom Pom, on long stems

    Reply
  141. Naomi on

    There’s too many to dream of only one but I would love to see one similar to a Seniors Hope but the colour of Sylvia on the front and the dark burgundy on the back petals. I would love to find something close to an Appleblossom in my seedling patch!!

    Reply
  142. Alicia on

    I love the dahlias with a loose form that change from bright and vibrant in the center to muted/dusted edges. The taller plant and longer stem length the better!

    Reply
  143. Laura Belding on

    Mine would be a big messy white dahlia with a hint of color in the center , a heathery pink shade, that reached out a bit. I don’t think I’ve seen that before.

    Reply
  144. Sally on

    My dream dahlia would look like a desert sunset with rich shades of gold, burnt orange, and dusty rose 😍

    Reply
  145. Nicole on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate dahlia in the deep almost black purple color. I found a cut your own farm 2 summers ago during the height of the pandemic and found so much joy in the dahlias that filled my home after walking through the fields being enamored by the colors and happiness they bring. I went back time and time again to enjoy the flowers and bring them home until the first frost. I am so excited to attend my first grow your own dahlia class this spring with a local grower! I can’t wait to share the beauty in my own yard this summer!

    Reply
  146. Karen Osier on

    I love deep rich colors and in the open old fashion type. Most seem obsessed with pastels but that has never been my favorite. I find it amazing how nature can have so many rich beautiful colors.

    Reply
  147. Brooke Allen on

    My dream dahlia. Oh geez. Well I’d say my current mood is going for more peachy/pink colors, but fading to a muted apricot. I liked a fair number of my seedlings last year, but
    I’m a sucker for a cheery, happy collarette!

    Reply
  148. Ammi Bai Chung on

    My dream dahlia; black purple with yellow stripes I’d be thrilled with cafe au lait though anything from Floret would be amazing!

    Reply
  149. Annika McIntosh on

    I’m always thrilled with the open, single varieties but like you mentioned, there is more to a perfect flower than it’s pretty face!. There was a beautifully nuanced watermelon colored one I had this year but it didn’t have a strong neck/head. So the ideal dahlia would be a workhorse across the board with some color magic that lets it blend well with others in a vase…

    Reply
  150. Jenna Townsend on

    My dream dahlia would be a beautiful, soft, ruffled bloom with many layers and a light purple-pink hue! I would be thrilled to win and ecstatic to get a Cafe Au Lait in my seedling patch!

    Reply
  151. Mary Ann Rodts on

    The uniqueness and beauty of dahlias bring me so much wonder, amazement, and joy. I feel so drawn to the funky fun ones, like how does that happen, such as Little Miss Sunshine! I love her form, a bit bigger with soft raspberry, watermelon colored petals and a soft peachy colored center. Could work in a bright or warm color palette theme!
    Thank you for inspiration and make your dahlia journey bring you all the joy!

    Reply
  152. Shana Hackworth on

    I have only 6 dahlia seedlings growing this year, but I hope to have one that is a collarette variety with a peachy apricot-ish coloring. I think the simple ones are the most dainty and sweet!

    Reply
  153. Mackenzie on

    This will be my first year growing Dahlias and I cant wait to see what beauty grows in my flower farm this year. My dream dahlia would be a soft ruffly sunrise looking beauty. Love them all!

    Reply
  154. Felicia Ruzilo on

    My dream dahlia would have round edge petals with a cream purple with a slight pink colours in it with a dewey glow like when the sun rise kisses the morning sky.

    Reply
  155. Cynthia Moses on

    I just love the large full Dahlias like your B11 and C216– the blush tinges on light colored petals. I love to surround the flower with my hand and just feel all the petals and all the beauty and enjoy the smell and feel of the beautiful flowers.

    Reply
  156. Rochelle Duff on

    I am all about colour more than size. Apricot/Peach coloured with a darker coral interior. Fluttery petals (I now it is not a real word, but I can see it in my mind). Thank you for your inspiration.

    Reply
  157. Lyn on

    The one you have labeled B13 above – that’s pretty close! A creamy, yellowish, pinkish orange with personality! I’m growing dahlias for the first time this year and I can’t wait to watch them grow.

    Reply
  158. Nichole on

    My DREAM dahlia would be a cafe au lait the size of an Irish D Porter! Absolutely perfect for arrangements. I’d be so thrilled to find anything that looks related to Appleblossom – like some of the gorgeous varieties you’ve bred, Erin! Bravo!

    Reply
  159. Chris on

    I would love a medium sized flower with long petals in a bright pink color .

    Reply
  160. Amanda on

    Beautiful!! I’m currently really interested in the water lily varieties, so I’d love one in a soft bubblegum pink that has the streaky “water colored” effect on the petals! If I grew from seed, it would be fun to discover a Cafe Au Lait style dahlia, but in a soft lavender/periwinkle shade!

    Reply
  161. Anne-Marie on

    Beautiful post! I would love to see a dahlia that would be cream with subtle touches of light green, and slightly swirly petals.

    Reply
  162. Morgan Yarger on

    I love them all but ball and laciniated varieties grab my attention slightly more. The pinks, corals and peaches tend to be my favorites but I also love how striking white and yellow can be.

    Reply
  163. Shantelle Brown on

    I really want to find a cream/blush ponpom with faint lavender undertones (similar to café au lait but with more all around consistency. Especially with form and longer, stronger stems)

    Reply
  164. Debbie on

    I’m thinking I’d love to find a dahlia with a deep coral hue on the petals with lighter highlights of coral on the edges and emerald green centers. Or, a sky blue petal with a navy center would be fun the find in my garden!

    Reply
  165. Jessica Loschke on

    My dream dahlia would be a dark emerald green color with little tidbits of white and gold streaked throughout. It would have short petals with pointed tips. 🤎

    Reply
  166. Lindsey on

    My dream dahlia would be a creamy lemon petals with bright pink coloring in the center. Fun and summery! I started my seeds a couple of weeks ago and would love to discover a creamy yellow informal decorative in my patch which would be a new color for my farm!

    Reply
  167. Leslie Candes on

    My dream dahlia would consist of a vibrant coral-raspberry color combination that would have a tight cluster of petals in the center but branch out into flared pink tinted creamy petals. I am really drawn to the flowers that are bright in the center, but that fade like a tie die in the outer edges of the petals. Its so dreamy just to think about all of the options!

    Reply
  168. Chiara on

    My dream dahlia would be tie dye! I’m thinking hot pink, purple, white, and a little blue. I would be happy with anything white, purple, pink, or red in my packet. I don’t think there’s a single dahlia that I don’t like.

    Reply
  169. Susan Florman on

    My dream/fantasy dahlia would be a beautiful blue that would carry my blue garden into the fall. I could go from pansies to irises to delphiniums and morning glories to fabulous blue dahlias. Sigh. . .

    Reply
  170. Kim Lundeen on

    My dream dahlia would be pale blush pink with a deep purple almost blue center double ball. I’m sowing my first batch of seedlings this year and am so excited to see who they are. I’m really hoping for a lot of doubles and would be thrilled to find another dark purple. This year I have been taking cuttings and will have a cutting patch along with my seedling patch. I just finished the workshop and can’t believe the amount of wonderful information you shared. Thank you!

    Reply
  171. Elizabeth Schraeder on

    I’m not sure what my dream Dahlia would look like I guess I’m going to start with I have never grown one so my dream would be for it to grow from either a seed or tuber into a mature flowering Dahlia color wouldn’t matter at first – just the thrill of actually growing one! Please keep up all of your lovely blog posts I enjoy each of them.

    Reply
  172. Deb Kenneda on

    My cat Zephyr died recently and I would memorialize him with a free flowing tawny cactus dahlia with toasted edges, streaky cream stripes, and a pale pink center tongue

    Reply
  173. Heidi on

    Choosing only one is like asking a parent which of their children is their favorite…can’t be done! They are ALL different, surprising, beautiful and bring joy!

    Reply
  174. Arianna on

    I’m a sucker for dreamy pastel oranges and peaches like a prairie winter sunset– I’d love to see a blend of those colors darkening towards the edges of the petals. But, I’ve never tried breeding dahlias and growing them from seed, so anything would be a thrill.

    Reply
  175. Mitzi Dason on

    Hi,
    Love everything Floret!! My favorite Dahlia would be sunny yellow star shape with pinkish purple she’s on the petals! The little star shaped ones gel so joyful and I believe that color combination would b amazing!

    Reply
  176. Hannah Coy on

    Thank you for all your inspiration! I would love an Informal Decorative… Sunset Hot Pink & Burnt Orange with Purple tips!

    Reply
  177. Stacy Riley on

    I would love a solid color dahlia with another color outlining the petals, one with a big and full looking head. Maybe white petals with red outline.

    Reply
  178. McKenzie on

    I love following your journey and all of the beautiful dahlias that come to life! I would love to see a peaches n cream type dahlia but with some darker edging on the petals!

    Reply
  179. elaine lloyd on

    My dream dahlia would be a multi colored pink pom – bordering on neon!

    Reply
  180. Ruthanne on

    Open to pollinators but still that dense petal looks in a soft shade of pink or white

    Reply
  181. Olivia Sanchez on

    I think you’ve grown my dream dahlia…Firefly! I adore the curved petals with the edges lined with that maroonish red. Those single petals with distinct 2-tones colors are beautiful.
    You’re such an inspiration…so glad I took your course!

    Reply
  182. Melissa on

    I would love a mint colored dinner plate that is bold in color!

    Reply
  183. Lauren G on

    My dream dahlia would be a pale pink or peachy pompom! I bought my first home along a lake last summer and discovered when transplanting zinnias my neighbor offered to me that I love gardening. While I have several inches of snow covering my beds currently, I’m dreaming of my first ever cut flower garden this spring with the zinnia seeds I saved and dahlias, all against a blue backdrop of sky and water.

    Reply
  184. lisa on

    I want to find an ombré pink cream yellow-y one with the puffiest bright yellow ball of a center! Thank you Erin for continuing to share your heart. I snapped so many screenshots of these beautiful ‘treasures’. It’s the perfect word 💕

    Reply
  185. Jessica Harrison-Poteet on

    My dream dahlia is one that I grow on my own flower farm 💗..still dreaming and planning and preparing, but I’ll get there.

    Reply
  186. Meredith Kinney on

    I’d love a yellow and lavender pompom, or a yellow and peach dinner plate!

    Reply
  187. Jennifer Unruh on

    A dream dahlia would be more than the sum of its parts in an arrangement. It would go from beautiful in its own right, to exquisite and elevating combined with other elements.

    Reply
  188. Emily Johnson on

    I am 100% new to dahlias, and cut-flower growing in general. I never knew dahlias were such a big deal until I started watching the show, then reading books. I never knew “a flower” with the same name could look so drastically different from one variety to another! My dream dahlia is a healthy one that grows on my farm!

    Reply
  189. Annie Domenici on

    I would love to find a dahlia that is the lightest of lavender in color and is a dinner plate size like the cafe au late. I get excited every time I plant seeds taken from flowers I’ve grown. I see them grow and the anticipation of waiting for them to bloom to see what unique beauty that was created….. gets me every time.

    Reply
  190. Renda Jones Boomer on

    Daisies are my favorite and now I have the love 💕 for Dahlias’s if I could only find one with a bright yellow center and soft with petals… I would have the best of both world’s

    Reply
  191. Christina L. on

    I am planting my first ever dahlia tubers and seeds this spring. My dream dahlia is a ball type with light caramel petals outlined in a daring copper color. Onward!

    Reply
  192. Grace Margrave on

    My dream dahlia would contain as many different shades of pink as possible and be a ball shapped one! Thank you for all the inspiration you have given us first time flower growers! Honestly discovering your story has helped give myself permission to move big dreams to action plans! I am growing my first dahlias this year! I cannot wait for it to warm up just a little more here in Virginia!

    Reply
  193. Michelle Fritz on

    A creamy buttery yellow with maybe a little purple coloring thrown in. My mom loved flowers and yellow was her favorite. I lost her in 2019 and everytime I paint yellow flowers I think of her. The purple is a reminder of the beautiful lilacs she planted outside my bedroom window when I was little. Waking up to the smell was heavenly.

    Reply
  194. Michelle Good on

    My dream Dahlia would be a dusty pink that blended into white tips – similar to peaches n cream but not so orange. Honestly, I would be thrilled to just be surprised with what comes from my seedling patch! My dream is to have hundreds of dahlias someday when I have the room for it & make floral bouquets for all my loved ones weddings.

    Reply
  195. Jan on

    A friend just introduced me to this website and I am so so inspired, especially as I sit watching the snow falling yet dreaming of the flowers of summer. I have always loved dahlias but have never planted by seed and am so curious to learn more and try. I am drawn to the fuller, double petal peony type look with a bit longer petals While I love the deeper reds (like C78) am more recently drawn to the lighter/softer coral or peach color (B64) that I don’t find as much in other flowers. A seed packet with variety of reds, oranges, peach colors to surprise me with a variety of different flower colors would be marvelous.

    Reply
  196. Joanne Dubrow on

    I am new to Dahlia growing and have been inspired by your blog. I love the “Golden Hour” in the garden and I think finding a Dahlia that reflects that warm honey color would be amazing. Hopefully the seeds I sew this season might just reveal such a treasure!

    Reply
  197. Hannah on

    I had a dark purple with hot pink tips this year but I would love to have a similar one with a fluffy yellow center!

    Reply
  198. Robin R Lines on

    Since I am new to Dahlias it is hard to choose my dream one, but I guess it would be cream with purple veining. I love all of them so much. You have inspired me to enlarge my flower beds to include as many as I can squeeze in. Thank you for so much inspiration.

    Reply
  199. Jennifer Wingard Hershey on

    My husband and I just bought our first property with close to two acres. I’m already dreaming of all the cut flowers (and veg.) Having started some dahlia seeds for the first time, my dream dahlia would be a soft creamy pink with lots of pompom type petals.

    Reply
  200. Lauren on

    Something with whimsical petals, a strong stem and a fluffy centre, in a brown sugar fade to peach, or a peach to red colour to remind me of my children.

    Reply
  201. Natalie on

    Creamy coral with hints of pink, long stem and long vase life. But really I love them all!

    Reply
  202. JENNIFER G on

    My dream is for a seedling to produce a big burgundy cafè au lait type dahlia. I lost my dog Jersey of 14 years last summer. She was a black lab mix so I want a dark dahlia to remember her. She was always outside in the garden with me and it was so hard not having her there last summer. I tried to cross pollinate my cafè with a Hollyhill Black Beauty. We had an unexpected rain that ruined the seeds that were forming from this cross. I am determined to try again this year.

    Reply
  203. Linda on

    I would love to see a huge pink flower with a hint of green in the center. That would be heavenly.

    Reply
  204. Ginger on

    I’d love all varieties that would recreate the loveliness of spring in my summer garden🌸💐🌼!

    Reply
  205. Megan on

    My dream dahlia would be a creamy coral with a fluffy center and streaks of raspberry, with strong stems.

    Reply
  206. Rima on

    Shades of peach and pink with dense petals that softly fall away from center 😍

    Reply
  207. Ella H. on

    My dream dahlia is big, pink and fluffy!

    Reply
  208. Karlie Roland on

    My dream Dahlia are the orange, rusty ones or really any variety of pink. My fiancé and I just purchased our first home on 3 acres. We have big dreams to have a garden this year, and I’d love to have a large flower garden to add to our wedding bouquets. A touch of our first home, and grown with love— ads the perfect flare to our wedding.

    Reply
  209. Riannan H on

    Light pink and beige are so beautiful! They would make a very lovely bouquet put together!

    Reply
  210. Adrienne on

    My dream would be a black kelgai ann.

    Reply
  211. Helen Millard on

    My dream dahlia would be deep burgundy almost black. It wouldn’t have to have huge blossom’s, maybe 4 to 6 inches.
    I found you when I was given a bunch of tubers and had no idea what to do with them. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

    Reply
  212. Jackie Otts on

    My dream dahlia would be ball shaped red that fades to a creamy center. I’m new to growing Dahlias so I am really excited to get my beds setup with both seedlings and tubers.

    Reply
  213. Candace Adler on

    My dream dahlia would be a deep coral that fades to a creamy coral. I’d be thrilled to find a mix of dahlias in my seed packet if I were to win as dahlias are absolutely magnificent flowers and I really want to start growing them in my yard!

    Reply
  214. Jenny Garcia on

    My love for Dahlia’s started when I was a little girl in my country Honduras 🇭🇳 I saw my mother how she loves them, to the point that she even talk to her plants.
    I didn’t imagine that one day that person will be me.
    My perfect dahlia is the one I can get to enjoy and share with my mother and now with my daughter,, about color 🤔 so difficult to choose one or two, I guess I love them all, shapes, colors etc. I’m just a beginner at gardening and hungry to learn more! I really enjoy see your pictures and appreciate your share of knowledge!
    Congratulations for your results and more to come 🌷

    Reply
  215. Jolene Fredrickson on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft yellow with a pink tips – I love all dahlias but are especially drawn to the ones with dual tones that fade into each other. Of course it would have nice stems and produce loads of tubers. Thank you so much for sharing all your beautiful flowers and growing techniques as you have been very inspirational and have encouraged me to try growing more dahlias and flowers- which has brought me tremendous amount of joy!

    Reply
  216. Samantha H. on

    My dream dahlia…. it would have very vigorous growth; could withstand the heat; have long stems; sport large, structured blooms; and the cut flowers would have a long vase life. I delight in very full and layered dahlia flowers. I would choose blended tones of apricot, pink and orange! Oh, and it would smell lovely!

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway. Your books and website are so beautiful and inspirational!

    Reply
  217. Alison Landis on

    A dream dahlia is soft coral and hints of raspberry pink with lots of fluffy petals.

    Reply
  218. Kaitlin on

    I love the ones with fluffy dome centers almost like a zinderella zinnia in shape. I would love to see one with a baby pink in the center and petals that were a bit more creamier! Cant wait to collect my own seeds this season!

    Reply
  219. Kaitlin on

    I love the ones with fluffy dome centers almost like a zinderella zinnia in shape. I would love to see one with a baby pink in the center and petals that were a bit more creamier!

    Reply
  220. Angelique on

    My dream dahlia would be pink of course, like a heavenly ethereal cloud similar to the pink cotton candy ones…with large white “wings” flat lay petals surrounding an open center and I would name her Angel. ~🤍~ P.S. I also dream of ‘Floret’ in my garden one day! 💕

    Reply
  221. Avery Pronschinske on

    My dream dahlia would be a lavender version of apple blossom or floret, with the cute collarette flower form. Starting with lavender petals at its tips and fading to a creamy pale center!

    Reply
  222. Heidi on

    My dream dahlia is a ball shape with petals that are raspberry colored with creamy white tips.

    Reply
  223. Ethan R. on

    Something on the more whimsical side that shows structure yet portrays feelings of freedom. Colored with shades of purples getting lighter as it extends from the head.

    Reply
  224. Amber Slam on

    A dahlia as BIG as my head that is turquoise with lime green at the tips. ♥️♥️♥️

    Reply
  225. Erin K. Smith on

    I would like to see dahlias in beautiful shades of green as the dominant color, with maybe hints of cream, pinks, corals, yellows and reds. But definitely green as the primary color.

    Reply
  226. Melissa Ait Belaid on

    My dream dahlia would appear puffy from afar, but up close would have a blend of colors on many many petals, each with a contrast of colors.

    Reply
  227. Angie Rumer on

    My dream dahlia would be anything pastel colored. Anything in that tone is so beautiful! I’m growing some dahlias from seed this year and can’t wait to see what I get!

    Reply
  228. Cassidy Johnson on

    My dream dahlia would be an anemone form with cafe au lait coloring for the petals and a light cream center. My favorites are all light pinks / peaches!

    Reply
  229. Jenn on

    I love all colours dusky… dusky rosy gets me every time and I love a deep reverse colour. Love pointy tips, full petal count and steep petal recurved 💕

    Reply
  230. Karie Murray on

    My dream dahlia would be the perfect blend of orange meets pink…. kinda like the sunset. It would be a big full bloom with lots of petals.

    Reply
  231. Anne Oiler on

    I would love a tall variety that doesn’t need a ton of support. Color doesn’t matter – they are all so gorgeous.

    Reply
  232. Jana on

    My dream dahlia is a dusty rose color, with lots of pedals. I think I have a Cafe Au Lait coming this season, it is near perfection. ❤️

    Reply
  233. Jana on

    Can’t wait to try to grow some from seed! What a great idea!

    Reply
  234. Jen Kandel on

    My dream dahlia would be a pale pink one with a vivid center. I think dahlias are so lovely- seeing all of the different varieties have inspired me to try my hand at a flower garden in addition to planting vegetables. Thank you for sharing your lovely work!

    Reply
  235. Karen Shweiky on

    I will be thrilled with any dahlias that grow in my garden since I am just beginning!

    Reply
  236. Lisa Clow on

    I have some seeds; getting ready to sow!

    Reply
  237. Wanda Brown on

    My dream dahlia would be a single for the pollinators. I would love a patterned color combo of apricot and lavender.

    Reply
  238. Karrinne on

    My dream dahlia has purple or maroon outer petals then turns lighter and lighter pink to white as you move into the center with a deep orange color. It is about 4 to 5 inches across. I would be thrilled to find intense colors in my seedling patslch, as I love a striking dahlia. I love your passion and it has really reminded me if the floweres my grandma grew as a child. I now grow them to remind me of her.

    Reply
  239. Julianna Fano on

    My dream dahlia would be traditional ball with
    pastel color and a vibrant center .Dahlias are so beautiful I truly love them all . In the seedling patch
    something unique that stands out and says here I am .

    Reply
  240. Devan Butler on

    My dream dahlia is multi colored and textured. It’s so hard to envision just one. I picture a whole patch of bright colors of multi toned beauties.

    Reply
  241. Sarah Taylor on

    All of the muted colors please! Color is 100% the most important to me too. After that, something between a honeycomb and a fluffy one, structured petals on the outside with a fluffy center, all of this with a dusty rose pink would be perfection!

    Reply
  242. Brandy Hunsaker on

    The soft pastel pink dahlias get me every time. A dahlia you posted last summer for name suggestions is one of my favorites. I can hope for a field full of these beauties. The fluffy center ball with an outer edge of long petals was so unique and something I had not seen. I am thrilled I found you when I did and amazed how different dahlias can be.

    Reply
  243. Alexa Tucker on

    My dahlia dream would be…
    It’s a beautiful warm Saturday morning and I’ve just finished watering the rest of my garden, but I come over to the dirt patch that I cultivated these dahlias in while drinking a milk and honey coffee as my grandpa who lives in the wild mountains of West Virginia taught me to. Not only do I get to sip to the memories of sitting on his porch swing with family that flew in from all over the world to indulge in his sarcasm and wit, I get to sip to accomplishment. Just last year I dreamed of mastering the temperament of dahlias and now, my first dahlia has bloomed.

    Reply
  244. Jonni McKelvey on

    My dream dahlia would be a muted cool spectrum color with a blue-purple hue. It would be large enough to be a focal point in an aggangement, but small enough to still see around the arrangement on a dinner table. I would also need it to have strong stems and to be heat tolerant so that I could grow it in this crazy west Texas weather!

    For the seedling patch, I would be thrilled to find an array of heat tolerant varieties that coordinate well enough to create an amazing dahlia arrangement, yet varied enough to be able to have an array of colors for smaller stand-alone arrangements.

    What yall are doing is incredibly inspiring and one day, I hope to have half the green thumb y’all display! Thank you for for showing the good, the bad, and the ugly of what you do and being authentic in who you are. It has inspired me to want to try growing my own super-mini dahlia patch this year and I can’t wait!

    Reply
  245. Cathy Aguiar on

    My dream Dahlia would be an ID with white outlined petals followed by a rainbow of colors.

    Or a blue ball 😅

    Reply
  246. Jenise Powell on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft peachy color that is beautifully rounded and fluffy, and it speaks to you saying take me and put me in a vase.

    Reply
  247. Wendy Foster on

    My dream dahlia would love the super hot southern summers and would be insect resistant 😆 It would be a blushy-pink dinner plate flower.

    Reply
  248. Kimberly Reiss on

    I dream of a creamy beige to yellow big and gorgeous petals.

    Reply
  249. Mocca on

    My dream Dahlia would be a “ball” in Powder Blue with Pink Blush at the center! Something that would look perfect at a Unicorn themed party! Oh that would be sooo gorgeous! This is my first year planting dahlias, I’m excited and nervous at the same time! May the force be with me!

    Reply
  250. Rebecca Goff on

    I have not yet grown any dahlias but I plan to this summer and this article makes breading sound like so much fun that I can’t wait to try it for myself! I love the shape of Appleblossom and think a giant flower shaped like that with shades of orange and pink would look magnificent.

    Reply
  251. Calli on

    Wow, so many incredible blooms! I’m envisioning a pale pink petal edged in white with a puffy peach centre. Sorbet in flower form!

    Reading about the treasure hunt of dahlias grown from seeds gives me the same rush as hitting up a thrift store. I’m definitely going to have to carve out some space for seedlings, the call of the hunt is too real!

    Reply
  252. Kimiyo on

    My dream dahlia would be lush and bursting and the color of dole whip. Or maybe even pokey and the color of wild salmon that fades the cream. My mouth is watering just thinking about them….

    Reply
  253. Hayden on

    My dream dahlia would be a combination of yellow mustard and white. Yellow mustard and white are our favorite colors, we were both burned in two separate incidents. However we overcame obstacles to realize we were sole mates. As we have both been burned, it shows that no matter how bad times get, you can overcome anything together.

    Reply
  254. Rachel on

    My dream dahlia would be bright pink and orange with a whimsical form. Something my two little girls would be immediately drawn to. A flower for fairy crowns and tea parties. A flower for impromptu bouquets for grandma. A flower to inspire a love for nature and damp earth between their small fingers. A flower that brings us together. Is that too much to ask?

    Reply
  255. Sue Johnson on

    Reading this article was like eating a delicious fruit salad, full of exotic flavors, smells, and colors. So satisfying and inspiring. My dream dahlia would be shades of butterscotch and beets and would taste delicious. Are we sure they’re not edible?

    Reply
  256. Brittney on

    Dream would be a flower with a bright intense pink on the tips that fades to peachy and cream towards the center (like a sunrise) with a shape like C33.

    I’d love to see actual flowers in my garden this year. I’ve never grown dahlias, and I haven’t tried hardly anything from seed so anything that blooms this year will be a huge win!

    Reply
  257. Dianna LeVesseur on

    This is my 1st year growing anything from seed and I’ve already sown a tray of Dahlias, I just can’t wait to see what they will look like. My dream Dahlia would likely be shades of pink, and peach with the edges of the petals being darker. I love all dahlias.

    Reply
  258. Jordan B on

    Hi Erin, Team and Timmy!
    Last year was my first year growing dahlias and I was instantly in love with them. I couldn’t believe how unique and beautiful every single bloom that opened was. My daughter and I would go out every morning to check and see what new beauties were waiting for us. As you said, It really did feel like a treasure hunt! My dream dahlia would have a ton of ruffly layered petals with shades of peach, cream and light pink.

    Thank you for all the hard work that you have put into creating more beauty in this world and for taking the time to share it with this community. It is so exciting and inspiring to watch this part of your story unfold.

    Reply
  259. Hannah on

    What a dreamy article! I think my dreamy dahlia would be a dinner plate dahlia, with purple/blue hues 😍

    Reply
  260. Amy Taylor on

    It’s so hard to pick just one!
    My dream dahlia is something like your B42, creamy, looking like a cloud with soft line and gentle flare. Not too big and flashy with beigy- peach tones.

    Reply
  261. Lily on

    I’m really looking forward to having dahlias in my garden again after a long drought

    Reply
  262. Min on

    I am always attracted to pastel colors and if I am to imagine about your dream dahlia, it would look something like C33 but the outer most petals would be light lime green which then gradually change into light pale yellow towards the center. The inner secondary petals will be slightly more crowded compared to C33 but the color of the petals will almost have the same kind of color variation. I haven’t seen such kind of color combinations yet (and it may even looked like one of your discoveries!) and it will be very exciting to discover something like that one day, hopefully.

    I think the most thrilling part of discovering a brand new variety of dahlia for me would be to find something I have never thought I would find out in my seedling patch and be amazed by it every time. I am just a home gardener and what you are doing is lightyears away from my abilities and I can’t even imagine doing all of this but you truly inspired me to try growing dahlias from seeds (as I mainly grow dahlias from tubers). I think we all should try to do that for our own thriller from dahlias and we will always be super excited to discover our own new dahlia varieties!

    Reply
  263. Brooke on

    My dream dahlia looks like a slowly melting creamsicle on a hot summer day with muted orange, cream and a touch of pink. I planted my first tuber last year and can’t wait to expand my home garden this year.

    Reply
  264. Rachel Klassen on

    C33 is pretty much the dahlia of my dreams. I love the color streaking of the petals and the statement the contrast of the center makes.
    I’d love my seedling patch to have mostly dahlias, with peonies, ranunculus, and sweet peas sprinkled in. All the heart eyes just imagining it!

    Reply
  265. Kasey Hochmuht on

    I would be ecstatic to see a firey orange center surrounded muted peach petals. Just the thought of sipping coffee while watching my lady bees scramble through a field of these beauties fills my heart with joy💜💜💜

    Reply
  266. Melissa Selby on

    Before reading this post I probably would have said some kind of dinner plate huge frilly type (or I LOVE them all!), but post reading this post, C144 may be it for me. Beautiful, can’t wait to see more!

    Reply
  267. Haley Moore on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft pale yellow that blends out in to a beautiful lavender.

    Reply
  268. CK on

    A splotchy brown with a creamy yellow center.

    Reply
  269. Debbie on

    My dream dahlia would be the colors of a sunset, free form. I had one like that from a seedling but it didn’t hold up very well but the colors were stunning. It’s actually hard to say because when I see one I think it is the most beautiful until the next one appears and sometimes my heart just can’t handle it!!

    Reply
  270. Olivia on

    My dream dahlia would have dusty rose colored outer petals, and the center would be burnt maroon, almost orange/brown toned color. Rich & gracefully aged like a vintage silk scarf.

    Reply
  271. Sydnie Florence on

    I love the really full flowers with rounded petals. My deam dahlia would also have an ombre coloring. Both of those features just make my heart so happy!

    Reply
  272. Linda on

    Dahlias are Delightful and exude Happiness❤️! It is difficult to single out one beauty…they are all a beautiful creation made by God. My “dream” bouquet would be light pale colors, the color of rainbow sherbet. Light pinks, peaches, greens, purplish. Thank you for publishing your beautiful flower books. I always look forward to your educational emails as well. Happy Gardening!🌷💐🌺🌼

    Reply
  273. Linda Smith on

    Dahlias are Delightful and exude Happiness❤️! It is difficult to single out one beauty…they are all a beautiful creation made by God. My “dream” bouquet would be light pale colors, the color of rainbow sherbet. Light pinks, peaches, greens, purplish. Thank you for publishing your beautiful flower books. I always look forward to your educational emails as well. Happy Gardening!🌷💐🌺🌼

    Reply
  274. Ida on

    My dream dahlia would be one with different shades of pink , dark to light on the inside. With a yellow middle.

    Reply
  275. Katie on

    I have only recently begun to understand the breadth of dahlia varieties – honestly, it started by watching “Growing Floret” and then following your journey (initially through Instagram). They are stunning flowers, so it’s hard to say what my favorite would be given all of the potential combinations, but I’ve narrowed it to a single or semi/double that is a combination of apricot and purple (similar to how Waltzing Mathilda blends colors).

    Reply
  276. Rebecca Menough on

    My dream dahlia isn’t hard to find. Petite and vibrant! Thanks up for all your inspiration! ☺️

    Reply
  277. Christi Baker on

    I am a big fan of Dahlias, I love the diverse range of colors and magnificent shapes. My dream Dahlia would have the colors of a beautiful sunset with a bit of yellow, orange, pink and blue and lovely large petals. My ‘Sunset Dahlia’ would have a long beautiful stem which would be ideal for flower arranging. Thank you for sharing your experience with growing the beautiful Dahlias.

    Reply
  278. Steffanie on

    Thank you for sharing your adventures with flowers. It’s such a nice escape to read your stories at the end of a long week, especially during the cold winter months when dreaming of gardens is what gets us through. I don’t think I could pick one favorite of any flower variety because they’re all beautiful in their own way, but I think it would be fun to see a variety with soft petals that are a deep purplish on the outer edge and a crisp lime green on the inside, this surrounding a bright puffball yellow center. 💜💚💛

    Reply
  279. Christine on

    I would love a purple with green in the center. ❤️

    Reply
  280. Sonja Shipley on

    I am pretty new to the whole concept of flower farming but when I stumbled onto your show on Magnolia Network I watched every episode in one sitting! I have since watched them all AGAIN and also found other farmers that I adore learning from. It makes my heart skip a beat when I see what beauty can come from a tiny seed (or tuber) and the earth. It encompasses all that is pure and good in the world. I find that they are all exceptionally beautiful in their own special way but my dream dahlia would be giant, round and soft and the kind of fruity peachy-pink that makes your nose imagine the sweet smells and your mouth water when you see it! *Sigh* Just pure happiness.

    Reply
  281. Lisa on

    I didn’t manage to save any mature seeds this year despite my best efforts, but I somehow had a couple of volunteers spring up under one of my favorite blue-purple dahlias. I would love it if one magically had that same coloring but a cute collarette shape! You’ve inspired the world to start breeding dahlias. I predict we will soon be awash in gorgeous new varieties, in the very best way!

    Reply
  282. Cait R. on

    I discovered your Instagram page at the end of last summer. I quickly bought your book and began planning for this summer. This is my first year growing dahlias and I’m so excited! I’m growing them all from seed and hoping to have some very bright, puffy blooms. Honestly, my dream dahlia this year is to have some, no matter what they look like!

    Reply
  283. Miriam on

    My dreamy Dahlias are blush/pink colored, double or semi double, medium sized with an open centre. I wish they had a Lily of the valley perfume too.

    Reply
  284. Hannah on

    Oh my goodness my dream dahlia?!?! My grandmothers name is dahlia so we’ve grown a few here and there over the years. We are currently planning our landscaping (we just moved to our new home!!) and this may have just inspired me to do a larger dahlia patch!! My dream dahlia would be sturdy, large petals, and probably a mix of pale yellow and pale pink petals with a gorgeous green stem. They would be short, like my grandmother, but not to be ignored (also like my grandmother).

    Reply
  285. Brenna Kennedy on

    I want the perfect soft peachy apricot……luscious petals that twirl. Something that captures that Creamsicle sunset…..

    Reply
  286. Eleonore Wagner on

    My dream dahlia would be a warm sunshine yellow with peach pink color blending into it. They’re my absolute favorite of all flowers, and one of the main reasons I am moving to the country. I would most love to grow peach and yellow and light pink dahlias, because there is nothing like the soft beauty of those pastels.

    Reply
  287. Barbara Forster-Kalil on

    My dream dahlia would be huge, pink and fluffy! As my first dahlia patch I’d welcome and be excited by any of your selection.

    Reply
  288. Nikita on

    Love all the variety of dahlia that you have shown us. I would love peachy pink ones.🌸I am not a gardener but I dream of having one. I take the inspiration from your beautiful book and have introduced them into my paintings.

    Reply
  289. Judy Rhine on

    I love the Firefly very unusual but it’s hard to pick there’s so much beauty

    Reply
  290. April on

    I really love the puffball dahlias with the cupped petals. I am so thrilled to try many varieties of flowers from seed this year after basically just doing zinnias last year, and dahlias would be so fun to add in. I loved all of the salmons and peaches in my garden last summer. What if a big pouf dahlia had each petal’s edges tipped in a different color— maybe a core of salmon or peach with a fringe of muted red-orange on the petal edges?

    Reply
  291. Virginie on

    I am starting my flower farm this year. It will be my first production year and i would like to try them all. I am obsessed by Dahlias, i dream about it at night, no jokes! I have a crush for the Café au lait and Sweet Nathalie. I love light color, peach, yellow, soft pink. I particuliary love Monster mouth, your C21, C 33 and B9. They are all wonderful, you inspire me a lot for my futur garden of Dahlia.

    Reply
  292. Katrina on

    Dream dahlia would be the lightest apricot peachy cream with big fluffy petals almost like a completely opened up peony. I love the collarette varieties too.
    LOVE THIS PROJECT. KEEP GOING!

    Reply
  293. Chelby on

    My favourite dahlias are soft pink/peach coloured and perfectly round and full. I didn’t know I had a favourite flower until I got married and had dahlias in my bouquet. This will be my first year growing them in my garden and I just hope they survive and thrive!

    Reply
  294. Jenny R. on

    My dream dahlia would be the color of my Peaches and Cream Barbie my dad gave me when I was a little girl. A true apricot peach color with a hint of golden shimmer🧡

    Reply
  295. Marissa S. on

    I absolutely love the C33/Floret up above! So beautiful! I’d love any dahlia to come up in my garden but I love pink ones! Love following you!

    Reply
  296. Jenny Long on

    Mine would be the size and shape of those lush white dahlias bottom right in your FB post, but with a blush of salmony pink. And a chartreuse green-yellow center that would be easy for pollinators to get to. And heck, can it smell good? That would be a real dream! Thanks for giving me the courage to try dahlias. I’m addicted!

    Reply
  297. Rebecca on

    My dream dahlia would be big bloom soft earthy toned peachy pink with a subtle hint of yellow. I have about a dozen dahlias, but still looking for that one!

    Reply
  298. Elizabeth P. on

    I think my dream dahlia would be a blue Pom Pom. I love blue flowers and it seems like there are just never enough

    Reply
  299. Debra on

    I was intrigued with C144 Firefly! It reminded me of my water lilies! The beautiful incurved petals are my favorite part. So, my dream dahlia would look like Firefly with a brighter yellow center.

    Reply
  300. Brenda Olmscheid on

    My favorite dahlia would be the small pom variety in a blush color … but really I love any and all dahlias!

    Reply
  301. Theri Voss on

    I started falling in love with dahlias 22-years ago when my husband and I began our first garden adventure in our new (built in 1907) country farmstead in Minnesota. I bought a few in the farm and seed store and was hooked the instant that my first ones opened. Since then I have grown numerous colors and varieties from tubers, and I have managed to save a few along the way. I have even started a few from seed that grew into beautiful blooms. So picking a favorite or an idea of a favorite is difficult because I have never met a dahlia I was not in love with. That being said, I most enjoy them about 4-6″ size because vaseful on my dining table can look splendid and are not too much to have a good dozen or so. I also like those with unique qualities or color blending, and I think a single type or as you described as “open-centered” “(I’m thinking Ferncliff Alpine type) with petals that are white on the face and contrast color on the backside of the petal, such as raspberry or lemon would look exquisite with a puffy, bright yellow center that is just big enough to give a brilliant but well balanced contrast of texture against the softness of the petals. I have always believed though that variety is the spice of life, and like you, Erin, I can lose myself in the joy that so many different dahlias can bring!

    Reply
  302. Rachael on

    Wow this is such a tough question! Because I’m so incredibly picky when it comes to color, I tend to always lean toward neutral. In my home, in my wardrobe, even yes, in my flower garden. Though Plain Jane may be what some call it, I myself like to think of it as classic/timelesss. Soooo, my dream Dahlia would be…. wait for it…. WHITE. Yes, white- BUT with a stunning, pale pink inner petal. Pale pink, not in a sunset, not in a baby blanket but perhaps in a perfectly pink bunny nose. In fact I think I’d call it Bunny Bliss. The outer petals would have an ombré look starting with the pale pink and ending off-white. You’d have to look close to see it – as the pink isn’t an obvious pink until it hits the absolute center. The outer ombré petals would be reminiscent of an off-white angora. Long, soft, wispy – the “halo” look. Yes, I believe that would be my dream dahlia (at least today)!

    Reply
  303. Tamara on

    I adore dahlias of all colours and sizes, and the ines I’m drawn to changes every year. For bouquets I’m adding more ball forms for the vase life, but I’m seriously drawn to collarettes! Maybe I’ll buy one … just for me.

    Reply
  304. Crystal Mendoza on

    My dream dahlia would probably be a two tone Pom Pom, maybe a cream and fuchsia?! It’s my first year trying out seed dahlia… hopefully my packet from a big box store isn’t a flop 🤞🏼

    Reply
  305. Jane Myers on

    The first dahlia I planted was Crazy Love. I got it at the end of a season at a big box store for next to nothing. I was overwhelmed with it’s beauty and how prolific it bloomed. That was the beginning of my obsession – I love the dinner plate varieties with long stems and anything purple works for me. My dream would be a big deep rich dark purple dinnerplate with the petals of a
    cafe au lait

    Reply
  306. Leah W. on

    My dream dahlia would be one that is the same color as the Koko Loco rose. I love that muted color tone. So dreamy!

    Reply
  307. Whitney on

    This is my first year as a flower farmer all credit and thanks to you! I purchased your first book and have quickly gotten to work! I have planted just store bought Dahlia tubers. My dream Dahlia would be a large Lavender color with a burst of peach in the center! I am so thankful to have came upon you on social media. You have truly helped me find my passion, my calling, my purpose 🌷

    Reply
  308. Wendy Oliver on

    My dream dahlia? First, I just want to say this is the first season I am growing cut flowers! I have some dahlia seeds started in my basement and I can’t wait to see what comes of it! I would love to grow one that is a bright yellow and cream colored and star shaped! This is going to be a great year!!

    Reply
  309. Amy Claborn on

    I grew my first dahlias last year from your seed packet! I loved them! I love the peachy pinks! I would also love to have some white with yellow centers!

    Reply
  310. Heather Quinn on

    I’ve only grown dahlias for one season and I’m already addicted! This will be my first year growing from seed and I can’t wait to see what pops up! My dream dahlia would be one that could fill a vase on its own and something in the coral color family. This will be my first year having a cut flower garden, so I’m new to arranging as well, therefore simple and beautiful is what I hope for from my seeds!

    Reply
  311. Barb Schmidt on

    My dream dahlia would be a mixture of berry colors- rich black berry, raspberry; lots of petals, and flowers as large as possible while still being prolific! Loved reading about how your breeding program is progressing and seeing the beautiful pictures.

    Reply
  312. Spring McManus on

    My husband is colorblind, but when we got him the color correcting glasses a few years ago his favorite color went from gray to fuchsia when he saw a flowering shrub in our front yard. I don’t even know what the name of the shrub is, just that it has small fuchsia flowers. Before, he never really saw the point of flowers (beyond the obvious), now he likes to pick out plants with me. I try to get as many obnoxiously pink flowers as I can because he’s making up for decades of lost color. So obviously, my dream dahlia would be fuchsia. :)

    Reply
  313. Rowyn on

    My dream dahlia isn’t just a single dahlia. It’s the feeling of completeness when finally glancing down the beautiful rows of color after a long days work. It’s the long inhale and exhale of sweet, warm summer air, while watching the sunset over the rolling hills.

    Reply
  314. Jennifer Hull on

    I am a first year, small scale flower farmer and proudly a graduate of florets class of 2022. Dahlias are what started my obsession with cut flowers; I mean what’s not to love. I have always wanted to try my hand at growing dahlias from seed and would be honored to grow seed from floret’s breeding patch. I absolutely love the traditional formal decorative dahlia but the whimsical shape of collarette’s also have my heart. Picking a favorite flower, in my opinion, is like picking a favorite child. They each are uniquely beautiful in there own little way. BUT if I walked out to find a beautiful formal decorative, dahlia that has a dark cherry center that subtly faded into a caramel color with abundant blooms, and long strong stems; let’s just say I would be like a little kid in a candy shop.

    Reply
  315. Denise McDonald on

    My dream dahlia is peachy, creamy, rosy, a little ruffly- like a beautiful beach sunset. I would be thrilled to find my dream dahlia, or pretty much and dahlia, growing in my seedling patch along side my roses.

    Reply
  316. Marsha on

    It would be so hard to just pick one dream dahlia. I definitely like the ones with dark foliage. So if I had to pick one it would have dark foliage with a yellow/salmon/pink bloom.

    Reply
  317. Carolyn Bernard on

    I love having my hands in the earth. It is amazing to see the growth from seed /tuber to unique blooms. My dream Dahlia would be similar to Little Miss Sunshine. The imagination of a child and the whim of nature.

    Reply
  318. Katie on

    My dream dahlia would be an informal decorative in a dusty rose shade with a darker rose colored center. I’m so excited to save my own dahlia seeds this year and give this a try! As always, thank you for the inspiration Erin!

    Reply
  319. Tonya Frakes on

    Hmm.. I have never grown Dahlias.. so, my dream Dahlia would be the one the decided to grow uniquely beautiful in my yard :)
    I LOVE all of the colors in my outdoor plants.. my husband calls me Sunshine , so something bright and beautiful like the sun would be super cool! My husband also enjoys the plants with the reds in them .. so maybe a mixture of both..

    Reply
  320. Maria Griego-Raby on

    My dream dahlia would be one that reflects of love of my husband. These are his favorite flower and I am just beginning to learn to grow them. First year I left them in the ground over the winter, you know what happened, nothing. I am excited to plant tubers and the seeds I received with your book very soon. I am thinking something beautiful, dinner plate size , that expresses his love, passion and kindness…. a flower with striations and boldness of color to represent the man I love.

    Reply
  321. Becky on

    I watched the documentary on Discovery+ and opened my eyes to the beautiful world of dahlias. I have a love of plants passed down from my grandmother and mother. I have not tried growing dahlias but looking forward to starting. The hardest part is trying to decide on a color. I’m in love with ALL of them. Lol. Thank you for all the beauty you bring to the world.

    Reply
  322. Elizabeth Evans on

    My dream dahlia would be the biggest, fattest, most full petalled blooms. I love them all, but the labrynth & dinner plates in pinks & oranges are a dream.

    Reply
  323. Dana Bergman on

    My dream dahlia isn’t for me, but for my 7 year old daughter. Pink is her favorite color and she loves frilly clothes and tutus. She wants me to breed dahlias to name one for her. My dream dahlia has to be a bright pink with lots of frilly delicate petals. Dinnerplate size would be the ideal, but a step down is more attainable, so I would set that as my acceptable goal. I have two daughters, so I have to achieve this twice. The other daughter loves frilly stuff as well, but her favorite color is purple (lavender). My second goal dahlia to breed for her would be lavender and frilly with delicate fringe-like petals.

    I would be thrilled to find any beautiful dahlia of any size, shape and color. I love almost every flower there is. My grandmother started my love of flowers by teaching me about them as soon as I was old enough to walk with her to her garden. I need to add a 3rd goal for one in her memory in a dark red or dark purple (almost black) shade because these were her favorite colors.

    Reply
  324. Lynn S on

    I would love a peachy-salmon one with a yellow center and just faintly tinged with a darker pinky-red on the tips.

    Reply
  325. Lindsay on

    My dream dahlia is café au lait.

    Reply
  326. Sarah Hamilton Lester on

    My dream dahlia would look like the colors of the sunrise…yellow blending into orange and then rex

    Reply
  327. Marlene Sweda on

    They are all so beautiful., I would have a difficult time choosing which will move foraward. Its like a beauty pagent, they all have special qualities, oh and your hoop house…my dream some day. Thanks for sharing im in the infancy stage and meeting so many wonderful women who are flower farmers willing to share their knowledge. I enjoy watching Floret continue to grow.
    Thank you,
    Marlene Sweda
    Blue Door Flora (currently a hobby farm)
    Portland TN.

    Reply
  328. Miriam Ben on

    I absolutely love the Floret! It’s so delicate and unique looking. My dream dahlia would be pale lavender and white with a very long stem. The more layers the better for me! Thank you for getting me hooked on dahlias, they are so much fun!

    Reply
  329. Rebecca Peterson on

    Mine would be a mid size 3-4 in bloom that is a coral color with a yellow buttercream center.

    Reply
  330. Kaitlyn Martin on

    My dream dahlia would have a vibrant outer orange pop of colour like an aussie autumn sunset, that gently fades and contrasts to a warm yellow centre. Long stemmed and irrestiable to harvest and hold.

    Reply
  331. Julie P de M on

    This was a very difficult question to answer, as it tempts one to let the imagination run W-I-L-D! After much thought, I’ve narrowed it down to two possible colors on a double-orchid flower. The first would be a truly silver lavender, with either dark lavender veins or dark splotches. Not purple, a dramatic, glossy, waxy type silvery lavender. My second would be painted dark champagne with splashes of gold and dusky dark peach. Fragrance on any of these would be the icing on the cake!!

    Reply
  332. Amy Malenfant on

    My dream dahlia would have the shape of Cafe au Lait but have a light blue hue to it. Ideally the seed giveaway would have a variety from all of your beautiful dahlias. I’ve never been so drawn to a flower until I was introduced to your blog.

    Reply
  333. Wanda vanderveen on

    I have 2 favorites. The large cafe au lait. Or a sunset coloured patch. Both sound divine. Would love to win and thanks for inspiring me!!

    Reply
  334. L.C. on

    In my bouquets I love greens and whites… so naturally my dream dahlia would be a ball shape dahlia that is white, white a slight lime green tint to the center petals!

    Reply
  335. Jasmin McGraw Allaire on

    Lately I’ve been loving the starry looking petals like C33, with a golden fluffy center. So much joy. If a variety of pale shades and medium sized blooms were in a seed package I would love it!!!! Last year I grew Wizard of Oz and those are mesmerizing.

    Reply
  336. Natalie on

    I am always drawn to ones that have a combination of hues especially in the peachy/apricot/blush/yellow realm. Your new anemone and collarette varieties are different and exciting! I love seeing what you’re doing,
    please keep it up!

    Reply
  337. Aubry Ream on

    My dream dahlia would be a sunset bullseye. Would have a hot pink center that faded into an orange with yellow tips. It would have double blooms with very pointed ray florets.

    Reply
  338. Kendra on

    Dinner plate dahlia purpley red on the outside, to sunset orange on the inside 💖

    Reply
  339. TL on

    I love the large dinner plate dahlias. So huge! This is going to be my first year trying to grow some from seed and I’m so exited to see what flowers they produce…hoping for some pretty pink ones.

    Reply
  340. Ashley Robinson on

    Ooooh. I love ball dahlias, so that would be the form. As far as colors go, I adore a blood crimson. I’m talking the-lipstick-you-wear-when-it’s-time-to-go-full-vamp crimson.

    Reply
  341. PAT HAMOD on

    I love the wild and crazy shapes! I love all the colors but find myself drawn to the muted browns, apricot and peach colors. I love petals that are different; twisted, rolling in on themselves, changing colors from the center to the outside and aging beautifully. I love the drama they create, how they can take your breath away. I grew my first dahlias from tubers last year and couldn’t believe all the different colors and structures of the blooms. You would never imagine something so beautiful would come for such a plain looking tuber. I will never get tired of looking at them, so good for the soul. And the bouquets oh my! I have grown lots of seeds but have never tried dahlias. I think it would be an amazing project and would make you leap out of bed just to run out there to see what was blooming! Magical to think of creating a new variety! A healthy addiction one could never get tired of it as the possibilities are endless! I’m going to be on the outlook for dahlia seeds now! Thank you for your beautiful website and all the inspiration you give to all of us! God bless you and your wonderful staff!

    Reply
  342. Cameron Horwat on

    Something different like Little Miss Sunshine with Dunkin Donut colors. Bright orange and pink.

    Reply
  343. Sarah Howard on

    Oh wow, how can i possibly say what my dream dahlia would look like. I guess my dream dahlia would be a mid-sized dahlia in pink hues. Or purple hues. Or burgandy hues…

    Reply
  344. Karen on

    My dream dahlia is soft white with pale cool-pink at the base of wider petals. She’s fluffy, medium-full, and simply luscious!

    Reply
  345. Melissa on

    My dream Dahlia would have a nice open center for pollinators with white petals and some sort of vibrant accent within the center or on the petals.

    Reply
  346. Megan on

    My dream dahlia would be white with a deep purple center. The bigger the better!

    Reply
  347. Sandy on

    My dream dahlia would have a dark sunny yellow center that looks somewhat like a Pom Pom (almost fluffy) with creamy yellow frilly petals around that center that gradually change color as you move to the outer edge of the flower going from that creamy yellow to a soft pink to a darker bolder pink with just a touch of cream on each of the tips of the frilly petals.

    Reply
  348. Katy on

    My dream dahlia would probably be something that is super pale peachy pink in color and a ball form or near ball.

    Reply
  349. Kaitlyn Conklin on

    I had no idea that you could grow dahlias from seed until stumbling across some of your articles last year, ever since I’ve been completely fascinated with the idea of discovering new varieties especially because any back-yard gardener can give it a try! I’m a watercolor artist that draws inspiration from nature and also have always been a genetics geek. I’m eager to attempt to grow dahlias from seed for new inspiration and dying to get the chance to study traits, to see how they might be passed over the years. What I would like to see most in my breeding patch wouldn’t necessarily be a single ‘ideal’ flower as I think the ‘ideal’ flower can change over time. I would love to see a field of dusty, soft, muted color tones. Muted colors are my favorite because, most of the time, if you look close enough it’s a mixture of a lot of different colors. I like flowers that make you stop and study them a little to see all their secret beauty. I also think that muted tones bring more of a warm and comforting happiness to the observer. As far as form, I would love anything that looked like it had movement to it, like it could dance out of an arrangement. I tend to like the “wierdos”. I can’t wait to see where these flowers take me. I’m excited to share my finds with family and friends but also become inspired by them as I attempt to capture them in paintings. Who wouldn’t find inspiration in a field like that! Thank you for being so giving with your knowlege.

    Reply
  350. Rita on

    I watched on Discovery +, a docmentary about this wonderful flower business called ” Growing Floret” during a very difficult time dealing with my mother illness. I found it so inspiring and brought me so much joy. I have always loved flowers and planted the everyday variety. I didn’t even know about Dahlia until watching the program. This past 2 years, I made an effort to plant flowers that added to the environment and help the pollinators. I removed all of the green hedges and planted a variety of flowers that attracted butterflies and bees. But now I want to take the big step and plant the Dahlia. I am so excited and a little scared about taking on this new flower breed for me, but they are so beautiful. So here is a new venture and eager to see what happens!

    Reply
  351. Pam Hunter on

    I have grown dahlias for years but only from tubers not seeds so I would love to give that a try! I love all dahlias, but my favorite seem to be the beautiful pinks and yellows. Dahlias just are so beautiful and bring such joy to me! My dream dahlia would probably be one that is a deep pink with soft yellow spreading out from the center . But honestly any dahlia is my dream one !

    Reply
  352. Terie on

    I would love something that is pink and purple and large and show stopping 💐

    Reply
  353. Linda on

    My dahlia dream actually started while my13 yr old daughter and I were watching your show. It was you that made us fall in love with dahlias. Watching my daughter eye light up as she saw all the beautiful flowers. She asked if you could plant some. So of course being the mom of a teen and always looking for more ways to spend time together, I said yes! So we researched and found since we live in the low desert (Glendale, AZ) every blog spot we found said we either in was pretty much impossible. So of course we said challenge expected! We know it maybe hard but worth the work to spend time in the garden with my daughter. We where extremely lucky to score some of your Dahlia Bee mix seeds. Have seed has spouted!! All and all our dream is to show with hard work, patience, love and passion you can grow these beauties in the low desert.

    Reply
  354. Nancy Haase on

    Last summer was my first time planting dahlias from the seeds I received from Floret. It was so exciting to see the different flowers that came up. Digging up the tubers was satisfying but I wasn’t quite sure if I was doing everything right so I saved all the tubers just in case there were hidden eyes I couldn’t see! It will be interesting to see if I get anything from any of the tubers from last year. My favorite flower would be cranberry colored with a yellow center, anemone form like one of the flowers from my seeds last summer. There are so many amazing colors and forms of dahlias it’s hard to chose one – from Waterlily to Semi-Cactus to Stellar – they’re all gorgeous! So many dahlias, so little room in my garden!

    Reply
  355. Jacklynne on

    My dream dahlia would be a uniquely shaped, pale pink or creme and pink bloom. Medium in size so as not to overpower in a bouquet. I love the varieties that you have bred. They are all so beautiful and unlike anything else I’ve seen! I can feel your passion while reading your post. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!

    Reply
  356. Leticia Aldana on

    I love anemone types. My dream dahlia would be a bright yellow center with a hot pink petals, like I’m a hottie. The brighter the better. Something you can also dry. My garden is grown to take to my daughter whose name is Elora Sky, which I didn’t know was like yours forever. She passed so because dahlias don’t do good in heat outside I dry some to take them. The brighter the color the best they look dry.

    Reply
  357. Mary on

    Difficult to answer this one. I love the vibrant burgundy in c174 … I have yet to get a tuber variety that deep in the purple hues so would love to see that growing in my patch. I also love the buttery creams and ivory of c42…. So many beauties.

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply
  358. Sarah on

    Dream dahlia would be dinner plate size- 6-8” ball that is in a coral/ salmon / orange / pink – sunset colors.

    Reply
  359. Betsy Lyman on

    My dream would be any Dahlia that I can get to grow well in my Houston climate:). But I especially love pale pinks and yellows. My daughter magically got a packet of your dahlia seeds for my bday and I have 4 little baby plants that have made it out of the pack. I cannot wait to see what they look like. This is my first year trying them and I hope all 4 make it! They feel like my babies. I am so inspired by you and your beautiful flowers. Flowers and gardening bring me so much joy. Thank you for sharing so much with us all!

    Reply
  360. Mythri on

    My dream dahlia would be one that I am able to grow. I(‘m trying to grow a mixed variety from seed this year)

    But I could have any, it would be one that looks like Labyrinth but in lavender.

    Reply
  361. Janet Leone on

    I started some dahlias from Floret seed this year. Im not sure what my dream dahlia would look like it but my hope is to eventually discover one unique and special enough among the bunch that I can propagate further and share with family and friends in memory and honor of my dear late sister Linda.

    Reply
  362. Becky Lancaster on

    I think my dream Dahlia would be a soft pink with a sweet pastel yellow center, I’m always drawn to those . I’m currently starting dahlia seeds I bought from floret and I’m so excited to see what beautiful varieties I will have. I’m hoping for some darker colors to compliment the softer colors I currently have, however I will be happy with whatever blooms I get!

    Reply
  363. Alycia on

    I absolutely love the c144 or the c33! They are stunning. My daughter loves to identify flowers and with so many varieties and color combos and things this could totally be something to teach the younger generation and keep this dream and hard work alive for a very long time!

    Reply
  364. Joan Watimar on

    I love flowers that are coral, orange or peach. I really like the form of C171 and C144! So my dream dahlia would have to be a cross of those two with hints of my favorite colors. I grow a few dahlias every year and save the tubers. Would love to start some from seed.

    Reply
  365. Maureen Walker on

    Dream dahlia, is so hard, as there are so many beauties. And I don’t have room for them all already.

    I tend to like unique. Think it would be cool to have an ombré one.

    Reply
  366. Amy Warner on

    I think a pure white dahlia with light green fringe would be glorious. A wedding dahlia!

    Reply
  367. Paige Caperton on

    Oh my goodness gracious, my dream dahlia would be one which I can successfully grow here in Central Florida–ha! I am a new cut-flower gardener and started this oh soooo much fun hobby last April. My most special flower-gardening-friend down the street introduced me to cut flower gardening, and with each of her surprise bouquet gifts of love and friendship, I was always AMAZED by her dahlias. OH, to simply gaze at a bouquet that I grew from my own garden is my biggest wish of all. But, speaking specifically of one specific breed, I cannot keep my eyes off of the pink petals with the fuzzy yellow centers you have pictured in your gallery within the blog. To think that I could grow such beauties would be W.O.W!

    Reply
  368. Terri Cromwell on

    My dream dahlia would be a beautiful light salmon color like your C62 or C108. They are beautiful!! I would be beyond thrilled to find a money tree in my garden so I could grow unlimited flowers!!

    Reply
  369. Jo G on

    I love the soft colours so my dream dahlia patch would be full of informal cafe au lait types across all the pastels (can you imagine!!), with a lovely range of smaller delights to arrange with them like c33 and c26. Tried growing dahlias from seed this year and was amazed at how easy and fun it was every step of the way. No keepers unfortunately but I learned a lot and the bees absolutely adore them. I would love to have a copy of your book (I asked our local library to get a copy and they did, I’ve borrowed it 5 times!) but the biggest treat would be the seeds. Thanks for putting your little babies out into the world : )

    Reply
  370. Jordan Trew on

    Like you, colors come to mind before form!

    I really want to see a beautiful antique dusty mauve/raspberry with deep coral undertones. Like the streaks of sunset sky right before all is indigo blue. It would be midtone and a bit muted. I’m not sure about form but I think mid size and somewhere between the geometry of a medium ball and the whimsical shag like Lakeview Peach Fuzz or Hamari Gold…. like Break Out but maybe with an open center? Bacardi meets Craig Charles meets Valley Rust Bucket!!

    Can’t wait to see where your project goes next, thanks for adding so much beauty to the world!!

    Reply
  371. allison phillips on

    my dream dahlia would be c21 and c162 !! i love the big fluffy center on c162 and the color and petal size of c21. maybe even a soft orange variety of these too, im a sucker for pale orange dahlias!!

    Reply
  372. Courtney Anderson on

    My dream dahlia would fade from a soft baby pink to a deep berry-magenta color. Both of those colors would be symbolic for me, reminding me of my baby girl (turning 1 this month!) and my wedding day (the accent color for the wedding and the color of the bridesmaid dresses!)

    Reply
  373. Karen Genest on

    I am not sure I could come up with a dream dahlia, as they are all so beautiful! Last year was the first time I ever grew dahlias. I could not decide then which one was my favorite either. Just so beautiful! So what would I like to see in my seedling patch? More! =)

    Reply
  374. James Rengert on

    My dream Dahlia would be a size B ,6 to 8 inch bronze blend which could be arranged in a fall boquet with other white dahlias. Needs to be medium height with strong stems to prevent lodging in the garden.

    Reply
  375. Tracy Olomi on

    What my dream dahlia would be is a challenging question to answer since variety is my spice of life. But I do find myself pining for that special deep red to burgundy color with a frilly petaled center highlighting a spectacular properly glorious bright yellow center. I can see it in my mind and if I ever find it on my journey, I will make sure to have a few extra on hand! Thank you and the Dahlia goddess, Kristen Albrecht, for all that you do to educate us and make our world a more beautiful place.

    Reply
  376. Denise Howse on

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen a soft pistachio/lime coloured dahlia. And what if it resembled Apple Blossom with a yellow centre surrounded with a bit of white but also had a contrasting coloured perimeter like Firefly. I’m not sure if I’m making sense but I’d love to see a delicate green dahlia.

    Reply
  377. Heather Coulter on

    My dream seedling patch dahlia would have the colors of the sunset. I love seeing dahlias started from seed that change throughout the season- from yellow to peach, soft pink to deep blush or burgundy, pinks that turn to purple! I love the magic of dahlias- how the shades on petals blend together like a watercolor!

    Reply
  378. Lotta-Riikka Rintamäki on

    The Floret is very close to my perfect image of ”the one”. Big pretty petals with a fluffy center like in anemone dahlias. I really like the combination with anemone and collarette dahlias.

    Reply
  379. Becca on

    My dream dahlia would be mostly lavender, with subtle shades of sunset pink and peach swirled in. It would have to be large and soft-looking because sunsets are large and soft.

    Reply
  380. Sylvie on

    I’m dreaming of a Jowie Winnie turned Peaches n’ Cream. My goodness a pink versions of Peaches n’ Cream would be beautiful!

    Reply
  381. Katie on

    Hoping to start our first cutting garden this year, and Dahlias are definitely on the list! I love the full blush colored ones. Small blooms for arranging.

    Reply
  382. Kirstin Cotter on

    The thrill is found in the process for me! Waiting for the seed heads to be ready, harvesting the seeds and waiting in wonder for them to reveal their unique beauty! I would be thrilled to have different forms this year in my garden. I have a ball type and two collarettes from seed. I love peachy creamy, pale orange, white and yellow and ombré.

    Reply
  383. Holly Harmon on

    While I’m a sucker for singles, I would love to see a few anemones pop up in my backyard!

    Reply
  384. Jennifer Clark on

    I want bright colorful dahlias of all shapes that will grow in upstate SC – I have retired after 34 years of teaching and really want to grow flowers as a hobby ( for myself and neighbors!) Fascinated by these flowers that can be so varied!!

    Reply
  385. Emily on

    A green dahlia would be really unusual. Pop Pom type, perhaps with flushes on white and apricot. Beautiful 😍

    Reply
  386. Rachel on

    I love all dahlias. We have grown our own garden a lot over the last couple of years and it is a labor of love. My favorites are always the beautiful corals and the deep purples. I would love to see more of those varieties. Thank you for sharing your beautiful journey and teaching me so much!

    Reply
  387. Landon bishop on

    My dream dahlia would be turquoise and allium ball shaped!

    Reply
  388. Lindzi on

    I’m planting my first dahlia seeds this year and am excited to see what they might be. I think my dream dahlia would be a single or collarette with peachy pink tones.

    Reply
  389. AJ Bleile on

    Dahlias were my Mom’s favorite and she had several. The one I liked the best was a large white bloom with deep red edges. Held its form beautifully in a vase. Can’t wait to see what you have!

    Reply
  390. Chelsea on

    I would absolutely love a puff ball shape, in a light lilac color with white tips, almost kissed by ice in the middle of summer. I miss that soft blue purple after my lilacs have given their show. The rest of the garden is busting with summer color, but that gentle sweet smelling lilac, a calm before the summer storm, has faded. Other flowers have a similar shade but not in late summer. What a treasure that would be, a lilac show in late summer in the form of a beautiful Dahlia.

    Reply
  391. Alessandra on

    I love all dahlias so i guess my dream dahlia would be one that leaves me absolutely speechless, that makes my heart skip a beat, no matter the color or shape 🪷

    Reply
  392. Rosemary Melillo on

    My dream dahlia has the maroon color with stripes of pink. I love the various sizes but dinner plate just blows my mind🥰

    Reply
  393. Hannah on

    My dream dahlia… is actually my first dahlia. Healthy, beautiful, and whole in whatever shape and color it decides. It would be the beginning of a long-seeded dream come to fruition of growing flowers to create beauty in the world and to share with others.

    Reply
  394. Tyra on

    My dream dahlia would be a blush and cream color with a round form, medium sized bloom just perfect for arranging.

    Reply
  395. Jess McClintock on

    This will be my first year growing Dahlias! I love all the shapes and colors so it’s hard for me to even try to dream up a new one!! This is all so exciting and I can’t wait to see what new varieties you create. Thank you for being so willing to share your knowledge, it’s so helpful.

    Reply
  396. Waiʻala on

    My dream dahlia would be a café au lait colored anemone the size of a dinner plate dahlia! I’d be overjoyed to find some dahlias that popped up from seeds along with butterfly pea plants in our seedling patch 🌱

    Reply
  397. Kirsten on

    I would love an off-white/cream dahlia with cocoa variegation. I’m honestly thrilled with every single dahlia I’ve grown!

    Reply
  398. Megan Dickey on

    My dream dahlia would be something between a cream de cassis and a cream de cognac. Both colors are about perfection and the shape is beautiful and easy to work with.

    Reply
  399. Angela Johnstone on

    I’m always amazed and inspired by your blog…and just a little envious! Deciding on a dream dahlia? Well, that’s like choosing a favourite child – they’re all so beautiful and unique in their own way, but if I had to imagine one it might be a incurred type with warm rose and copper tones.
    I would excited to find something like your “Little Miss Sunshine” in my patch – it’s just so bright and cheery!

    Reply
  400. Elisha Ross on

    I imagine an ombré decorative dahlia in colours of pink, tangerine, peach, yellow!! Wow!!
    Your project is amazing!! I also had some luck in some of the single seeds you sent with your book this summer (I’m in Aus!) and there are a couple of keepers.

    Reply
  401. Jill Peterson on

    Choosing a favourite colour is so difficult – it depends on the time of year, my mood, who it’s for.. I would love to see a soft antique gold coloured waterlily type dahlia, good for cutting or just admiring in the garden. Thank you for all the knowledge you share – our vegetable garden is rapidly being converted to dahlias, much to my husband’s horror!

    Reply
  402. Jessica on

    My dream dahlia would be water lily shape and a peachy-apricot color with a hint of blush or yellow!

    Reply
  403. Janelle Petzak on

    My dream dahlia would be a light peachy toned catus dahlia with hues of buttercream and white 😍 I’ve really fallen in love with cacti dahlias recently and look forward to what our dahlia seeds surprise us with this summer!

    Reply
  404. Jennifer on

    I would love shades of the sunrise on a large dinner plate-sized dahlia. This is my first year growing them (finally have the yard space for it) and I hope they take!

    Reply
  405. Barb Roessler on

    My dream dahlia would be a quirky one, ruffled petals and a mix of colours,that makes everyone look twice. I haven’t seen a dahlia I don’t love or want to grow, I’m attracted to the unusual, but love the classics as well.
    Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful flowers with the world. Enjoy your beautiful beautiful flowers.

    Reply
  406. TN on

    I would love to see varieties of frilly edged white dahlias with hints of color coming out from the center, like white frilly with a green center, or an apricot center or deep purple center or dark burgundy center, and so on. Or vice versa, having a frilly colored dahlia with white or creamy centers would look pretty too.

    Reply
  407. Sara G on

    This year will be my second year of growing dahlias. I absolutely fell in love with them last year, and have enjoyed watching all of your mini course videos and reading your blog posts on how to grow these beautiful flowers. My dream dahlia would definitely be a dinner plate dahlia as I love the really large and full blooms. I love the coloring of Crichton Honey Dahlias and the Bracken Sarah Dahlias (plus that’s my name!).
    I am hopeful to get to read your book, Discovering Dahlias, soon because I would love to learn even more about dividing tubers and breeding dahlias.
    Thank you for providing all of these amazing resources for new and experienced dahlia farmers alike, I have really found a passion for growing these gorgeous flowers. I hope to be able to continue this passion as I start college in the fall.

    Reply
  408. Margaret Archer on

    I love Dalhias and I love these mini sunflowers I’ve grown this year. If I could combine the “happy” sunflower colors with the delicacy of a ball or more fluffy style dalhia, that would be amazing to find in my patch! It would have a longer stem so I could put it in bouquets, with a strong, bright yellow /orange color and a dark center.

    Reply
  409. Stella Maria Baer on

    My dream dahlia would be a “minky mauve” or a dusty lavender, the color of the dirt at sunrise where I live in New Mexico. Love what you do. Your pursuit of joy is sacred. Thank you for bringing this beauty into the world.

    Reply
  410. Angela on

    I am an aspiring flower gardener. I currently rent a home so most my gardening happens in pots, but I’m hoping to buy land this year! I just found your website and feel so inspired by it. Can’t wait to get my hands on your book. I currently don’t have a specific dream dahlia in mind, just a dream to grow them.

    Reply
  411. Victoria Pemberton on

    I love your very organised notebook and I think I’m going to have to make myself one to use for the rest of the season here in Australia.
    My favourite Dahlia would have wavy petals like cafe au lait, be mostly upwards facing so it works well in the centre and at the sides of an arrangement, and be a pale peachy colour with bronzing in the centre and petal tips.

    Reply
  412. Sonja Rose Block on

    I want to learn how to breed Dahlias because I would like to create one especially for my future daughter.
    My mother named me after her favorite flower, and having that story behind my name and a flower out in the world that reminds my mother of me has always been something I treasure. I want to give that to my future daughter someday.
    My dream dahlia would have soft cream petals brushed with lavender and a sunny center. One that’s strong, resilient and beautiful like I imagine my daughter will be.

    Reply
  413. Alyson Dorr on

    I haven’t tried growing dahlias in over twenty years, but I loved growing them, and visiting farmers who grew them with excess, when I lived in Oregon. I think this might be the year to start! My dream dahlia would probably be a bit of sunshine a happy yellow and white.

    Reply
  414. Rachel on

    What a great update on your breeding project! Last year was my first year with Dahlias and I grew 3 varieties. From the initial 9 tubers, I was able to pull up/divide//store and am now sprouting about 38 tubers – apparently I picked the right varieties and learned a lot from watching gardeners like you! I am trying to grow from seed this year, with a packet from Floret – my ideal dahlia would have darker/maroon stems and foliage, be a bit shorter and manageable (2-3 feet?), branching sturdy stems so minimal staking, and prolific open blooms that having some short of shading – either at the center radiating out or along the petals (would love a peachy apricot with red/maroon shading!).

    Reply
  415. Amy Redd on

    After finding your show on Discovery I decided I had to try and grow dahlias. So, I guess my dream dahlia will be the first one I have bloom in my garden. I got dahlia seeds from a local store and can’t wait to see what happens, I’m hoping for some orange or yellow hues.

    Reply
  416. Gloria Butcher on

    I love the colors at sunset. Put a monster mouth body with twisty petals and the colors going from red orange/ corals to pink to light blush. Somehow capture those magical end of the day moments.

    Reply
  417. Tina Basel on

    I would love to grow a dinner plate dahlia in a soft pink shade that resembles the first glow of a sunrise. For seedlings, I would love to many strong healthy ones that would grow into a beautiful garden!

    Reply
  418. Celia on

    If I were to find my dream dahlia in my patch it would have colouring like the inside of a black boy peach. It would be the size of a hand with beautiful whispy petals.

    Reply
  419. Monica on

    I like the blooms that are a little unique! While I do love the large blooms there is something about the little ones that is special! Bigger isn’t always better!! I think something with the colors of the sunrise would be beautiful! It reminds me of the time in early morning when everything is still and quite, others are most likely still asleep and the sun is just starting to poke over the horizon, there is no better way start the day! I would love to see a flower that makes me feel that!

    Reply
  420. Amy Tran on

    I Can never get enough of dahlias. My dream dahlia would be a collar dahlia with colors of cafe au lait

    Reply
  421. Jessica Poirier-Knitel on

    I’m still learning so much about dahlias and flower gardens in general so I can’t say I have a favorite dahlia breed but I love all the pastel colors! The peachy tones are probably my favorites especially the ones that have a bit of an ombré look. I’m looking forward to growing some new varieties in my garden this summer and continuing to learn all about gardening! 🌸

    Reply
  422. Amy Schmelzer on

    I like blooms that are quirky. Ones where the shape is distinct and make you question whether it’s a dahlia or something else entirely. It has to be pink.

    Reply
  423. Brickhouse Farm LLC Gwen Hernandez on

    My favorite Dahlia would be a dinner plate sized ball with a deep dark coral center fading out to a softer and muted pale shade of the same coral 😍how dreamy and if it showed up magically in my flower garden o wouldn’t mind 🥰

    Reply
  424. Wendy on

    My dream dahlia would be a collarette type. I love the whimsical petals, color shades, and all the amazing and different details that can be found by looking very closely at these cuties!

    Reply
  425. Carla labounty on

    It is extremely difficult for me to choose my favorite.
    My husband Bruce and I loved Dahlia’s.
    They are our favorites.
    Bruce passed away the end of December from Covid-19.
    We were married 40 years and our oldest daughter has decided to seriously get involved in breeding and sharing Dahlias because they were her dads favorites.
    Thank you for everything you do.
    Carla labounty

    Reply
  426. Tracy Ann Sellers on

    Well. all dahlia’s are dreamy ! I also love weird and quirky. So my dream dahlia would be one with a deep saturation of color, two different colors if possible and interesting petal shape. I love the reds, purples, oranges and yellows.

    Reply
  427. Susan Towndrow on

    I’m so thrilled to have discovers Floret. Your inspiration prompted me to turn half of our veggie patch into a cut flower garden. This has given me so much pleasure and joy as I have fulfilled my childhood dreams of fresh flowers in my house and also shared the abundance with family and friends.
    My dream dahlia would be a multi layered open mauve flower with a large yellow centre.

    Reply
  428. Cristal Beckman on

    My dream dahlia would be a dark purple, with pink or yellow streaking

    Reply
  429. Alissa on

    I am drawn to the anemone-style and multi-colored dahlias. I particularly like the contrast of polka dahlias; I cannot help but smile when I see them. It would be show-stopper to have a similar flower in sunset colors. Perhaps a copper and purple contrast, like if a cornel bronze and Verrone’s obsidian dahlia had a baby.

    Reply
  430. Darlene Butts on

    First, I am so happy I came upon your series on D+. You have inspired me to build my own flower garden and aspire to one day to have a property for more. Your love for plants and the earth is magical. Thank you for sharing that passion and inspiring me!!!!

    My dream dahlia would be a large, puffy bloom that was a ring of pinks that started darkest at the edges to just the faintest blush in the centre. To have all my favourite pinks all in one bloom would be amazing!

    Reply
  431. Stephanie on

    My dream Dahlia would complement the palette of my flower garden, which is grounded in Hydrangeas that change from lime to white, then pink and russet. I’m thinking about something a little frilly, on the large side, and of sweet pink and cherry red.

    Reply
  432. Jackie on

    My dream dahlia would be a large bloom on a strong stem with with varying shades of purple/pink. The petals would not be uniform, but free flowing. If I could grow anything from collecting seeds from my dailies would be a win!

    Reply
  433. Jess on

    I’m amazed at how much variety there is with dahlias so it’s hard to pick one that maybe isn’t already out there. Something I’d love to add to an arrangement would be a deep purple to black ball, just to give the contrast and a fresh, modern twist.

    Reply
  434. Deepti Parrikar on

    My dream dahlia will be a large decorative maroon on the outside and then going orange in the centre and having peach outline on the edges 😍😍😍

    Reply
  435. Trish on

    Dream dahlia: seeds started inside in March sprout in a few days, grow quickly, and by the time they can move outside to the garden would have coral &yellow flowers blooming! (as I gaze wishfully at my little pots of Floret seeds in my sunny window sun patch, patiently waiting for little green seedlings!)

    Reply
  436. Kerri O’Malley on

    Like a creamsicle – soft orange on the outside and a creamy white inside. I love the big blooms because they are so beautiful, magnificent, and amazing. Flower Power🧡🤍

    Reply
  437. Natalie on

    I love dahlias and how their colours are so warm, I think it would be incredible to see some cooler tones.

    I’m currently building a greenhouse and flower garden in my backyard in Australia and am so excited to plant some floret flowers in my garden!

    Reply
  438. Taylor on

    my dream dahlia would be dinner plate-sized, peach/salmon in color, with long, sturdy stems. I envision them in front of our fence growing nice and tall like sunflowers!

    Reply
  439. Kate Hamburg on

    I am just beginning to grow a cut flower garden in northern Michigan, and would be thrilled with any dahlia that blooms there! I am especially partial to the pale pinks, peaches, and fuschias and wonder if there could be a flower with a gradient coloring, ie deep peach shading to a cream color or something. I love following along with your projects. :)

    Reply
  440. Barbara Diamond on

    I would love a collarette with hot pink outer petals and bright orange inner petals with a big yellow center. A dahlia that looks like 1972!

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  441. Heather M on

    I love the peach/apricot colored varieties!

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  442. Jessica Kenerson on

    I would love to see one that is magenta shade on the edge of the petals that are curved and a cream on the petal, but towards the middle the petals would be a deep purple.

    Reply
  443. Pamela on

    We started with a single dahlia tuber this last year and I am going to blame you for my husband getting addicted!
    I lean towards the open face because of bees and my husband has fallen for the ball and formals. Nothing large, just right for bouquets in our cottage home or to have just in the garden.
    What thrills me is how just the one plant we had ended up with such beautifully different color during the summer! Now knowing that is to be expected I am so excited to see what our soon to arrive tuber haul blooms will surprise us with this summer.

    Reply
  444. Robin Parsons on

    My dream dahlia would be similar in size and shape to your new C144/Firefly, but with purple petals on the bottom and bright white petals on top.

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  445. Jackie on

    I would love to see a pale green color!

    Reply
  446. Brittany on

    I would love to see one that mimics either sunrise or sunset. I can’t pick. But peach and yellow and red or a really neutral one for the sunrise. I’m starting dahlias this year with my 8 year old daughter. We have some tubers on the way and hope to harvest seeds this fall!

    Reply
  447. Catherine Hoernlein on

    Correction to my previous post.. the creamy white dahlia on the bottom right!

    Reply
  448. Lindsey Whayland on

    I’m just beginning on the journey to a cut flower garden. I’ve had the idea for several years and now I’m finally going to commit to it. Dahlias have a special spot in my heart because they’re always present in my dad’s garden. That being said, my dad loves bright saturated colors while I’m more drawn to the muted tones that enhance the structure of the flowers. I think my dream Dahlia is a muted pink with densely packed petals.
    I would love to find any variety in my seedling patch, anything that will give me more experience and opportunity to learn about them!

    Reply
  449. Lisa on

    I like to dream and look up to the night sky so I would like in my garden the shape of c144 with the points but a deep color like a purple with a golden/yellow center. I would call it “starry night” (Van Gogh)

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  450. Marti on

    A full pink flower

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  451. Heather N. on

    I am really loving the ball type dahlias and cannot get enough of the peach tones. I am hoping to add several new varieties to my garden this Spring.

    Reply
  452. Amy on

    I would be thrilled to find a dahlia as beautiful as your firefly or floret in my seedling patch! Dahlias are so addictive, my dream Dahlia is whatever is flowering in front of me at that moment!! Last year I lost all my dahlias to pests. I have big dreams for dahlias this summer!!

    Reply
  453. Kristine Norris on

    I love the dahlias that the bees can easily visit. I only have a few but I chose the open faced variety and then sit and enjoy the different bees and butterflies that visit. I love the peach colors that you grow and this year I ordered (and have just started in the greenhouse) seeds from your beautiful garden. My perfect dahlia would bloom profusely and be scented.

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  454. Sarah on

    My dream dahlia is a dark purple with pink stripes or speckles on the petals. It is open center and great for bees. The flower smells like heaven.

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  455. An on

    My daughter and I randomly picked some Dahlias from a gardening store last year, dug a hole, put the tuber in it (hopping we had the right side up), put soil over it, and hoped for the best. I am not a gardener. It gave us beautiful purple and red flowers and we were excited to cut it for our table. We didn’t learn about providing support for the stem so our flowers fell over. We are excited to try again this year. We love dahlias of every color. We have done more research and trying again this year.

    Reply
  456. Brindy Wilson on

    They are all so wonderful and different. My dream dahlia would be purple with red tip in the “firefly” shape. ❤️

    Reply
  457. Gail on

    I am always drawn to peachy-pale pink flowers. I love the imperfect beauty of Cafe au Lait or Labyrinth dahlias. That shaggy look is so appealing to me. Anything within those parameters is sure to catch my eye!

    Reply
  458. Paula Stickley on

    I would love to see a creamy peach, round, puffy bloom in my garden. Thank you for sharing your joy of dahlias.

    Reply
  459. Laura C. on

    Honestly, I love dahlias so much, I would be happy with whatever I might be able to produce. Though I will say, any peachy or salmony-colored varieties are particular favorites. This year will be my first growing them from seed and if they thrive, whatever the end result is, it will be rewarding.

    Reply
  460. Teri Hamilton on

    I’ve never grown Dahlias from seed so I’m pretty excited to try this year. My dream flower would probably resemble Cafe Au Lait with recurved petals. But honestly I would be excited for anything! Just the “I did this!” moment.

    Reply
  461. nai on

    This is my very first year growing any kind of flower & i just knew dahlias had to be where I start.
    My dream dahlia would have hints of pinks & purples, my 2 favorite colors. Symbolizing both my baby girls.
    I’d be thrilled to have ANY one of my seedlings grow into an actual beautiful producing plant, not picky in the slightest. I’ll be grateful if just one plant makes it.
    Beginning this project with my kids will be the ultimate highly of it all.

    Reply
  462. Becky on

    My dream would be a fluffy dahlia that blooms before October. It would be the color of blush and bashful

    Reply
  463. Krista Preston on

    Every Dahlia is of course unique and beautiful but my dream Dahlia that I would love to see would have to be a deep merlot type red on a single daisy like shape. To find a Dahlia like that in my seedling patch would be absolutely breathtaking.

    Reply
  464. Tracey Brailsford on

    I’m growing dahlias from seed for the first time this year and can’t wait to see what magic the bees have managed! Ideally, my perfect new dahlia would be a multi-hued peach/pink/orange 4-inch bloom that was a collarette/waterlily hybrid with an inner ring of fuchsia and white ruffled petaloids framing a peachy central disc. It would have sturdy stems, upright flower heads, and dark glossy stems and foliage. In a truly ideal world, it would smell like plumeria 😉 I’d call it Taika which is a Finnish girl’s name meaning ‘magic’ and also also happens to be the name of my sweet fur baby 😊

    Reply
  465. Martha on

    Kudos to Erin, Chris and the Floret team for the beauty you share, your hard work and fortitude! I thoroughly enjoy all the blogs, videos, educational material and following your journey. I would love to see a dahlia in the shape of café au lait with the colors of purple in the center, lightening to pink in the middle of the petal and white on the outside edges. Similarly, it would be just as beautiful with an orange center petals lightening to peach with cream color on the outside edges. Probably asking for a lot but I think these would be stunning!!

    Reply
  466. Becky Proctor on

    I planted and grew my first dahlia last summer. It had giant blooms and a pretty deep purple. However, my dream dahlia would be a softer shade. I was so sad though, I didn’t realize I had to dig up the tuber at the end of the season and I am pretty sure I lost my dahlia over the winter!

    Reply
  467. Kari Knieper on

    This is my 1st year growing Dahlias. I am not sure if I have ever even seen one in real life! All your photos have captured my heart and imagination. My dream dahlia will be the 1st one that I hold in my hand, that I have grown and nurtured myself.

    Reply
  468. Flor de Maria on

    This is an almost impossible task—when I go crazy and think there’s a specific type of dahlia I love more than others I run into something else that catches my breath. I love giant ones and tiny demure ones—and everything in between. I guess if I had, had to choose, I would love a pure white one with a brown/black center, wouldn’t it be stunning?

    Reply
  469. Sonja Kokos on

    I am interested in seeing a mixed Anemone/Collarette dahlia with a bit longer outside petals than they usually are. Long sturdy stems with a purple hue to the stems and leaves. The color combo I would desire is burgundy anemone center with light yellow tips. The next petals of the collarette would be pale pink, but with bright pink edges rolled inward but not completely. The longer outside petals would be white with yellow edges reflexed slightly.

    Reply
  470. Kathleen Genaille on

    I love peachy -pinky -salmon-coral flowers. And I love the ones that change over time in sunset colors of yellow, apricot, and cream.

    Reply
  471. Stargirl on

    I really love blush colors, like Sweet Nathalie, and golden peach like Beatrice. So maybe a formal decorative that is creamy-blush, with some peach tones, and an overall golden undertone. Is that too much to ask for a dahlia?!

    Reply
  472. Nicole Bell on

    My ideal dahlia would be a light pale purple that is almost white. A flower that would look like a real life watercolor flower.

    Reply
  473. Shannon T on

    I would like a dinner plate size flowers, and colors would be pinks-whites-yellows.

    Thank you for this opportunity! I hope I win, as your going to announce the winner on my 50th Birthday!

    Reply
  474. Amy Smith on

    I would love to see one like firefly, but with more chartreuse/green petals with the purple edge, almost a Buzz Lightyear scheme. Also, it would be cool to have one with the more pouf ball center with thin downward petals to look like a jelly fish, I picture it to be a light purple or fuchsia. Just a little jelly floating along in a sea of green.

    Reply
  475. Elizabeth Z. on

    My dream dahlia to find in my breeding patch would be a medium-sized light dreamy peachy/pink – petals within petals like the new seedling from Serenade Farm in Australia (just a bit more full – true double would be nice). Your breeding journey is so inspiring!

    Reply
  476. Danae on

    My dream dahlia would be a Pom Pom shape and have soft pink edges and yellow middle (some fabulous version of strawberry lemonade my girls favourite beverage). I love C171 or C21. Super bummed out this year because lots of my tubers are rotten 😢. Stored them the same way but this PNW winter has been extra cold and wet this year so having to restart with some of your seeds would be such a great turn around.

    Reply
  477. Kristen on

    I have yet to see a photo of a dahlia that didn’t make me swoon! I am about to embark on a flower farming adventure as my family has just bought a small farm. When I look through the seed catalogs, I really gravitate towards the creamy pink pastels and soft corals. I love the huge bloom style dahlias.

    Reply
  478. Janey on

    I would love a darker rust color fading to a peachy/blush/cafe au lait center.

    Reply
  479. Jennifer on

    My ideal dahlia would have a blend of corals, peaches, apricots, and pinks in an ombre effect with a unique form. I would love a shorter height variety as well since my entire garden is containers

    Reply
  480. Anna Wallden on

    I think my dream dahlia would be a fluffy, large bloom (think cafe au lait) with yellowy-champage outter petals with a blush/coral center. If something like that ever grew in my garden, I’d be just tickled

    Reply
  481. K. Williams on

    Ideal dahlia bloom is deep golden yellow with hints of peach sherbert, full spherical bloom with pointed fluttered petals.

    Reply
  482. Karen Pagano on

    I am growing seeds for the first time this year. I would love to find the shape of Kelgai Ann but in a warmer peach/ blush tone fading to white. Hey, a girl can dream – can’t she?

    Reply
  483. Rosanna on

    My Dahlia would be a full mauve flower the size of a man’s hand and would have petals that laugh at the sun with sparkles of darker mauve hues.
    In the mix of seeds, I could imagine a pale yellow more delicate whimsical blossom along with small sized- head dahlias that are are easy to grow with colours hues of flashy cream and light pink.

    Reply
  484. Vanessa Nguyen Bianan on

    My dream dahlia would be white with black center. It could be like an edgier anemone!

    Reply
  485. Catherine Hoernlein on

    That’s a difficult task. I love Labyrinth, Cafe Au Lait, but also noticed in one of your pictures in this post of 2 rows of cut Dalias on shelves… the white cream one bottom left really caught my eye!

    Reply
  486. Vicki Boyko on

    I love all colors of flowers but am really drawn to colors in the reds ,oranges and yellow family.I would love to have acres of dahlias .

    Reply
  487. Peggy on

    I pretty much find all dahlias dreamy!

    Reply
  488. Linda Davis on

    Any dahlia in my garden would be a true blessing. I watch you and just dream “daily” about having a little patch of same. The first set of flowering portraits would be lovely (the one that includes C-9 – if I’m reading it correctly). What a beautiful life you have made for you, your staff, and all your admirers! Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your joy.

    Reply
  489. Raine on

    I love peach and Coral colors and the ball shape Dalilah! I’m growing from seed for the first time this year I can’t wait to see what treasures I get! 🏵️🌸🪷

    Reply
  490. Linda Turner on

    Totally amazed. I absolutely love Dahlia’s!

    Reply
  491. Nicole Morouse on

    I dream of a buff/light peachy-pink fluffy Dahlia with the shape of Lady Liberty and the shading somewhere between CAL and Breakout.

    I would love to find antique shades of Collerettes and PomPons in the seedling patch!

    Reply
  492. Katie Helen Costigan on

    My dream dahlia is subtle, timeless, can shine or take a step back for other flowers to display their colors, not pretentious or fussy.

    Reply
  493. Tammy Thrift on

    My dream dahlia would remind me of my Aunt Nell, who fought hard yet passed away in October. Its colors would have unexpected tones, to remind me of summery colors she’d love to wear. It would almost shine out in the field as the sun washed over it, to remind me of warm, fun memories about her. And it would bring an even greater joy by sharing that dahlia with others along my life’s path, just like her smile and laughter could do. So that’s what I’d love to find out there in the dahlia patch. A quiet connection to our collective past and a curiously-soaked way forward. For all the flowers we didn’t get to arrange together and moments that slipped by all too fast, I could simply give back, to honor someone who made a real difference for so many people.

    Reply
  494. Dar Muehlhausen on

    I love anything white with color on the tips. This is my first year planting Dahlias!

    Reply
  495. Melissa Colello on

    My perfect dahlia would have pointy petals with a full flower head. But I can’t decide on color! I’d love petals with purple on the top side and lavender on the under side. Ah – to dream!

    Reply
  496. Jenna Byrne on

    I think a fuschia pom-pom shaped bloom that has a gradient into an apricot shade center would be striking. It’s hard to imagine anything more beautiful than what your pictures show. Honestly, in my growing zone (9b), I would be ecstatic just to keep dahlias alive and blooming. I started some of your seed mix this year to try and see what is possible, and I look forward to nurturing them along.

    Reply
  497. Kathlean Faver on

    Hello Floret,

    My dream Dahlia would be green, I know crazy right….. but I can picture it as a light dome puffy green center and darker almost forest green petals. You said dream 😴

    If I could have anything in my garden it would be a tie, your Little Miss Sunshine and your Floret Dahlia. While I am new this year to all things Dahlia, both of these little beauties caught my eye and made quite an impression. With all my seedlings sprouting from your sale this year, both would make a amazing addition to my garden.

    Thank you for the opportunity,

    Kat

    Reply
  498. Casey on

    This is my first year growing dahlias so I don’t even know what I like or want yet. I’ve been drawn to the fall colors so far.

    Reply
  499. Dana on

    I’d love a deep purple with yellow streaks. Like flamethrower, but purple and yellow. It’d be named Genivieve Bernice for my grandmas.

    Reply
  500. Janet B on

    My dream would just be to be able to grow them.( no success so far). I’m partial to shades of pink with lots of petals. You’ve inspired me to try from seeds.

    Reply
  501. Erin on

    A very full flower, mainly white with a pinkish blush on the edges of each petal.

    Reply
  502. Victoria on

    I especially love, black but would be happy with anything. Especially creams and corals. Just moved to a farmhouse and want to create my own dahlia floral garden. Thank you.

    Reply
  503. Diana berry on

    Floret or Timmy. Or anyone in Pink. Princess Bubblegum is what I’d call it. Love them all though

    Reply
  504. Joanna on

    Dahlias are like a daydream. Love it when they remind me of the colors of a sunrise or sunset.

    Reply
  505. Sue Cavil on

    I think a true dark purple would be gorgeous!

    Reply
  506. Janet on

    I love the shapes and colors of Little Miss Sunshine and Firefly. It would be exciting to get more along those lines, but honestly, they’re all beautiful!

    Reply
  507. Stephanie on

    My dream would be fulfilled with a medium sized dahlia of the purest white outer petals gradually fading to a lime green center!

    My future plans are to have a dahlia bed outside my sunroom windows! Sure to be breathtaking and relaxing to watch as the sun goes down each day!

    Reply
  508. Kasey on

    I would love to come across a dahlia with an orchid pink/lavender fluffy center and a single row of creamy/pale pink petals around it.

    Reply
  509. Jodi on

    Large multi pedals in a soft Chartreuse 💚

    Reply
  510. Linda on

    I always love peach flowers, since I don’t love true pink. So anything peachy to cream are my dream flowers

    Reply
  511. Emilie Gaddy on

    2021 planted my first dahlia from seed. I collected the seeds from those plants and I dug up the tubulars to replant this year. If this works my neighbor hood will be full of flowers.

    Reply
  512. Lydia Schubert on

    I would love a cream colored one with pale yellow lengthwise streaks down the petals, in maybe a water Lily or formal type flower, about 4″ flowers and food for cutting 😍

    Reply
  513. Tricia Farrar on

    I would love to see a grey earl coloring in a Dahlia. Also, more dinner size plate ones. It amazes they all look so different in shapes, sizes, colors.

    I would like to explore growing Dahlias this year in a raised bed to see if I have success just getting 1 bloom.

    Reply
  514. Emily Sepik on

    My dream dahl is a creamy apricot/brown pompon flower with a long stem. I started growing dahlias (and lots of flowers in general) during treatment for cancer and it has become an obsession and a love every year. ❤️

    Reply
  515. Allison Lamb on

    I came across a picture of dahlia that was similar to the ball form and it had extra petals growing out of it. Check out Serenade_farm_tamborine_mtn to see what I’m trying to describe. This was the first time I’ve seen double petals like this. Last year was my first year growing dahlias from tubers and seeds and it was magical each time one of the seedlings graced me with their beauty so I can see how it brings you great joy. My dream dahlia would have the ball form with extra petals but DARK outer petals (almost black like Jowey Midnight) with deep red inner petals like Chimacum Night. That would be my dream dahlia to pop up in my seedling patch.

    Reply
  516. Angie klovstad on

    I love the look of Waltzing Mathilda but would love to see it is an almost white with very light blush and darker pink veins. Thank you so much for bringing me not only on the cut flower ride but now the dahlia ride. I am in Texas and everyone I talked to – even the master Gardeners – said you can’t grow dahlias in Texas. What a bunch of bunk! You can and we do!!!

    Reply
  517. Celina on

    I’m an aspiring gardener (trying my hand at dahlias for the first time this year). I’d love to see a smaller, round dahlia with layers of colors in the white, peachy orange range.

    Reply
  518. Lisa Seyfried on

    A bright sunshine yellow, with peach to white edges. Spectacular! Thanks for being meticulous with this vast and amazing breed!

    Reply
  519. Lynette Morrissette on

    My dream Dahlia would look old fashioned with soft muted colors that blend together. The plant itself would have variations of these colors as sometimes Dahlias do.
    My dream dahlia would be so pretty I would want to leave it to enjoy the warm summer air, but I would cut it to see what comes next.❤️🌸❤️

    Reply
  520. Carol Ann Frederick on

    Pinks and salmons are my favorites! I’d love to have a Dahlia that is just the very softest shade of pink that it is almost white. Very delicate and dainty.
    I’ve never seen a single one of yours of any color that I didn’t like! My dream is to visit some day.
    Carol Ann from east TN

    Reply
  521. Lori Moses on

    I prefer bold colors. I love a nice deep maroon. I also prefer the more complex flower forms and medium to large.

    Reply
  522. Yoko on

    This is my first year growing Dahlias. I’m excited to see big blooms of cafe au lait!

    Reply
  523. Christine D on

    My grandfather was a avid gardener both flowers and vegetables. His favorite was his dahlias and his experiments, Wich he did for his own enjoyment. I have very fond memories of him and I in the garden growing up. I would love to see a purple with yellow tips.

    Reply
  524. Cynthia Smeloff on

    I’m a newbie dahlia grower/recent convert. I only have grown a bright yellow one and hope it comes back again. I’m excited by the idea of growing more from seeds and being surprised by what they turn out to look like. I’m blown away by your C144/Firefly!! I wonder if there could ever be one like it with deep purple edges? That would be my dream dahlia.

    Reply
  525. Joyce Meinhardt on

    Layers of soft muted pink petals, edged with a creamy champagne color! 😍

    Reply
  526. Tami on

    My ideal dahlia would be a medium sized salmon colored dahlia with tints of lilac and slightly twisted petals so it can match lilac floss flowers.

    Reply
  527. N on

    I’d love to find a dahlia that had a similar look to sweet nathalie but had a darker shade of pink in the middle instead of that yellowy green!

    Reply
  528. Sandy Pehler on

    A pastel multi colored Sunshine or maybe sunset with hues of pink would be my ultimate dahlia, medium sized.
    I would love to see the Firefly dahlia seeds as it is my business name. Keep up the great work, I’ve learned so much through everything you have done.

    Reply
  529. carol nelson on

    I love the peaches and soft blushes but if I am completely honest, I love them all. The colors, the different petals, sizes I love them all. I learned from you about separating the tubers and getting the seeds. I love your seeds and love flowers. Thank you for showing us the beauty of flowers and bringing us into your world.

    Reply
  530. Pamela Pecenka on

    All of these look beautiful!!! This will be my first year growing dahlia’s and I am sooooo excited!!! I would love to win !!!

    Reply
  531. Evan on

    I like the cactus form, maybe in a nice peach/apricot.
    In my seedling patch, maybe something in lavender, pinks, reds.

    Reply
  532. Sol Perez on

    White with red edges on petals, decorative, medium size.

    Reply
  533. Amy C on

    A medium champagne colored dahlia, subtly speckled in white and light yellow like a shooting star <3

    Reply
  534. Samantha M. on

    I’d love to see a dinner-plate-sized ice blue/lavender dahlia! How dreamy would that be.

    Thank you for this beautiful blog & giveaway!

    Reply
  535. Shane meehan on

    I would love to see a Ice lavender one. In my opinion there’s not enough icy lavender toned dahlias out there. I would love it to be an 4-6 inch ball .

    Reply
  536. Olivia on

    I would love to see a tiny butter yellow dahlia, that looks with its friends more like a spray. I can’t wait for the seeds I bought from you to grow out! Thank you for sharing your joy.

    Reply
  537. Tracey McNeil on

    Honestly my dream Dahlia will be the first one I grow which will be this year…fingers and toes crossed! I hope to have an explosive of color and shapes and I can’t wait to see them!

    Reply
  538. Shihan on

    It has to be double/multi petalled (Is that even a word) giant similar to Cafe au lair. But in acid green. It might look horrendous but I don’t care. Something different.

    Reply
  539. Amanda T on

    I’m drawn to the soft blushes and peaches most. I don’t think there’s anything in particular though, I think the joy of finding the new hidden gems is in how they surprise you and captivate you unexpectedly.

    Also, watching this project unfold is so fun to watch! I’ve enjoyed it so much over the last year and blog posts like this are my favorite! Thanks for sharing the process :)

    Reply
  540. Ava on

    My dream dahlia would be a periwinkle color! I have seen so many pinks and purples and oranges, but I would love to see a cooler toned purple, lavender kind of color!

    Reply
  541. Claire on

    I’m imagining an enormous shooting star of a dahlia, with fiery crimson tips. Something you’d want to make a wish on!

    Reply
  542. Kayla on

    My favorite color is yellow and I like a flower that has an unusual form. Something like little miss sunshine for example. Also, would love to see some peach and apricot colors growing, those colors make the sweetest bouquets.

    Reply
  543. Mary on

    A dream dahlia is one that reflects the land’s heritage on which it is planted: we are on land belonging to the Northern Pauite and Eastern Mono (Numu) people in Eastern California, whose colors are often depicted as beige, rust, and red.

    You can look up the history of the land you garden on here: https://native-land.ca/
    Imagine if we could all create varieties that honor those who cultivated the land before us!

    Reply
  544. Amie on

    My dream dahlia would be a 4” ball with long stems but not too tall maybe 5’ that would have a vase life of 7-10 days. Tubers store really good and produce eyes on all tubers! Oh and earwig and grasshopper resistant!!
    Not picky about colours!

    Reply
  545. Kaslyn on

    I would love to find a rust coloured dahlia with faded tips on the petals almost a white. I would love to be able to call my first saved dahlia “Sable’s joy” after my fur baby. It would be perfect if it was this colour to match her gorgeous coat.

    Reply
  546. Jayne McCullough on

    For me, every dahlia is a dream. There’s no way I could pick just one!

    Reply
  547. Lily Aceto on

    My dream dahlia is a medium sized cactus bloom that is the perfect hue of peach turning to a darker pink in the center, it’s one that I endlessly search for and don’t think exists yet!

    Reply
  548. Ruth on

    My dream dahlia would have a really dark plum or maroon underside with dusty mauve petals! I love the faded colors AND the deep rich ones!

    Reply
  549. Sarah Chute on

    To be honest, I like the Dahlia’s that are full of crazy bright eye popping colours, they would have the long but full spindly pedals that reach out to everything around them and the actual flower would be as big as a lily when it fully spreads it’s pedals out. She would be the Cinderella of the ball and become the feature flower of a bouquet stealing the show!!

    Reply
  550. Hanna on

    My dream dahlia begins with a sunny middle, which would turn into a rust colour, and the end of the petals would be a rose champagne colour. I would be there for that.

    Reply
  551. Jill on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft nude/apricot with a graduated dark burgundy centre, similar colour pattern to a wine eyed jill but more muted than the bright pink or yellow, with a darker centre, phew what a dream!

    Reply
  552. Angie on

    I love the gradient colors of the soft creams to pink and orange but there is also a ton of joy in the vibrant, rich rust and magentas too! It’s like music- how can you pick just one genre??

    Reply
  553. Nick H. on

    That’s a difficult question! I think my dream dahlia would be as big as my head, soft purple with slightly curled petals, and a nice golden-yellow centre. I think… I’ve never met a dahlia I didn’t like, so I imagine I’d end up loving every single one of them for their own reasons! Thank you Team Floret! You guys are such a mighty inspiration.

    Reply
  554. Diane on

    So many beautiful muted colors and unique shapes you’ve coaxed from genetic possibilities! Like you, I fall for color first… the peachy pinks and pale yellows, subtle oranges… all of them with gradations from center outward or within each petal. Combinations of shapes are lovely, so it’s hard to choose just one as they play so wonderfully off of one another… the well defined fluffy center and pointed petals of your miss sunshine, the the fluffy concentrics of the popular café au lait. My dream has all the fluff of whipped grass fed full fat cream with a gradation of color from that barely yellow blush to something unnameable between peach and orange. It inspires thoughts fractals and stands tall and proud as a cut flower on long, dark stem.

    Reply
  555. Ashley Garrels on

    This is so lovely, your absolute passion for this project shines through in every word. I’m at the start of my garden/flower journey and have found such joy in seeing those little sprouts pop up. 🌿 I’d say my dream dahlia would be something vibrant, a form that can’t be contains as it bursts into life. We all need a bit of that energy these days!

    Reply
  556. Jennifer Tingey on

    Surprise me! I love to be in the garden close to the details but a canvas of classics, formal and simple, with just a touch of whimsy viewed from my porch makes my heart sing.

    Reply
  557. Jamie McMillen on

    My dream dahlia would be one I would call sunset…and it would have the bright, pink, orange colors and have the soft whipsy petals, maybe a yellow center.

    Reply
  558. Emily on

    It is so difficult to pick just one dream flower!

    I would love to see a dahlia with a water color gradient within it. Soft petals such as a cafe ah lait, but with coloring that shifts from red to pinks within the same flower (if that makes sense). I see so many dahlias that are combos of white and another color/have colors in “striping” it makes me wonder if we can get more gradient tones more randomly throughout the bloom.

    Reply
  559. Shae on

    “So much freaking joy.” 😂 I love your honesty and your passion is totally contagious!! The creator made us to create 💓, well done. Your art and creativity is bringing more people to the table. I’m only in my second year of growing dahlias from seed and my first round didn’t produce super tall or vigorous plants, so I would be really pleased if this time around I had some sturdier stems and flowers! After looking at your pics, there is no way I could pick a fav color/type. I’d like all please!

    Reply
  560. LuAnn Selover on

    Every time I look a new variety catches my eye. I am really intrigued by C144/Firefly. Right now I am drawn to the semi cactus varieties but would like them smaller than dinnerplate for arrangements. The color I am drawn to is peachy pinks and pale yellows.

    Reply
  561. Amanda on

    I would love to see one that mimics a columbine- with that purple blue on the outside and white on the inside!

    Reply
  562. Janet on

    This will be my 1st year growing Dahlias!
    I really like the pastel shades.

    Reply
  563. Brynn on

    I love the ones with the fluffy centers and lovely petals encircling. I would be ecstatic to find one like firefly. This post definitely makes me want to carve out a little patch of dahlias this year!

    Reply
  564. Lynne Resch on

    My dream dahlia hands down is already Apple Blossom. Is it possible to make it even more amazing? It would be fun to try.

    Reply
  565. Sierra on

    Oooh that’s a tricky question! I feel like my dream dahlia would look like a dinner plate form but be considerably smaller so it could nicely fit in bridal bouquets. Along with that, it would be a softer color- maybe something pale pink peachy. Dahlias are just so incredible!

    Reply
  566. Cymande on

    My dream dahlia is a pastel single petal variety with a big happy belly. The bloom would be the size of my face, the stem sturdy, and the plant sort of sparse and airy. Tallish!

    Reply
  567. Hannah B. on

    In this moment, my dream dahlia would be medium large sized with fluffy center cream petals surrounded by faint cream/pink petals that blend out to a dusty pink at the tips. But this favorite could change in a moment, and I’m rather easy to please, so I figure I’d fall in love with any new dahlia grown from seed.

    Thank you for the work you do🙏🏼

    Reply
  568. Julie Wise on

    How do you pick a dream? I tend to gravitate towards the frilly. Maybe the lightest lavender kissed with peach.

    Reply
  569. Natalie Skwierczynski on

    I would love the biggest, fullest blooms that are the sweetest shades of pink and peach and lemony yellow all in one! It would be such a heavenly bouquet!

    Reply
  570. Lisa Watkins on

    Last year was my first year planting dahlias! I was so excited over my success! I would love some of the apricot colored dahlias in my garden! Love your work!

    Reply
  571. Zoe on

    My dream dahlia is the color of apricots, it fades darker the longer a flower has been open, and has a combo of tight and loose petals. I’d love to have it embedded with a super plant power to repel all bad garden insects and disease. After all, we are dreaming.

    Reply
  572. Kayla on

    I don’t even know how to pick a favorite! They’re all so wonderful in their own ways! It’s my first year growing dahlias myself, so I got a few tubers and the bees choice seeds- I can’t wait to see what the bees bless me with! I think the mystery of waiting to see which blooms the little bees picked is the most fun of all. Knowing that my dahlias will be almost completely one-of-a-kind and can create my own little varieties will be so enjoyable.

    Reply
  573. Shelly on

    Oh I am just loving beginning my dahlia journey. I think I would love a light apricot star shaped dahlia, but the truth is they all make me so happy!

    Reply
  574. Christine Mendis on

    Currently i am growing Dhalis ,nearly five years. Love to see diner plate size Dhalis in my garden. Favourie colour is dark yellow , which is like i sm having many SUN in my garden. Bees are very very happy with Dhalis

    Reply
  575. Kyersten on

    I’m so excited to drive into the world of Dahlias! I’d love one that is big and full with yellow to peach coloring.

    Reply
  576. Madeline Kudaba on

    A soft buttery yellow with a deep gold center. I also like the pointier shapes with less of a Pom pom shape.

    Reply
  577. M. R. on

    I love pink dahlias! Every shade, shape and size! I can’t wait for vases of dahlias this summer from seed I saved last year. I buy tons of small vases that will fit in the cup holders in my car and fill them up whenever I go out to give to anyone I see. It makes people so happy!

    Reply
  578. Sari on

    Last summer was my first dahlia season from seed and it’s get me hooked right away. I love to see all pollinators enjoy my flowers. My dream dahlia would be soft peach or lavender color.

    Reply
  579. Fiona Booth on

    My dream dahlia would be about 5” in diameter, have 2-3 tiers of fluffy, softly pointed sculptural petals in an inky plum (like black knight scabiosa), a dark open center flecked with contrasting yellow, and dark green foliage.

    Last year I grew out 4 seeds from your Bee’s Choice mix. They were wildly different and such fun surprises in the garden. I was already thrilled to find one in my seedling patch that I will grow again this year from tuber. She is a soft peach with streaks of rusty pink and an open center that bees love. She made 12 tubers so I have plenty to share!
    Thank you!

    Reply
  580. Ruth Ball on

    My dream dahlia would have a luxurious texture like a soft feather pillow with bright yellow centre petals, which gradually fade to lemon and then white.

    Reply
  581. Kimberly Longey on

    My dream dahlia would look like a whirled dinner plate with muted colors of peach, apricot with bits of darker rose hues. I envision her strong upright and greeting me in the morning as I saunter the garden paths. I’d be thrilled to start a seedling patch to simply enjoy the surprises that nature will bring.

    Reply
  582. Lisa Angus on

    Dream dahlia: a sort of creamsicle colored one with soft but definite oranges shifting to a buff or cream towards the middle. I’m partial to the pointier shapes (Firefly is beautiful!) and distinct color differences.

    Reply
  583. Ti on

    Wonderful and beautiful flowers!!! I love the anemone types… with lemon meringue colors nad a touh of blush… what a find that would be! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  584. Eryn Derksen on

    My dream dahlia would be yellowy orange with lots of petals bursting from the flower. So many options to choose though, they are all beautiful and I love seeing all the unique ones!

    Reply
  585. Heidi Hower on

    I would be thrilled to see a beautiful roughly peachy pink with flowy petals, but honestly, I would be thrilled to see any of your beautiful dahlias in my garden! Thank you for introducing me too Dahlia’s. The addiction is real!

    Reply
  586. Wynne Donovan on

    A flower with layered petals a little larger than the dahlia apple blossom with a more intense pink/orange color , like something u see with a lightly cloud filled sky at sunset.

    Reply
  587. Natasha Nichols on

    Is it possible to chose just one color? I would absolutely love to see a very soft purple, even lighter than lilac, about 4″ and waterlily shaped. That would be so beautiful…at least to me.

    Reply
  588. Maggie Morgan on

    Oh boy oh boy oh boy! I’m thinking I’d love one dahlia that went with every single one of my other dahlias — it would probably have to be somewhat of a rainbow color scheme that went from dark center to light tipped petals (or light to dark) and every color in between! To make it even more tricky, how about a waterlily shape!?! 😂

    Reply
  589. Jae Tomlinson on

    My dream dahlia would be apricot with burgundy edges. I think an anemone type. But I would also love to find a ombré that went from apricot to burgundy in a double type. Oh goodness, I can’t choose. 😍

    Reply
  590. Cathy Houghtby on

    Grandma Dorothy grew what she called dinner plate dahlias. I have been in search for a dahlia that resembles the picture I have of her and her “dinner plate dahlia”! So I would have to say my grandmas dahlia would be my dream dahlia! But my grandma Dorothy and her garden are no longer with us! However I find beauty in all the dahlias especially when I read your blog and she so much beauty in each new variety! It is truly a work of art!!

    Reply
  591. Nicole on

    Today, my dream dahlia would be a medium tone lilac purple with a variegation into fuchsia. It changes daily ♥️ Thank you for all your amazing passion and sharing your love and knowledge.

    Reply
  592. Katherine Smith on

    My dream dahlia would be something yellow, a buttercream or brighter single with big romantic petals. Although you seem to have a nice assortment of yellow dahlias I feel like they’re not as coveted. I also love the pinwheel shape!

    Reply
  593. Sheri on

    I love the blush creamy color of a cafe au lait but i wouldn’t mind if they were a bit smaller and more manageable. I lost a lot of plants last year to rabbits and I’m getting a late start this year but I really would love to try growing from seed. I collected some last fall and I’m hoping I can get something from them!

    Reply
  594. Michelle H on

    My dream dahlia would be any dahlia I can grow from my own dahlia seed! I have been growing Cafe au lait in my garden ever since I got married because my florist surprised me with my bridal bouquet featuring beautiful cafe au lait blooms. So every year I grow them as a reminder of our wedding and our growing love. This year our hearts grew larger as we welcomed our first child, a daughter, and I would love to teach her how to grow dahlias and breed our wedding dahlia to name after her.

    Reply
  595. Heather on

    My dream dahlia would be a deep, velvety raspberry color, fading just a bit at the tips. While I love a scraggly- and wild-looking dahlia, I would prefer a more formal look for this dahlia.

    I would be thrilled to find a dahlia with a split color, like a tulip that grew in my yard years ago. One side was completely yellow and the other side was red.

    Reply
  596. Denyse on

    My dream dahlia would have red and orange tones and would be dinner plate size. I love the huge dahlias that only need one per vase.

    Reply
  597. Kat Fitchett on

    So beautiful and inspiring! My dream dahlia, although it’s hard to choose, would probably be one that is more of a medium Pom-Pom size and fades from a peachy colour to a lavender colour on the outside petals! 🤩

    Reply
  598. Odyssey Nixon on

    I always think I like soft color Dahlias, but every time I am most drawn to big colorful jazzy babes. Purple and orange are my go to right now. Love your site and the joy it brings.

    Reply
  599. Erin Warrack on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate variety, similar petals to cafe at lair but with soft orange tones in the Center with a mixture of blush, fading out to to give the tips of the petals an blush/off white colour. Hard to pick a dream dahlia when everyone gives something special.

    Reply
  600. Amanda Revier on

    My dream dahlia would be bold tones of oranges and purples! Also, Thank you! Thank you for sharing your passion with all of us and taking us along on this journey with you. Very much appreciated!

    Reply
  601. Candice on

    Layered, punchy pink petals. They’re a bit unruly, perfectly imperfect, and begging to be arranged and gifted to a friend.

    Reply
  602. Anna Jones on

    Your sentence about color struck a chord in my heart! I always see color first.

    My dream Dahlia would be Red.
    Absolute Red or an Amazing Variation of Red.
    A Great Red always stops the world.

    My dream Dahlia Breeding Patch would have your Dahlia breeding seeds from C9, C316, B6, B47 and C174. Those colors spoke to me!

    Out of these seeds, I might be blessed with a perfect blush with yellow and white undertones. There could be a warm cream yellow with burgundy tips or a white that fades to pink/red. I might even come across that new Red Dahlia that stops my world.

    Thanks for having the contest. It is fun to dream. 🙂

    Reply
  603. Kit on

    My dream dahlias would be a cross between cafe au lait and sheer heaven. I love the size of the sheer heaven, along with color. And if you could mix in a little of the cafe au lait tones and curls if the petals. Wow.

    I’d be thrilled to find anything resembling either dahlias (cafe or sheer) in a seedling patch!

    Reply
  604. Katie S. on

    I always gravitate to oranges and pinks but I also love a good neutral like a cafe at lait. So a mix of those would be ideal. Something with unique petals too!

    Reply
  605. Brianna on

    I would love the color to be similar to a coral charm peony, bright and fantastic.

    Reply
  606. Tess on

    This will be my first year growing dahlias – I am so freaking excited! I have a few tubers and seeds.
    My dream dahlia would grow big and strong and provide lots of tubers :)

    Reply
  607. Madison C. on

    Any peach colored dahlia would be lovely but I think any dahlia that comes up would make me happy ❤️

    Reply
  608. Viviana Guzmán on

    My dream dahlia is a fluffy multicolor fantasy with both warm and cool tones, honestly I can’t make up my mind and just choose one look for it but definitely a big dinner plate size with some or all the colors is just about enough to make my imagination FLY

    Reply
  609. Olivia Plocharczyk on

    My dream Dahlia would be either a waterlily type that’s pinkish/purple with off-white edging, or a decorative type that’s a very light peach color with deeper coral streaking in the petals, similar to the streaking in Firefly.

    Reply
  610. Luthien N on

    I had my (first) daughter in July 2021 and we named her Dahlia, because we knew dahlia flowers can come in so many shapes and colors and we want her to become whatever she dreams up for herself. Since then we’ve learned dahlia flowers are more diverse than we even imagined, and your work/post highlights this even more! It is so exciting.

    At this moment, my dream dahla is a dinner plate brilliant yellow with other colors mixed in, so my daughter and I can explore all the colors and textures of such an interesting flower (and her namesake) together. 💛

    Reply
  611. Lisa Maberry on

    A mashup of apple blossom, peaches and totally tangerine. An anemone/collarette hybrid shape with the petal coloring of peaches- I love how it ombrés from salmony peach to cream 🥰

    Reply
  612. Jamie D. on

    I would love to find a dahlia that looks like a puffy ball of sunset colored sunshine. Dahlias are just such a joy to look at, and I never knew so many varieties existed! You’ve inspired me to turn my backyard into a flower garden this upcoming season and I’m genuinely giddy to see what it will bring. Thank you for bringing so much joy and beauty to a very dark world right now. It’s definitely something we all need in order to remember the beauty that this wonderful earth can create :)

    Reply
  613. Sherri Hamilton on

    This is such a hard question, I love collarettes, but I think a waterlily variety with colors of peach and coral.

    Reply
  614. Lisette Garrison on

    My dream dahlia would be a ball type, with an ombré effect of light/muted pink to peach to true pink

    Reply
  615. Abby on

    My dream dahlia would be one that has different types of petals and striking colors! I love Floret dahlia and how her inner petals look against the outer ones. She’s a beauty!

    Reply
  616. Crissy Martinez on

    I’ve grown dahlias from tubers before, but I didn’t know about seeds. I’m a self taught gardener. I am so excited to try to grow them from seeds. I will be so happy to just grow one from seed! They are all so pretty. You have my dream job. I’ve always wanted lots of land to grow beautiful flowers for the world!

    Reply
  617. Cara on

    I would love to find any color ball dahlia. I just love them. They are like the sweetest little Pom-Pom package of joy. I love the anemone type dahlias and if I discovered apple blossom I would just be so excited. They are stunning, romantic, and so beautiful!

    Reply
  618. Abby on

    While I love the apricot coloring, this season the raspberry coloring is really speaking to me! I love the more daisy style of petals with the big fluffy yellow centers. But really… how can you chose??

    Reply
  619. Alaina Puleo on

    I don’t know if I have a dream dahlia, I’ve been absolutely obsessed with all of them – I love just how different they all can be and still be dahlias, it’s crazy!

    Reply
  620. Kristin Carter on

    I love the brightly colored, full blooms!! So pretty!

    Reply
  621. Harriet hu on

    I loved dahlias ever since my grandpa started growing them ! I love the ones with striking centers and rounded petals! Ones I wouldn’t guess are dahlias, hahaha. But even then, the usual colors spanning the sunset pinks to oranges are my faveeee.

    This is a cool giveaway!

    Reply
  622. Kristie on

    My dream dahlia would not be a single flower. I dream of a field of dahlias like the one you have with every color of the rainbow. I dream of walking through the field whispering my hopes and dreams to each one at the beginning and end of each day. It’s the dream I hope to come true, one day.

    Reply
  623. Caitlyn on

    I would love a soft pink Gerber daisy style one!

    Reply
  624. Becca on

    My dream dahlia would be a large dinner plate variety with creams and blushes and a hint of a deep magenta!

    Reply
  625. Kristina Quinn on

    Ahhhh love this post and that spring is so close we can almost touch it!

    My dream dahlia plant would be a unicorn rainbow. Each bloom would be different!!! Can you imagine?! How much extra fun would that be. You said dream right?!

    Produce tons of blooms all different colors, shapes and sizes. :)

    Your passion for creating a flower community and sharing your vast knowledge has been such a gift. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  626. Bronwen Heinrich on

    I would love to find a double dusky rose tinted with white outer edges with a dark centre with amazingly strong long stems!

    Reply
  627. June Endersen on

    Hi Floret family! I would love to find a pretty little collarette dahlia, a white with a few of the inner flowers with yellow and white stripes! Thank you for wanting to bring so much beauty into the world!

    Reply
  628. Mandy Jantz on

    Honestly I haven’t come across a dahlia I didn’t like! But I really orange ones and ESPECIALLY the yellow star one you mentioned. So. Truly. Gorgeous. My dream dahlia would probably be the streaked with the colors of a sunset. Easy on the eyes.

    Reply
  629. Megan Hover on

    My dream Dalia would be A lily style about 4 inches across that would be lame and varying shades of pale peach/Apricot/cream…. Or maybe a something with a sweet collarette ❤️🌸

    Reply
  630. Alison Buerkley on

    My dahlia dream would be something like KA’s mocha jo! I do wedding floristry and I loving growing my own blooms and sourcing locally. It would be a dream to grow the majority of the blooms used in my weddings!

    Reply
  631. Billie Milligan on

    All the colors of the sunsets that just make you say ahhhh! Hot pink fading to softer shades to blush.

    Reply
  632. Sarrah on

    I would love to walk into my garden and find a terracotta/rust colored ball type. I know their are some out there but what I have in mind is this perfect fall wedding work dahlia.

    Reply
  633. Jennifer Henson on

    My thought, on this cold, gray day in Ohio, is something bright, colors of a citrus slice, with limes, oranges, lemons and grapefruits!
    I would be thrilled to find anything growing in my seeded patch-I’m new to growing flowers for cutting instead of visual enjoyment!

    Reply
  634. Emily Bechtel on

    Since we are dreaming, my ideal dahlia would bloom in the winter!!! A pop of deep red in the flower patch would carry us through until spring, wouldn’t it??? Really, I’d take any color at all against our grey Ohio winters.

    Reply
  635. Sharon S on

    Pink & orange are my favorite colors. So a dahlia patch with those colors light, dark & in between would be my heart happy place. My great grandma had a dahlia & gladiola patch the size of most family vegetable gardens. I love how happy she was with her flowers. Thank you for the great giveaway.

    Reply
  636. Kirsten Petty on

    I would love to find a large fluffy dahlia with flatter petals in a mauve color with pink center. Love this post!!!

    Reply
  637. Lesley Sondey on

    my dream dahlia would be a stellar dahlia with
    coppery mauve tinge petals, the color of my golden retriever’s eye lashes with the whimsical blush of my daughters smile toward the center, and the draw of my sons mysterious gold flecked eyes and with strength and sureness of my husband’s embrace, with petals recurve and retract all the way to the stem…that is me.

    Reply
  638. Emily on

    My dream dahlia would look like a winter sunrise, with notes of peachy pinks, gold, and the subtlest hint of lavender.

    Reply
  639. Nicole Cammorata on

    I managed to save a measly 20 seeds last season and this will be my first breeding year. I’m on the hunt for the perfect shade of glowing, peachy blush. Delicate in color but bold and grand in form. I’m new to dahlias but sense a lifelong passion has just begun!

    Reply
  640. Kimi Hardesty on

    My dream dahlia would be a golden collarette with pale pink center.

    Reply
  641. Samantha Rosa on

    My dream Dahlia is like a sunset with orange and pink and blush tones.

    Reply
  642. Kirsten Ellison on

    How cool would it be to have a sea of dahlias with various colors of the ocean, like Bahama blues.
    A dahlia so beautifully bred to be the color of the sea that you could almost taste the salty ocean air.

    Reply
  643. Hollie on

    I would love a huge dinner plate peachy pink dahlia with a good vase life, but really I love just about any dahlia!

    Reply
  644. Melissa on

    The perfect dahlia is a brilliant sunset of blushed copper. With warm hints of sienna and terra cotta. It’s craggy and untamed yet delicate.

    Reply
  645. Angela on

    My dream Dahlia would be the colors of a Chinese New Year dragon! Or alternatively, would be a similar color to soft and delicate Magnolia tree blossoms.

    Reply
  646. Rachel on

    Beautiful blush blooms with darker edging on the petals. Can’t wait to see what I get from the bee’s choice this summer!

    Reply
  647. Rebecca Renna on

    It’s my first year growing dahlias from seed! The seedlings under my grow lights have me so excited for all the possibilities in store this year. I’d be swooning if I am lucky enough to have a muted peachy dinner plate dahlia somewhere in that mix. Fingers crossed!

    Reply
  648. Suzanne on

    I turn 50 in April and, all my life, orange has been one of my least favorite colors. I couldn’t understand why anyone would like it. In the past 5 years, I’ve really changed my tune. I LOVE orange now. I seek it out in flowers. I am still discovering all the possibilities for orange. I’d love an orange dahlia that really grabs the eye. I was first drawn to the ball dahlias, but am learning about & loving all the varieties.

    Reply
  649. Rachel Horsley on

    I’d love to see a blushy apricot with dark brown center petals in a dinner plate size Dahlia. I’m in love with the oranges, peaches, bronzes, and creams.

    Reply
  650. Katie on

    My dream dahlia would be a fluffy creamy pink medium size flower with a fluffy yellow center.

    Reply
  651. Shannon Steinberg on

    I would love to find a collarette type in a soft peach with darker stripes or striations!

    Reply
  652. Heather on

    These beautiful photos made my morning! I think a dinner plate dahlia with the colors of Firefly would be gorgeous!

    Reply
  653. Emmy Mower on

    In a growing zone for cactus, dahlia is a magical treat. I love the soft, muted Merlot colors. My little dahlia seed babies are just pushing through the soil. It’s like opening the blind grab bag of flowers. Excited to see what they all look like. Thanks for the inspiration to try new things!

    Reply
  654. Emily Hamer on

    Something blushy pink, with streaks of cranberry, in Cafe au Lait form… 😍

    Reply
  655. Erika Myers on

    I would love to see a dahlia that has a lotus center or a pom pom and then at the edges single petals that stand out in their own. I am partial to the dahlias that have a striking bit of color but also fades to a more subdued version of that shade to help draw the eye to explore the entire flower.

    Thank you for your post as always you have inspired my dahlia brain :) time to get planning and plotting !
    Happy planting to you all!

    Reply
  656. Angela on

    I’m a sucker for pink. She would definitely be a soft dusty rose color. With a dark center. 2 rows of delicate petals that curve slightly (got that from Firefly 😉) *sigh* she would be breath taking…..

    Reply
  657. Heidi Brulport on

    I’m pretty sure my dream dahlia is what you’ve produced as C33, a perfect pink polka like dahlia. I’m excited to what pops up from my Bee’s Choice seeds this summer, ran out of my Discovering Dahlias Mix… might need to order another book. 😉

    Reply
  658. Julia McLellan on

    My dream Dahlia would be a bronzed orange anemone variety. Almost the colour of monster mouth but in a delicate little shape with a poof of a Center.

    Reply
  659. Joanne Johnson on

    A true dark purple collaret with yellow center that becomes fluffy and paler yellow with age. Or a water lily type similar to crème de cassis that is cream with apricot underneath!

    Reply
  660. Jana Vorhees on

    I am still very new to gardening. So I don’t have an ideal variety or color. I just love the process of watching growth and the surprise of the bloom. I think it would be really fun planting Dahlias.

    Reply
  661. Erin Sutherland on

    My dream dahlia would be a perfect, geometric puffball, not too big, but not too small, with gradients of colors from yellow to peach to pink to fuscia. Gentle in nature, tall in stature, stating to the world, “I am a marvel, I am unique, I am here.”

    Reply
  662. Mallorie on

    A dual toned white dahlia with black on the underside of the petals!

    Reply
  663. Katie Burris on

    I absolutely love the C144/Firefly. My dream dahlia would be a dusky purple hue of this flower. The inward curved petals have a delicacy and movement that allows for multiple colors to show at one time. Beautiful!

    Reply
  664. Zoe M on

    I’m in love with the English collarette varieties, so my dream discovery would be a soft, muted collarette in the cafe au lait color family with a rosy blush center.

    Reply
  665. Jessica Lear on

    I have just started my own backyard cut flower garden. The process has been a little overwhelming to start but I am so excited since having fresh flowers in my house brings me so much joy. My idea dahlia would be something very similar to your C33/Floret dahlia. I love the dainty pinks/apricot peddles and the large center!! Maybe even a smaller version of this as well!

    Reply
  666. Lauren Von D on

    I know you love the pale colors, but I would love a deep purple/violet/berry color with the volume of Monster Mouth. It would be equally friendly with red roses, white poppies with dark centers, calla lollies and eucalyptus.

    Reply
  667. Laura on

    I love the mid-sized dahlias. I would want double petals that curl just slightly and in the most wonderful muted peach tone 😍 This post has been so inspiring and I cannot wait to try my hand at breeding and discovering!!

    Reply
  668. Marta on

    A dusty light brown/purple pompom

    Reply
  669. G Burton on

    Decorative with a dust/muted blend of burgundy colors 😍

    Reply
  670. Heather D. on

    Wow, that is such a tough question!! I would love to create a muted raspberry anemone variety with elongated marbled florets of blush with a hint of peach. Dreamy!!!

    Reply
  671. Miriam Jackson on

    My dream dahlia would look like an east coast sunset during the peak of summer, blazing orange in the center with vibrant pinks mixed with soft lilacs towards the edge of the petals.

    Reply
  672. Emily Peck on

    While pretty pinks and yellows will always have my dahlia-loving heart, I would love a bold blue variety. Like a colbalt color that is big and fluffy, or cobalt with yellows and oranges at the center – similar to the Firefly variety you mention above!

    Reply
  673. Allison Judge on

    Like a giant dinner plate dahlia with cream and pink tie dye effect.

    Reply
  674. Jodi Little on

    My dream dahlia would be blush dinner plate with curly petals

    Reply
  675. Karri Lockwood on

    Ooooh this is a tough one!!! I have two absolute dream varieties that come to mind. One would be a rich maroon/violet center opening to a peachy/apricot on the edges. The other would be a lime center opening to pink on the edges. I need to manifest these into existence!!! 😍

    Reply
  676. Eva on

    A dahlia that was huge with many layers of neon pink and with hints of purple would be such a delight to discover among seedlings!

    Reply
  677. Ali Board on

    Thank you for this lovely post! Such gorgeous flowers. My dream Dahlia would be a pale orangey/pink color. The same shape as Cafe au Lait but not as big. Xx

    Reply
  678. Taylor on

    I’ve never grown any dahlias and hope to soon. So I’m not sure about a dream one. I will say, a dainty baby blue one would be something to see!

    Reply
  679. Treasure Winger on

    Blue, just blue…in any shape or form. The unattainable seems so unfair and mysterious. Could she ever exist?

    Reply
  680. Erin C on

    I’d love to see an Earl Grey color dinner plate dahlia!

    Reply
  681. Mackenzie on

    Imagine a giant dinner plate ball variety. It would have an incredible vase life due to the ball variety and wouldn’t drop its petals relatively quickly like most dinnerplates do, and it would have a thick stem so that the dahlia head would be supported. The giant dinnerplate ball dahlia would be pastel lilac/pink/peach/yellow, changing color from the center outward, like a lollipop or unicorn zinnia. A giant unicorn ball dahlia. A flower farmer can dream.

    Reply
  682. Ashley on

    I love the darker dahlias like Jesse G. I would love to find something even darker like a black/burgundy/purple. Something mysterious that makes people stop and stare. I love Halloween so a really dark dahlia would be the perfect flower for me!

    Reply
  683. darien RW on

    I would love a dahlia with a bright yellow center, creamy rounded petals with stretches of bright orange. i love both the firey and muted tones of so many varieties and i just KNOW they’d be the star of a bouquet

    of the beautiful blooms cultivated by y’all I just can’t stop looking at Firefly. what a beauty!

    Reply
  684. Elena S. on

    My dream dahlia would be long stem with long vase life that is a pale apricot blush color. Form can vary but that color speaks to me.

    Reply
  685. Hannah Monroe on

    I’d say C33 is my dream, but I think I’d love it even more if she was salmon colored and had more stark color contrasts! So stunning!

    Reply
  686. Gayle Schwartz on

    My dream dahlia would have a tight center of bright peach followed in lighter shades of peach ending in pale yellow.

    Reply
  687. Nicole on

    I’d love to find some orange colors and big dinnerplate variety! I grew a patch from the Bee’s Choice mix you guys sell and it was full of beautiful stunners this part season. My favorite flowers from my yard for sure! ❤️

    Reply
  688. Hannah on

    Beautiful! My niece is named Dahlia after these beautiful flowers and this year I’m growing some from seed to see what I get! I’d love one that is cream with an apricot center. Maybe that will come through for me this year!

    Reply
  689. Linda Nelson on

    I would love to see a “wrinkled, tattered and torn” dahlia of creamy white, as if it was tea stained, and with subtle striations of muted wine and buttery peach.

    Reply
  690. Ashton Weaver on

    I am still new to dahlias, but I did grow a few from seed last year. Like you, I loved waiting to see what would bloom! It is so gratifying to know that you are bringing new flowers into the world. I would love to either see an apricot ball-type dahlia, or a beautiful dinnerplate variety with a lavender hue.

    Reply
  691. Karen Luck on

    My dream dahlia would start deep red on the tips and fade through to a pale pale orange in the center :)

    Reply
  692. Sydney on

    My dream dahlia would be pink with white center. I would thrilled to find a variety of vibrant colours in my seedling patch.

    Reply
  693. Amanda on

    This year is really my first year jumping head first into flower gardening! I have been vegetable gardening for as long as I can remember but I was bit by the flower bug at the end of the last growing season. I am mostly drawn to dahlias in peachy/coral hues and would love a darker purplish center😍 but who am I kidding, every dahlia has beauty and I’ll take them all!!

    Reply
  694. Miki Baldwin-Hutchinson on

    My dream Dahlia would be a cousin to the Queen Lime Zinnia in a dinner plate size. A hint of lime in the center fading to a beautiful muted hot pink. I also would be thrilled to find a cafe a lait that turned out exactly like that of Floret. That would be a one in a million or more to happen.

    Reply
  695. Mallory on

    I love the size and shape of ones like D23 you have grown, they’re so cheerful and classic. If I found one with a lime green tendency like a “queen lime blush” zinnia, oh that would be so fun. Lime green is my Mom’s favorite and it would just make her day. I’d also love to see a bachelor button blues line. I’m going to be growing dahlias from seeds the first time this year and I can’t wait to see what pops up!

    Reply
  696. Abigail Rogers on

    I would love to grow a large, heavily layered dahlia with a strong peach color that fades to a neon hot-pink-to-orange center, but also with an up-turned face. I love it when flowers look at me!

    Reply
  697. Diana C. on

    Firefly is my absolute favorite FLOWER (not just dahlia) ever so I want those to show up. Since my birthday is Sunday, it would be awesome to win this prize pack. Thanks Floret!

    Reply
  698. Amanda on

    My dream dahlia would have an enormous bloom with bright links fading into oranges and yellows. I get chills when I see the saturated, bright colors of dahlias.

    Reply
  699. Michelle Cloutier on

    Little Miss Sunshine IS my dream dahlia. It’s literally perfect.

    Reply
  700. Kayla on

    My dream would be similar to C33 in shape, but soft lilac

    Reply
  701. Nadia Morrison on

    Oh my goodness, how could one ever pick their best in show favourite? Im in awe of what you have created, and every new flower you share with is becomes a nee favourite! Qualities I love are the firework centres, with the softest of apricot painted petals around that centre. Maybe even throw in a bit of a colour change in the outer petals similar to the peaches n cream variety. Sigh, how does one even narrow it down, they are allll so magical!

    Reply
  702. Meiska Starner on

    I think my dream dahlia would be a huge one, with deep salmon pink tips, then running towards the center, a gradation to a soft yellow. It would be like a sunrise.
    Piles of petals.

    Reply
  703. Rebecca on

    Cafe Au Lait are my favorite…but I’d love to see that size & shape with a different color palette, maybe a warm mauve or even a deep burgundy. I moved recently & am so excited to start fresh with a raised bed just for dahlias ♥️

    Reply
  704. Vica on

    I think my dream dahlia would be a pinky peach that fades to a pale yellow in the middle. Love all the pink and yellow combos in dahlias.

    Reply
  705. Kelly on

    Im new to Dahlias. I grew my first ones almost on accident. I randomly picked up some tubers at Costco the first spring in my new house while I was in the checkout line. I had never gardened before. I put the tubers in the ground and had no clue what to expect. What I grew were spectacular bright pink dinner plate dahlias that could only be attributed to beginners luck. I cut them all summer and gave them to friends and family.
    My dream dahlia is a dinner plate sized, golden sunset yellow/orange color.
    Brings me joy just thinking about it. But of course it’s magic just seeing anything grow from your seeds

    Reply
  706. Vita Porobil on

    My ideal Dahlia would be a mini ball type, pinkish with an open center. These are all so beautiful! I can’t wait to see what my seedling patch gives me this year.

    Reply
  707. Katie Deverson on

    I have learned so much from you and Santa Cruz Dahlias. I haven’t tried my hand at breeding yet as it’s only my third year growing and I’m working on expanding my variety’s and garden beds. I love the variegated colour in dahlias. I would love one that looks like a sunset like orange/coral transitioning to pink!

    Reply
  708. hope bruce on

    May dream dahlia would be a red center that fades into a nice blush pink on the rim. I really think all of them are beautiful though, so just love all of the colors!

    Reply
  709. Abbey on

    All dahlias are quiet dreamy but my dreamiest dahlia would be one like Ferncliff Dolly. It’s blush tips and inner pedals make it stand out from the crowd!

    Reply
  710. Taylor Fisher on

    Hi there! I’ve just begun my gardening journey. I’ve dabbled with vegatables on the past, but this year I’ve jumped head first into flowers! I’ve fallen in love with the semi cactus and pompon varieties of dahlias, and my dream color would be a white and yellow gradient. There’s something magical about the geometric patterns that dahlias make that are seemingly unlike any other flower out there. Just stunning.

    Reply
  711. Agnes on

    My dream dahlia would be have a golden centre with petals that turn from a pale green to a creamy white, on long stems perfect for cutting 🇮🇪

    Reply
  712. joanne soroka on

    Oh a soft pink with white edges and a deeper pink center sounds like it would be just beautiful.

    Reply
  713. Rebecca Neilson on

    My dream dahlia would have broad, short, soft pink petals with a large yellow open center. It would have a resemblance to a daffodil because daffodils never stick around long enough. ☀️ In fact, I think your C162 dahlia is the sweetest and cutest dahlia I have ever seen.

    Reply
  714. Tammy James on

    I am dreaming of a dahlia that is various shades of blue from week to week and it have a white furry center. I would love to find a rainbow of colors in my seedling patch.

    Reply
  715. Marcella Kammerer on

    Well, What a wonderful opportunity to dream. I suppose colour and form are the most important. I am most attracted to the muted colours in the soft blushes creams and light pinks. I would love a flower in the size that I can use in bouquets but something that looks a bit extravagant. For me the beauty is in the subtle Ness, each colour draws you in to a place of peacefulness and joy. As for the form and size, I’m thinking for an extravagant display in a beautiful bouquet, a 4 inch flower halfway between a dinner plate form and a bowl form would be gorgeous. I have been so inspired these last two years to follow my dream, and signed up for the Floret course. That’s it I am now forever lost in the fields of flowers. I just purchased dahlias for the first time this year and just really can’t wait to see what I can breed.

    Reply
  716. Denise Kniss on

    As blue with green is my favorite coloration, I’d be tickled to see that combination in a beautiful dahlia. If that specific color way isn’t possible, then I’d settle for a combination of the two in a calm sea blue green. Dahlia’s are such happy flowers and they give so much joy! They remind me of the best pets one has, as they always greet you with joy!

    Reply
  717. Mary Lurgio on

    Newly smitten by dahlias, I looked for dahlias in my favorite color. With all the stunning colors and color combinations- there are no blue varieties. So I would love a large white dahlia with a true blue center . It would have to be called the Holy Grail.

    Reply
  718. Christopher Sylvester on

    If we are dreaming, then my dream dahlia is more about the colors. I would love mint, sea foam, and teal trending colors! Perhaps a medium formal decorative size and shape with these colors. While those colors may remain a dream, I would love a seedling packet that offers a range of varieties to discover to kick start our dahlia breeding efforts at our flower farm. More importantly though, the nuance that the seedlings came from Floret would be wonderful!

    Reply
  719. Melonie Brewer on

    I would love to see a creamy pink dahlia that looks like strawberry ice cream.

    Reply
  720. Joanne Meier on

    My dream dahlia would resemble the soft colors of the sunrise and sunset with the pinks yellows and oranges on a sturdy stalk for arrangements.

    Reply
  721. Janet on

    Ever since I was a child my favourite color was yellow, any kind of yellow from soft to mustard. Yellow is such a happy color and when I saw C171 on your list it right away reminded me of my childhood and brought back memories of when my grandmother who imigrataed from Holland would plant yellow dahlias in our garden. So as a memory of her and the people of Ukraine I am planting yellow this year :) and I will share these for those who need a special lift to a sad day. Bring on the yellow!!!

    Reply
  722. Esmeralda Rivera on

    My dream dahlia would be a pale creamy warm yellow with a fluffy center 🐥💛🔅

    Reply
  723. Jan Hatchett on

    Oooh! My dream dahlia would be a creamy peach ball dahlia to add sparkle to floral arrangements

    Reply
  724. Heather Bright on

    My favorite type of dahlia would be one that shows soft colors of peachy-yellow. Ball type but with little baby petals peaking out from the surrounding petals in a nice pink. If this makes sense. Sometimes I think wouldn’t it be awsome to have a dahlia that shows a little on the true blue side of purple. You have all different types of purple but non that come close to that bluish tint.

    Reply
  725. Tori S on

    My dream dahlia would be a single shade of a faint silvery purple. Beautiful round shape with dense petals and long stems. I feel it would reflect the beauty of the moon and create a soft romance in a garden of lavender.

    Reply
  726. Nicole Hendrickson on

    So hard to pick just one color scheme that captivates me, but I do love pink fading to coral or peach. Or coral/peach fading to creme. I also LOVE deep moody purples and magentas. And as for shape, the loose full dancing skirt of dinner plate varieties get me every time, yet I also get mesmerized by the infinite geometry of pom pom varieties as well. Flowers are a treasure indeed and growing them is life-giving for me and I hope for all who pass by. Especially now as we live right across the street from where our school burned down this past fall in rural eastern WA . The students in our community see our yard daily and my hope is that our yard shares some natural beauty and sparks hope as we rebound as a community and rebuild. There’s always hope.

    Reply
  727. Mindy Ganze on

    I don’t know if I would be able to pick a dream dahlia, they’re all so dreamy! I love the large petals, that end up looking peony-like. Rows, and rows of petals in soft blush hues. It would be fun to discover a brand new color or form! I just love all of the magic in these babies!

    Reply
  728. Susan Jackson on

    My dream dahlia would be a beautiful surprise! It would be warm, rich colors of coral, yellow, orange and hot rose pink. It would be large enough to demand attention with clearly defined petals supported by a strong stem. It would bring joy to everyone who saw it.

    Reply
  729. Sarah Mason on

    My dream Dahlia would be picture perfect, just like all of your spectacular dahlias, I have never grown a variety of dahlias, so I am egger to see what I will grow with your lovely mix. Ideally, a beautiful golden honey sorbet is my dream Dahlia. I have really only grown from tubbers, so throughout the years I have accumulated many!! I have saved your seedlings for this year, 2021 spring here on Vancouver Island was quite behind!!

    Reply
  730. Jessica Hegseth on

    My dream dahlia… what a question! I have not tried my hand at any kind of breeding but I am so, so drawn to it. I’ve also been following Sunflower Steve in his adventures and I’m absolutely captivated. To be a horticultural artist in one of the rawest forms! So cool. It’s a someday-dream of mine, for sure.

    So, the dahlia. My dream dahlia would be one for my 5 year old daughter. She’s also hooked on flowers. She calles pur little backyard, for-pleasure garden a “flower farm” and she says it with such pride, and it’s the cutest thing ever.

    We live in woodsy MN, and have the sweetest little view off of our dining room window of the sunset each evening. During fall and winter months sunset lands right at dinnertime. We often have a cotton-candy-sky sunset, bright sherbet and pink and a teeeeny bit of lavendar, and we love to shut off the lights to get the best views while we eat.

    My dream dahlia would be one that has the colors and fluidity of those sunsets and I think I’d name it “Cotton Candy Sky.”

    Side note: my dream job as a kid was becoming the person who gets to name nailpolishes. When I found out breeders get to name their own keeper dahlias they breed… deal sealed. 😍

    Reply
  731. Alli Kruger on

    Hi Floret!
    I’ve been growing Dahlias over the last couple years in my small backyard here in the Puget Sound! Your blog and dahlia information has been a wonderful help. My dream dahlia would be a semi cactus flowered dahlia that would be a soft blue hue in the center and would fade out to a soft lavender shade at the tips.💙💜 or I would be just as happy to find a red and orange colored dahlia in my patch.

    Reply
  732. Su Mellor on

    My choice would be as close to blue as possible, decorative or anenome so I could name it “Lucy loves blue” after my granddaughter OR a shade of pink that looks glittery that I would name “Evie loves pink”. Crazy I know :)

    Reply
  733. Sherrie Morrow on

    A dahlia so perfect I long to see,
    It’s definition of perfect in only for me.
    It waits in my garden for a moment to bloom,
    Like a friend on a dark night as I enter the room.
    Its shape is its own, its stem so straight,
    Its hue is my happiness, simply to create
    My surprise dahlia will arrive as a seed
    In a box full of wonderful, wonderful indeed. :)

    Reply
  734. Verona on

    The perfect Dahlia would be the prettiest cotton candy pink color and multiple layers like a peony or ranunculus. 💕

    Reply
  735. Charity on

    My dream dahlia would be a full dinnerplate variety with very deep wine and purple duel-coloring. They are all so astonishingly beautiful, though!

    Reply
  736. Jenny Steed on

    The first time I ever saw a dahlia was in 2016 when I first moved to Washington. I saw a bumble bee zonked out in the cream-colored, dinnerplate wonder like he was joyfully napping in paradise.

    I was mesmerized and have tried and failed year after year since then to grow dahlias from seeds, tubers, it doesn’t matter, I just can’t get it right! I love them so much though, I’m determined to succeed! The perfect dahlia for me would be a fluffy flamingo 🦩 pink—a mix of orange/pink/coral. :)

    Thanks for the flower inspiration!

    Reply
  737. Jaime on

    I would love to find a dark pink ball dahlia. On the smaller side. I would love to see my dahlia seed patch be all ball dahlias! I saved seeds from my pink sylvia…hoping they all look similar to that!

    Reply
  738. Cassandra on

    Truth be told I don’t know what my dream dahlia is. I would know it when I see it and would just love the prospect of growing something unique without expectation. That is the most intoxicating thought, the joy of the unknown.

    Reply
  739. Allie Baliles on

    This is such a hard question because all dahlias are absolutely stunning. But I’d have to say my dream dahlia would look something similar to your C126. The perfect pinkish peach with a uniform shape that displays dozens of intricate and detailed petals. I’m really expanding my cut flower garden this year and will be doing planting dahlia tubers and seeds for the first time! I’m so excited!! I’d love to gain more resources and more seeds to throw in the mix!!

    Reply
  740. Kendal H on

    That is a tough question! I feel like a collarette or anemone form emulating the beautiful colors of a Distant Drums rose would be beyond stunning! I would plant a whole patch of them!

    Reply
  741. Angel Gladden on

    My top dahlia would look exactly like your 162!! That is perfection!!

    Reply
  742. Janet Vainikka on

    Wow this is actually a tough question! Dahlias are all so amazing.

    I would love a white one that looks similar to an anemone, but with pink or purple colored petal tips.

    You’ve all put so much time and effort into flower farming!! You are inspiring!!

    I’m excited to try dahlias from seed now.

    Thank you so much.

    Reply
  743. Lisa on

    I would love a ball type red or copper color.

    Reply
  744. Misty on

    I dream of a dahalia thats an ombre in shades of pink but has speckles in it too, like a candy cane flower.

    Reply
  745. Melissa on

    Prolific, long stemmed and long lasting in the vase. As far as colors I am always chasing the darker varieties and if a true black dahlia showed up I would swoon!

    Reply
  746. SAMANTHA on

    I would love a dahlia structured like a cafe au lait in a soft peach color. Does this already exist? Because I need to know what variety that is!

    Reply
  747. Kelly Laschkewitsch on

    Dahlias are what drew me into flowers, no longer just a flower shopper but a novice grower. My dream dahlia is shades of purple, lighter in the middle and darker outside. I like dramatic dahlias!

    Reply
  748. Kim Vance on

    Dahlias are my favourite flower, although I’ve not been able to grow/enjoy them for a number of years due to my location. However I’m now in a place with a yard and as many gardens as I want. My favourite colours are deep burgundy, pinks, creams and salmon. I didn’t realize I could save a bloom to collect seeds…I’ve always had to dig my tubers up in the fall and store indoors over winter. I’m so excited to try growing them from seed!! Thanks so much for the opportunity to enter.

    Reply
  749. Jennifer on

    I’m relatively new to flower growing, and I only just discovered dahlias last year when a friend shared a start with me. That one plant produced so prolifically, and I was able to use its flowers in many arrangements. I was often asked, “What is the beautiful apricot-colored flower?” (Dahlia!)

    This year I have started a whole tray of dahlia seeds. I am so excited to grow my own bounty and to share seedlings with others so they too will have the joy of dahlias! I guess, for me, a dream dahlia would be one shared. :)

    Reply
  750. Tory on

    I would love to see a blousy mix of blush/apricot/buttercream in whatever form it grows. Hopefully prolific enough to share with family and friends.

    Reply
  751. Stacy on

    My dream dahlia would be peach with solid white in center, ball style. I would be thrilled to find something like the firefly or anything with a rich pink color!

    Reply
  752. Sydney Wemple on

    Tucked away in tiny our tiny farming community surrounded by cows, fields of alfalfa and the 100 year old willow tree’s on our little homestead, standing just over 4 feet tall would be my dream dahlia. Decoratively shaped with an olive green center gently fading into soft cream outer petals. Prolifically blooming these beautiful petals stand out against the deep green, nearly black long sturdy stems. Understated, contrasting the bright bold rows of dahlias surrounding it, but just as breathtakingly beautiful in our sea of flowers.

    Reply
  753. Shirley on

    Delft blue collarette with white inner petals – that would be quite the thrill!!

    Reply
  754. Tara Maxey on

    I would love a ball that is smoky peach with a maroon center, I imagine it would look like a glowing setting sun!

    Reply
  755. Dee Strube on

    Ohhhh, my favorite would be a pale peach waterlily with touches of muted raspberry on the edges and backs of the petals. Long, strong stems and prolific flowers.

    Reply
  756. Hannah Brown on

    I would love to see a dahlia with maybe light pink with flecks of dark pink on the petals and outer tips like polka dots! I love yellow, peach and light pink!

    Reply
  757. Kristin Bergeron on

    My dream dahlia would be lavender and orange/peach. These are my favorite colors. And I love the crazy curly petals your Floret dahlia has so if I could have that combo pop up in my garden from one of the seeds I collected I’d be elated!

    Reply
  758. Audrey Sparks on

    The first thing that comes to mind is 3-4 inch Ball Dahlia with coral/ peachy tones and a touch of lavender. Plant height no more than 3 foot:)

    Reply
  759. Bianca Mclellan on

    Oh goodness, just one?? I’m kind of in love with peachy, apricot tones, and I’d love one in peony-flowered or collarette shapes.

    Reply
  760. Audrey Kern on

    The Dahlia is Siren

    In the field bees fly toward the thrumming of the dahlia that is new to the world.

    Their gathering draws me closer.

    She is apricot guarding lavender in furled umbral depths.

    She has not shuffled her inheritance, but mutated to create petaloids of della robbia blue.

    Bees cluster in her revealed center, pollinators for a new generation that will not match her rarity.

    I will name her Siren.

    Audrey Kern

    Reply
  761. Sherry Wine on

    My dream dahlia would be castle drive or cafe au lait. I would love to see them in my garden.

    Reply
  762. Lindsey Oliver on

    The bolder the better for me. Ideal would be a very large blossom, with petals unfolding in a tight spiral, slightly cupped and rhythmic. Making one big polka dot of even shape. Long enough stems to cut but thick enough to stand in place. Slightly tipped upwards but not more than a few degrees. As for color: last year I grew by accident a tomato red color. It was so striking. But my dream would be the save shade but a bit toward the pink side of red/orange. As of yet I’ve not mastered keeping them over so your book would be amazing!!!
    Best of luck in your growing adventure. I love that you are setting an example of following your heart! You e taught us all so much along the way.❤️

    Reply
  763. Janet Selzer on

    It is hard to narrow down to only one type of dahlia and I like just about every color that is out there. But I prefer the smaller dahlias blooms with at least two colors. All dahlias have their own special beauty and the adventure of using them in bouquets is magical.

    Reply
  764. Dean on

    my dream dahlia would be tall and willowy, with small, pastel single flowers swaying at the end of tall stems. as evening approaches the little stars would glow and sway in the fading light, like a drowsy swarm of fireflies. as much as I am fascinated with developments in flower colors and shapes, I keep looking for a more species-looking dahlia, something that would delight you when you stumble across it in nature.

    Reply
  765. Erin Bergren on

    I really love picotee dahlias, and while I’ve found that the ones with unusual colors are harder to arrange it’s always worth it. My dream dahlia would be a deep burgundy red with a gold picotee, for loads of early fall flower drama.

    Reply
  766. Kaysha Savery on

    My dream dahlia may be a long shot, but I am attempting in a small back yard breeding patch. If I found a dahlia with the shape of Peaches n Cream (and it’s growing habits), but with the colors of Caramel Cherry Phlox, I’d probably cry. The cream fading into a raspberry center with all that depth and “glimmer” dahlias can sometimes have would be a dream come true. But ya know, at this point I’ll be happy if a get a keeper or two. Thanks for all the info and beautiful photos. It is amazing to see what a variety you’ve created!

    Reply
  767. Terah Stearns on

    I’m so new to gardening but it has become a passion! Yesterday, I harvested my first spring bouquet; one white and yellow daffodil, one beautiful pink hyacinth, four muscari, and a little sage to round out the arrangement. The joy it brought me to have this little jewel of an arrangement was worth all the hours of planning, digging, and planting last fall. I discovered dahlias last year, thanks to your blog, and planted two. I carefully harvested the tubers and can’t wait to plant them along with the five new varieties I ordered in the fall. I’m still waiting on the shipment but my heart thrills to think of harvesting my summer arrangements. I love your books! This winter was filled with your planning guide, garden diary, and dreams of all the joy the summer will bring. Thank YOU and your team!

    Reply
  768. Ly H on

    I’m drawn to the big bright yellow of the opened dahlias with any shades of pink. The yellow really does pop out against the pink petals. I bet the bees would just love them!

    Reply
  769. Melissa on

    My dream dahlia would be delicate segmented petals, in ombre cream, peach and salmon. Subtle though, not bright. The perfect feminine chic delicate flower!

    Reply
  770. Jeliza on

    Dream dahlia, how can you choose just one! Right now I am obsessed with the champagne, peach, nude pinks. But a mint coloured cafe au lait would certainly be my favourite if there ever was such a thing. Ugh… insert drooling face*. Love this new journey you are on!

    Reply
  771. Kristina on

    I love the soft romantic muted shades of pinks, blush and white with big beautiful full petals. My dream dahlia would be something like a breakout with a more pronounced ombré that bloomed all season :)

    Reply
  772. Krista on

    I’m partial to the fuller dahlias in bright, ombre colors. Valley Rust Bucket is a fave. I’d like something like that in magenta shades.

    Reply
  773. Paula Brooks on

    It’s been my first year growing Dahlias and the bug has bitten me!
    I am on the hunt to find a small, pom-pom Dahlia, – small enough to fit into the palm of my hand, with colours that remind me of a children’s ice cream cone. Sorbet, buttery yellow, pale pink and a soft sunset orange; and will have strong straight stems to hold up the little balls of ice cream.

    Reply
  774. Kris on

    My dream dahlia would bloom early and continue to bloom until the first frost. Stems would be long and strong, holding up the flower head. It would be mildew and botrytis resistant — especially important in the PNW with our cool, wet springs. Each flower would be luminous, changing color as it opened so each day would bring new surprises. What color? Maybe oranges changing pinks and yellows…or white that blushes to pinks and lavender as it opens. Some color combo that takes my breath away and draws me to it throughout the day to see what it is doing now!

    Reply
  775. Kathy Richardson on

    My dream dahlia would be an ombre slide of color from a muted, pale, soft color to one that is rich and vibrant without being garish. Shape could be either ball, or decorative but not cactus. The plant would be well branched and strong with long, sturdy stems for cutting. Thank you for all the work you are doing to introduce more beauty into the world– you are helping to make it a better place. 💕

    Reply
  776. Sherry Smith on

    I tried planting dahlia seeds for the first time last year and it was the best time I have ever had! So much fun to see what was coming next. The most beautiful one I got was a soft lemon yellow, large healthy bush, strong stems and beautiful curly petals. I don’t know what my dream dahlia would be because I don’t know which one is hiding in the next seedling😍!

    Reply
  777. Sabrina Cummins on

    I love waiting for blooms to open.I would love to see small pompoms in my dahlia patch..the colors of a sunrise.

    Reply
  778. Kim Clements on

    I don’t really know I have never grown flowers in my almost 60 (I will be 60 on April 12th) years of life because most of my I have lived in rental properties.
    I loved Hydrangeas first because of my grandmother’s garden but I have in the last few years been so drawn to the Dahlia and that is why I watched your show and started following you. I am scared to even try but I would live to have a beautiful one in pink as big as a dinner plate to enjoy and have my Son take pictures of because he is a photographer. Thanks for even considering me for this give away.

    Reply
  779. Cathy on

    Meine Traumdahlie wäre eine Seerosendahlie mit außergewöhnlicher, morbide Färbung.

    Reply
  780. Anna F on

    Vaaaase liiiiiife! 4ish inches in a muted tone. A friend grew a seedling whose closed buds opened in the vase which was very cool, but it still had a short 3ish day (per flower) vase life.

    Reply
  781. Melinda on

    I love them all. Having a hard time getting them going here in Missouri. Love the dark pink long pedaled large blooms.

    Reply
  782. Pam Dannen on

    When I sit outside for morning coffee, yes in Oregon during the drippy season, I have a red headed finch that stops by. So I’d love a little red headed dahlias reminder. It would stand out against the green 1876 house. Love these memories!!

    Reply
  783. Kaeley on

    An orecchiette style dahlia. 4ish inches (big enough to be showy but not full dinner plate). Darker pink/fuschia in the center fading through peach into a warm yellow on the edges with a little of the muddled color transition present in the highlighted firefly dahlia. Early, prolific bloomer about 4-5 feet tall would be the icing on top.

    Reply
  784. Kelsey on

    It must be so fun watching all the seedlings bloom! My dream dahlia would be a mauvey pink with a little shimmer with an informal feel to it!

    Reply
  785. Chelsea on

    I think my dream dahlia would be something super similar to firefly; a pale buttercream yellow with a subtle raspberry center but in a collarette flower form! Everytime I see a photo of firefly I think I fall in love with it more and more! It is definitely a beauty and I hope one day I’ll be able to grow some! Or to even have a reverse form of firefly; raspberry outer petals with a pale yellow center!!💛

    Reply
  786. Chelsea on

    I think my dream dahlia would be something super similar to firefly; a pale buttercream yellow with a subtle raspberry center but in a collarette flower form! Everytime I see a photo of firefly I think I fall in love with it more and more! It is definitely a beauty and I hope one day I’ll be able to grow some!

    Reply
  787. Faith K on

    I’m just starting out in my flower garden journey. I enjoy getting all the books and learning so much. Starting Dahlias with seeds!? I can’t wait to learn more! My mind goes all over thinking about a dream Dahlia. A yellow, burnt orange with red tones with maybe a apple blossom look would be beautiful.

    Reply
  788. Dana Carlson on

    If I were your best bud, I’d convince you to let me scoop a mystery box from that breeding compost pile. 😊 I’m a garden putterer. Lights and brights show up well and dark foliage is pretty before the flowers come. My dream dahlia would have dark foliage and would have wide, messy, creamy yellow petals with bright interior “giggles”.

    Thanks for sharing your optimism with us all. 🥰

    Reply
  789. Margaret M on

    My dream dahlia would be a fuchsia color with relatively short petals and lots of blooms on each stem. Really though I would be delighted with any plant that grew up healthy from seed.

    Reply
  790. Kat on

    A pretty lavender one! Love all the purple sweet ones, which surprised me last year, I didn’t think I’d love the purple as much as I do! But, I mean, aren’t almost all special?

    Reply
  791. Tina on

    As someone who hasn’t grown dahlias before, they all seem new and exciting to me! I think Firefly is my favorite; it’s just so unique.

    Reply
  792. Carolyn on

    My ideal dahlia would be similar in shape to C33, but would be a beautiful salmon/sorbet color with a greeny-yellow center. There is something about the bright salmon color that brings me great joy, and I believe would bring joy to others.

    Reply
  793. Nancy Montone on

    Last year I bought a packet of dahlia seeds from my local Dollar store for 25 cents and successfully grew close to 20 plants!!! The seeds actually produced plants in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes but my favorite looked similar to HS Date… a peachy petal with a deeper throat. I saved multiple tubers and will soon be planting them in my Zone 7b garden. Fingers crossed they grow. I would love to win to learn more about growing beautiful dahlia flowers. Thanks

    Reply
  794. Justyna on

    I would love to find in my seedling patch anemone dahlia with beautiful salmom and creamy flowers on strong, long stems. Definitely it should be large dahlia, prefect for arrangements! Mmm yes… I see it :D

    Reply
  795. Annelise J on

    I adore all of the sunset/blush/sherbet varieties in every formation! The soft orange and pink tones are what I’ve always dreamed of having in my garden. C108/C196 stand out as two of my favorites, but I truly love all of the flowers shown. Thanks for your work, Floret!

    Reply
  796. Jaclyn Hall on

    As a novice, I’d be thrilled to just have healthy and alive dahlias, but to me it would be so exciting to discover light blue or pale green colors since I love those colors and have never seen Dahlias I in my favorite color green (or any green :).

    Reply
  797. Karen on

    C11 is probably my dream – that orange with peach open faced just brings an instant moment of happiness to life! However I’d be happy with any dahlia that grows via seedling! They aren’t always the prettiest.

    Reply
  798. Lisa Farmer on

    Like a mother and a child, any dahlia I grow is loved equally the same as the next! I am blessed to be apart of this community and would be so excited to win!

    Reply
  799. Kara on

    I have not tried growing dahlias from seed yet but I hope to in the future. I am just starting my cut flower garden journey and can’t wait for warmer weather to see more blossoms! My dream dahlia might be collarette style with Cafe Au Lait coloring and hints of dusky rose.

    Reply
  800. Tori F on

    I’m really intrigued by shapes like firefly and little miss sunshine! I’d love to find a similar shape blooming in a shade of lovely purple

    Reply
  801. Breanne P. on

    Ideal flower? As an amateur florist it’s tough to pick just one! I’d love something with a long stem, lavender color, and packed with petals!

    Reply
  802. Candace on

    I love the color coral and would love to find a bright glowing coral water lily-like dahlia in my dahlia seedlings. I’m growing dahlias from sex for the first time this year and can’t wait to see what pops up!

    Reply
  803. Barbara Bullard on

    I want a collarette sized bloom with soft colored, interesting shaped petals. Must have a long , strong stem.

    Reply
  804. Rocio Arostegui on

    My goodness… my dream flowers will be C196 lush Camelia like… but it is not..
    Or C139 totally opposite colors, totally unique and odd… especially when we are in times of Self defining who we are… This colors of C139 they pick their colors their way!!

    Then onto the blush tones “anemone/dahlia paradise” C202, C21, C196… say no more!!

    But they must past the test of disease and bug resistant. We cannot use harsh chemicals, in our new world… 🌸

    Reply
  805. Suzanne on

    Honestly, I think I would do back flips at the ripe old age of 61 if I discovered a dahlia in my seedling patch that had some kind of green coloration to it. It would represent a real break-through in color for the world of dahlias. Imagine a dahlia in a shade similar to that of Zinnia Queen Lime Blush? Oh my!

    Reply
  806. Paige on

    I would love to see a bright green dahlia like the queen lime zinnia, but Dahlia version! I can’t imagine how incredibly gorgeous that would be!!

    Reply
  807. Stephanie on

    I have always been drawn to purple flowers in my garden, so I think a lilac-colored dahlia that fades to white on the petals, pom-pom shape, with a warm orange center would be beautiful

    Reply
  808. ally b on

    I like my flowers to be deep colours and bright, cheerful. However I am working on bringing more pastels into the fold, soft buttercream yellow or apricot colour would be my (First!) choices. It’s just all beautiful!

    Reply
  809. Debra on

    I love Dahlias! Starting my 2nd year with my own saved tubers, several new orders and a packet of pom pom seeds. Ideal flower? Can’t choose. So many to love.

    Reply
  810. Christi Rollans on

    I would love to have a peachy pink variety as this was my mother’s favorite color & description of anything. We would have some form of a blooming flower in the house all times blooms from walks or the yard were available.

    Reply
  811. Tracy Cameron on

    Y’all are so inspiring and encouraging! I never thought I could have such beautiful blooms where I live (Southwest Florida) but I’ve fallen in love with dahlias and this spring have decided to try my best at growing a garden and cutting patch for me to escape in! This mama of 4 littles needs a minute ;D For me my dream dahlia is anything that I can get to thrive. I love the cottage garden look but we can’t exactly grow the same things here. I’m in love with Cafe Au Lait and have not been able to find one but I shall keep trying. If there ever was a Cafe with a touch of blue that is dreamy. Something that I would love to find in my patch is simply something that makes me smile and that I can share to bring smiles to the other women in my life.

    Reply
  812. Elaine Allen on

    Loved this amazing post with all the gorgeous photos. I think a cream dahlia with a hint of lime undertones would be specatular.

    Reply
  813. Heidi Meadows on

    Last year my Floret dahlia seeds produced a whole garden full of unique varieties, just for me. I can’t wait to see what the dahlia seeds I saved from those blooms will look like this season – especially the ones from a beautiful open-faced variety whose petals were orange on the outside and cranberry on the inside.

    Reply
  814. Sara on

    oh, and besides Floret seeds – my daughter is getting married next year so any white to pink dahlias would be an amazing addition to her bouquet.

    Thank you for the inspiration.

    Reply
  815. Mary on

    they are all so beautiful, maybe something similar to a cafe au late with more purple tones

    Reply
  816. Tali on

    Little Miss Sunshine is my dream flower. I hope to get my hands on some in the future. <3

    Reply
  817. Rebekah Bissonette on

    My dream Dahlia would be a sumptuous yellow. It would look round and fluffy, but still have a center open enough for the bees. Actually they’re all eye candy. It would be like meeting new friends to see them all. Thank you for all your hard work and enthusiasm.

    Reply
  818. Sara Schoblom on

    I am in love with your C33/Floret dahlia! I can not wait to add it to my garden (hopefully soon)! I would love to see a “sister” to Floret with large glowing green outer petals encircle a smaller row of lighter pink inner petals that are layered and twisted. That would be a show-stopper in a wedding bouquet. And then a “brother” the opposite would also be fun – with large glowing pink outer petals encircle a smaller row of lighter green inner petals that are layered and twisted.

    Reply
  819. Emily on

    My dahlia would be an anemone type with deep burgundy, almost black petals and a dark fluffy center with dark foliage. Basically a little goth beauty :)

    Reply
  820. Jennifer McKenzie on

    I’m not sure that I can really give a specific look for my dream dahlia. I just think anything different, rare, and unusual would be my dream. Something unlike anything I’ve seen before, that just stands out and makes you say wow!

    Reply
  821. Mary on

    Your enthusiasm and devotion are so inspiring!! A dinner plate anemone style with bright yellow fluffy center and sunset colored petals would seem dreamy to me! Hopefully like a bulls eye for honey bees!!

    Reply
  822. Valerie McLaughlin on

    Your firefly is so beautiful ! I am sure it is great for flower designing . I would love to try it in my arrangements! I would also love to see some other color variations maybe hot pink pale pink ? I think your photos would make cool posters !

    Reply
  823. Katie on

    I think orange … like almost neon. Dahlia petals can look so bright. And dinner plate sized. It would be awesome. Soft colors are so in and beautiful, so orange would stand out. I do dahlias because of floret (floret has basically guided all my flower growing). Thank you!

    Reply
  824. Maria on

    My dream Dahlia would be a giant apricot single flower Dahlia with a little bit yellow in the middle 🙂

    Reply
  825. Diane Astarita on

    Wait that’s just not fair only 1 dream dahlia! Last year was my first year growing dahlias thanks to the 2021 workshop and wow did I fall in love.
    Let’s go with 2 dream dahlias a creamy white with a touch of cognac dinner plate sized or a pink moving toward purple also dinner plate sized.

    Reply
  826. Sydney on

    I would love to see a fluffy 3-4” dahlia with coloring similar to a toffee rose!!! 😍

    Reply
  827. Jody Dixon on

    Erin & floret family,
    I have never grown a Dahlia. Pretty sad right. I can’t wait to try grow them now, hopefully this summer. I am a new fan of this flower because of you. They are all so beautiful. I love to grow flowers and my favorite is collecting seeds for next year. I have seeds all around the house in the fall on paper plates drying out. Thats one of my favorite things to do in life collect seeds. I can’t wait to get started each year. I would love to grow Dahlias and bring them into being especially knowing I can start them from seed!! Im surprised at the many varieties so many colors. How would a person choose when they are all lovely. I hope you would consider me I am a new beginner in the Dahlia family.
    Jody

    Reply
  828. Lauren Torkildsen on

    My dream dahlia would be a medium size bloom, mostly white but the edges of each petal would be colored! Maybe in hues of pink, yellow, and orange.

    Reply
  829. Tracie Causey (Blaine) on

    My dream dahlia would be peaches n cream but in cafe au lait form. maybe a little more orange in the center, kind of ombre to a white at the edges. This is from my 8th grade son who’s whole heart is in his garden. 💕

    Reply
  830. Whitney on

    I’d really like to find a collared or peony shaped one that is in shades of pink, cream or burgundy.

    Reply
  831. Barbara Oldroyd on

    My dream dahlia would be a fluffy yellow like a newborn chick. Yellow is such a happy color, it’s my favorite.

    Reply
  832. Judy Brozik on

    My dream dahlia would be a fluffy pink purple ball dahlia with an amazing vase life.

    Reply
  833. Elizabeth Cryderman on

    I absolutely love the muted colors and really prefer the small balls to the dinner plates as they are easier to arrange with. My dream dahlia changes with the season though, I like the softer pinkier colors in the spring and the yellow/ oranges in the fall. I just love them all, it’s hard to decide!

    Reply
  834. Michelle Carson on

    Dream dahlia – rose and or golden tones with petals that are a little wild. Something full but free form.

    I’ve only attempted dahlias from seed for two years and both times I really only managed to bring a handful to bloom (thank you aphids and inexperience). I would love to have at least one variety this year without an open center. I was more judicious in my planting groups last year so fingers crossed!

    Reply
  835. Sheri Larkin on

    Dark foliage, short and squatty height, but collarette shaped flower with a cream to butter petal. A thin but sharp dark purple edge to the petal with warm peach throat.
    High order I know.

    Reply
  836. Kami on

    I planted my first dahlia tubers last year and I am totally obsessed now! I have bought over 50 tubers for this year’s crop. Dahlias are such beautiful, joyful flowers. My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate variety with long hardy stems in hues of a ripe mango, deep yellow with some splashes of light orange.

    Reply
  837. Meghan on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft periwinkle, anemone style with white fringed petals around the inner edge.

    Reply
  838. Kristina K. on

    One of my absolute favorite dahlias is Labyrinth. The bright pink to apricot array of blousy petals is just absolutely divine. That said, the sheer size makes it a bit difficult to include in my arrangements, so my dream dahlia would have the form and color of Labyrinth (and all those petals) with a bloom size at about one-third to one-half size.

    Reply
  839. Honey Winger on

    I’d love to see a golden ball dahlia with creamy yellow blended in.
    Thanks so much for letting us stroll through your color while we are still in March.

    Reply
  840. Shellie on

    As I try to describe my dream dahlia, I realize that it already exists in the Floret dahlia. I love the pink and yellow colors and I especially love the smaller, inner layer of petals that make it look fluffy. However, if I get to dream, it is able to overwinter and thrive in my zone 5, wet clay soil!

    Reply
  841. Autumn Roberts on

    I love an open center, puffy in the center. With petals that curve along their edge. I like the color to fade across the petal. I would like a strong stem that I could cut and enjoy in a vase. It has to be loved by the bees because that is one reason I started my flower garden that isn’t big enough for all I dream of!

    Reply
  842. Pia Zaslowe on

    My dream Dahlia would be a sturdy long stemmed 36-48” semi cactus variety, each pointed petal a tightly rolled tube. Outer petals of vibrant fuchsia would progress to a center of orange then light green. She would look delicate and frilly but she would be a hardy variety. Days to maturity would be 90-100; created to flourish in the glorious but always too short New England summer. Here’s the kicker, she would thrive in part sun/part shade and mostly shade so she could be planted on the north side in front of my storm grey cape cod style cottage, and radiate her beauty all summer. Her name would be New England summer star.

    Reply
  843. Kortney on

    Imagining breeding and growing my very own dahlia…wow what an incredible adventure that would be. It’s already so humbling watching anything grow from one tiny little seed, creating a color and shape of your very own would only add to that heart fluttering feeling of accomplishment and pure joy. A dahlia shaped like the Floret 202 with a soft lavender shade, white petal edges, and a slightly darker lavender center. To see the fading transition from dark to light would complete my garden dreams.

    Reply
  844. Kelli Janice on

    When I close my eyes and look up toward the sun, there are an amazing array of colors that fill my head. My dream dahlia would have a perfect blend of these colors that transitioned into each other effortlessly. Saying the colors out loud does not do this dahlia justice but it would have red, pink, orange, yellow, magenta and colors beyond. It would not be too flashy or bright though. It would achieve all this with a soft presence that would mesmerize anyone who looked at it. I would be thrilled to find even a glimpse of this flower in my dahlia seed patch.

    Reply
  845. Adge on

    My perfect dahlia would be a large form with the colors of a distant drum rose.

    Reply
  846. Amanda Eastvold on

    My ideal dahlia would be a single apricot variety with a more green/chartreuse center.

    Reply
  847. Catherine Israel on

    I am always looking for the perfect sunset, so, I suppose my perfect Dahlia would have a center of soft lemon yellow petals graduating into light tangerine fading into mango then into apricot petals that give way to pink grapefruit petals and then raspberry overflowing into a rich plum shade. She would be as large as a sunflower with leaves likes open arms embracing the sun as it shines down smiling on the flowers’ perfect attempt to give a tribute to the sun’s colorful exit with each row of petals on display.

    Reply
  848. Caroline on

    My ideal Dahlia woul be purple and yellow the two colours look beautiful. I would call it Golden Berry 😊

    Reply
  849. Carocha on

    A big fluffy white dahlia with a dark pink or red centre would be lovely to my eyes .

    Reply
  850. Jodie Permen on

    Mmmmmm. My ideal dahlia in the hypothetical breeding patch would have a ruffly berry center, and gleaming crimson swirling petals, with streaks of fiery hot orange running through it. It would have dark stems and branch like mad. I’d call it Miracle of Life, because that’s what these amazing dahlias do; they remind us of the Miracle of Life!

    Reply
  851. Jacqui Bennetts on

    I would love to find a soft pink decorative with a hint of apricot at its heart.

    Reply
  852. Amy Bowman on

    My dream Dahlia would be a clean pink in the centre with waterlily type petals and an outside ring of deeper pink petals graduating to burgundy spikey petals. On lovely long stems .

    Reply
  853. Lizzie on

    My dream dahlia would be buttermilk yellow infused with pale and shocking pink. Dare I ask for an evocative scent too! I would wish that the seed packets held the option of regular and dinner plate varieties of this combination.

    Reply
  854. Tina Curtis on

    I’d love to watch a lemony green dahlia with a full head of spiky petals emerge in my dahlia patch this summer

    Reply
  855. Linda Piacitelli on

    I would love to see a burnt orange flower with a deep red center, which has petals that ooze the red from the center out to the burnt orange petals ! That would be my dream dahlia !
    And something of this sort or a little lighter in color would be great to find in my seeding package !

    Reply
  856. Jordan White on

    My dream dahlia would be a bright yellow fluffy dahlia that grows well in small spaces!

    Reply
  857. Peggy C on

    It is difficult to imagine a more beautiful dahlia than FIREFLY, but anything that looked similar to her (maybe some apricot in there) would be so exciting to find in my tiny little breeding patch!

    Reply
  858. Helen on

    I’m so in love with dahlias, and you have inspired me to try my hand at breeding – albeit at a much more modest level. I’d love to find a peachy pink tinged cream dinner plate growing in my experimental bed. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  859. Hilary W on

    My dream dahlia would be a peachy/apricot water lily or decorative flower that lasts well in a vase and looks great in the garden.

    Reply
  860. Jacki Stewart on

    I’m still over the moon about Cafe au Lait.
    I would design one creamy pink that deepens in color towards the center. Largish decorative.
    I fell in love with dahlias while living in San Francisco and the beautiful garden by the Conservatory of flowers. So glad I moved up here were dahlias are plentiful and so easy to grow. (Also the deer don’t like them.)

    Reply
  861. Angela Grey on

    I’d love to have a dahlia with dark foliage mauve petal color and soft rounded petals. I’m new to growing dahlias. Maybe something like this exits already and I haven’t seen it yet!

    Reply
  862. janine Reid on

    I would love to see the beautiful varieties that you grow in the US available here in Australia

    Reply
  863. Tony Y on

    In the orange family, but with a beautiful fade to the petal and nice and rounded petals would be super pretty. Also brushed colouring almost like KA’s Rosie jo would be to die for! These are all the traits of what would be my dream dahlia!

    Reply
  864. Jun Jun on

    My dream dahlia would have crisp petal edges and a pointed tip that might be different in colour to the rest of the flower! Glowing from the centre as well would make it so ethereal and a dream – probably in the peachy colours would be ideal!

    Reply
  865. Samantha Allen on

    The dream Dahlia would be one with a large golden center and large coral petals! I love the look of the “Floret” dahlia! The peachy corals and soft pinks are my favorite shades! It has been such a joy to follow along here at Floret, and I am excited each year to put a little more that I’ve learned into practice! I would love to find enough blooms in my patch to make a bouquet to bring indoors, share one with a friend, and have a few left over to leave growing to enjoy and allow to go to seed! I would love to see the process through full-circle!!

    Samantha Allen
    DryValleyHomestead.com

    Reply
  866. Eileen B. White on

    I’m dreaming of a light-to-medium pink dinner-plate size dahlia, something along the lines of the color of the Belinda’s Dream rose.

    This will be my first year to even try to grow dahlias, but I can’t wait. I’m hoping I can figure out when to plant the tubers here in north Louisiana. I’m starting out with just a few.

    Best of luck on your breeding projects.

    Reply
  867. Rachel Burgoon on

    My dream dahlia doesn’t have a specific look. it holds a feeling or a memory it creates all on it’s own! It may be my little one caring for it from tuber/seed to full bloom and being so proud. It may be a customer who truly and deeply thinks that flower is the most beautiful thing they have ever held.
    I would be thrilled to find a happy plant in my seedling patch!

    Reply
  868. Alisha on

    Hi Floret!

    My dream dahlia would be a bright firey red with fluffy long petals, like a truffela tree but much smaller. My kiddo says that red is her luckiest color, so who am I to argue! The most thrilling thing that I could discover in my seed patch would be an explosion of dahlia blooms in all shapes, sizes, and colors. I always say the more the merrier!

    Reply
  869. Teresa Perna on

    If you could capture the colors of a beautiful sunset sky, that would be magical.

    Reply
  870. Ruth on

    I would love to have a beautiful Apricot/yellow dahlia that looked like a pom pom, but dinner plate size. That would be so glorious in a vase on my dining room table!

    Reply
  871. Isela on

    I would love a Antique Rose color do my daughter could help me grow them and enjoy them in her play area with her friends. 💛

    Reply
  872. Christine on

    A nice blue/green toned dahlia somewhat like eucalyptus would be very interesting.

    Reply
  873. Gianna on

    My dream back yard dahlia would be antique green in color with large fluffy petals 😍

    Reply
  874. Rose Rinker on

    I would love to breed a dahlia that resembles the turquoise sweet pea offered from Floret!
    The amazing colors, that soft turquoise, sky blue and sunset pinks- and if they had dark foliage- OMG!!
    Striking, alluring, exotic! I really enjoy the peony style dahlias with the dark foliage, it makes the flower seem sooo vibrant.
    I would love to find a Monarch butterfly in my garden!
    Least year was my first year flower farming, and the bees and butterflies loved it so much that I decided to dedicate a 40’x4’ section outside of the garden to just butterfly and bee habitat, which includes native wildflowers and milkweed for our Monarchs.
    I hope to increase this every year- I love our native wildflowers!

    Reply
  875. Rebekah Cannon on

    I don’t know much about Dahlias and am just now trying to grow some tubers my sister gave me as well as a packet of tubers I picked-up from Lowe’s (including attempting to pre-sprout some that don’t look too promising from this batch). I love white flowers and I think varieties of flowers that look like other flowers are so fun. (Examples: Dahlias that look like Anemones, Cream Peony Poppies, etc.) I think a variety of Dahlia with white blooms that looks likes a Peony would be fun. 🙂

    Reply
  876. Christie on

    I absolutely LOVE ball shaped dahlias. I would probably be thrilled with about any color but my favorite would be one with an ombre effect on the petals from white on the outside edge to a soft peachy/pink to a darker pink in the middle. The plant would of course produce enough flowers all summer long so I could enjoy it in my garden and as cut flowers to bring inside.

    Reply
  877. Edith st john on

    C130 and B47 would be a stunning mix of rose petals with the fullness of the large soft and fluffy white dahlia .

    Reply
  878. Emily J on

    I’m new to flower gardening and recently received my very first batch of tubers in the mail. I think dahlias of all sizes and shapes and colors are beautiful — but my dream dahlia would be large, many-petaled, cream with soft pink and coral tones in the center.

    Reply
  879. Marcia Koenig on

    I love anything in the cafe color, but would especially would love a pom shaped one. I experimented with some of your seeds last summer, hoping they will come back this summer! I would also love a class on staking Dahlias, mine get so tall and fall over, or perhaps you have and I misses it. Your blogs and photos just make people happy!

    Reply
  880. Brooke on

    Right now in our bleak winter I would have to say anything that bloomed… but if I had to come up with a dream dahlia, I would say a water lily in white or peach but with the dark contrasting foliage like Waltzing Mathilda

    Reply
  881. Jami Jenkins on

    My dream dahlia would be an ombre, being a deep rust color at the bottom and transitioning to a soft peach at the edge of each petal. I adore the peony shaped blooms-the bigger the better!

    Reply
  882. Lisa on

    There are so many beauties! My dream Dahlia would have the characteristics of C383 and B62 which make me smile and brings a joy to my soul with large beautiful shades of pink. C33 has a delicacy to it and all three would be a delight to have in my garden to show off their splendor!

    Reply
  883. Suzanne on

    I’m so excited that you have become a dahlia hybridizer! I’m dreaming that you release the dahlia of my dreams, a soft mixed creamy apricot 4-5″ flower that lasts 7-10 days as a cut flower – nirvana! The apricot color would go with every other color of flower in mixed arrangements, would be large enough to be a focal flower while small enough to use in almost every type of arrangement, and would LAST as a cut flower so it could be used in subscription bouquets as well as for wedding work. Good luck to you and your hardworking team! (okay, the idea of lasting 10 days is out of this world optimistic, but you said Dream Dahlia, right?)

    Reply
  884. Becky on

    So far, my favorites are the mini balls. I love soft buttercream, and I can imagine a lovely dainty dahlia that looks like each petal was just barely dipped in peach. Of course, I would look for a bush just loaded with blossoms and ideally the plant would tolerate dry spells.

    What a gorgeous and rewarding scientific experiment you have been running!

    Reply
  885. Nancy Harris on

    My favorite dahlia is one that my grandmother grew in her yard. They were big 6-7 inch blooms that started out sort of like big pom pom blooms in a coral/peach color. Eventually the petals opened and elongated and lightened in color but the center stayed that GA peach color. She grew them in front of big huge hydrangea bushes and the peach color against the hydrangea blue was just beautiful. They had tall study stems and maybe it was my childlike memory but it felt like they bloomed all summer long. She never called them by any particular name but I called them Nana’s Dahlias. What I wouldn’t give for one of her tubers. If I could figure out what this Dahlia was called, that is what I would like in my seedling patch.

    Reply
  886. Janelle Rosin on

    My dream dahlia would be a collarette that is in the 4 foot tall range, come with pink/yellow/white and with unusual petals. I am new to the dahlia world and have become obsessed pretty quickly. The collarettes really catch my eye for their unusual look and colors. Thank you for all of the work you have done to make this hobby/obsession/business a little easier for all of us!

    Reply
  887. Reggi on

    A dream dahlia…. I love the ones with a single row of petals with a small puffy center in a soft lemon buttercream color. Thanks for sharing your dahlia breeding story. It’s so fun to hear your passion for what started as something just for fun.

    Reply
  888. John McCullough on

    I’m a sucker for anything collarette. If firefly came in that form, that would be the perfect combo!!!

    Reply
  889. Mads Merritt on

    The ideal dahlia to me would have an easily accessible center so that pollinators can easily access it. Strong and sturdy limbs, but also humidity and heat resistant tot he degree we experience down here in the South. So often the heat loving varieties succumb in the summer months just because we have more than heat, we have scorching sun. I am a big fan of large open petals, and especially the deep red varieties look like rich velvet.

    Reply
  890. Deborah on

    As much as I love the big, fat ball-types, I am increasingly drawn to the singles, with twisted petals in peach and sunset shades. And tall! None of these little 2 ft plants!

    Reply
  891. Erin Geoffroy on

    Hey Erin, Jill, Chris and Nina! I love the collarette dahlias. They are so versatile, beautiful, and unique – it’s hard to imagine they’re a dahlia! Wouldn’t it be incredible to receive an armful bouquet of collarette dahlias, each flower petal a different color of the rainbow with a stunning black center? If anyone can do it, I have faith it will be Floret! How exciting where your dahlia journey is taking you! I cannot wait to hear more about this important venture.

    Reply
  892. Brenda Cramer on

    I have planted the seedlings in my garden and the past couple years they have done well in here in Ohio. I am going to try the tubers this year, my favorite would have to be the dinner plate and in a soft pastel color, with rows and rows of intricately shaped petals. God’s handiwork at its best! Fell in love again with trying new plants in my garden after watching your program this past summer. Thank you.

    Reply
  893. Katie on

    I would love dahlias that have a touch of orange, cranberry, and yellow. I would love a ball variety. I have yet to secure one and would be thrilled to buy one. I would love to grow successfully a bed of dahlias uneaten by bugs!

    Reply
  894. Marcia Lucas on

    A dreamy dahlia would look a lot like your Firefly! First it must be a (mostly) single flower so bees and other pollinators can easily and delightfully use it. And just so it is also pleasing to the human the shape and coloration would catch our eye from a distance and bloom SO prolifically that neighbors walking their children and dogs would be dashing up to see it!

    Reply
  895. Sarah Wright on

    C144/Firefly is my dream dahlia. You nailed it.

    Reply
  896. Suzanne Pan on

    I am attracted to flowers with faces, like the kind of flowers that children draw. I like the look of the open centered dahlias. As far as color is concerned, I like loud and bright, because they make me happy. And if the petals are multi-colored, all the better, since I think it makes the flower more interesting and fun. What attracts me probably won’t be the most elegant or most popular dahlias, but they will make me happy and look like fun. I am so excited that I was able to get a packet of your Bee’s Choice Dahlia seeds. I am looking forward to see what they produce.

    Reply
  897. Claire Painter on

    Ohhhh… my dream dahlia… sigh… it would be a 5-7 in bloom boasting large, layered pointed petals that get smaller as they come up and towards the center. It would be shaped like a multi-pointed star. It’s color would be a cherry-blossom pink with soft hues of cream and yellow. Thank you for all you do, Floret! Your story, influence, inspiration and education has been life-changing for me!

    Reply
  898. Melanie Wilson on

    First of all, thank you for all you and your team do. You are such an inspiration and someone who truly gets what a joy flower gardening is. My dream Dahlia would be a dinner plate, that mixes “dusty” pink and creamy white. This is my first spring planting my own Dahilas seeds from last year’s garden, I’m so excited!! So I will be absolutely thrilled just see anything I “produced “out of my own back yard!!! I had know idea you could grow Dahlias from seed until I watched Making Floret and buying your books. Thank you.

    Reply
  899. Rebecca on

    My dream dahlia would look like a sunset with orange, pink, and even purple hues fading outward to the tips.

    Reply
  900. Brook Stepleton on

    My dream dahlia would be muted pink or peach collarette dahlia.

    Reply
  901. Mary Elizabeth on

    The floret My dream dahlia would look similar to kelgai ann. The floret dahlia is so beautiful!

    Reply
  902. Peggy Vincent on

    If a waterlily dahlia and a formal decorative dahlia could have a child, that would be the perfect dahlia. Shades of pinkish orange are always my favorite colors. Like perfect pops of sunrise and sunset standing out in my garden to welcome the day and wave goodbye as evening settles in. Just something about dahlias that make you smile:). Thanks for your dedication. Thanks for the opportunity to discover new ways to find joy!

    Reply
  903. Sumimol Karavally on

    It is really interesting dahlias can grow from seedlings. I have couple of collections of different dahlias and it’s mesmerizing to see the beauty when it bloom completely in summer.
    I would like to have orand and reddish combination, white and pink colors on the edge of petals.I would like to know more about how you do the pruning and seedlings of different varieties.
    And it’s a great opportunity to read your post and am so excited.

    Reply
  904. Victoria Kabluyen on

    My Dream Dahlia would be the “Firefly” or “Floret” dahlias like what you have. I would also want a Mikayla Miranda type would be such a dream. I bought 2 packs of your dahlia bee’s choice and so far I have 3 growing and I’m sowing more just for more treasures I still don’t know where I’ll plant them.

    Reply
  905. Melissa Scott on

    My dream Dahlia would be a creamy gold that fades into ivory with a blush toward the center! Sounds like heaven!

    Reply
  906. Eleanor Koldniski on

    Erin you are so inspiring.I would love to grow a beautiful Pom Pom shaped dahlia in peachy pink and coral.Also in different shades of lavender to dark purple .But would be happy with anything different😊Thank-you for this great opportunity 😍

    Reply
  907. Theresa Gawthrop on

    I’m very new to dahlias, my first tubers planted last fall did really well and now I’m hooked! If I could dream a dahlia I might look for something bold, a dinner plate size bloom with a dark coral fading to yellow and a purple shade on the petal backs. But since I’m not as familiar with dahlias, perhaps that already exists! There are so many varieties! I’m still gobsmacked.

    Reply
  908. Beverly Spear on

    Roses are red, dahlias are, too. But, I’d love to see a dahlia that’s blue. It could be azure or a poolside hue. Crisp, white edges would give it some spark, like pointy firecrackers in the sky when it’s dark! It won’t be a “collarette”, but maybe a “straight cactus”. Even a “fully double” would be most attractive! The center could be green. What a contrast to see! Fuzzy bits of lime attached to petals of blue, nodding on strong stems, ready to be picked by you!

    You are an inspiration to all flower lovers. Thanks for all your helpful hints and continuous enthusiasm.

    Reply
  909. Clara Devos on

    My dream dahlia would be an amber colored bloom with the lovely twisting petals of a cafe au lait, along with the color variations like cafe au lait, but in warmer amber tones. Sigh!! I’m going to try a bit of dahlia breeding this year, so wish me luck!!

    Reply
  910. Christy on

    Dreamy dahlias… a dark purple outer edge lining the petals, merging into a lavender center in the shape of the flowy/airy ones- can’t recall them, informal decorative style? They remind me of faeries.

    Reply
  911. Linden on

    My dream dahlia would be a coral pink cupcake with a frilly center and a edge of reflexed petals.

    Reply
  912. Mandy on

    WOW this is the coolest!! I’d never thought of trying to breed new kinds, but the idea is SO EXCITING! The possibility!! I have a sweet single that was gifted to me by a friend— it’s sunshiny yellow in the center and transitions to cantaloupe and then watermelon. I also have another favorite that is a deep purple… I am absolutely going to save some seeds this year to see if I can get a cross— maybe the pretty single yellow-to pink with an inner set of deep purple petals? I feel a new addiction in the making… SO FUN! Thank you for taking us along for the ride!

    Reply
  913. Robin Costic on

    My ideal dahlia would be long lasting and begin as one color and fade to another during its life as a cut flower. The first color would be. Coral fading to a light blush. The blossom would be big and full rather than daisy-like

    Reply
  914. Katelyn Wissinger on

    My dream dahlia would be bright tangerine orange, medium (B) sized and formal decorative. The orange color makes me think so much of summer and is just so cheerful. I would also be excited to find deep pinkish- purple dahlias in a breeding patch and I think finding pink and white dahlias without green centers would be really pretty.

    Reply
  915. Deborah on

    I would love to have for flower arranging a dahlia with a yellow center, petals of off white blending into beige on the outer edge of petal, medium size. Is there such a one? Just picturing in my mind, seems like a nice neutral base to go with some added color.☺️ I’ll have to try to draw it.

    Reply
  916. Christy Haig on

    My dream dahlia would combine a creamy yellow and a touch of rose-pink, like a Peace rose. It would be on the larger size!! I am absolutely amazed at all the varieties you raise and thank you for sharing so many wonderful images.

    Reply
  917. Elizabeth on

    I really like the orange / pumpkin ball dahlias. Lucky for me my dream dahlias exist! I would be thrilled to find a Café au Lait in my seedling patch. I decided not to buy any but secretly really love them!

    Reply
  918. Tabatha Hoffman on

    My dream dahlia would be a lightly colored apple blossom looking flower. It wouldn’t have tight packed petals but rather loosely arranged. It would be more whimsical than stoic.

    Reply
  919. Sarah B on

    I love so many different dahlias it is hard to imagine just one that I’d love to see. If I had to guess, I have really started to love the mini ball variety, but it would be fun to see a mini waterlily style in a blush colour similar to that of Sweet Nathalie.

    Reply
  920. Jen Pauley on

    I am so new to Dahlias that I don’t even have answers to your questions! I just LOVE all of the amazing colors this flower comes in, from the deep burgundy to white and everything between. I honestly would love to find any Dahlia growing as each flower is unique and amazingly beautiful. I think I have found another hobby! :-)

    Reply
  921. Evelyn on

    My dream dahlia would be a blue-purple-white ombré anemone. 😍

    Reply
  922. Rose L on

    It is hard to say what my favorite would be. Perhaps a pale peach anemone with a pale yellow center.

    Reply
  923. Janet Schoenbine on

    The dahlia I dream about would be an iridescent white or cream! The center would be a beautiful light pink or peach!

    Reply
  924. Angela Hickman on

    I looooove the apple blossom variety which got me thinking of a cherry blossom variety. Maybe there already is one- but if not wouldn’t that be so pretty to have a super light pinkish white it the anemone style!!?? Be so delicate and pretty.

    Reply
  925. Ali Bruenderman on

    My dream dahlia would be eggplant purple with a sunshine yellow center. Tall, sturdy apple green stems hold this dinner plate dahlia up proudly, as if it was saying “Look at me! Look at me!” Can you imagine it now, blowing in summers breeze as the sun sets behind it? I can!!

    Thank you for the beautiful flowers you breed, the knowledge you so kindly share with us all and most especially the inspiration you have unlocked within me:)

    Reply
  926. Vicki Boyce on

    I would love to see full petals with ombré shading from deep orange in the center to a pale peach at the tips. Maybe some yellow edge on the petals.

    Reply
  927. Amy M on

    My dream Dahlia would be a beautiful blue color. I have the perfect name but will not share. Wishful thanking I know. But I would love to find a beautiful sky blue in my patch of Dahlia’s. I always plant peach and pink colors but would love to see cream with hints of blue.

    Reply
  928. Heidi B on

    My dream dahlia would be colored similar to a daffodil. White fluffy center with bright yellow petals!

    Reply
  929. Charlotte M. on

    The Dahlia that I would we thrilled to find growing in my garden would be a cross between a variety kinda like “Nadia Ruth” but with even more blush like colors. :)

    Reply
  930. Susan Bragg on

    Last year, I grew my first Dahlia’s from seed. I was obsessed watching them grow, and I couldn’t believe that I actually got flowers….unbelievable! I am so new to this idea of growing Dahlia’s that I am so thankful and excited for every flower. I will continue to learn and read about growing Dahlia’s. I live in Texas so the hot weather doesn’t make it easy, but I figured out last summer how to protect them from the heat. Thank you all for inspiring me to grow this beautiful flower.

    Reply
  931. Karen on

    Hot pink with a paler center, definitely dinner plate. ( because I was so freaking proud of myself the first time I grew one that big!)

    Reply
  932. Marja Strutz on

    As a child I planted one dahlia tuber. I was so excited to watch it grow. With no guidance I’m sure I planted it upside down. Planting in the area of the garden where nothing ever grew was also likely why the dahlia never grew. As an adult my gardening skills improved. 🙂 I am drawn to unusually shaped dahlias like C33/Floret and C144/Firefly. The dark pink and raspberry colored dahlias are my favorite, though creamy white ones are a close second. New to WA two years ago, I found your website when I was googling for local flower stands or flower sources. You have an amazing story! There aren’t enough hours in the day for all you’ve accomplished in the last few years. Congratulations!

    Reply
  933. Jody Johnson on

    It’s a bit like choosing your favourite child!! A pom pom style form so it lasts well in a vase , white with a tinge of green. I would use it in every arrangement I create!!!
    Erin and team, you are all rock stars!!!!

    Reply
  934. Shari Howard on

    Since Dahlias bloom later in the season I would love to see one with a warm yellow center fading to a warm bronze on the tips. I tried to gather seeds from my Dahlias last year but the flowers seemed mushy by the time they went to seed. Maybe I waited to long into the rainy season to gather some?? I also live in Washington so we get a lot of rain in the fall.

    Reply
  935. Frances P ONeill on

    My favorite dahlia would be a large dinner plate dahlia because I grew one for the first time last year, and it made me laugh because it was so big. I had been waiting for it to open for days and when it did, I was totally taken off guard by the size. I saw it and looked at it and said, “What is this? By the time I got it into the house, it actually made me giddy when showing it to my family! Now I am a little obsessed with the thoughts of matching larger varieties to the smaller ones for bouquets. I am not sure if can decide between an apricot, lavender, or a buff white, but I know for sure I would name it, “Made Me Giddy!”

    Reply
  936. Annie on

    I’d love to see a dahlia that looks like c33/ Floret with coral pedals or a cafe au latte that is half the size. It would be just delightful to grow cafe au latte, anything in the chocolate coloring, and D11! Thanks for inspiring and encouraging this community of flower lovers!

    Reply
  937. Jennifer Zaptin on

    Congrats on such an amazing story and the amount of people you have educated! I am new to flower growing and have been pouring over all your wonderful information! I have never grown dahlias before but they were my grandmother’s favorite flower. I would love to have any growing in my garden this year and I am sure many favorites would appear! Thanks for all your hard work!

    Reply
  938. Lillian on

    I love David Austin roses, especially the pinky salmon ones that have a touch of yellow, like Boscable or Evelyn. A dahlia in those shades would look quite lovely in an arragement with those roses. It would also have a nice scent and be deer resistant, lol!

    Reply
  939. Nicole Allen on

    I would love anything PINK and frilly! I ordered seeds this year and am so excited to see what I get.

    Reply
  940. Ellen Mullis on

    My dream dahlia would be a maroon waterlily. Bonus if it had an hombre fading towards the ends to white. I am only in my second year of growing dahlias just for the pure joy they bring me and my neighbors and I have already been asked to share my cuttings and tubers with a local winery! Hopefully I can breed one to name after their wines!

    Reply
  941. Stephanie Peebles on

    Dream dahila would be all sorts of large, reliable to grow, and hardy. It would be creamy pastel colored with rounded petals that turn in on itself to make small cones throughout the petals. A fluffy center. Like an appleblossom center. Large enough to stand out in a bouquet, but small enough to handle with ease.

    Reply
  942. Kara Adolphsen on

    My dream dahlia would be dinner plate that starts of yellow then turns orange and middle in dark orange/burnt orange. It would have long stems and good vase life. If I am really dreaming it would be deer resistant.

    Reply
  943. Kathryn Smith on

    I would love to see anything NEW in the pastels. I feel pastels market is growing in the wedding category. So a new pastel in any shape would be my dream new Dahlia.

    Reply
  944. Cat on

    My dream dahlia would be red and white with fluffy petals

    Reply
  945. Deborah Wakefield on

    That’s a hard one because all of them are dreams! You’re creations and Kristine’s are spectacular! But I’d have to say a Waterlily in the precious metal colours.💕
    I can hardly what to try seeds, you got me all excited.
    Love your blogs!
    Thanks for being so real and down to earth! 💐🌸🌷🌹🌺🌸🌺🌹🌷💐🌻🌼

    Reply
  946. Cheryl on

    I have been inspired by your blog & delicious images for over a year now, so I sourced over a dozen varieties of dahlias here in Australia & waited with so much excitement for the flowers. Unfortunately we have had a very humid summer, I’ve battled with broad mites and the last two weeks we’ve had floods here on the east coast and my lovely dahlias have all drowned. After they collapsed, I cut them back, pulled them out of the water & potted them up, not sure they will like that?
    Thankyou for letting me share your excitement & I can fully understand the joy of waiting to see what the new flowers will be.

    Reply
  947. Meg Buchanan on

    Ohhhh…. I want a cafe au lait but in collarette form! Think pale pink, peachy outer petals with a softer muted inner petal. Something that will make all the brides swoon!

    Reply
  948. stephanie on

    my dream dahlia would be one that i would only share with my sisters and i would name it after my late mother… i don’t think i care what it is, just special and individual and ours.

    Reply
  949. Suzanne Tom on

    A curly wurly, crazy wavy, pale blue , lilac with hints of white, waterlily, anemone or collarette type dahlia would be epic!

    Reply
  950. Barb Fraser on

    Something large and fuchsia, almost black colored with long stems.

    Reply
  951. Dale Schielke on

    My dream dahlia would be a peachy ball dahlia 5 foot tall with long stems that produces lots of tubers having relatively short necks on a will defined hub. We can all dream right!

    Reply
  952. Lindsey Casper on

    This is so fun! I just love the anemone with soft yellow and blush pink petals. Maybe a little darker pink veining on the petals. I guess I’m pretty much describing the Floret dahlia from your patch.. I just love it!

    Reply
  953. Crystal Doten on

    I love the shape of Appleblossom but with a light pink center and deeper pink woven through the petals as well.

    Reply
  954. Lori on

    Ooooh a fun crazy looking dahlia would be my dream dahlia, long wavy petals like a combo of Bedhead, HH Shaggy Dog & Insipic , a tiny bit laciniated on the tips, the color of Lindas Baby or a pale peachy coral & a big fluffy yellow anemone center …. :)

    Reply
  955. Alecia Blais on

    My dream dahlia would be an anemone dahlia with the outer oldest petals curving behind. The outside edges in a rich maroon/purple fading inwards to a rich peach color with a bold yellow center.

    Reply
  956. Becky Whittenburg on

    I’ve never grown dahlias before, but since I moved to the northwest it has finally become possible. My daughter grows a small patch and although not a big gardener, she is most excited by them and I have picked up on that excitement. I love the salmon colored frilly ones and purple a lot, but there are so many options it’s hard to choose a favorite.

    Reply
  957. Kirbey Rogic on

    I would love a dinner plate dahlia, similar in size and petal structure to the cafe au last, but a true mauve. The center starting out as that deep, muted mauve and fading out into the softer tones. Sort of like a Koko Loko rose, but in Dahlia form. I love the unique color, and find it’s one that is hard to get your hands on.

    Reply
  958. Caroline Ferreri on

    My dream dahlia, oh that could change on any given day! To me everyone is spectacular; it’s like asking me to pick my favorite child. But if I must choose, I would have to go with the puffiness of “all that jazz”, the colors of “wannabee”…warm, elegant, stunning cheerfulness.

    Reply
  959. Misty Kubala on

    My dream dahlia would be a larger size collarette type with more petals on both the outside and inside smaller petals in a beautiful peachy/pink. The outside petals would be a darker peachy pink coral color and the inner petals a deeper pink with a really fluffy pom pom orange/yellow center.

    Reply
  960. Kris on

    I love the pairing of pink and light yellow, like your Floret dahlia in the photo. I would also love a shorter variety, 2-3 feet tall, which is easier to fit in my home flower beds.

    Reply
  961. Karen Bedy on

    I might as well dream big and invent a dahlia never seen before! It would have a deep purple center similar to Thomas Edison but then transition to raspberry at the outer half near the petal tips. The petals would be curled inward (similar to your Firefly) and the underside that is showing would be a soft blue. It makes my heart glad just to imagine such a creation!

    Reply
  962. Dawn Grunow Lee on

    Flowers that are multi-colored always make me happy! Any dahlia that will thrive in the drought-y eastern part of the bay area (zone 9) will be most welcome!

    Thanks for your books & blog posts, you’re inspirational.

    Reply
  963. Jade Moret on

    Anything in the warm peach and sunset colors!

    Reply
  964. Rebecca Zook on

    My dream dahlia would be the clear brilliant sky blue of a mecanopsis — but blooming so many more months and thriving in my climate! And some of them would be sprinkled with gold, like “totally tangerine” is!

    Reply
  965. LoriAnn W. on

    The subtle grace and elegance of a BLACK SATIN DAHLIA whilst manifesting its brief transformation in bloom is something made perfect.

    Reply
  966. Emily Woodland on

    I am new to growing dahlias. Just the opportunity to start would be a thrill. I love them all!

    Reply
  967. Robin Lensi on

    I love the peachy pink varieties that are not super large.

    Reply
  968. Madalyn Falletti on

    I’d love a productive, vigorous dahlia with strong stems that’s petals have a rose like swirl pattern to them. I would love them to be a vibrant blush apricot at the ends of the petals that just fade into a beautiful cream. I think a small dinner plate size would be great for arrangements. Thank you so much for the inspiration and information!

    Madalyn

    Reply
  969. Brenda on

    I am so new to dahlias that my experience is limited. I have yet to see raspberry coloured dahlias.

    Reply
  970. Cheryl on

    I am in love with beautiful peach daliaha’s. Especially the ones with a deep coral center that fade to a light peach at the tip of the petals.

    Reply
  971. Katie Jones on

    Something white and red- maybe with a peppermint stripe kind of coloring!

    Reply
  972. Kathy on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinnerplate the color of vanilla ice cream with royal blue edging every petal, chances for that are not high, but hey there’s still a chance !

    Reply
  973. Jen on

    Dream dahlia! Every new one I see is a dream :) Big and pink with yellow petal tips!

    Reply
  974. Lesli S. on

    Wow, my perfect dahlia, my mind has raced so many different directions when thinking about it. I’m sure it would be yellow, maybe with some specks of pink, stands tall, and has an abundance of petals.

    Reply
  975. Diane on

    With hundreds, thousands of dreamy Dahlia’s already, it is hard to dream of improvement. Maybe an cool blue dahlia, pom pom!

    Reply
  976. Sara on

    My dream daliaha would be a big dinner plate with coral center that fades to a beautiful soft white! Although, I find any I plant from seed seem to amaze me each year!

    Reply
  977. Darcey on

    The dreamiest of dahlias would have a waterlily form with the palest pastel apple-blossom pink, and the palest blushing pastel apricot intermixed along the petals, radiating from a middle of creamy pastel lemon-flesh yellow, making it appear to be lit from within. With just enough warmth from the yellow and apricot, and just enough cool from the pink, this dahlia would be a perfect addition to any arrangement. Sturdy stems with a few flowers each would also make her a perfect specimen to stand alone. Her aged colors will bring to mind antique roses and faded book pages and an old baptismal gown and ancient recipe cards and Grandma’s tea towels.

    Reply
  978. Karen on

    My dream dahlia would be perfect for the 4th of July, red, white, and true blue! But realistically, a bright pink! And a perfect size for bouquets, maybe 4 inches or 6 inches, with LOTS of blooms. Bonus if it can grow in hard clay! Lol

    Reply
  979. Amber on

    I love the light colored pom pom ones! I also like the large ones with unique coloring and shapes!

    Reply
  980. Amanda W on

    My dream dahlia would be a cactus type with soft cream/peach petals and vivid raspberry outlining

    Reply
  981. Isabel Nuno on

    I would love to find a big pink salmon dahlia, or maybe a blue, purple one! I love warm tones so I would be happy with any dalhia with them!

    Reply
  982. Patrice Holodnick on

    I would love to see a honeycomb type with lavender and purple petals! That would be spectacular!

    Reply
  983. Tracy Duncan on

    My dream Dahlia would be similar to either what looks like your #C189 or C316. Red is my favorite flower color, and to have huge blooms with white and red would be a dream come true!

    Reply
  984. Kelly on

    Wow! Your top 3 favorites are all stunners! Firefly looks so enchanting out in the field. I love romantic and whimsy colors usually, but lately I’ve been drawn to more unique colors and shapes. I’d love to find a darker-hued dahlia that has blue undertones, as most of the ones I’ve seen have red undertones. (Is it even possible?! What a feat that would be!)

    Reply
  985. Deb O'Neal on

    Hi Floret, Thank you for all of the inspiration! With your coaching I had my first flower garden last year and I was spectacular, if I may say so myself! My dream dahlia would be very similar in color to KA’s Champagne! Antique shades of white, mauve and yellow tending toward a dinnerplate size! A bouquet of them would look perfect anywhere, for any occasion! But mostly I would enjoy their beauty in my garden where I would plant and wait for them, love to see their growth, then enjoy their peaceful beauty for days!

    Reply
  986. Kelly Shaul on

    I would love to find an offspring of Firefly. It would be so difficult to part with this beauty, but I would love to share her with all of our bee friends in our community garden plot. She is just stunning! Both my husband and I have been in awe of this gorgeous dahlia since she was shared on Instagram.

    Reply
  987. Patty Luke on

    I’m a pink lover do my ideal dahlia would be pink shades. Medium size. I’m new to the dahlia growing world so I’m just discovering their beauty. I plan to grow from seee this year since I lost all my tubers to rot. But I have your seeds and I collected my own last year. I’m excited to see what they become!!

    Reply
  988. G on

    I want something super funky! I love speckled petals (think: Hy Trio, Destiny’s Teachers or Cambridge) and spidery petals (think: Hollyhill Spider Woman or China Town). What about BOTH?!?!?! It would be a lot to handle – but I can handle it!

    Reply
  989. Travis Scudder on

    I would love to see a Giant Ball – Like 8 inches across with high petal count. I want the look of bloomquist blush with the color lined petals with Dark pink and perhaps a light pink color petal. A white/cream color to it would be great!

    Reply
  990. Margi on

    My dream dahlia would be a very full, electric blue with white edges. I haven’t met a dahlia I haven’t loved, so any dahlia coming up in my seedling patch would be a joy, with the added bonus of waiting to see what the flowers will be.

    Reply
  991. Elma Mandal on

    A dreamy dahlia would be one that is cold hardy up growing zone 5 :) … as for colors, as long as it is not purple or blue- I would love it … I know this is an unpopular opinion so I am sorry: it is MY dream dahlia. Wishing you good luck and many success in your endeavors!!

    Reply
  992. KAREN SLADDEN on

    Your flowers are all so lovely! My dream dahlia would have the shape of C179 and close to those colors in the middle petals and center, but the outer petal edges (or petals themselves) would be crimson or burgundy. But really, they are all so pretty and unique that I would be okay with whatever grows. Thanks for sharing your passion with us!

    Reply
  993. Holly on

    EGGS! I would love any dahlia that was white with a dark golden center. Maybe something with a few outer petals and a large golden center. I love any flowers that remind me of our beautiful, free range, rainbow chicken eggs frying in a pan.

    Reply
  994. 🌻 Susan Allred on

    What would my dream dahlia look like is like asking me to pick my favorite child. Each comes (child or dahlia) with an inner beauty and character all their own. I’ve always had zinnias in my garden since they were my wedding flower some 49 years ago. I love their vibrant colors. Adding dahlias to my garden would be like adding a new best friend. I love the uniqueness and charm of dahlias. And look forward to the day when they will add their charm and beauty to my garden.

    Reply
  995. Tina on

    I can’t wait to plant my Dahlia seeds and discover something new! I hope I find a shade of nude that matches my favorite lipstick.

    Reply
  996. Maureen deTar on

    Hi Erin, I am falling in love with Collarettes and Anemone Dahlias. My dreamy one would be an anemone with pinky coral petals and a pale yellow center. I have planted my first dahlia seeds this year and my daughter and I are excited to see where it leads us. She is determined to become a flower farmer in her spare time, with seven children that she is also growing including one daughter with a brain tumor. I would give her the books since she can make it all come true. What started as a new gardening niche for us has become our relaxation obsession. Whenever things become overwhelming, we pull out our dahlia charts for next year and start planning more. We have collectively ordered 89 tubers for this spring after growing our first three last year. Our husbands think we are nuts! Thank you for all of your wisdom shared. We look forward to every book and post. Love, Maureen and Genevieve.

    Reply
  997. Mia Marles on

    I am new to gardening and growing but have always loved dahlias. I remember needing to find out the name of this gorgeous flower the first time I saw one so that I could try growing some myself. My dream dahlia would be a rounded sphere shaped with deep plum coloured purple on the inside of the petal that would fade to a lighter purple/blush pink colour towards the outer tips. Thank you for your seeds and teachings you offer to the world.

    Reply
  998. Valerie Thrall on

    I grew dahlias from the seeds you sold at Floret Seeds, for the very first time a few years ago. They were called Bee’s Choice. I really thought the name was cute and appropriate. They grew so well and attracted many bees to my vegetable garden. I saved a few seeds! I am excited to see what grows from these seeds. My favorite dahlia form would be an over-sized fuzzy yellow center with white petals tipped in pale pink or a soft lavender. Thank you.

    Reply
  999. Tori on

    Hi Floret!
    When I saw this update come across my email I dropped everything. I have come to love everything dahlias. So, following on your breeding journey has been such a delight. If I could curate my own dahlia; it would be a prolific plant with pink and lavender. I want it to have a beautiful yellow center with double petals.
    Thanks for the opportunity and for sharing about your farm! ❤️

    Reply
  1000. Diane Peterson on

    A dreamy dahlia would be one that causes me to smile nonstop. The color/s displayed would have me turning it this way and that in the light just to fully enjoy its beauty. I love flowers, but one that stops me in my tracks is just…. That’s my dream dahlia.

    Reply
  1001. Emily Davis on

    How exciting! I love all of the experimenting and learning that goes into flower projects. I spent about five years growing varieties of hearty, West Texas friendly flowers in a small garden patch for our local farmer’s market. Loved being able to share them with others! Since I live in the warm, windy West Texas area, my dream dahlia would be strong, hearty, and of course beautiful. A friend and I have purchased a few tubers to see what we can do with them this year. It’s an exciting experiment! Seedlings – how fun to see different colors and shapes pop up!

    Reply
  1002. Savana St. Aubin on

    Hi Floret, thank you for sharing so many wonderful resources and inspiring home gardeners such as myself.

    While it’s impossible to choose just one, my ideal dahlia is a rich yellow center with fuzzy petals. It’s the kind of bloom that, when you look at it, you simply can’t help but smile. It’s actually pretty close to C146! In a perfect world, it would be a hardy, bushy producer. I live on a cul-de-sac and would plant in my front yard for all to enjoy.

    Reply
  1003. Linda Wylie on

    I am 68 years old and just purchased my first dahlia tubes from a big box store. I seem to be attracted to soft creamy colored flowers so I guess that would be what my favorite dahlia would look like. Love reading about your journey and wishing I could go back a few decades and follow in your footsteps. Wish me luck growing my five tubulars. God bless you and your family for inspiring people everywhere to go after their dreams.
    Linda
    Granny gardener

    Reply
  1004. Kathy Hutchens on

    As I write this my daughter and her family are in Pennsylvania and I live in West Texas. My daughter discovered Floret in the cold of winter. Your story, vision and especially your flowers brought her great joy! She shared it all with me! We talk about Floret almost every day and even now are starting our seeds from Floret….. though miles apart. We look forward to the day we are reunited and can have our own mother/daughter garden!
    My dream Dahlia would have a delicate blush center as the petal transitions/fades out to cream with the slightest detection of a very pale blush on the edges. I would have to name it “The Haley Elizabeth” dahlia. Don’t let the delicate color in this dahlia fool you! Although it communicates soft and romantic, this dahlia stands out and is full, confident and strong.
    Thank you for your inspiration and educating us on “all things floral.”
    As far as what I would love to find in my seeding patch?! Anything full and pink!

    Reply
  1005. Kristen Wade on

    Dahlias are one of my absolute favorites, and they grace the dining table all summer and into the Fall. I tend to be drawn to the peach / salmon colors, and particularly love the pom shape. Although Cafe au lait is truly spectacular! Such a dilemma to choose a favorite. I suppose the dream dahlia would be a peach colored Cafe au lait!

    Reply
  1006. Raylene on

    My dream dahlia? I’m a fan of the water lily shape, so that would be the first aspect. As for coloring, I’d love to see something with a contrast of light and dark. It’s hard to decide whether a light color with dark edging or vice versa would better. Some of the varieties I like are KAs Mocha Jo, Bluebell, and your Firefly! I would love to have Firefly.

    Reply
  1007. Leslie Marchman on

    My dream dahlia is a dinner plate pink with a yellow center. Or perhaps and ombre pinion that is also dinner plate in size. I have enjoyed you book and blog so much, and I look forward to your Instagram postings. Thank you for all the inspirations.

    Reply
  1008. Madison O'Brien on

    I think a teal or any blueish green would be amazing! this is my first garden this season and I am excited to see what dalhias I can grow from seeds this year! :)

    Reply
  1009. Aimee Thuen on

    A lavender ivory combo with darker purple outlines. Ruffled and textured. Medium sized. One that floats on the wind. Your excitement is inspiring! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  1010. Erin M Sullivan on

    I am a newbie and would love to learn from your experience and get started in beautifying my yard which is currently in need of HELP!

    Reply
  1011. Brooke Harrison on

    I would love a dahlia that is about 4 feet tall in bloom and doesn’t need staking, that has petals that are loose (maybe a double?), and has color that varies from yellow to coral or salmon.

    Reply
  1012. Jacki Baschmann on

    My dream dahlia would be a buttercream ball variety with peach accents. It would have long and strong stems, bloom early and be resistant to powdery mildew.

    Reply
  1013. Amelia Wyss on

    My dream dahlia would have mauve-colored petals that gradually turned into a lighter pink as they went in with a big orange anther. It would be about 5 inches in diameter with big petals on the outer edge! Wish I could draw it as I’m not that good with words! ;) I’m sooooooooooooo excited for spring!!!!

    Reply
  1014. Chloe on

    This is my first year growing flowers, and my family and I decided that we couldn’t grow dahlias because we couldn’t afford it. All the places we looked had dahlias I didn’t love or were too expensive. I have gotten your books Cut Flower Garden and A Year in Flowers and I deeply love them both! I would love to have a dahlia that was as big as Café au Lait, but had coloring like Apple blossom. Or a branching one that looked like the rose Distant Drums. Love you Erin + Floret team!

    Reply
  1015. Stacey Lee on

    I’m a Dahlia newbie & still thrilled when I have success. This has inspired me to try my hand at growing Dahlias from seed. Thanks for all of your beautiful and informative content. I always come away feeling like….I can do it! In regard to color, I’m a sucker for creamy yellow & peach.

    Reply
  1016. Jennifer Stewart on

    Thank you Floret for so lovingly sharing your exciting advances with Dahlia breeding! You are inspiring and I’m almost ready to take the plunge. For now I’m just working on Dahlia cuttings and my little packet of seeds from your book that I got last year. I’m excited to see what pops up from that!

    Reply
  1017. LJ on

    My dream dahlia would be one that stood tall, with it’s face gently lifted to the sun. It would look delicate with glistening petals of swirling colors that deepened slightly as it aged. It might look delicate, but it would have strength and inner beauty to stand to the toughest storms, and it would bring a soft sigh and gentle smile to everyone that saw it.

    Reply
  1018. Margaret Stokes on

    Thank you so much, Erin and Team Floret, for your inspiration, hard work, and passion. This is such a beautiful and interesting piece. Thank you for sharing such beauty!

    Reply
  1019. Katja on

    My dream dahlia would be a dark blue on the outside getting more pastel-lighter blue on the inside, it should look like a foggy March-morning on a lake.

    Reply
  1020. Kassandra McFarland on

    I would love to find a soft yellow with a green center, that does well in sandier soil. I have an area in my garden, and a bouquet of my dreams that is screaming for this combination.

    Reply
  1021. Elizabeth W. on

    My dream dahlia would be one that grows well in SE Texas with our heat and humidity. As far as appearance, a true lavendar pom pom would be amazing!

    Reply
  1022. Catalina Maldonado on

    I would be thrilled if I found a C162, 189 or a c144 growing in my garden! But honestly I would be amazed to find any of the gorgeous Dahlias growing, especially from seed because I have not attempted growing flowers from seed yet, just received my seeds I ordered from you and I am really excited to get growing! My dream Dahlia would have petals like c162 but the color inside of the 335. Thank you for all your hard amazing work 👏🏽

    Reply
  1023. Jana b on

    I have not tried growing Dahlia’s from seed yet and am just learning about this fabulous flower. I’m sure there is one like this out there but my favorite would be one that starts with a soft. buttery yellow that and morphs out to a soft peachy pink. Would like to try growing in pots that I can move around my garden. Thank you for sharing your love and expertise in all things Dhalias!

    Reply
  1024. Mandy Bergstrom on

    I think that my dream dahlia flower would be off the Peony type in a blue bird color with white tips. This is my first year to try the very few seeds that I was able to find at a farm store. I would love to win your book and learn from your work.

    Reply
  1025. Maélie on

    My dream dahlia would be a really big white dahlia ball with strikes of yellow and pink on the petals ! Like a big cake of sugar petals.

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  1026. Sandra Christiansen on

    My dream dahlia would look like the memory of my mom. Creamy apricot (her skin tone), add in some peachy pink (the blush on her cheeks) and just a touch of red (her lipstick). I may have to grow a few dahlias from seed and give it a try. Love your enthusiasm for new projects and ideas.

    Reply
  1027. Lisa on

    My dream dahlia would be soft pink petals that are edged in a brighter pink with a coordinating pom pom like center!

    Reply
  1028. Christina J Muhr on

    A waterlilly dahlia that brightens from yellow orange in the middle to a bright red on the petal tips.

    Reply
  1029. Becky on

    My dream dahlia would be bigger than my hand, better yet it would be the size of a salad plate. It would be black at first glance, but in the sun’s light it would show an ombré of deep purples to light maroon. The very edges might even be a dark pink. It would be fluffy and wild and glorious.

    Reply
  1030. Darcy on

    Mine would be a smaller compact that works in a patio garden. The shades of deep purple to light from the inside to the outer petals. The leaves would have a touch of white or gold along the edges reflecting the shades of purple as sunlight moves during the day. Such a plant would truly make one stop and breath in the moment.

    Reply
  1031. Lucinda Hansen on

    My favorite dahlia would be on a stalk over my head, a bloom as large as my Mac Book Pro, with a mass of spidery twisty petals in shades of orange with cinnamon, pink and magenta. It would be named Setting Sun.

    Reply
  1032. Jessica on

    My dream dahlia would be 3-4 inches, water lily, and maroon!

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  1033. Sarah McCormick on

    I had a big dahlia that was a dark apricot that I haven’t been able to find again! I would definitely try to get another one of those. I would be so happy to get some of your dahlia seeds, I missed my chance last year because even though I bought a copy of your book it was a gift so I didn’t get to grow any of the seeds.

    Reply
  1034. Janet J on

    Blue is my favorite color but there are so few blue dahlias that I would love something like a Creme de Cassis but blue instead of purple the dark on the back of the leaves with light blue blush petals <3 and maybe a ball dahlia in a french blue…did I mention I love all things blue

    Reply
  1035. Marie-France Côté on

    My dream dahlia? The one whose beauty would make me feel like the luckiest florist farmer having the privilege to admire it’s grace. Lime color with yellow undertones reminiscent of Key lime pie!

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  1036. Deborah Shimpock on

    I would love to find a beautiful apricot bigger than Totally Tangerine but in that firm.

    Reply
  1037. Hannah King on

    What a prompt! I love dahlias for the seemingly never ending range of rainbow color they possess. But, my first thought was– something of the sea, ethereal, mermaid like, mother of pearl colors, iridescent blue greens, pinks and creams, silver and golds and shimmering. I imagine I would spend all my time just watching it age, moving it around in different light, studying it, painting it, probably writing poetry about it hah! It would be the muse of all my dahlias!

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  1038. Carrie Dehen on

    Last year my daughter and I planted a small dahlia garden in my backyard. The flowers ranged from 1 foot tall going all the way up to 9 feet tall, there were hundreds of Beautiful blossoms. It was the most spectacular sight to see and gave me peace and comfort all summer and early fall. This year she is taking half of what we grew and is looking forward to sharing the same experience. My dream Dalia would be for her to have a field full of her favorite colors of pink dinner plate sized bursting out of the ground and reaching towards the sun. Blessings to you for starting this amazing adventure. Thank you. Carrie

    Reply
  1039. Chiara Dominguez on

    My favorite dahlia would be a mix of ombre soft colors, with round petals that vary in sizes and that has a life vase of 7 days.

    My dream to find in my seedling patch would be to have rare flowers with sunshine bright colors that remind me about the beauty of being different and that things will be ok.

    Reply
  1040. Brenda on

    Looking to try growing dahlias from seed this year. Would be thrilled to see multi colored ball dahlias in my garden.

    Reply
  1041. Diane Pilon on

    Dahlias are my favourite flower. They bloom through the summer and fall providing us with great JOY! They are also a great flower to cut for bouquets that I lovingly give to my friends and for long-term care homes. I love all colours and shapes. I have tried many times to keep them over winter but have not been successful even after watching your videos. Thank you for this opportunity and for all the work that you do to bring JOY into the world.

    Reply
  1042. Cheri Heath Fullen on

    My dream Dahlia would be a creamy mixture of pink and purple and I would name it, Lorraine, in honor of my Mom. Those were my Moms favorite colors. Our dream was to start a cut flower farm together. Before we had the chance to do that, Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimers. She passed away in July 2020. In March 2021, I brought a 10 acre farm and started our dream.

    Reply
  1043. Cris on

    I would love a large, single, light pink or white green leaved dahlia to sparkle in my evening garden!

    Reply
  1044. Liane on

    I love the English cottage garden look, so anything in shade of pinks ,blues or purples is what I like the most .
    Merci❤️

    Reply
  1045. Amber Haines on

    I’m leaning toward the star shapes with poofy centers, and any dash of a tangerine-y pink would make it perfect.

    Reply
  1046. Darla on

    My dream dahlia would be the one blooming in my garden! They are all so lovely, it is hard if not impossible to pick a favorite. I do especially enjoy those with delicate multi-colorations. What fun it must be to walk among the beds of blooms in their season. Thanks for sharing the photos in March when we are all hungry for green and growing and blooming things!

    Reply
  1047. Alyssa on

    One of my dream dahlias would be something shaped like Labyrinth, but smaller. Like 5 inches and purple!

    Reply
  1048. Reshma Kasim on

    Dahlias have a special place in my heart. I was blessed by a mass of them in all the varieties that I could imagine! I have always grown them from seeds and they never fail to surprise me. I let them be for the myriad buzzing pollinators, the tiniest of humming birds, and simply to enjoy the drunken bumble bees hanging in there sleeping. The amazing surprises that bloom have inspired my dormant painting skills. So much so that every season without them is unthinkable. It would be exciting to discover a bloom that has all my three favorite winning colors in a dahlia, orange, lavender, and yellow, why not with a dark magenta edging.

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  1049. Marshelle Tanner on

    I would love to win apple blossom , April Heather or break out. I over wintered my dahlias unsuccessful this winter. I am starting over.

    Reply
  1050. Kelly Booth on

    My dream Dahlia would be a star shaped mini no more than 1” in diameter with petals of apricot perfectly outlined in raspberry dotted with a white button center! I have the sweetest idea of a mommy and me set of bouquets that would compliment each other. If I found a tiny little gem like this in my garden it would for sure make my heart skip a beat!

    Reply
  1051. Rebecca McIntire on

    First- I just want to say thank you for sharing all of your beautiful flowers with the world! I recently experienced a death in my family and watching your show brought me a sense of peace I have not felt in a long time. The simplistic beauty and stillness of your flowers helped heal my soul and inspired me to try my hand at growing flowers from seed this year. With that said- my ideal dahlia would have the palest pink petals with peach champagne edges that would glisten in the sunlight and remind those who look at it to be still and appreciate the warmth of every sunrise.

    Reply
  1052. Brenda Morr on

    My dream dahlia would be a collarette, that is raspberry in color with apricot or orange

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  1053. Julia Chellew on

    I am going to try Dahlia’s this year! You have inspired me with your beautiful flowers!

    Reply
  1054. Connie on

    I’ve never grown dahlias but would like to try this year. The pink bouquet you are holding is a color that I really like! But all of the colors are gorgeous! It’s hard to choose just one! I also would like to see what the Pom pom shapes would look like in shades of blue. Is that possible with dahlias?

    Reply
  1055. Tina Cornett on

    The dream dahlia would have water lily petals, strong straight purple-tinged stems, and would range in color from punchy coral/peach to soft pale pink/cream. It would be prolific in flower production, tolerate some shade and would be despised by Japanese Beetles😊

    Reply
  1056. Emmy Husfloen on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate bright white with yellow edges and orangish center like the brightness of the sun when you shouldn’t be looking at it.
    I want it to take my breath away while embracing it’s beautiful glory.
    Thank you Erin for this enchanting story of how you became the breeder you are today.
    I would also like to know how many staff you have at Floret and how you got your love of growing flowers.

    Reply
  1057. Marcia Goodsite on

    At 60 years old, I am returning to a little family plot of land (3 acres) to learn about growing flowers. I love pink and Little Miss Sunshine. Your evident love of the process and the joy you’re sharing is a breath of fresh air. The example of hard work and friendships around this venture is heartwarming. Thank you for sharing your flower adventures with us!

    Reply
  1058. Alice Vlasak on

    Where I live in the south, Camellias are considered the queen of the winter with highly varied flowers that bloom continuously from October through March. Dahlias are definitely the queens of the summer. The dahlia I envision would be a rendition of the “Cupcake” camellia which has a bloom with yellow center and small delicate coral pink tone petals that shade darker on the petal edges with occasional deeper pink stripes. The pink stripes and bloom size may vary in size among different flowers. Who would not love to grow a dahlia as sweet as a cupcake.

    Reply
  1059. Katie Estrada on

    Well actually I may have found my perfect tuber. This year I grew a few 100 flats of different seed, I even got some from Latvia off Etsy. As all these little gems start to come to life, I have one odd ball already that is tossing off little arms for CLIMBING!!!!! I love all coral colors and warm yellows a peach rimmed yellow would be my ideal maybe in a cactus variety.

    Reply
  1060. Leah Partridge on

    The dream dahlia!!! Ahhh! It would the lavender of sunrise with a hint of yellow on the tip of the petals. It would be a medium sized dahlia with an opened center. The opened center would start with a lush burgundy leading to the softness of the lavender. Oh, and it’s long stems and blooms are resistant to Japanese beetles!

    Reply
  1061. Mike Novik on

    I would try and develop a plant that doesnt need staking, produce strong flower stems long enough for tall arrangements. I am attracted to pastel and deep dark colors with interesting shapes and petal forms.

    I have been developing Hybrid Day Lilys and have many fun ones.

    Reply
  1062. Tammy on

    I have planted the seeds that came with your new book and I have to say that my dream dahlia would have a soft yellow center and transition to apricot with the outer edges a deep pink. It would have a double layer of rounded petals. The stem would allow it to sway in the breeze. I’m hooked!

    Reply
  1063. Joni Bunk on

    Soft pink and cream with ruffles, lots of petals, thinking along the lines on my favorite dahlia Breakout. I’ve been growing dahlias for more than 10 years but have never grown from seed, sounds like something I need to try!

    Reply
  1064. theresa L humes on

    My dream dahlia is dark dark blue petal with a deep red/burgundy center. I’ve never grown Dahlias before but I would love to wake up, walk out onto my deck and watch the sun creep over my flower garden with all the colors of all your dahlias…plus the one I described above. How could it be any better then that?

    Reply
  1065. Jennifer Leonard on

    I would love to see a dinner plate dahlia with a lime hue to play off some of the perennials in my garden. Thanks for all you do!

    Reply
  1066. Brenda Koshollek on

    I love, love, love Little Miss Sunshine … My husband and I had a greenhouse and landscape business with 7 greenhouses and recently sold that so I now have time to devote to “my” flowers and loving it ! I’ve been growing dahlias that I acquire from friends as tubers but will love growing the seedlings and see what comes from it ! Thanks for giving me this flower excitement ! Brenda

    Reply
  1067. Jill Rodriguez on

    I would love to see an orange and blue dahlia as crazy as that seems. I graduated from the university of Illinois and those are the school colors.

    Reply
  1068. Rebecca John on

    That C33/Floret is pretty perfect! It shows soft sorbet colors with a little fiery streak thrown in! I love the unpredictability of it!

    Reply
  1069. Melanie Miller on

    I love the colors in American Dawn. I am planting tubers for the first time this year. I am also trying a pompon variety indoor sown from seed. They look so lovely when they bloom. I am so excited.

    Reply
  1070. Donna on

    Dream dahlia would be the color of a perfect sunset in a combination of soft pinks, orange and yellow.

    Reply
  1071. Judy Allen-Phillips on

    I would love to see a blush outer petals with inner petals with mauve or darker pink coloration and dark yellow/gold center. But every dahlia is one I love so it’s hard to be picky! Thank you, Erin, for being so willing to share what you’ve learned with even the home gardener who just aspires to have beauty in the garden and in her vases.

    Reply
  1072. Shu-Jean on

    My dream dahlia would be a blue one, like true blue not purple. Alas, I know that can’t happen so I’ll take any. Cheers.

    Reply
  1073. Amy on

    Coral/peachy orange with green center. Lovely work – thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  1074. Kris on

    I like salmon runner. Also like the muted pinks.

    Reply
  1075. Maria Suarez on

    A dusty peach with loose, wild petals and a strong, conspicuous. center

    Reply
  1076. Jan Hedrick on

    I’m still learning about dahlias so haven’t developed any favorites yet! This will be my third year growing dahlias from my saved tubers so I want to try to harvest seeds this fall.

    Reply
  1077. Katie Ward on

    My favorite color is yellow, so I think my dream dhalia would have soft butter-yellow tones with a faint blush of pink or peach. It would be a ball type as I think those are whimsical in the garden.

    Reply
  1078. Anna Shepherd on

    I love peach/apricot and lilac tones-l would love a dahlia with both! My favorite type right now is anemone dahlias. I also love to watch my favorites fade into new shades as they age, so that would be an important feature!

    Reply
  1079. Stacy on

    Love them all. I think all dahlia lovers agree. In the end, would love the most funky and unusual. Big fan of interesting variations in pedals and wouldn’t it be cool if we could get interesting variegation in leaves! Always appreciate u sharing ur knowledge and passion with us.

    Reply
  1080. Dana Paradis on

    Two of my greatest flower lives are hydrangeas and dahlias! Blue Nikko hydrangeas are my absolute favorite. I would love to see a blue equivalent in the dahlia world. To fill my fall garden with the color I enjoy the most in my summer garden would be a dream come true💙

    Reply
  1081. Stephanie Schoenthaler on

    My dream dahlia would be a wispy, wild peony-type dahlia with a very soft, understated lavender / lilac color. I’m imagining it being almost iridescent, with the slightest hint of blueish-white in the petals. At the very end of a long summer day, when the daylight is almost gone, it will glow against the deep green backdrop of the garden. I would call it “Bedtime”, because when you see it glowing in the garden, you know it’s nearing time to head in for the night! Haven’t we all been there, squinting in the garden until way too late? These have also been such peaceful, beautiful moments for me.

    Reply
  1082. Joe Setnicar on

    I would love to be able to grow a two toned flower. One year a half yellow half red flower bloomed and I have no idea how that happened but everybody loved it. I took a picture of it and would love to show it to you.

    Reply
  1083. Liana on

    I would LOVE to have a true BLUE dahlia! Not purple, not periwinkle, BLUE!!!!! As blue as salvia patens! Size and shape wouldn’t matter because I’d just be so head over heals about it being blue, nothing else would really matter. If it could be 6-8 inches and ball shaped even better, but can you imagine……..a blue dahlia!?! I’d name it Sapphire Skies of course! What a beautiful garden row it would be! Rows of sapphire skies, indescribably beautiful!!!!!

    Reply
  1084. Madison Crowley on

    How do I begin to describe my dream dahlia? My idea of it changes monthly. Foremost, I would have to say a prolific producer is most important. I am an oncology/hospice RN and I use cut flowers in my garden to make bouquets for my patients. Secondly, I am really in love with ball dahlias for the moment. Especially those that are two toned and I always lean towards softer shades of pink and orange. I also really enjoy peony/single dahlias with open centers for the pollinators. Thank you Floret for this opportunity for a giveaway. It’s clear how much dahlias bring people joy!

    Reply
  1085. Melody De Santiago on

    My dream dahlia would be a big pink ball with different shades of soft pink! 💕

    Reply
  1086. Linda M. Welch on

    My favorites are ball dahlias, I’d love seeing a mixed color variety for fall. I’m beginning my journey this spring in the Dahlia world. I plan on a few raised beds in my small yard. I want to have my husband make me a flower cart to take our front of the house so I can share with my neighbors. I make crepe paper dahlias all winter and share….want to grow real dahlias to share. Just a newbie to the dahlia. I grow several cut type flowers in my yard.

    Reply
  1087. Jan Reynoso on

    I would love to see a Dahlia like its bursting from Heaven! In my mind I see a flower shaped like a star with bright white and pale pastel color petals. I’m so in love with Dahlia’s and would love to have the opportunity to watch them grow in my garden and lift their beautiful flowers to the sky!

    Reply
  1088. Raewyn Carr on

    It is the petal formations that attract me to dahlias. There are many different species of dahlias with unique petal patterns that just fascinate me. I would say the pompon dahlia is my favourite. They display an infinite swirl of florets with fold upon fold of
    incredibly flawless petals. Ah – the Fibonacci sequence shines through with this one. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to grow a dahlia with a new petal shape along with a gorgeous colour like a blush pink or salmon, creamy white or yellow.

    Reply
  1089. Carrie Stufft on

    I love to see how the bright shades of pink pop out among the varying blooms with the candy stripe blossoms. My daughter and I are just starting out this year with a cut flower project to add to the farmers market they go to each week selling their freshly grown produce. We both love growing flowers and discovered how dahlias are a great flower to include in all of our arrangements. So this year one of the wheat fields will be transformed and hopefully bursting with color ready to share with many others.

    Reply
  1090. Arlene M. Pepin-McConnell on

    My dream Dahlia would consist of a traditional red pompon style and deepened green foliage that stands about 4 feet tall. The same breed that my Mother use to have so I could envision her smile each time a flower blossomed to prove that she was content with what her hands had provided in the glory of hard work in progress and satisfaction that, “she did it!”

    Reply
  1091. Lyndal Todd on

    Peachy pink flowers with yellows and orange blended colours are stunning. But really, is it possible to pick just one. They are all just gorgeous. It’s amazing to see all the varieties, sizes, colours and shapes and must be even more exciting to discover new ones.

    Reply
  1092. Amanda Windsor on

    I would love to see a bird’s nest dahlia in a rich purple-y red.

    I hope these beautiful flowers stay a joy and escape for you and never a chore.

    Reply
  1093. Amy Dingler on

    My dream Dahlia? Raspberry that fades into peach as she ages. She would be a bit disheveled–nothing too formal looking, and have a big open center for the bees–so maybe something like a collerette or anemone. Not too tall, or too big, so I don’t have to give her too much support. She would beam out ‘Be happy! The world is still a beautiful place.’

    To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s in your 215 already– so I can’t wait to see them all!
    Amy

    Reply
  1094. Dorset Dahlias on

    I would love the charming open friendly face of Apple Blossom combined with the glorious Pucci shirt sunset colours of Waltzing Mathilda – now that would bring a smile to the face.

    Reply
  1095. Anastasia Cofano on

    Anything that brings a smile to my face!! Or to my husband or daughter’s. I know it will have a ripple effect ♥️ But lately I’m really into pastel colors, and with another pregnancy, reminiscing on my childhood. The wonder of watching the passing clouds, the excitement and elegance of wearing the costumes when performing ballet.. saying hello to the creeping caterpillars, or the butterflies. Anything that keeps my heart inspired and motivated to keep daydreaming and pondering all the beauty, I know will bring joy to other people 🌸🌼

    Reply
  1096. Autumn Meadow on

    I would love to find a yellow tip turning into a purple center or a lime green turning into a magenta center.

    Reply
  1097. Teri Lucas on

    About 10 years ago my sister gave me one dahlia tuber and I planted in a pot. Neither one of us knew the name it was just a beautiful deep purple. After watching your videos this year I found out I could dig up the tubers and divide them! I mention all that to say I’m not picky! Any beautiful flower brings me such delight. My favorite color is yellow so I would be thrilled to see that color in any form. My dream dahlia would be the colors of a sunset with yellows, oranges and pink.

    Reply
  1098. Lisa Hill on

    I would love to see a fluffy yellow center with star like petals that start out pink and then fades into a purple tip.
    I would be thrilled to find muted pastels. Dahlias of every size and varying textures.

    Reply
  1099. Victorine on

    Difficult to say… Dahlias are so beautiful in the garden surrounded by all the varietes and colors ! Your field pictures are so inspiring, they are making me peaceful and happy. I am a drawer and I think flower gardens are one of the best inspirations for me. It’s like drops of rainbows everywhere. I guess my favorites would be soft pink, apricots, lilac and deep red. I don’t mind the shape there are all pretty. Thank you for your work !

    Reply
  1100. Kira on

    I hope to begin breeding dahlias myself soon! This is a dream project for me, and although I love so many different varieties for their many, varied colors and forms, I have to say that the anemone shape is my favorite in terms of form. There is something so sweet about those big, puffy centers and draping outer petals that I just can’t get enough. As for color, I really love apricots, pinks, yellows… all colors, really, but if I HAVE to choose, then those. So bright and happy! So, I suppose the ideal dahlia, combining all my favorites, an anemone shaped dahlia with a golden yellow center and apricot to lovely soft pink petals surrounding the edges! An ideal I didn’t know I had until now.

    Also, who else’s heart rate increased when looking at all this beautiful dahlia eye candy?! Whoo-wee!

    Reply
  1101. Echo Zhang on

    I want something pink and yellow. When people see it, they feel happy and cheerful. The yellow should be like sunshine, and the pink is soft and romantic. In this hard time, I hope there is a dahlia variety that can bring people a little bit of peace and remind us there is still hope and beauty. Of course, the vase life and stem length are very important also. Then we can admire her at home.

    Reply
  1102. Judy Neely on

    My dream dahlia would be a combination of the rich color of cafe au lait in the center and a deep purple/chocolate color in the outer area/petals. The result would be a little bit like a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream on top.

    Reply
  1103. Cynthia on

    One of my favorite dahlias is Hollyhill Black Beauty. I would love to have a dahlia in the same deep color but in a waterlily form that is healthy and vigorous and reliable. Dahlias are so gorgeous in the garden and in my cut flower bouquets. I can’t wait to see what surprises will come from your breeding program. Thank you for giving so much to the world with your beautiful flowers.

    Reply
  1104. June Whiteman on

    My dear Erin, it would have to be yellow.
    Something big and sunflowery with bright yellow petals and a dark centre.
    Yellow against a blue sky to remind us that hope prevails and the sun will come out tomorrow.

    Reply
  1105. Karen McMinn on

    I love dahlias of all shapes and sizes but just cannot say what I love best – there are so many loves!!! A dahlia in softest creamy pink with slightly curled petals and one that makes me swoon and then smile and think of my mother who instilled in me a love of dahlias, would be just perfect!

    Reply
  1106. April on

    Learning about growing dahlias from seeds has opened up a whole new possibility for me. I live overseas but am from the NW and currently here through the summer and love dahlias. (I have them starting to grow in containers in our house so I can enjoy them before we head back overseas.) Tubers don’t make it through customs but seeds do, so I am excited for any dahlias to grow in my jungle garden. While I love the peachy anemone types, I think something bright and round would be fun against the green backdrop of banana leaves and creeping vines for my jungle garden. But honestly, the thought of any cut flower, especially a dahlia. that brings contrast to the green is exciting. So regardless of a giveaway, I will be bringing dahlia seeds back with me to see what blooms on the equator. It will be a fun adventure.

    Reply
  1107. Merilee on

    The idea of breeding dahlias makes me so excited! This is my first year growing them and I can’t wait to harvest seeds and see what I get next year. My ideal dahlia would be one that has the size and smooth creamy petals of the cafe au lait, but with a deeper blush pink center fading to a soft yellow. I’m a sucker for the sunset colors.

    Reply
  1108. Jody Rudrud-Grandorff on

    Oh goodness , how to narrow it down. A flirty little Pom that is pink with red tips like a peppermint. Yes, name it Peppermint! Because growing dahlias is like Christmas, waiting for a special gift to be opened!!

    Reply
  1109. Beth Mantey on

    I am so excited to finally put in a Dehlia bed. I got your book for Christmas and am so excited. I have grown diner plate Dehlia’s in the past that I mail ordered the tubers from. Safely after a number of years I lost the tumors to a early freeze while my daughter was in the hospital. Since then I was hooked. I always grab a bag of tuners from the garden store but nothing has lived up to those diner plate plants that made me fall in love. I am so excited to start them from seed this year. I have dog eared the book and would be thrilled with anything that grows. My other love is photography I am so excited to document my progress in my art journal.

    Reply
  1110. Lynne m on

    The perfect dahlia to me resemblances those beautiful morning sunrises in the pnw. later in the morning than the actual sunrise because sunrise for me is the first rays as they come up over the sumas mountain area. The color is a little peachy, some rich Amish butter color, and a salmon drizzle sprinkled with the icy crystals of winter. It feels warm and makes me smile even in the briskness of the morning. The dahlia itself will make me feel that warmth and bring on that smile that is perfect to start my day and greet the work ahead. I would call it winter’s morning.

    Reply
  1111. Danalynn Vanstone on

    Okay okay!!! You’ve officially inspired me to try growing dahlias from seed. I thought about it last year, but didn’t muster up the courage. I would love anything in the warm buff/peach/caramel color in a happy collarette form. I’ll be honest, anything in those colors will make me very happy!

    Reply
  1112. Cindy Plant on

    My dream dahlia would have either the star like petals, or the chrysanthemum like petals. Pink center with white, yellow, and blush ombre petals.

    Reply
  1113. Lois Patton on

    My daughter purchased Discovering Dahlias last Spring which led to the two of us buying, planting and growing these gorgeous jewels for the first time last summer! We’ve both already placed several orders for this year! I think I would most wanting to discover a medium sized dahlia that is soft peach to pink in color color and petals that would be twisting and swirling around the darker center. But who am I kidding – every dahlia that grew in my garden quickly became my favorite!! Love learning more inside details about your Dahlia breeding journey, Floret!

    Reply
  1114. Heidi Soehren on

    I compliment Floret! Amazing! I live in Eastern WA, last year we were surrounded by fire on July 15, Sunnyslope, Wenatchee, this year my son promised me a Dahlia Patch – I think it will consist of old whisky barrels from our distillery, but it warms my heart that he is willing to 1. get the barrels, 2. haul the barrels, 3. cut the barrels, 4. place and fill them with rich soil, 5. set up the irrigation, and 6. do it because he knows I love dahlias – bright pink, apricot, peach, white – all of them. From wildfires grow new grass, deer and coyote roam – our state WA.

    Reply
  1115. Kevin Thomas Wasilewski on

    I love all dahlia forms especially the open center varieties. Watching all kinds of pollinators visiting these flowers is always fascinating and rewarding knowing that I provided a safe place to enjoy some pollen, take a rest, and most of all, make me smile.Pure Joy.

    Reply
  1116. Leone on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft blush pink color with a hint of coral tangerine, a full orb of petals at 4 to 6 inches in diameter. I have just discovered the beauty and excitement of growing dahlias over the past couple of years, and have had the joy of planting a few varieties so far. The idea of a seedling patch sounds like a treasure hunt of beauty, which would be a wonderful experience not just for me, but to include my two young sons in as well. In my dream seedling patch I would be thrilled to find a rainbow of colors, to be able to mix and match the beauty and variety of creation in unlimited combinations.

    Reply
  1117. Hilda Banuelos on

    I came across your docu-series a few months ago and was so inspired by your journey and field of dahlias that I’m planting some tubers that I picked up at a local nursery. I’m excited to see them grow and bloom. The dahlias reminded me of the tissue pom-poms my sister and I used to make when we were young girls. While I like the rounded poms, I am drawn to the softer billowy flower similar to your variety C107 and C39 and to the softer colors. I would love to find a peaches and cream dahlia with a hint of darker shades running along the edges of the petals. I wish you continued success!

    Reply
  1118. Kim Todd on

    My dream dahlia would be a beautiful fusia and bright orange with frilly edges, medium to large in size.

    Reply
  1119. Sana on

    My dream dahlia would have rosy-lavender petals,huge flowers, long stems and blooms all season long 💜

    Reply
  1120. Alyssa on

    I think my dream dahlia would be 4-5 inches, with deep peachy-coral inner petals that fade to a lighter peachy-coral at the edge. It would also probably be an informal decorative. Though to be honest, I’m not even sure, because I have found way too many that I absolutely love. This is going to be my first year growing dahlias and I just can’t wait!

    Reply
  1121. Elizabeth DeGroot on

    My dream dahlia would be one that reminds me of summer evenings, right before dinner, warm breeze, and the sky painted shades of yellow, orange and redish pink. A flower that takes me back to a fond memory (or two) and can be a silent reminder on the table and in the garden. Like and orange pink collarette type flower. Your C108 reminds me of this memory.

    Thank you for publishing your great book and for sharing your wisdom on growing and breeding Dahlias! I’ve been able to start my tiny flower farm this year and have been diving into Dahlias, exploring all the textures, sizes, and colors. For a little sproutling who’s budding my breeding garden, you’ve given me a huge head start just in your books and online content alone! Thank you!

    Reply
  1122. Maureen on

    Last year was my first year growing dahlias. A neighbor shared three tubers with me and it was fun to be surprised at what would bloom. I would love a small dahlia that is dark red, almost black, with petals that were darker at the center, radiating lighter toward the edges. It wouldn’t be large, because I live in a tiny house.

    Reply
  1123. Roberta on

    Your dahlias are breathtaking. You are such an inspiration. I can’t begin to imagine all the hours and hours you have put into this project. Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply
  1124. Charissa on

    My dream dahlia would be a light dusty blue with frilly petals!

    Reply
  1125. Amelia on

    I would love to find a large pom pom style dahlia with dark foliage with the petals being white with a dark red edging.

    Reply
  1126. Rochelle on

    When I dream of the perfect dahlia to discover I see her with a muted plum color in the center with each petal fading to dusty light rose. Each blossom would be 3 to 4 inches across in the most perfect ball shape. In a seedling patch that I grow I would like to see a rainbow of color and a variety of sizes and shapes.

    Reply
  1127. LeAnne Kile on

    My dream dahlia would be a 4-6 inch beauty with lots of long bushy petals that is a deep and dark red with variations of lighter red throughout.
    I’m a young gardener with dreams of a big garden and would love to grow some dahlias from seed! I just started working at a large plant farm in between my nursing shifts and love everything about it!

    Reply
  1128. Carina on

    Finding a dahlia that is a soft explosion of blush pink would be wonderful no matter the shape or size. Trying to appreciate all the small Blessings that nature so generously provides us in the best and trying times can be so gratifying. I try to find those moments even if brief to assure myself that there is always beauty to discover around us.

    Reply
  1129. Lisa Porria on

    I recently made the decision to use a portion of our vegetable garden for a dahlia patch. It’s going to help fulfill my dream of a cutting garden on our homestead. My dream dahlia would have a deep lavender center gradually moving to yellows, peach and cream. I’d call it Storm as it would remind me of what the sky sometimes looks like as rainstorms pass over our Pacific Northwest home. Congratulations on your first anniversary!!

    Reply
  1130. Jessica on

    First I would like to thank you for opening my eyes to dalhias. I remember a few years back when I was searching flowers that can grow in my zone and I typed in dalhias and your pictures popped up on the search feed. I was hooked, love at first sight. Dalhias are all so unique and special, unlike any flower. My dream dalhia is a rainbow of colorful seeded dalhias. The ability to experience the joy of the surprise of what the seeded dalhia can bring. To embrace the unknown and be gifted with a new creation nature has came up with. It revives the magic we felt as children. Thank you again. For all of your inspiration, knowledge!

    Reply
  1131. Judit Smalley on

    My dream dahlia would be the variety my husband chooses. I love soft colors, dainty look, can’t resist pink tones, ball shapes, but he would always choose what I would not choose myself: big flowers, two toned flowers, stronger colors… And because he had choosen it, it has to go in the garden, I will encorporate it in bouquets, I learn to appreciate something new and at the end I realize how good it actually looks and take care of it the most 😊
    I hope overseas/Europe commenters aren’t excluded, if so, just exclude me.

    Reply
  1132. Camille on

    Since I’m dreaming….. I’ll invent a small (3″ max) size blue anemone dahlia . It would have a big fluffy yellow middle (like platinum blonde) dark yellow in the center and fading to a softer yellow where it meets the true medium blue petals. This flower would grow on medium tall stems.

    Reply
  1133. Jillian on

    I’m a newer home gardener, and this is my first year growing dahlias. I bought the Floret seed packet. I have been so excited since I found out that I might be able to grow these from seed!! I cannot wait to see what comes up and have reserved the most space in my garden for this awesome project!! I don’t even know what I like yet. I would love the books so I can learn as much as I can! But do not need the seeds because I will not have room for them. I hope everything that grows in my tiny dahlia patch is so different than the next (and I also hope they actually grow haha), honestly so excited. Thank you for the seeds!

    Reply
  1134. Annabelle Koglin on

    My dream dahlia would be a rose- raspberry-russet-orange hombré “dinner plate!” At least 5” across. *sigh*

    Reply
  1135. Diana on

    I love yellow dahlias! I think a dahlia that blended yellow and apricot would be lovely.

    Reply
  1136. Jeannine Stump on

    My dream dahlia would have rows upon rows of burgundy petals surrounding a slightly golden center. I would take some cuttings from it inside my art studio in order to paint necklaces of them.

    Reply
  1137. Alice H Siebecker on

    I grew dahlias from seed two years ago and loved it, but I didn’t really try and save the tubers (my bad) Last July this one little dahlia bloom poked out between the other flowers, I am guessing it was from the year before – it was a collarette type, and totally tomato bisque in color – everything on the flower was…..I picked it and enjoyed it and went back to look for more. No more were found. So now I am inspired to try the seeds again and have fun with saving tubers etc. I think the original dahlia seeds were from Floret. Thanks for sharing all your insights into this absolutely absorbing part of gardening.

    Reply
  1138. Janice Impson on

    My dream dahlia would be a unique blossom with lots of lacy pedals of shades of pink, from light to dark, edged with yellow and a raspberry center. I would be thrilled to find this in my patch standing up high above the rest as if shouting here I am, come meet me.

    Reply
  1139. Gillean Dean on

    My dream dahlia would be a 4-5 inch water lily with magenta and bright orange center with yellow petals on the outside. It would fade to sift sherbet colors of mauve or soft pink, peach or apricot with soft cream outside petals. A strong healthy vigorous bloomer with stems ideal for arranging. Thank you for the opportunity to sit down and think of and share my dream dahlia.

    Reply
  1140. Elena Hemphill on

    I think my dream Dahlia would be any Dahlia that I grew myself. Whether it be pink, yellow or orange the idea of growing something like that myself and watching it bloom would seems like a small miracle because I’m new to this and seeing it would mean that I had succeeded somehow.

    Reply
  1141. Allison on

    A dream dahlia for me would be one with spiraling petals, each with a twist, and swirling out in the same direction. Like a blooming pinwheel, it would be mesmerizing to watch its petals dance in the breeze.

    Reply
  1142. Laura Shepherd on

    My dream dahlia is probably not even possible, but it would evoke a sunset. The outer petals would start as a dark purple then transition to a beautiful magenta. The small inner petals would be a soft pink surrounding a bursting yellow center. I would love to see a flower match the beautiful paintings in the sky.

    Reply
  1143. Jeanette Oberlin on

    My dream dahlia…
    Like most commentors so far, narrowing down that list is nearly impossible!! I fell deep down the dahlia obsession hole last June, after seeing some amazing photos of Labyrinth! Part of every day since then has been spent learning, dreaming, planning, (24 dahlia darlings on their way so far:) and coming back to life after some difficult, dark days. This year I will grow from tubers, next year will add on cuttings, and seeds saved from my first year, ( off course if I were able to acquire some seeds this season, would love to have a naturalized patch of completely unique beauties to check on every morning!)
    Planting Morning Glories last year for the first time truly saved me, every single day I was up before or with the sun to see which flowers were blooming that day! I planted 12 varieties, and each day I was in awe of the endless variation even within a single type. That was the first time in my 58 years that I had planted something not knowing what was going to bloom. The pure, daily, joy and excitement of the anticipation and then the wonder of seeing something even more beautiful with each new day, was indeed priceless!
    My goal is to sell cut flowers this summer for the first time, but ultimately, I will always give away a large portion of anything I grow. Having ramped up a lifetime of gifting flowers using every conceivable source during last spring, summer, fall and even throughout this winter, I am more convinced than ever that flowers can not only bring a temporary smile, but also restore joy, hope, purpose, and even allow you a path to fulfill your destiny!
    I know that so many of the wonderful growers who will respond to this gracious giveaway are also living and giving this reality daily!
    Be blessed in everything thar you sow and reap:)
    Thank you for reading this, and for blessing untold multitudes with all that you do!- Jeanette
    (Since sunset is my favorite color, I would tend to choose seedlings that combine the orange, salmon, pink, and yellows, especially in the more uncommon forms such as anemone, collarette, possibly stellar, or waterlily…ohhh the choices!!)

    Reply
  1144. Kathi Scanlon on

    My dream dahlia is more of a front of the border small to medium height, glowing rose color with abundant production.
    I’m can only say that I’m in awe of the amount of work, artistry and determination to create that you display not only with dahlias but all the flowers you raise at your farm. There are so many choices available but your emails and mini classes have greatly increased my knowledge but I’m amazed at the variety and quality you display. I have been afraid of raising dahlias but finally tried some last year and was thrilled with what I got. However, I tried to harvest the seeds but was not successful. I want to try again and hope to have more success. I know you have inspired many and wish to applaud your achievements.

    Reply
  1145. Sharon Brorson on

    My dream dahlia would be a raspberry red with cream toward the center. My Mom grew raspberries in our yard in Minneapolis and we loved vanilla ice cream or real cream with fresh berries. Her name was Dahlia and she also grew dahlias in our yard. I love all dahlias and think of her everytime I see a dahlia in print or in a vase or growing in a garden. They are a gorgeous and showy beauty of a flower…just a delight.

    Reply
  1146. Elizabeth Anderson on

    I’m trying to imagine just ONE? Oh, that’s difficult. Okay, I close my eyes and I’m in the garden with my grandparents, in the early 1960’s. This little kid sees a starburst of a flower, way up high, with spikey vermillion petals, atomic, like fireworks ! And I’ve been looking for that dahlia ever since.

    Reply
  1147. Jennifer Daniel on

    A big plummy, jammy, purple—red beauty with tremendous depth of color and crazy petals like Labyrinth.

    Reply
  1148. Sandy D. on

    I spy with my little eye, a hidden gem in my dream garden. It’s a very healthy dahlia plant smothered with large anemone shaped blossoms supported on long strong stems. This dahlia has the coloring of sugar maples in the fall. Its outer petals fade from vermillion to tangerine and surround a fuzzy yellow center, streaked with a hint of green. Its name is Autumn Blaze.

    Reply
  1149. Christina B on

    I think a peach and white blend like peaches n cream but in a stellar form.

    Reply
  1150. Carolyn on

    Every year I seem to fall in love with something different. Last year the white and a bright butterscotch caught my eye. I think creamsicle. Usually I my home I love the fall colors of ambers and orange and a bit of something dark and something light thrills my heat. Like so many Cafe Au Lait is the one that made me want to grow them. They continue ie to be a heart breaker.

    Reply
  1151. Lynn Piraino on

    My dream dahlia would be soft yellow or soft apricot with a big bright burst of yellow in the middle… fading to white or a creamy color perhaps. I say this because the light color is just such a good generic color in the garden; it will set off any other flowers around it. For floral arrangements it will “own” a vase with other pastel colors or serve as a good back drop for a few other more dramatic colors like deep red or purple. a big yellow center is also a draw to so many different types of pollinators. They might be attracted to the yellow center and will then find their way to other flowers in the bed. The light and bright yellow combo would make me and the “bugs” happy. I’d also love a tuber that is resistant to some extended moist soil. I live in Portland, OR so often my dahlias rot even when i try to get them out of the soil before it seems possible. I have a special raised dahlia bed where I overwinter a few tubers but it’s very well drained. Anything I plant in other beds, i must pull and dry out… provided I’m faster than the torrential rain and the slugs!

    Reply
  1152. Jennifer K. on

    They remind me of those hostess snowballs which I never liked eating but they are pretty to look at -so perhaps a fluffy pink snowball pom or a buttery yellow pollinator ! I’d be happy with any though. I just bought your first book and I’m already looking for the second

    Reply
  1153. Caris Zimmerman on

    My dream dahlia would be an all white dahlia with a tiny rim of dark maroon around each petal. The shape would be more like the 8-10 petal flowers with a lime green center instead of yellow.
    Is this even possible?
    For seeds, I love anything white, coral, peach, or Pom pom shaped! So cute!

    Reply
  1154. Abigail on

    I love white dahlias , there so pretty . I would love to walk out in the garden and see a big healthy plant full of big white dahlias.

    Reply
  1155. Kailey G on

    My dream dahlia would have a fluffy full yellow center like Little Miss Sunshine with coral/peach full leaves that grow in color towards the ends of the petals. Lots of texture and brightness that makes an arrangement light up the room.

    Reply
  1156. Gretchen struve on

    My dream dahlia would be at my eye level, which is five feet and one inch tall.

    It would be a deep gold in the center and have tiny spirals of gold that furl out into a lighter slightly iridescent shade of gold. Those spirals would overlap on pedals of a dusty rose that have golden tips. The petals of dusty rose with golden tips would be supported by the largest petals, another layer of iridescent mother of pearl and apricot blended in a variety of scale.
    I would be thrilled to start any variety of dahlia by seed. As I have been growing my patch (which is becoming increasingly exciting every season) by tubers only and would love to experience growing by seed!

    Reply
  1157. Connie Carroll on

    The Bellevue Botanical Garden’s display bed by the gift store last fall included a dahlia named River Dance. It was a stunning red but sadly not found on any searches to date. Your red dahlias C9 an B50 remind me of the rich deep red color and I will hope you offer them one day.

    Reply
  1158. Chrystal on

    My ideal dahlia would be a large formal decorative in a soft cream color with a solid dark raspberry center

    Reply
  1159. Carlee Schaefer on

    I think my favorite discovery would be a bronze/brown dahlia with lots of fluffy petals that faded into lavender with a dark almost black center. Sort of like the Koko Loko rose petal colors with a panda anemone center. I love the metallic looking coloring on flowers, so strong looking yet so soft and buttery.

    Reply
  1160. Meagan Gill on

    My dream dahlia would be salmon colored with lots of spiked petals that curve upward.

    Reply
  1161. Cassie Beaman on

    A white + a hit of forget me not blue giant dinner plate dahlia with a fluffy Floret dahlia center seems like a dream to me! Working in the wedding industry blues are hard to come by, especially a soft blue! But really though, are there blue dahlias out in the world?! Love to see this dream come to life, now I’ve gotta start my own breading patch to make this a reality!

    Reply
  1162. Rachel C on

    Wow, what a question! I think I would be excited to see any large, long stem dahlia from seed. Especially if it was a pompom :)

    Reply
  1163. Tracey Culver on

    Amazing. I’m wild about Firefly, C9, B50 and C72.
    My favorite dahlia for growing in the garden and for cutting is American Dawn. My dream dahlia would have all of that one’s characteristics, but flowers the color of your B50 and the shape of Cafe au Lait, with green centers. Five feet tall, long, strong dark stems and foliage, please. I bet you can do it!

    Reply
  1164. Shannon on

    My dream dahlia would be large, informal and the perfect coral to blush fade. I have loved following y’all so much, I’ve been and remain so inspired!

    Reply
  1165. Allyson on

    If we are dreaming, I’d say a pompom dahlia with each row of the pompom a different color. A pink center and slowly transitioning each row to a purple/maroon base.

    Reply
  1166. Emily Renda on

    I am just starting to learn about dahlias, but I’m envisioning a large bloom with pale, warm pink petals that fade into champagne.

    Reply
  1167. Angela Hogue on

    My dream dahlia would be an amazing ball/decorative type that ombrés from lavenders to pinks to peaches!!

    I would just be thrilled to find ME in my seedling patch!!! I think it would be amazing to watch a dahlia seed grow from seedling to beautiful blooms! am so compulsive now with checking seedlings several times a day of other types I could only imagine if they were of my favorite flowers!!! To have a gift of creating beautiful flowers from a seed is truly the ultimate gift from nature!

    Reply
  1168. Emily Senski-Taylor on

    This is my first year starting a fresh cut flower field and I’m so excited to add Dahlias to the mix. These flowers are absolutely captivating and will add so much beauty and elegance to the bounty. In my seedling patch, I would love to see a variety similar in color to Cornel Bronze or Cafe Au Latte because both of these are breathtaking. As for shape, I’m obsessed with star petals so my dream dahlia would definitely hold this form.

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  1169. Alinna on

    Oops, sorry for posting twice; I did not follow the directions. I get excited about ANY flowers growing; I’m pretty new to growing and cannot learn fast enough. What I have learned is that I like rounded petals (not cactus-style) with LOTS AND LOTS of petals and unusual coloring — either like picotee style or like bi-color like Creme de Cassis. But really, any flower just really makes my heart sing. Nature is pretty rad.

    Reply
  1170. Jacky Surber on

    My dream dahlia would be a multi colored crazy shape with a water color faded effect as it matures changing color everyday. I would love to plant a breeding patch!

    Reply
  1171. Ruma Chakravarti on

    I would love to discover a deep purple dahlia with a pale lavender to blush coloured puffy centre. You have made me fall in love all over again with these amazing flowers that we used to grow in the winter months of my childhood in India. Thank you!!

    Reply
  1172. Alinna S on

    Wow, this is a giveaway I gotta cross all my fingers for. :) This post was serious serious eye candy. Melts my heart.

    Reply
  1173. margaret on

    light to medium pink with petal edges a bit darker giving even more visual depth. somewhere between a cafe au lait, an appleblossom and the new floret. But really — any one that makes me smile and find that joy. which could be so very many!!!

    Reply
  1174. Laura Miner on

    This is my first year growing dahlias. I bought your book several months ago and love it. My ideal dahlia would be any shade of pink, and any shape. I’ve bought a few tubers to try this year…..maybe I’ll try seeds next year! So much fun learning about flower growing!

    Reply
  1175. Suzy Hardin on

    I would love to grow a peachy dahlia with some deep pink or reddish edges. I also love the look of the edges that curl in so slightly.

    Reply
  1176. Adam azizah on

    Je m exprimerai en français car
    C est ma langue. J adore les fleurs et faire des bouquets. J ai un jardin dans une île tropicale. J aimerai tant faire pousser des dahlias , surtout les innombrables variétés de votre ferme! Mes couleurs préférées sont les pêches, rosées.. Erin m a fait aimer plus cette catégorie de fleurs depuis que je lis ces posts!

    Reply
  1177. Trish on

    My dream dahlia would have peach and cream petals with a more starlike shape.

    Reply
  1178. Elle on

    My dream dahlia would probably be anemone shaped in a Peaches n Cream color.

    Waiting for the first flower to bloom on a dahlia grown from seed has me like a kid on Christmas morning, so full of anticipation and excitement! I think I saved all of the tubers of the dahlias I grew from seed last year.

    Reply
  1179. Hope on

    My dream dahlia would be a lemon lime green. Not super tight petal, but mid sized. Ideally more lime towards the center and chartreuse yellow in the unfolded petal tips. Also produces lots of healthy tubers for dividing and a string stem. Ideal!

    Reply
  1180. KC on

    Pink with a soft duckling-yellow, definitely water lily form.

    Reply
  1181. Denise Lakin on

    Floret got me hooked on growing dahlias from seed last year. My dream dahlia would be a coral and cream variety. I love the singles, or maybe the anemone style.

    Reply
  1182. Kathy Patino on

    Last summer was my first year growing them. I would love to create a deep purple Dahlia with white and purple petals on it. I would be thrilled to see seeds of different size and types of dahlias I’m not picky. I also love the apricot and yellow colors that look so bright together. I love how you took pictures of the different hues of colored flowers just beautiful!!!

    Reply
  1183. Sandy on

    My dream dahlia would be an ombre of muted rose, apricot and peach that didn’t need staking and the Japanese beetles passed on by!

    Reply
  1184. Cassady Thomas on

    My dream dahlia would be fluffy and blue! Bright soft blue. <3

    And my dream seedling patch would be a mix of pinks: bright, soft and coral all mixed together with zinnia and cosmos following poppy flowers!

    Reply
  1185. Peggy on

    I like the weird ones with crazy longish multi petals and larger than usual but not dinner-plate (4-5 inches). I like bi-color with subtle stripes (or different colored tips or interior). Something that reminds me of ice cream with jam, ah…I love butter yellow and raspberry so that might be my ideal. And nice sturdy (1/4 inch diameter) long stems!

    Reply
  1186. Megan on

    My dream dahlia would be mauve with little bits of apricot emerging from the center. I love the flowers with fewer petals that spread out wide and have fluffy centers. They feel dreamy and romantic. ☺️

    Reply
  1187. Kelcie Rucker on

    My ideal Dahlia would be just like C109 from your pictures, except double petaled and a bold yellow. Or a more standard one like C383, but a bold and bright yellow. Clearly I have a strong color preference. :)

    Reply
  1188. Deane Noftsier on

    My dream dahlia would be lavender with a smokey blue ombre toward the center, and fluffy like a Cafe au lait.

    Reply
  1189. Katrina Peebles on

    I am new to dahlias, but I think my dream dahlia would be a creamy peach with a hint of pink and about the size of my fist in a globe shape. And as far as what I would like to find…the suspense in waiting to see what the blooms look like would be THE most fun! Almost like waiting to see what little puppies or kittens will look like once they’re born! 💕

    Reply
  1190. Jane on

    My dream dahlia would be a form that resembles a peony or David Austin rose. Lots of dense pink or coral petals. Or, one with coloring of an apple blossom with rainbow sherbets and greens. Btw;m, I have all your books and I’m expanding my small garden to be a larger cutting garden so I can experience more beauty and sun, and share it with my neighbors and local coffee shop.

    Reply
  1191. tanya wilhelm on

    I had never held dahlia in high regard until a girlfriend – who could create works of art with succulents in the garden – took me to her back garden where in a 8 by 4 foot raised bed a veritable rainbow of dahlias were in bloom. Stunning en masse.
    Perhaps I shouldn’t have looked at your photos before thinking on this because I cannot get C72 out of mind. The orange and magenta and simplicity of the petals, and yet each bloom seems to have been uniquely painted. My imperfect perfection.

    Reply
  1192. Allie on

    My dream dahlia would be blush with incurved petals with a tinge of burgundy and either a white puffy pom pom in the middle. I would likely name it Pennymuggin, after our dog Penny, who is a white fluffy goldendoodle who got her nickname from Buddy the Elf’s self-ridicule of cotton headed ninny muggins.

    Reply
  1193. Krystn Nelsen on

    Anenome style…with a scabious-like center; tall and strong.
    Soft shades of melons and cream.

    Reply
  1194. Carly Williams on

    Dream Dahlia – deep copper with streaks of red – shape would be that of the cafe au lait dahlia!!

    Reply
  1195. Sarah Bremer on

    My ideal Dahlia would be star shaped, deep purple inner fading to creamy white at the ends with a burnt orange/ brown center. Honestly, I’d be thrilled to find anything in my seed patch. It sounds like such a fun experiment I’ll have to try it!

    Reply
  1196. David on

    A big yellow fluffy center with soft blush and apricot petals on a short stem would be my dream dahlia!

    Reply
  1197. Challais McDonald on

    My dream Dahlia would be blush pink, with apricot and raspberry striping! I would be thrilled to find little seedling dahlias with viable tubers in my patch lol I am SO excited for my dahlia season this year!!!

    Reply
  1198. Jenna on

    My dream dahlia would be a large bloom, lots of buttery petals, creamy yellow colour, almost looks like it’s been piped out of icing!! Oh and if it’s resistant to earwigs that would be a bonus! :D

    Reply
  1199. Deidra on

    How could you pick just one?! I guess I’d be drawn first to a salmon color with a pale yellow center with lots of full long petals.

    Reply
  1200. Shauna Lund on

    My dream Dahlia would be a 5 inch blossom, sturdy stocks, that is apricot colored on the outside rim with a light peach colored on the inside. It would smell like a French peach. (Can you tell that I love the smell of peach?). I have never grown Dahlia’s but they look so wonderful in a garden. I would hope that it would bloom profusely so that I would have the confidence to plant more each year. I LOVE the shape and beauty of each of the Dahlia photos that you have shared. I would love to learn to grow Dahlia’s like that in my garden.

    Reply
  1201. Erin Dean Vaughn on

    My dream dahlia would have to resemble the style of the gorgeous Cafe Au Lait`, but seeing one with dark, emerald green petals that faded and swirled in to a luscious cream would be absolutely stunning, especially for fall weddings and bouquets!

    Reply
  1202. Jenna on

    I love seeing the new Dahlia’s you are growing! It’s such a fun project. I’d love to grow a smaller version of a Café au Lait that fits in a hand tied bouquet better but that is a little more salmon in color but still pastel.

    Reply
  1203. Eileen Goodwin on

    My favorite would be a deep pink/magenta like the crayon! I just love how that color makes me feel–it plays well with others in a vase, in an outfit and on a table.

    Reply
  1204. Jen M on

    To be able to grow an all new variety of dahlia would be so special. I guess I would especially love a large muted blush color with pink/brown center and ruffley petals. I didn’t even know dahlias could be grown from seed either. I guess I assumed the tuber was the “seed”. I am enjoying the “readings” in your emails. Thank you for wanting to help others by sharing the things you are learning.

    Reply
  1205. Susan on

    Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a pouffy 3-4 inch dahlia with petals the shape of sweet peas blossoms? I envision this dahlia with its soft, roll-over petals in raspberry, pinks and blush, dancing and swaying ever so gently in the breese like a ballerina skirt.

    Reply
  1206. Lydia Cochran on

    I grew your seeds last year for the first time! My favorite dahlia looked like the sunset on the beach. It had a beautiful subdued pink, peach and touch of yellow………..love dahlias!

    Reply
  1207. Lori Braun on

    I love the deep pinks and purples. It’s so hard to choose a favorite!

    Reply
  1208. Sue on

    My dream Dahlia would be: a 4-5 inch bloom of multi-layered, chiffon-like petals in the color family of golden oat with almost crystal-like iridescent specks at the tips of white, lavender, and rose pink and a creamy milk chocolate center with the most beautiful, sturdy, and long mocha colored stems and foliage. It would smell like vanilla and toasted cinnamon almonds. It would be complimented best by being in a bouquet of wheat, batisia leaves, dusty miller, straw flowers, dried Thai basil, magnolia leaves, blah blah blah Dahlia, and pine cones.

    Reply
  1209. Tracey Pearce on

    A cross between African Sunrise and Cafe au Lait – a pinky peachy pettally dream.

    Reply
  1210. Karen D on

    I’ve been growing flowers for many years. My garden is my happy place. Two things I’ve not done is (1) grow from seed and (2) grow dahlias. I think knowing that they had to be dug up always made me think they were complicated to grow. But I have been inspired by Erin and Floret. I ordered 15 tubers to get my dahlia garden started. In looking at pictures I haven’t seen a dahlia I didn’t love but my dream dahlia …. It would remind me of honeycomb and the color would be a pink salmon.

    Reply
  1211. Halle G. on

    How could I pick a favorite dahlia form? It’s like picking a favorite child! I am always partial to the yellow and pink blended dahlias. I refer to them all as banana split colored. As a compliment, maybe a deeper shade of year, dark buttery (margarine?! LOL) colored with neon pink or purple fade. Last year was my first time growing dahlias. Every year I am adding to my garden and I will tell you, the dahlia bug has bit!

    Reply
  1212. Amy on

    I imagine I would love a muted peach/pink/coral palate or maybe a smokey/moody eggplant or purple-grey color….layered and fluffy with fringed edges. I hope to try growing dahlias soon!

    Reply
  1213. Linda Sue Morris on

    I grew dahlias last year for the first time. Loved having cut flowers on my kitchen counter. I would love to see a bi-colored of bright yellow and purple. I certainly enjoyed the Rembrandts I grew last year. I grow a lot of seedlings, flowers and vegetables, but have never grown dahlias from seed. Hopefully I’ll let some go to seed this year and give it a try.

    Reply
  1214. Rona on

    I can imagine beautiful big peach with bright yellow in the middle . It would be delightful to have a copy of your book.

    Reply
  1215. Suzanne Hubele on

    This isn’t even possible, but I love to dream about impossible things. I would love to find a fluffy yellow/orange center with darker orange petals. It reminds me of my favorite piece of fire king glassware, something I called the Happy Bowl. I named it that because it was dark yellow orange to an orange/red ombre bowl that fit right in the palm of my hand. It was something so bright and cheery in a fairly difficult part of my life, right after a breaking up with my fiance and I had to move home. I would eat my cereal from it, soup, almost every meal from it, and it would always cheer me up. My mother was almost heartbroken herself when she accidentally dropped it, and bought one off ebay for me before I came home from work.

    Reply
  1216. Rene' on

    It would be so difficult to decide but I would want a dahlia that would be available for the bees, creamy yellow with cerise edging; and perhaps slight twist in the petals. Thank you for the giveaway. I loved planting your seeds last year. It was a treasure hunt.

    Reply
  1217. Kim on

    I would be thrilled to find thousands of seedlings, first of all – those pictures were amazing! I think that my dream dahlia would be really subtle – rosey/peachy/pale yellow, maybe a little lavender thrown in. The colors would be so subtle that you’d really have to lean in and use the macro on your camera to capture it all.

    Reply
  1218. Jennie Chreene on

    I am always drawn to the coral colors so my dream dahlia to find in my breeding patch would be an ombré of sunset colors! The peachy, coral, pink, and cream is just everything! I would want the form to be Informal Decorative with long strong stems! To have a field full of those would be like Heaven!
    I’ve always loved flowers, but it wasn’t until I stumbled across Floret on Instagram in late 2019 that I realized I wanted to actually grow them. Erin is so inspiring that I spent 2020 reading and watching all her videos trying to soak up all the info! By the end of 2020 I had ordered 11 varieties of Dahlias and 15 varieties of flower seeds. I drew up plans of my own cut flower garden that my husband and I built in early March 2021. Last season was incredible! My little flower garden pumped out so many blooms, I was able to gift dozens of bouquets to friends and family and still had enough to keep a new bouquet in my kitchen every week. I was hooked! Last weekend we got my first greenhouse and are in the process of putting it together! I can’t wait to get all my seeds and tubers planted so that I can see and share all that beauty again! Thank you Erin!!!

    Reply
  1219. Linda on

    It is so hard to choose a dahlia type but I do tend to favor Anemone, Collarette and Single dahlias. However give me a Decorative dahlia like Cafe Au Lait and I swoon all over again. My dream anemone type dahlia would have a soft peach color on the outer petals, purple on the inner shorter petals and a deep plum center. For a Collarette I would love yellow outer petals splashed with green and a pink pincushion and orange center. For the single I would love to see a Dahlia similar to the colors of the Papilio Amarylis which has a deep burgundy center edged in white with green veining. One can only dream right? I definitely want to plant some dahlia seeds after reading your breeding article. I too thought dahlias come only from tubers and now this opens up a whole new world! And the thought of breeding my own – well that’s just the most fun, adventuresome and exciting thing of all! Thank you for the great article! Your dedication, hard work and passion is amazing!

    Reply
  1220. Jen on

    I love a big bloom! The bigger, the better. We don’t want dinner plate dahlias, we want dinner platter dahlias, ha! And anything that even vaguely resembles deep blue is emoji heart eyes for me.

    Reply
  1221. Lindsey on

    A black-yellow collarette. Kind of like the colors of a black hellebore…This will be my first year growing dahlias and after this article I’m very excited about starting from seeds!

    Reply
  1222. Tori on

    My dream dahlia would be a incurved cactus form with just a touch of wildness to the petals…while I love every color, a fade of white or buttercream into a splashy coral would be amazing! I’ve saved some seeds from a Felida Solar Flare, so hoping for good potentials seedlings this year…Wish me luck!

    Reply
  1223. Kim Cooper on

    I don’t know if I can choose ONE … maybe of each variety…I would love to see a peach petal with red tinges to a dark center. Same form as C11 in the orange/coral block of dahlias you’ve shown here. Wouldn’t that just POP in those late summer to fall cut-flower arrangements?

    Reply
  1224. Maryfrances Slawter on

    I would love to be surprised! I haven’t seen, bought or grown a flower yet I haven’t liked!

    Reply
  1225. Kelly Manning on

    A creamy Dalia with just a touch of salmon or peach would be my dream flower. It’s pretty amazing how much joy flowers can give. Such a simple but profound way to bring peace and joy to the spirit!

    Reply
  1226. Tai Quirke on

    The thing about dahlias is I love the surprise. I don’t label my tubers or separate them by type. I have a big box of tubers and I have no idea what will come of them. Which ones made it, which ones didn’t. I love the first bloom, seeing the variety. It just makes my heart happy! The whole seed thing just makes it even more exciting. Hundreds of little surprises. I know you asked for my dream dahlia but they are all a dream! And what I want to see in the garden is more and more dahlia of all the kinds!

    Reply
  1227. Matthew Zourelias on

    My dream dahlia would embody the colors of the Greek flag in honor of my grandfather that passed away recently. He was very proud of his heritage and I think a stunning blue and white dahlia would look amazing. That way every time I looked at the patch of dahlias growing, I could remember him and pass his memory down to my kids. It would hopefully start a family tradition of planting the dreamy blue and white dahlias every year and giving remembrance to the loved ones we lost and the bright future that blooms ahead for our family.

    Reply
  1228. Rebecca on

    I’d love a cactus form yellow with purple. 💛

    Reply
  1229. Lisa Majed on

    I am just discovering dahlias. This is my first year trying to grow them from tubers, and believe it or not I have actually never seen a dahlia in person. My favorite dahlia from a seedling patch will be one that grows! I’m easy to please. Lately, I’ve been loving pink flowers. So, I’d love a plant with lots of pink blooms and maybe some unique visual interest. Thank you for all you posts and educational resources. I’m soaking it all up.

    Reply
  1230. Helen on

    I’ve always loved the traditional “decorative” dahlias, but some of the new forms you are showing are fabulous! I’d love to see a C144/Firefly-type dahlia in sunset tones.

    Reply
  1231. cate on

    My dream dahlia is usually whichever dahlia is in front of me :) lol

    But an intense, cool purple color similar to siberian iris would be amazing!

    Reply
  1232. Beverly Bishop on

    I would love to see a dahlia that has petals that start purple and fade to pink. My granddaughters favorite colors are pink and purple and I love to have things in my home that make her happy. My daughter has started gardening and is incorporating gardening into her home school program with her two children. This makes my heart very happy to see them enjoy a favorite hobby of mine. Both of the children each have a “garden ” of their own and I really enjoy giving them plants for their garden. I would love to have any pink, purple and cream varieties in my seed packet, what a gorgeous bouquet that would be. I want to say thank you for all of the information and tips I have received from your farm.

    Reply
  1233. Jane Hobbs on

    I love every dang dahlia I’ve seen on your site and in the documentary about Floret. I have your dahlia book and would love the box of dahlia goodness. Thank you for the beauty you and Floret bring to the world. xxx

    Reply
  1234. Jackie on

    I’d love a bloom that is a salmon/coral tone in a cute 2 inch ball. Last year I was able to successfully grow a few dahlia plants from seeds I received from Floret. I had one plant that produced pretty cream colored blooms.

    Reply
  1235. Teresa A Tiffany on

    I love dahlias however, I am intrigued with a smaller version like the pompon, miniature ball and the ball! I’d be thrilled to find pinks and corals in my seeding patch but anything from Floret Farm’s would be a treat to try.

    Reply
  1236. Tory on

    I think it would be amazing to discover a totally new dahlia form! But my dream dahlia would be a cross between an anemone and a cactus in peachy hues

    Reply
  1237. Carolie on

    My dream dahlia would be a rose pink/peach color that clouds get when the sunrises reflect off of them, with lots of petals and yellow puffy centers, long stems and a long vase life.

    Reply
  1238. Jennifer M. on

    A blush-lavender collarette! Collarette’s are one of my new favorite forms. Your C33/Floret is just dreamy!

    Reply
  1239. Marie Fanjoy on

    Little Miss Sunshine would be my dream dahlia! I did get your book for Christmas but would love another copy to give to my aunt Rosemary who is an amazing gardener!

    Reply
  1240. Jenny on

    My dream dahlia would be a a soft pink/coral colour that transitions to a taupe/cream centre.

    Reply
  1241. Christine on

    I am a negligent dahlia farmer. I’ve been growing them from seed in my backyard because I am horribly negligent about digging them up in fall. My flower friend has shared tuber but I say no more because I’ve killed so many. My dahlia dream is having more options for growing them from seed. I live in far northern Minnesota. Varieties that flower sooner would be ideal. Good luck with your endeavor. I love your passion and attention to detail as well as your generous spirit.

    Reply
  1242. Liesl Bohan on

    Oh what a difficult challenge! It’s hard to choose just one dahlia. My favorites these days tend to be HUGE and include shades of pink, but I’d have to go with one reminiscent of my first experience with dahlias. Many years ago at a farmer’s market in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I encountered an elderly lady selling gorgeous purple flowers that turned out to be the perfect complement to my cobalt vase. Much later, when I started gardening myself, I realized that they were pom-style dahlias and that it’s not easy to find varieties like hers. Indeed, I haven’t seen one since in that shade of deep purple, so I’d choose that as my dream dahlia!

    Reply
  1243. Grey Olphin on

    My dream dahlia would look like the night sky. It would be mainly dark and rich deep purple, close to black, with streaks or spots of white. Mimicking the stars in the sky this dahlia would be tailored for the odd and eccentric of us who love the darker side of dahlias. It would be a dinner plate dahlia, commanding attention with its large size and dark colors. Perhaps the dark color would make it stand out even more from afar, allowing a gardener to marvel at its beauty from a far kitchen window.

    Reply
  1244. Tricia Tabor on

    My dream dahlia would be a large, light pink and white, with a dark outline of each petal. It would have a massive amount of petals on it, also! It would be a prolific bloomer, that never has a lull, and the blooms would last a couple of weeks in a vase!

    Reply
  1245. Kate Van Druff on

    Like a Bahamian sunset, my dream Dahlia would brim with his of coral and salmon with a tiny touch of the most perfect lemony yellow right in the center.

    Reply
  1246. Christine A A Williams on

    I love dahlia and my dream dahlia would be a cranberry colored doom shaped flowers with a touch of rust at the base. In my third year of growing dahlias so haven’t tried seed propagation of them, but did place several tubers in potting media to grow some cuttings.

    Reply
  1247. Kristy on

    I’d love to to have a 4″-5″ informal decorative that was a creamy /darkish yellow color with brushes of darker yellow gold. Layered and with sorta twisted or turned petals(like Tartan).

    Reply
  1248. Jenifer Palmer on

    Not really sure what my dream dahlia would be. I’m growing dahlias for the first time this year. Twenty of my discovering dahlia seedlings germinated and I can’t wait to see what I get from them!

    Reply
  1249. Aubrey Frost on

    I’m swooning over Little Miss Sunshine, but wouldn’t it be complete perfection to find that form in a radiating blushing sunset hue! Can you just imagine, Little Miss Sunset, perhaps?

    Reply
  1250. Nanci Noon on

    My dream dahlia would be about 3 inches round with a yellow center, the first set of petals around the yellow center would be light blue and the outside petals would be a darker blue. I just love a blue, green, yellow combination. I’ve always loved dahlias, you have given me courage to try seeds. Thank you

    Reply
  1251. Alyssa Mcdermott on

    Gosh, this is a difficult question! The 2022 season will be my first growing dahlias but I’m absolutely attracted to the glowing, blushing, muted varieties, like Silver years, Daydreamer, Gerrie Hock. Waterlily form is a favorite, as is the informal decorative varieties. Ah, the joy of bringing a new variety to life is a win unto itself Id say.

    Reply
  1252. Beverly Byer on

    Ok, so I need to confess something: “Dahlia? What’s a dahlia?” This is what I said to myself last year as I looked at a wall of tubers at my local garden center. “Oh, so this huge purple one is pretty!” My very first dahlia tuber purchase was a Thomas Edison. “Now what!?” I watched a million YouTube videos, scoured your lovely Floret website and put your “Discovering Dahlia” book on my Christmas list! Once that ONE tuber turned out the most beautiful flowers for months and about 15 new tubers…I was hooked!

    Since I am so drawn to that TE purple, I think my dream dahlia would be a large dinner plate flower with deep purple fading subtly in and out with a medium pink. It probably already exists in your breeding patch, Erin!! I think I would be absolutely thrilled to find a bunch of completely different dahlias in my seedling patch. The anticipation of what might develop would almost be as fun and seeing the actual flowers emerge.

    ps…I didn’t get your book for Christmas…I would LOVE to win one of your goody boxes. No matter what, I thank you for all of your wisdom, guidance, and inspiration! The photos of your record keeping sheets/system are genius!

    Reply
  1253. Marcia Kreidler on

    My dream dahlia would be 5 -6 inches across, cream colored and star shaped with swirls of magenta or deep purple beginning at the center and hugging the edges until it reaches the tips of the petals.
    Marcia Kreidler

    Reply
  1254. Crissy Brady on

    My dream dahlia would be a shaggy laciniated type that is a golden yellow with with coral/peach colors brushing the inside and the tips. A beautiful variegated fluffy sunset!

    Reply
  1255. Gweneth Kovar on

    I don’t have a lot of time to spend on trying my hand at breeding, but I do love Dahlias! My dream would be to have one that star-like outer petals with a puffy center. In heirloom colors something like the precious metal zinnia colors, purples mixed with green. One day I will try my hand at small scale breeding.

    Reply
  1256. Becky Jarvis on

    I like so many dahlias but my dream dahlia would look like Break Out, or Apple Blossom, I would be thrilled to find any dahlia that resembled Innocence or Fernciff Dolly in my seedling patch.

    Reply
  1257. Jen Bolton on

    Hi all the way from New Zealand!! I’ve loved dahlias every since I was a little girl. I reckon something like a hot orange fringed with apricot would be amazing !

    Reply
  1258. Jonathan on

    My dream dahlia would be a small, graceful burnt orange bloom, with a half-open centre and curly pointed petals that glimmer in the evening sun. As its little ‘faces’ look up at you the branches sway softly in the breeze. This dream dahlia is one I have just discovered in my Floret Discovering Dahlia’s seed row! I’m so excited about it and can’t thank you all enough.

    Reply
  1259. Sandra Hand on

    My dream dahlia would be your Firefly…I absolutely adore this little gem. I would love to find a wide variety of colours in the Pompom shape, filling my small backyard.

    Reply
  1260. Diane Gaulzetti on

    I was always afraid of dahlias but tried them last year in anticipation of my daughter’s wedding. She wants cut flowers from my yard for her wedding this year. She loves dahlias so last year was my practice run. I planted 4 varieties and they were magnificent! This year I will try more for sure! I’ve wasted so much time being afraid of what turned out to be an amazing flower for both the garden and for cutting. I love them now too!!
    My dream dahlia would be a soft combination of ivory with just touches of rose and peach.

    Reply
  1261. Danee on

    I am in love with the dinner plate pink or peach dahlias. My dream dahlia has an ombre of color from the deeper colored center to the outside- with either a deep pink out to a peachy pink or a peach out to pink.

    Reply
  1262. Mary Lu Thompson on

    I love reading about your dahlia journey! I would like for there to be a dahlia with more of a true blue color, with a white center. I had an aunt who I adored, and she passed away last March. She loved blue. I made sure she had Blue Daze in a hanging basket outside of her window in the spring and summer and true blue pansies in that basket in the fall and winter. This is the first year I have planted dahlia seeds, and although I know there will be no blue ones, I am sure they will all be pretty and a fun surprise! I can’t wait!

    Reply
  1263. Janet on

    So fun to follow the process with you! My dream dahlia would be in soft shades of green with cafe au lait characteristics. So lovely!

    Reply
  1264. Clarice on

    Hi Erin,
    My dream dahlia would be green. Maybe blending to pink on the outer edges. Mmmm! Yummy.
    Thank you for all your enthusiasm, contagious!

    Reply
  1265. Ami Schultz on

    I would be thrilled to find a lavender and cream plate dahlia. Though honestly, I can relate to the thrill of waiting to see what treasure would grow in my garden. I have a baby and a 3 year old who loves flowers and helping me in the garden. I am sure that he would be in awe of any bloom that would grace us with it’s beauty. That is one of the main joys of gardening. Appreciating it with the ones you love.

    Reply
  1266. Stephanie L on

    Dream Dahlia? If I fell asleep and dreamt of walking out into my garden and finding my dream dahlia, it would be as tall as a sunflower. Similar to a sunflower, but as the sun would hit its blush pink petals, it would shimmer so elegantly. The center would be a peach color with stripes of light yellow and soft lavender colors like sun rays in the center. The petals would have gentle curls like it was dancing slowly in the gentle wind. I would look up at it and just admire its beauty. That would be my dream, dahlia.

    Reply
  1267. Ellen on

    My seven year old son loves blue flowers, so it would be a big informal dark blue dahlia. I know it’s a pipe dream, but maybe one day!

    Reply
  1268. Sheri Beale on

    My dream dahlia would be a portrait of the woman who takes the path less traveled; who wanders, but is not lost.
    She would be a waterlily- with a strong stem, holding her head upright.
    Her color would be complimentary hues of peach & blush – feminine, but not bridal, and evoking a sense of calm and peace – along with a soft yellow center, emulating all of the passion and potential she has within her.
    She would be a medium size- not large enough to be the center of attention, but big enough that she’d catch the eye of any person who is meant to cross her path and have a chat among the flowers.
    Her medium size would also represent the slight fragility that exists within her, despite her strength and beauty.
    She would be completely herself.
    I’d call her The Wanderer.

    I believe “normal is boring”, and that we should embrace our differences / the things that make us unique. I would be thrilled to find any dahlia variety in my seedling patch, and would enjoy the journey of anticipation, the unknown and the discovery – more than the known outcome of any one particular variety.

    Reply
  1269. Amy dopheide on

    I love the anemone dahlias. I would love to see a true peach petaled one with a purple center. I purchased several anemone dahlias for this year, and I am going to save seeds from them for next year. You never know maybe my dream dahlia will show up in my patch next year…. I have also purchased several dahlia seed packs to see what I can get this year. I grew dahlia seeds last year, every seed sprouted and did fantastic that I started. I kept the tubers from the ones I really liked. That is what my plan is for this year too!!!!! Fingers crossed!!!!

    Reply
  1270. Joyce Craven on

    My dream dahlia? That’s like asking me to pick my favorite child. Impossible! There are so many colors and varieties of dahlias and I love them all. Just like us. I’m just a small town girl living in Washington that loves to garden and grow dahlias and since I love surprises I would be excited to find anything in my seeding patch.

    Reply
  1271. Lori Akins on

    My dream dahlia would look just like your C33/Floret! It does look oh so sweet! It has such a simple elegance look to it. She looks beautiful alone and in a bouquet! I’m excited to see my seedlings this year. It is only my second year for seeds. My first year was with my wonderful gift of seeds along with my new Discovering Dahlias book! If I’m so lucky to win another copy… I will gift the book to my daughter and keep the seeds for myself!!! LOL… but of course share the flowers and tubers that we gain 😊🌱🌱🌸🌸🌸

    Reply
  1272. Katherine Pratt on

    Lavender fade to white pompom or ball dahlias as far as the eye can see!

    Reply
  1273. Tonya Morris on

    My dream dahlia would be a deep purple double bloom with a slight fade to white on the edges. The very center would be yellow. Honestly, any new dahlia would be a happy surprise in my seedling patch because they all bring me joy(even the ones deemed imperfect).

    Reply
  1274. Elly on

    What beautiful treasures you have uncovered Erin! And to think this project has largely been in your ‘spare’ time! A friend and I joke that you must have figured out a way to clone yourself 😉

    My dream dahlia would be something with really good heat resistance and a long cutting life. So probably a ball type or a tight decorative. And I love pumpkiny colours. Your C335 or B13 look pretty spot on.

    Love your book, I already have it. Just wanted to say thanks for the beauty in my inbox today.

    Reply
  1275. Lisa Newland on

    It is fun to dream of dahlias! Mine would be called Mermaid as it would have a pale green wavy petals with a whisper of blue near the center that would be a gorgeous half dome of chartreuse.

    Reply
  1276. Breona on

    Hello, I been continually growing my farm. I started working with dahlia’s in 2021. My favorite dahlia so far is White with purple tips. I’d love to see dinnerplate dahlia with a deep purple. I plant, buy, regrow so many I forget all the names. Spring is the start of my busy time of the farm, as well as everyone else in this blog. Hope everyone enjoys their gardens this year I know I will no matter what happens.

    Reply
  1277. Marilyn Rust on

    Any dahlia is my dream dahlia! They are all beautiful! I’m so inspired by your breeding project! I’m just a home gardener, but I am going to try breeding this season! I saved a few flowers, from last year! I’m very excited! Thank you for all your tips and ideas in your blogs and classes.

    Reply
  1278. Ondrea Kidd on

    My dream dahlia would be a smaller dahlia that would remind me of strawberries and cream. So a variegated red on the edge of the petals to a creamy center set off with a mellow yellow center. So fun to imagine and dream. Thank you and happy planting!

    Reply
  1279. Carrie LeBlanc on

    My dream dahlia would be smaller then a diner
    plate more the size of a saucer, it would be a beautiful mocha color with a creamy pink center! It would be so awesome if I was the one to discover this beautiful breed and I would call it mocha sunrise!!

    Reply
  1280. Jessica on

    My dream dahlia would be a poppy-type with pink, red, orange, and yellow coloring on a long stem for arranging.

    I have some garden boxes at a community garden and have grown dahlias for at least a few years now. Last year was my first one growing from seed though and I harvested some of those that grew for seed. I planted those first “bred” seeds yesterday and I am so excited to see what they look like. I definitely wouldn’t consider myself a breeder quite yet but I’m trying and it’s all thanks to you!

    Reply
  1281. Jessica Jolly on

    My dream dahlia would capture the brilliance and colors of India. It would radiate, it would glow, it would pulse with color. Colors that would normally never be put together would blend and merge on a single petal. What colors you say? Well as I am describing a dream dahlia it would be purple and hot pink with a golden glowing center. It would be a double form, overblown like a flower in a Dutch still life. It would be flower that is meant to stand alone or crowded together in a floral center piece that dominates its’ space. Nothing about my dream dahlia would be apologetic, retiring or subtle. It would be delight in life, made manifest.

    Reply
  1282. Erin on

    My dream dahlia would definitely have dramatically lighter top side of petals than backside (like creme de cassis). It would be as close to lavender as possible on the front side of the petals and a deeper purple on the backside. Anemone form so the inner tubular petals are the dark purple with the lavender ring around and ideally no yellow in the center.

    Reply
  1283. Kristin Goggin on

    I love collerette and anemone style! Maybe a baby from appleblossom that leans more pink ✨

    Reply
  1284. Chris on

    Hello All. Im a retired life long gardener who is undertaking dahlia growing for first time this year !! So excited. Hoping to get loads of advice from your site !!
    My ideal dahlia would have the form and size of a Cafe au Lait and the colour of muted lime zinnias. I’m sure this is an impossible feat from a breeder’s perspective, but you did say “dream” lol. I’d love to see a dinnerplate dahlia in a rich blue /purple as well. Like the colour of a deep blue delphinium. I grow a lot of flowers in these 2 shades as I love the colour combination of lime and purple in floral arrangements. So if you’re ever looking for a real challenge…. Try green. Happy St Patricks Dsy !! Have a wonderful Spring !!!

    Reply
  1285. Jennifer Ann Goebel on

    My dream dahlia would be an informal decorative giant with with a dark blue tone fading out from the center of the petals and fading out into the softest lilac. Something reminiscent to of the stars.

    Reply
  1286. Susan K Hill on

    Your top 3 are amazing! I’d love to see Firefly pop up in my seedling garden! My dream dahlia would take my zone 6 Michigan winters! I lost my tubers this past winter( storage failure!) and will be starting over fresh from seed. Thank you for sharing your love of these amazing beauties!

    Reply
  1287. Judi Rollins on

    My dream dahlia is a Waterlily style dinner plate sized bright tangerine with a yellow center! Long stem for arranging, of course!

    Reply
  1288. Michele Cull on

    Hello Floret! Every time I get an email from you I get so excited to see what treasures you have to share. I have always loved Dahlias and have always bought tubers. But, when I watched your show and started to get your emails and found out about growing them from seeds and I have 100 seeds I have started for this year and I feel like a little kid. Sitting here waiting for some beautiful amazing flower to show up. But, that is still months away. If I could imagine the most amazing dahlia it would be a cross of a pompom style with the cactus petals in the back in variegated colors! Please keep up the good work! I am always so inspired by you all!

    Reply
  1289. Bernie on

    My dream dahlia would be a speckled anemone!

    Reply
  1290. Kathy Hill on

    My dream dahlia already exists, it’s your Firefly. The buttercream inturned petals with the hint of raspberry accenting the very ends of those petals is perfection on a stem! Nature never ceases to amaze me.

    Reply
  1291. Jessica on

    Honestly, I’ve never seen a Dahlia that I didn’t like! But I adore pink the most, and the peachy-colored ones are a close second!

    Reply
  1292. Laura K on

    My dream dahlia would probably resemble the beloved “Cafe au lait” but would have shades of coral and peach weaved throughout the petals. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience! A friend introduced me to your books this past fall and it inspired and awoke the gardener within me! I have a whole passel of dahlia tubers on order and I’m so excited to discover dahlias for myself this summer!

    Reply
  1293. Joanna on

    Ohhhhh my ideal dahlia would be light lavendar purple with a dark pink middle. Maybe like an ombre moving out of the center lightening as it gets out to the end of the petals

    Reply
  1294. Kelsi Dean on

    My dream dahlia would be a blue dahlia! I know that probably will never happen, but I still love dahlias in all the amazing colors they come in now:-)

    Reply
  1295. Sharon Stavlo on

    I have long been fascinated with flowers of all varieties. The Dahlia however has become a favorite for all of the possible shapes and sizes. My dream Dahlia would grow to be 5 feet and produce a plant resistant to powdery mildew. I would enjoy the color of a sterling silver rose with cream tipped highlights and long decorative petals. Enjoy the new growing season ahead.

    Reply
  1296. Jackie OCamb on

    Wow! Little Miss Sunshine and Firefly!!! They are knockouts, so beautiful. My dream dahlia might have some serious chartreuse tips with a large center of fluffy bright yellow. But really, any dahlia is a joy to behold. Thank you for sharing yours with us!

    Reply
  1297. Elizabeth Becka on

    The perfect dahlia seedling for me would be a waterlily type with a high petal count and peachy apricot coloring. I would love to someday breed a more cold tolerate dahlia that can overwinter in the ground reliably in zone 6 with good drainage and moderate protection.

    Reply
  1298. Sarah Winter on

    I would love a grayish purple ball Dahlia (think the color of earl gray larkspur).

    Reply
  1299. Abid on

    It’s so hard to choose just one! These days I love the large dinner plate sized flowers that look like huge pom poms! They have a repeating delicately folded pedals that have a rich creamy color at the ends and fade to apricot at the center. They look delicious!

    Reply
  1300. Smi on

    I grew dahlia from seeds by accident. It was not planned but outcome was a pleasant surprise. It was my first dahlia that I grew without the traditional way of planting tubers. A simple single layer light white colored flower was enough to make me want to grow more.
    I would really love to see a pastel colored, fully double dinner plate dahlia growing in my garden. No matter what grows from these seeds, it will be a hit in my garden. Can’t wait for summer!

    Reply
  1301. Marilyn V Hamlet on

    I have loved daliahs for my whole life because my mother loved and grew them. I have never grown them from seeds.. I tend to be attracted to the peach, apricot, yellow varieties how ever I’ve always wanted a crimson red daliah with spikey petals. I love the dinner plate size but would be so happy with any size.
    Last year I pre-ordered your daliah book with the intention of giving it to my sister, but it is such a beautiful book that I just could not part with it!

    Reply
  1302. Maggie Patrick on

    I join a few others in dream or gorgeous goth beauties. I also love an apricot/black flower combo and would love to find a fun, spiky black dahlia with rose apricot centers to help me better color bridging in my bouquets!

    Reply
  1303. Samantha M. on

    My dream dahlia would be a waterlily type similar to Kelgai Anne but ivory with peach color brushstrokes instead of white with lavender pink.

    Reply
  1304. Mirela on

    Hi Erin and Floret team!!! I’ve always been a fan of puré whites. I would love to bread my own single petal white with the whitest center
    For now most dahlias from seed have been single petal, yellow and Orange.
    By the way… thank you for all the videos and posts you upload. Thanks to them I managed to start my flower garden which brings me Joy as never before. For now, a very small one but hopefully, it will grow into more.

    Reply
  1305. Heather Engstrom on

    My dream Dahlia would be a formal decorative style that was white and deep teal coloring.

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  1306. Andrea DiMatteo on

    Oh I love this. It’s hard to pick one ;) I think it would be really something special to find in my garden a dahlia that resembled the colors found in a winter sunset. The colors are unique to that time of year when everything is in slumber and quiet. You would have on the outer tips of the petals the blues and purples that are light and begin to fade together and mix towards light pale pinks. In the inside would be a puff of darker purple hues to almost an inky black which could be the fade to night or where I live where the sky meets the mountains! Petals long reaching out in all directions with stems 3-4 high. Can’t decide if it’s branching or not… maybe not so you can take it it’s beauty.

    Erin and team, loved the blog post and your honest answer that you grow them for you, for fun and to see what you get! Isn’t that really the joy of being a gardener anyway?!

    Reply
  1307. Luba on

    I am so excited to have found your site! I never thought of growing dahlias from seed, having only done it from tubers.
    My dahlia would be slug resistant, have dark foliage, be about 24” tall so I would not have to stake it, and have simple flowers of a hot color like a rich salmon, with a contrasting color somewhere on the petals or in the center.
    I hope I can visit your farm sometime, it looks amazing!

    Reply
  1308. Savannah H on

    I love seeing variegated varieties of flowers wherever I go, so I’d enjoy seeing a white and pink, white and coral, or coral and orange variegated variety in my dahlia patch! I also love the large, informal decorative dahlias, like “Labryinth” or “Cafe Au Lait”, so a dahlia like that with orange/brown tones would be pretty cool to me as well! Thanks for always sharing your wealth of knowledge with others Floret Team!

    Reply
  1309. Sunny on

    My dream dahlias are the 2 pictured in photo 22 in this blog post! I can’t wait for the day I can get my hands on those tubers!! 😍

    Reply
  1310. L. Gagner on

    I’m really drawn to collarette varieties the last few years so I’d love to see more dahlias of that form with more variety of size and color with soft palletes.

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  1311. Alice Millwood on

    I have always admired the dahlias but could never afford to buy flowers. They are beautiful. Would love to have some to plant though.

    Reply
  1312. Leslie Shelley on

    My dream dahlia would look like a mixture of the palest orange, pink, and yellow, like a really mellow sunset at the end of a spring day. I love that your goal is to send flowers into the world to share beauty and joy. I have been so inspired by your story that I am preparing my dahlia bed and waiting for the last frost.

    Reply
  1313. Gabrielle A. Tumminello on

    Hello Floret & crew!!! I’m just starting on my Dahlia journey! I’ve never actually grown any yet although I ordered some from Gray Girl Farm to help support her. I’ve never grown them but I am devouring as much information as I can find to learn how to grow them properly. I love so many of the soft pinks with yellow and apricot in them, they are just gorgeous I would imagine if they had a smell they would probably be birthday cake, or maybe a real pretty classic floral scent? It’s nice to dream and thank you for bringing that out in everybody. I only recently found you and I absolutely love what you’re doing! I would be so absolutely thrilled to receive a book and some seeds. Normally I would just go out and purchase them, but Covid is still affecting us. I finally got my job back and now my husband‘s been laid off🤯 anyway I turn to your education and your flowers to bring me stability, feed my curiosity, and put my energy into something positive and beautiful. My plan this year is to have a cut flower garden to share, with those who just need some love & encouragement!!! Love what your doing!!!

    Reply
  1314. Cynthia on

    As a kid, I would intercept the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes entry and meticulously fill out the forms. I spent a dubious amount of time deciding which color corvette sticker to attach to the entry. The likelihood of winning a Corvette was slim but my youthful optimism urged me to weigh the options carefully (just in case). This year will be my first attempt at growing dahlias from seed and I already feel I have recaptured a little of that old feeling. I don’t know if I will get a buttercream yellow waterlily or an anemone with the faintest blush petals and cocoa puffed center but I can’t wait to see. Dahlias really are the ”Ed McMahon” of flowers!

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  1315. Lis on

    I love varieties like Pooh and Wowie, but they are so bold! My dream dahlia would have the shape of these, but in a soft peach or apricot color. I was so excited for my special seed packet last year, but unfortunately slugs got every single last seedling. I’d love to see those seed packets offered again! ;)

    Reply
  1316. Kathleen Clemons on

    My dream Dahlia would be a flower with muted shades of warm pink, with large outer petals, and an array of center petals with strong curls and minds of their own, twisting randomly all around the center of the flower.

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  1317. Annie Thorn on

    I love the small to medium balls in pink, salmon, peach, and orange shades, particularly with a subtle two tone color. I’m looking for color nuance, something that really speaks to my heart.

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  1318. Andrea Edelson on

    Soft romantic pink. Kind of rounded so the round edge shows in flower arrangements. 3 inches or larger.

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  1319. Raquel on

    My dream dahlia would be a big peachy flower filled with small pedals and a puffy yellow middle. Also your floret dahlia. If I grew that I would be thrilled!

    Reply
  1320. Elisa on

    My dream dahlia would have the general shape and size of a dinner plate dahlia like ‘cafe au lait’ but with the colour of a pink Hawaiian Coral peony – pale yellow/cream in the centre transitioning to a pale candy pink around the edge.

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  1321. Kathy H on

    “Guitar Man” grew in my garden couple years until tubers didn’t over winter. LOVED it as cut in arrangements! It seems to have fallen off the planet! Would be so happy for a return!

    Reply
  1322. Erika on

    Yahoooo! My DREAM dahlia would look like Appleblossom, but more earthy or muted in color. I would be super thrilled to find Cafe Au Lait for n my dahlia patch!! Or Appkeblossom! They are my favorites!!

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  1323. Mon on

    My dream dahlia would definitely be Serenade seedling 121, petals within petals. The uniqueness of this and the absolute excitement of finding something even close to Bec’s dahlia in my patch would be both exciting and terrifying.
    I will definitely be saving some of my serenade seeds to give it a go.
    She has had so many beautiful seedlings this season, I am happy to wait a few more years to purchase these beauties from her.
    She might be one to watch and support in the future. Xx

    Reply
  1324. Kathy on

    My favorite dahlia would be fluffy and hot pink on the tips, fading to a soft pink in the middle. Long, strong stem. Dark green leaves. I had my first row of flowers in our veggie garden last year, and I can’t wait for the snow to melt and the garden to thaw!

    Reply
  1325. Leora on

    My dream dahlia, what a hard question!! At this moment, it would be a mix of firefly coloring with Cafe Au Lait coloring, and Cafe Au Lait petals. I’m growing from seeds for the first time this year, I can’t wait to see the blooms!! Thank you for sharing all the helpful information!

    Reply
  1326. Karen Bare on

    A “water lily” type form with deep blackberry color that opens to more raspberry tones as it ages. It’s jewel-toned petals would float in a bowl or grace a bouquet with white & raspberry colored iris, heliotrope, African daisy, or cineraria . A stem or two of fat Himalayan blackberries would complete the picture in my mind!

    Reply
  1327. Heather Moothart on

    I am a “blush and bashful” fan, so love an off white or buff flower with hints of pink. I also like dahlias that are more formal in shape and midsize. My goal is to grow enough varieties this year to create mini bouquets.

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  1328. Sara Tetrick on

    A blue Dahlia. Maybe fluffy with a fade to white on the outside. I know many have tried, but wouldn’t that be fun to be the first to discover a blue one!

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  1329. Alison Pugh on

    Oooh, wouldn’t the first blue dahlia be something! Maybe a medium formal to be paired with a white pom to make a “clouds in the spring sky” bouquet. I do love dahlias!

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  1330. Sarah on

    Your firefly is just beautiful! I personally would love the looks of a medium sized formal or stellar. Maybe even a ball…and gradient colors. Hopefully next year I’ll have a few seeds to try!

    Reply
  1331. Pauline McLennan on

    Oh gosh, what a decision! I think discovering a deep ruby red version of a Cafe au Lait crossed with the ruffles of a Penhill Watermelon would take things to a whole new level!

    Reply
  1332. Debra Arney on

    Unbelievably amazing! I can’t image all of the care and time spent gathering and recording of the breeding patch. I could just wander around all day long soaking in its beauty. My dream dahlia would be a ball of pink with lavender and yellow undertones. My perfect dahlia find would be C33/Floret. I love the daisy shape and she’s the perfect shade of pink with a yellow button. Thank you for all you do in sharing your knowledge and inspiration!!

    Reply
  1333. Wendy Curling on

    I would love to see a large billowing flower head with layers of petals in shades of red, graduating in intensity from the outside in, collecting around a vibrant green center! In my packet I would be ecstatic to find mystery seeds that would keep the excitement building until the opening, just like the best Christmas gift ever!❤️

    Reply
  1334. Sarah Betteridge on

    Your dahlia discovery journey is so exciting,Erin. They are definitely addictive! I would love to grow fluffy pink and peachy balls. I do love the singles too though and those watercolour tones. So many different possibilities!

    Sarah Betteridge

    Reply
  1335. Elaine Rudkin on

    My dream dahlia would be a medium ball, with a strong long stem. The color would be blush pink fading in tone towards the centre.

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  1336. Amanda on

    My dream dahlia would look very much like C33. Structured with a soft touch of whimsical magic. It is beautiful and exciting and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since you posted a picture recently. I enjoy flowers for the freedom and I don’t love all the “rules” that define a perfect flower, which is why Dahlia seeds are so exciting. Thanks for the inspiration and passion you bring. You’ve sparked a passion I didn’t know I had in flowers.

    Reply
  1337. Melanie Wright on

    My dream dahlia would be a collarette or waterlily type with deep pink to orangish coloring. Anything bright and bold!

    Reply
  1338. Jules on

    I’d like to have swirling pearly petals with a a glowing apricot puffy center. Attractive to pollinators, easy to grow, flowers all summer long on long stems for flower arrangements.

    Reply
  1339. Ann Webb on

    A large creamy yellow anemone with rich burgundy center and edges, long stems, an excellent vase life, prolific, growing 4 ft and producing excellent tubers that store well!

    Reply
  1340. Julie Clites on

    Will be planting my first Dahli’s this spring. I love them all but my dream dahli would be a ball with a hot pink center that feathers out to a white tip. Hope to plant, learn and grow enough flowers to share and spread their joy to friends!

    Reply
  1341. Catherine Head on

    I have loved learning about your craft!! And I have a few of your books and I have some Dahlia’s already in what I call my “mom” garden in memory of her-she passed away two years ago. I would love to add more pink since that was one of her favorite colors. But also just am in love of any color with these beautiful flowers.

    Reply
  1342. Meg Watkins on

    I envision a flecked semi cactus that makes you think it’s from another planet or perhaps aquatic! Bright bright Orange with yellow flecks and a green center. Long sturdy stems for making them a true focal point in arrangements. Something that would make all the other dahlias on the farm be like “wtf is she!??” 🤩😆

    Reply
  1343. Mary Timmons on

    Anemone dahlias are my fave. I’d love to see one with the noir petal coloring of Verrone’s Obsidian and the blood orange center of Totally Tangerine. Super dramatic and perfect for late summer and fall arrangements!

    Reply
  1344. Danielle Scuderi on

    Oh Good God! Your Dahlias are beyond beautiful! I can’t even contain myself! I’ll take 2 of each please!! My perfect dream Dahlia would be double or triple petals in a soft apricot, muddy, antique mauve color on a not so thick stem, that would sway gracefully in a soft summer breeze with plenty of petals to catch the morning dew! I would be over the moon if I were to find even just one of these beauties peeking out from Mother Earth, I just have to have one!!

    Reply
  1345. Toi on

    A Black Cafe Au Lait would win my heart. I love pinks and whites but I would be thankful for any type of dahlia seed

    Reply
  1346. Kimberly Peterson on

    Oh man, this is like asking to pick a favorite child!

    But if I must, it would have ombré shades of magenta and orange, and it would be a staggering size…the kind that stops you in your tracks and reminds you how powerful nature really is. I would name it Mars.

    Reply
  1347. Kate on

    I love huge pink floofy dahlias, but also like the ones that fade to a lighter color on each petal edge, like Ice Cube or Sellwood Glory. Lately I’ve been ogling a few orange and pink combos- one had an orange front with pink reverse. But the perfect one is a dahlia that blooms early! It’s so hard to wait until mid-late summer for the big ones to start blooming.

    Reply
  1348. Linda Lane on

    I love the Firefly, and the floret. I’ve never seen them before. They’re beautiful. I want to learn how to grow Dahlias. That’s my new project for 2022. It would be a treat to win one of these boxes.

    Reply
  1349. Julie D on

    It’s hard to pick just one color or petal type. My love of dahlias is growing every day. My favorite color for flowers would have to be white or a peachy pink – so a dahlia with those colors would be perfect!

    Reply
  1350. Cheryl Moran on

    What a journey! I don’t know much about dahlias – I live in Missouri, a beautiful state. Missouri is cooler than Oregon or Washington, but I would like to try something new. I would love to try something in pinks, corals, peaches or red! Seeing all of those colors together would be beautiful! Thank you for your energy and for sticking to a new dream. Many blessings to you in this endeavor.

    Cheryl Moran

    Reply
  1351. lauren Keene on

    I love the dahlias that look like they have been painted with watercolors. the beautiful pinks and oranges that fade out to other colors as they age are so beautiful and fascinating to me.

    Reply
  1352. Annjanette DeBellis on

    The fast that every Dahlia seed is a unique color and type blows my mind! I can’t even pick my favorite. Rows of dahlias, like yours, is hard to come in my hot dry climate, but I love it! We are thrilled to find your inspiration in our garden now in our 6th year.

    Reply
  1353. Yeise on

    My dream dahlia would be a peachy pink with white tips like a la mode or Seattle, something two toned for sure!

    Reply
  1354. Teresa J. Cross on

    My dream dahlia would look like sunsets in Naples, Florida. It would be full of bright, brilliant colors in orange and yellow with other reddish shades. The large glowing yellow inner petals would be twisted as well as layered. The outer petals would fade to orange as the dahlia ages. The center would be golden like the sun and would continue to get fluffier. I would absolutely be thrilled to find this “Naples Sunset” dahlia in my seedling patch.

    Reply
  1355. Stacey on

    I did dahlias from seed last year and it was so fun! I kept three very unique ones and named them after my niece and nephews. And now they will grow them in their yard! This year I only kept Cafe at Lait seeds and hope to find one similar but on the smaller side. I’ve grown more fond of petit flowers for bouquets.

    Reply
  1356. Nicole on

    I would love to see a soft rose color with a hint of peach! Growing from seed last year was so much fun, I’m looking forward to growing the dahlias that I saved from last year!

    Reply
  1357. Karen Risser on

    My dahlia as I envision it is: fine delicate petals, light purple-hued with a mauvey center with that same color veining through the petals. I can see it. Could it be someday real?

    Reply
  1358. Mary Schnurr on

    A multi coloured semi cactus dahlia. The flower being muted shades of pink, The deepest shade closest to the top
    of the petal with subtle lighter shades introduced with the most muted pink closest to the centre. The centre being a warm white. The edge of the petals having a warm white border. A delicate variety.

    Reply
  1359. Patrick on

    My dream dahlia would be a ball that had a bit of an apricot center that graduated to a light sepia color on the outer petals. I could see that giving any arrangement a Miss Havisham look.

    Reply
  1360. Janelle Edwards on

    Oh man, this is a hard question…I seem to love Large blooms so maybe a formal decorative that’s bigger than my head in a mauve color!

    Reply
  1361. Lisa on

    My dream dahlia would look exactly like firefly! Those blooms are jaw dropping gorgeous! I love that they are also a draw for pollinators. Thanks for the fun giveaway and for sharing your love of dahlias!

    Lisa

    Reply
  1362. Desiree S on

    I haven’t met a dahlia I didn’t love. Yours are no exception. At the moment I am especially appreciating anemone types. Mid pink with dark pink tips would be lovely.

    Reply
  1363. Carol L deSousa on

    I would love to see super mini Dahlias like smaller than a half dollar in all the styles they come in now and a range of beautiful colors. That’s some wishful think I know! :-) If I can only limit it to two, I’d especially like to see it in Cafe au Lait & Break out Pink in super mini’s.

    Reply
  1364. Holly Belnap on

    I love the anemone dahlias. And the perfect color would be like a braken rose.

    Reply
  1365. Stephanie Barrus on

    How can you pick your favorite child? I love all dahlias but especially those that blend colors like pink and apricot or cream and blush. Then there are all of the shapes!!!! I love the intricacy of ball flowers but also the wild shagginess of lacinated blooms. Don’t even get me started on the pure unadulterated charm of collarette flowers! You really can’t choose. My dream dahlia would also have long stems for cutting and medium size flowers so it’s versatile for arranging. It should also bloom generously! Does such a dream flower exist? Who knows! I can only praise and enjoy the beauty any dahlia gives.

    Reply
  1366. Nicole Montesano on

    My dream dahlia; that’s a hard question! I love the dark reds, like Rip City, passionately … but also apricots, and creams … hmm, maybe one that somehow managed to combine all three in wild, gorgeous variations. Maybe cream petals in the middle, with apricot outer edges, shading into crimson, or lined with crimson. Or apricot and cream petals, with crimson backs. I would love to grow something like that.

    Reply
  1367. Hannah Anderson on

    I love beautiful pastel pinks that have that almost water colored effect with soft creams and other pinks. I can’t choose between the different styles though – they’re all so stunning in their own way!

    Reply
  1368. Roe Shands on

    Last year we lost our sweet pup Layla suddenly due to cancer. She was my pup, my soul pup. As part of my grieving process, I threw myself in my my flower field. Spent a lot of my time caring for all the flowers because Layla spent a lot of her time with me out in the field when she was alive. I couldn’t quite let go of her and spending the day out in the field of flowers was my way of healing. I stopped cutting my dahlias, stopped selling flowers and let my field blow up. Our bees loved it so we collected seeds from our field last season which we already started this year. What would my dream dahlia would look like? It would look like Layla’s spirit- fun, warm and beautiful just like her and it will also be named Layla. Can’t wait to discover her this season.

    Reply
  1369. Laurel Ludwicki on

    I love dahlias and can’t wait to save some seed from our patch this year. Little Miss Sunshine is BEAUTIFUL! My dream dahlia would be a peachy orange with curled double petals on a darker foliage.

    Reply
  1370. Sarah on

    My dream dahlia would be a collarette type with soft peach outer petals, followed by a ring of smaller, slightly incurved creamy white petals surrounding a sunny yellow center. Like a sunrise. So dreamy.

    Reply
  1371. Jennifer Batey on

    My dream dahlia… a gem tone center that fades with curling On her leaves and an extended vase life! But let’s be honest, the are all dreamy to me! Thank you for your kindness and sharing this gift :)

    Reply
  1372. Karen on

    Little Miss Sunshine would be delightful in my garden! And maybe a peachy- orange version with same growing habit. Can’t wait until you have enough to sell :)

    Reply
  1373. Maryn Wynne on

    I am in love with your Little Miss Sunshine. My perfect dahlia would be her size and shape in a brilliant orange. Thank you for the inspiration to raise dahlias from seeds. With your guidance I will save seed this year.

    Reply
  1374. Dianna on

    My dream dahlia would be deep purple spiked petals with soft pink tufted middle.

    Reply
  1375. Marcia P. on

    My dream Dahlia would have a creamy apricot color to it with big fluffy flowers and long stems for arranging. I have fallen in love with Dahlia’s and always look forward to seeing what Floret is doing on their farm!

    Reply
  1376. Holly on

    I love the purples and lilac shades. I originally bought a bag of Blue Boy and Luca Johanna tubers at a discount wholesaler, knowing nothing about dahlias. I just thought it would be fun to try. To my amazement they grew profusely all summer. They were beautiful! I am now officially hooked on dahlias.

    Reply
  1377. Mary on

    Dahlias have caught my attention since 10 yrs old and now being a mom to 5 enjoying gardening all my life and pondering how are new colors created when I’m only able to buy tubers after being introduced to florets must have books having answered so many unanswered questions..
    .. and having my dream hobby greenhouse for the first yr ..!!! Has only taken my excitement to new levels!!

    Reply
  1378. Mary K Murphy on

    I would love to grow a red/yellow collarette type dahlia. It would be unusual looking, so cute and perky! I saw one in a catalogue called Pooh Impression. Would absolutely covet!

    Reply
  1379. Kate Van Dyk on

    Always inspired by your work and the joy and wonder you have for nature. My dream dahlia would be inspired by the unique, feathery beauty of the Sebastopol goose. Large, loose and informal, with a ruffled texture. The colour would be a warm brown, the colour of slightly bruised flesh found inside a ripe pear. As the flower aged, a gradient fading to a dark cream towards the outer petals would appear. Its signifying characteristic would be its graceful ageing over time. I can’t forget to add that it would undoubtably have a sturdy, long stem length and optimum vase life. I would name this dahlia ‘Enduring Transmute’. (Transmute: “to change or alter in appearance, especially to a higher form”), paying tribute to this dahlias ability to age gracefully and be admired through the whole blooming stage.

    Reply
  1380. Michelle on

    My dream dahlia would be a B62 shape with bright candy pink brushed edges fading back to white petal inners. Pure Delight!

    Reply
  1381. Anita Lee-Archer on

    My dream dahlia. Curly and windswept with lots of petals and the colour would be a light muted purple/grey brown with mushroom pink accents. . Probably impossible to produce!

    Reply
  1382. Martha Thilbourg Chaplin on

    My favorite Dahlias would have a wonderful aroma and have the colors of Fall in Vermont including the rich reds, oranges and yellows. They would easily blend in to the lush landscape that I love so much.

    Reply
  1383. Daniela Gomez on

    Oh Erin, thank you for such a beautiful post and for bringing such gems to the world! I pre ordered the discover dahlias book as a gift last year for my neighbours who are dahlia lovers and sell dahlias at our summer market in our little island. They’ve given me most of my tubers and They were delighted to receive your book and gifted me some of the seeds in the pack. The seeds did amazing and in fact the floret variety was my first dahlia to bloom last year. I can’t wait to try it again and discover more dahlias. you have inspired me!
    I have a thing for monochromatic and ombre looks so i think my dream dahlia would be an ombre dinner plate dahlia which petals start lightening row after row from a deep cabernet that becomes a beautiful delicate light lilac color. Ahhhh what a beauty!

    Reply
  1384. Jacquelyn on

    I have always (meaning the last 2 years that I have grown them) been drawn to pink colored dahlias maybe with a darker pink outlining the petals. I love ball dahlias. The more petals the better!!

    Reply
  1385. Kim G. on

    My ideal dahlia would be a sherbert anemone with a white center tinged with yellow. But I would honestly be thrilled to find anything in the seedling patch. I feel like no matter what I think I would love to have, something magical would pop up that I didn’t expect and I would end up finding out that my dream dahlia was something even better than I imagined.

    Reply
  1386. Amanda Monsen on

    My dream Dahlia would be a cutie pinky purple color with a yellow fluffy center! It looks really pretty in my head 😂

    Reply
  1387. Nikki Hammack on

    Hello, I prefer some of the medium to small dahlias, both single, ball and decorative. I love the soft apricots, peaches and light pinks…actually I have never met a dahlia I didn’t like, lol.

    Reply
  1388. Tamy Stewart on

    My dream dahlia would be like a beautiful ripe peach that you would find here in Georgia! Bright colors of yellow and orange that would just light up my garden.

    I have so enjoyed your blogs, your books and your show on Discovery+ What a inspiration you are to me!! Thank you! Tamy

    Reply
  1389. Heidi Roycroft on

    I’d like a Dahlia with the daisy shape that has a salmon center with cream outer petals.

    Reply
  1390. Pidge Tyson on

    It’s still cold in Maine and the ground is not yet workable, but you have me dreaming about Dahlias. I think my backyard would be full of pastel colored about to bloom seedlings, with a pop brighter colors woven in here and there. Then, the local pre schoolers and kindergarten children would come and pick out there favorite Dahlia and I would capture the wonder and joy on their faces as they brought this very special flower home to their mothers.

    Reply
  1391. Hannah Wilson on

    Hi! I’m so excited, I have never tried dahlias from seed! About 2-3 years ago I fell in love with collecting flower seeds, during Covid it was something I could do and enjoy doing on my own. My dream dahlia would look: the outer Petal a sunset orange color with the inner petal being a golden yellowish pink but then with the gorgeous little humble green center like Dahlias C216 and B10 have. Such cute things! I’d love to find either of those seeds in my garden. Thank you for the chance and for sharing your Dahlia story.

    Reply
  1392. Rachel Bowlen on

    I have been growing dahlias from tubers for years and am excited to try to grow them from seed. My dream one would be a dinner plate size in a pale orange with a darker orange center. Thank you for inspiring so many people to try their hand at dahlia growing and breeding.

    Reply
  1393. Rachel D Smith on

    The firefly is one of the most beautiful variations I have ever seen! I love that, and any darker variations. I’m a singleom with two jobs, and the only escape i have is my garden. I am so excited to be putting up my first green house this spring, as well as starting cut flowers! I just want to spread to joy thar flowers bring!

    Reply
  1394. Laura on

    My ideal dahlia would be a large ball form with the top/inside of the leaves a light amethyst and the bottom a pearly white. The amethyst begins more saturated at the center and fades out to the outer leaves in a perfect ombre :)

    Reply
  1395. Debi Jasinski on

    First, thank you for everything you and your team are doing! I am constantly learning and feeling inspired. I took your flower farmer class and am working hard at designing my space. My dream dahlia would be the puff type with an almost ombré effect, in pinks, purples and yellows. And it would have fragrance!

    Reply
  1396. Val Colvin on

    My favorite dahlia would mimic a harvest sunset here on our east Tennessee mountain farm!

    Reply
  1397. Anne on

    Tiny little pompom sized ones that are on long stems, but not just limited to little round cushions but all forms, especially one like Firefly, my favorite you grew!

    Reply
  1398. Brigitte on

    My dream dahlia would be a mixture of dark purple and lavender, kind of like firefly. I’m growing dahlias for the first time this year, I hope I can figure out how to do it in my area!

    Reply
  1399. Debra Byrd on

    I retired in November 2021. I had found Floret that spring when I scanned a QR code on one of my seed packets from a local nursery. I read everything! It excited me. This year I can’t wait to create my beds and plant my seedlings when they develop. I love the multi layer petal dahlias in the shades of pink , soft yellows. I ordered Asters, Poppy, Lilly, and Sweet Pea seeds.

    Reply
  1400. Stephanie on

    I got my dream dahlia from Floret’s dahlia seed pack last year and I’m hoping The tubers are good and will grow again this season! It’s a frilly medium pink flower. I saved some of her seeds and I’m excitedly waiting to see what they will produce. Thank you for the original seeds and new hobby!

    Reply
  1401. Madison Post on

    I would love to find a decorative/ball sized dahlia that is a soft pink fading to cream with a dusty lavender reverse <3

    Reply
  1402. Chanel on

    I hope to one day have a large field of dahlias! they all have their own beauty, but cafe au lait always steals my heart— I would love to see another gorgeous creamy, huge dinner plate dahlia emerge.

    Reply
  1403. Emily Powers on

    My dream dahlia would be a pale pink ball, I just love that form! I would also love to fund some pretty pastel toned singles in my patch, they are so simple and pretty.

    Reply
  1404. Amie on

    My dream dahlia would be a deep orangey coral color with a yellow center! Love your dahlias and following along your journey!

    Reply
  1405. Michelle Wilhelmi on

    My dream dahlia would be a dusty coral pink colored anemone dahlia! I think that type would look stunning in bouquets.

    Reply
  1406. Jill Lee on

    My dream Dahlia would be a large white dinner plate with interesting twisted pink and orange petals in the center!

    Reply
  1407. Lyn Cousineau on

    My dream dahlia is a C146 type flower that is full of petals with the buttercream brushed with raspberry-red colour like the Firefly (C144).
    Finding the Firefly in my seedling patch would be fabulous!

    Reply
  1408. Taylor Fricks on

    My dream dahlia would be a black and white “checkered”. Some petals black and some petals white, with shades of red coming from the center. I think it would look like something out of the Red Queens garden in Alice in Wonderland!

    Reply
  1409. Jessica Q on

    I would love a large dahlia that is a light yellow in the middle, gradually changing to a deep watermelon pink on the ends of the petals!

    Reply
  1410. Simone Whyte on

    I seem to be drawn to the full peach and blush varieties but I do love all the different colours and shapes so would be super happy with whatever surprised me in my seedling patch. Thank-you for the opportunity to bring home one of your goody boxes!!

    Reply
  1411. Lynette Joy Johnson on

    This is soooo difficult as each time I am cutting them I say to myself THIS one is my favorite!
    One with multi colors like the sunrise and sunset going from orangey to peachy to yellows, full with long, strong stems. Flowers are created to bring beauty into our lives.

    Reply
  1412. Deana Marcum on

    I am in love with the large fluffy peach Dahlias. They are so wonderful to look at and I get mesmerized just looking in its beauty. Looking forward to start my garden with any Dahlias. :)

    Reply
  1413. Linda on

    My dream dahlia would be the ones growing in my garden (: I love bright pinks and bright whites as well as the coral/peach colors.

    Reply
  1414. Jenn on

    My dream dahlia is a bolder peach with golden tones and touches of pink. Either dinner plate size or a smaller anemone.

    Reply
  1415. Layne Macwhinney on

    So happy to see I’m not the only crazy lady in the garden! Love dahlias! The best therapy ever! Anyway would love to see a light yellow with hot pink eye dahlia. Doesn’t have to be big. Take care, Layne

    Reply
  1416. Dawn Williams on

    I love all dahlias and I’m so enchanted with all the varieties that are available. However, my dream dahlia would be dinner plate and anything purple!

    Reply
  1417. Tricia Braid on

    Hi there. My perfect dahlia would be yellow with touches of pink, like a glass of lemonade laced with raspberry syrup. It would be breezy and fresh!

    Reply
  1418. Deb Moss on

    Since I’m very new at this, haven’t yet planted my flower bed, I’m not sure to expect. Right now I only wish to look out into my backyard and see plots of beautiful dahlias. Can’t wait for winter to end and I can start planting!

    Reply
  1419. joe Davis on

    Wow what an effort. TY for sharing so much detail. A lot!! 10,000 tubors at XX $ each that is worth taking hubby out to dinner. Again thanks. I need to take your Dahlia book I purchased out again are brush up on seeds.

    Reply
  1420. Karen Lange on

    My perfect dahlia would be a rich double Pinot noir colour with a luscious dark centre much like your B50. Stunning! ❤️

    Reply
  1421. Kathy on

    My dream dahlia would have deep tones of pink at the center and it would fade to a lighter pink at the endge of the pedals, which would be spider like pedals. It would be a medium to large flower to show off the intense color.

    Reply
  1422. Jess R on

    I would love to see any dahlia in my garden. I am putting in a cutting garden for the first time this year and working on the fence ( we have tons of deer who love to eat my flowers) and getting the soil just right. I hope to have these beautiful flowers soon in my yard.

    Reply
  1423. Kelsey on

    I would be delighted to find a cheerful citrusy dahlia in my garden, one that’s petals blend from deep tangerine to grapefruit to lemon-coloured at the tips! This dream dahlia will definitely be a big dinner-plate type, on a long sturdy stem with bright lime-coloured leaves. Thanks for all the inspiration and information sharing!

    Reply
  1424. Miriam on

    I would live to find a Dahlia that looks like your Firefly and Polka! I absolutely love their looks- not like any other flower, just amazing and unique!

    Thank you for this chance!
    And thank you for inspiring me to grow them here in Austria and for all the informations- lovedthe book too!

    Greetings! Miriam

    Reply
  1425. Amy Barnett on

    My dream dahlia would be a big, bright, fluffy red – my grandmother’s favorite color! We say our final “see you later” tomorrow and are wearing red to honor her. I would love to have rows of red beauties as a tribute to my precious grandmother, Katie.

    Reply
  1426. Dani Boss on

    I would love to see a violet dahlia, but so cool it almost looks blue. Large fluffy soft yellow center, with twirled cascading petals. The petals would have a darker beginning and then fade out toward the end. Reminiscent of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”.

    Reply
  1427. Sarah Torkelson on

    I’m certainly dreaming of having that yahoo moment, of finding the special one of a kind dahlia in my garden! What flower would bring me to giddiness? Something Romantic with an undeniable vibrancy. A dahlia that is a combination of an Apple Blossom and Decorative Dahlia. Filtered with colors straight from Queen Victoria’s sitting room. Rose Tones with blush accents.

    Reply
  1428. Alyssa Garza on

    My dream dahlia would be a golden inner and a blush outter color 😍 I’ve never even grown flowers but hoping this year is the year I get some seedlings going. I’m so excited to start! Thank you for providing so much knowledge.

    Reply
  1429. Ireena Nieuwenhuis on

    What an interesting read. Thank you for all of the work you put into teaching new gardeners like myself. I am partial to pollinators so any dahlia with an open center! I love an ombré look with a darker center fading to light or light fading to dark. I am definitely drawn to soft colours such as cream, yellow, pink, apricot or peach colours. I would buy each of the three varieties you featured.

    Reply
  1430. Mary Foreman on

    I am new to the Dahlia world, but I am in love and absolutely loved looking through your beautiful pictures . I and planting dahlias for the first time this season and I’m trying a few different varieties. I would love to see a full thick head bloom of pale pink with yellow. Is there one already like that? Either way, I’m so glad I found your website and will be following you guys!!!

    Reply
  1431. Constance on

    My dream dahlia would be a chartreuse green center that fades into a vivid purple. Those colors always make my garden pop and are probably two of my favorites 🌸

    Reply
  1432. Laura Kesner on

    Wow! Erin, anytime I read these detailed posts, I feel giddy and inspired. I desperately crave warmer weather, and simply can’t wait for full days of being out in the field, with the sun pouring her golden light all over everything. I long for dirt-caked under my fingernails, blooms exploding, warm breeze…ugh! I cannot wait for the sun to warm my soul.

    The question you ask, is tough. I have an idea of the perfect dahlia, but I will list my top two “dream” dahlias.

    The perfect dahlia(s) in my seedling patch would be an anemone or collarette form, with a 3” circumstance, flush of flat, ray petals in a peachy apricot tone. The open center would be a soft, buff/neutral tone, which ombré faded into a warm golden, fuzzy center.
    My second dream dahlia would be a ball form, with 4” blooms. It would be a large, prolific bloomer (and a prolific tuber-maker—of course), with long, stiff stems. The color in the early season would be a light creamy-peach, and as the season progressed, the center of this ball form would fade into a deep mauve. SWOON. I can just see it, now!

    I am very thankful for the opportunity, and look forward to reading through the other replies on this post. Thank you, Erin and the Floret team, for all that you give to this community.

    Reply
  1433. Robin Blair on

    This is my third year with Dahlias and I’m sooo hooked on them! Thanks to your instructions and free classes at Floret I am so much more braver this year. I think my dream dahlia would be a combo if soft pink and salmon with big fluffy petals, although I just love your Firefly. Right now my favorite flower is the one I’m looking at, at the time. :). They all bring peace to a crazy would.

    Reply
  1434. K on

    I’m not sure what my dream dahlia would look like, but I know I’d want it to be an easy keeper – there’s nothing worse than a dahlia tuber that’s impossible to keep! Thank you, as always for your generosity.

    Reply
  1435. Pam Schepe on

    Please enter my name in your contest. I appreciate all dahlias but smaller/medium size for both arrangements and gardebAlso early flowering as I’m in zone 4

    Reply
  1436. Alex on

    My dream dahlia would have slim spider petals. The color would be white with blush pink tips, tiny pink freckles scattered throughout, and a puffy pale yellow center.

    Reply
  1437. Carrie Sawulski on

    My Dream Dalia would be rustic brown labyrinth with subtle hues of light pink or peach accents. I know you might scrunch your nose and say “yuck” but there is just something about a beautiful natural color bloom that makes me feel at peace. Part of the reason I fell in love with Floret and Erin’s work was because of the way it made me feel. Thank you for bringing your little piece of heaven to me!

    Reply
  1438. Monique on

    I would love a dahlia that had a large flower head, with a deep rose colored center that transitioned to blush pink and then back to the rose on the outer edge. Stems would have to be strong to support all that weight and stand up to our windy conditions.

    Reply
  1439. Linda L. Gordon on

    My dream dahlia would be in the pink, burgundy and cream color scheme….but really, I would love any colors. COVID has certainly provided many of us the opportunity to invest in and cheer on all kinds of new plants and seedlings in our gardens. Thanks Erin and team for providing so much joy to those of us you’ve never met in person!

    Reply
  1440. Donna Delegeane on

    My dream dahlia would be pink chiffon, dinner plate sized with a pom in the center and dusky rose petals spiraled around the base!

    Reply
  1441. Shelly Hashimoto on

    My dream dahlia geez I don’t know that I can have just one. I love pinks and oranges and whites. Small balls and large dinner plates. They are all so beautiful my favorites change daily.

    Reply
  1442. Taryn on

    My dream dahlia would have the bright colors of a yellow and orange tropical fish! Hmm, is there blue and green dahlias?
    I did save some seedlings from last summer’s beauties. This was my first gardening attempt with dahlias and I’m hooked!
    I will be thrilled to find anything flowering in this year’s seedling patch.

    Reply
  1443. Andrea George on

    This will be my second year growing dahlias! I’m so excited, tubers or seed grown, dahlias feel like Christmas morning when the bloom. My dream dahlia would be dark almost black/purplish red petals, layered, with larger petals on the outside and shorter ones on the inside with an open face and an apricot center. I can imagine the bees loving it too! It would pair well in a bouquet with purple and whites and green sage filler.

    Reply
  1444. Renee on

    My dream dahlia would grow strong and tall in the limited sun we have in our Edmonds WA garden. Any color and shape will do! Loved seeing all the dahlias on Growing Floret.

    Reply
  1445. Emma Crippen on

    My dream dahlia, is really anything with multiple colors. I like when it’s dark in the middle and fades out on the petals. Medium sized, good vase life.

    Reply
  1446. Rebecca on

    My dream dahlia would be a 2 to 3 inch bloom with a stellar petal shape (similar petal style to a bloomquist jean), but in a soft peachy-apricot color with an ombre effect. I have a thing for unusual flower shapes. 😀

    Reply
  1447. Tiffie Lee on

    My dream dahlia would have a fluffy light yellow center with darling petals in a peach/blush hue!

    Reply
  1448. Janine on

    My dream dahlia would be a Pom type with multi-colored petals, probably in the pink color family! I would love to have an open center dahlia in my seed patch, it’s a style I’ve never tried growing before!

    Reply
  1449. Elizabeth Anne Szudy on

    My ideal dahlia is similar in form to Cafe au Lait but more burgundy/purple—a less common color I’ve seen. Long vase life, 3 foot high, it has a place waiting in my garden!

    Reply
  1450. Ann Marie Rinehart on

    My dream dahlia’s have already come to fruition in the Floret books I have, and on your website! Thank you! for all of your inspiration.

    Reply
  1451. Mandy Buck on

    My dream dahlia would be red, white and blue (purple-ish) as I have dual citizenship with USA and UK and those are the colors in both flags. Maybe it could have a white main color with red and blue/purple streaks.

    Reply
  1452. Sarah Z on

    My dream dahlia would be one that had sturdy stems, didn’t require staking and had prolific blooms. I am a sucker for the antique color palette, so antique whites and pinks are my go to colors. Basically, I’d love a dahlia that wasn’t flashy, loud, or dominating in the landscape. I’d just love to have one that was strong, sturdy, prolific and classic.

    Reply
  1453. christina cavalier on

    This is my 2nd year growing dahlias. Growing dahlias has taken over my life! I spend most of every day thinking about dahlias. lol I purchased your dahlia seeds and am growing them this year hoping for something amazing from them. I know the experience of watching each one open will be so exciting and rewarding! I love, love, love the C33/floret! That really is my dream dahlia! But, if that dahlia were is a deep raspberry with peach tones in the center, it would be a dream one too!

    Reply
  1454. Debbie G on

    This is my second year intentionally adding tubers to my small garden. You’ve asked the nearly impossible question: What would my dream dahlia look like? So many dreams, so many dahlias, so little space! BUT for today, it would be something fluffy, with a kiss of pink, a kiss a peach and yes, creamy white. In my seedling patch, I’d love to see cafe au lait type flower, and flowers with lots of petals; structured, loosey goosey or fluffy. Just thinking about it makes me smile :) .

    Reply
  1455. Deanna on

    My dream dahlia would be a cool toned pink with a large diameter and frilly curly petals, similar to Café au Lait. The pictures are so inspirational and you have a wonderful collection!

    Reply
  1456. jen on

    A big yellow puff ball with a bright pink center!

    Reply
  1457. Stephanie Clements on

    My dream dahlia… I am torn between the ball and the novelty open… the dreamy color would be white, with just hints of a soft pink brushed on its tips, and a chartreuse green center. For me, these are classic colors that always match my home and I would love to be so successful in a cut garden to have the rooms in my house filled with cut flowers.

    Reply
  1458. Andrea on

    My dream dahlia is a mix of peach, pink & gold edged in burgundy. And the plant would be very sturdy.

    Reply
  1459. Sasha Thomas on

    My dream dahlia would be a multihued pom pom shaped with a bluish edge and pale yellow center. I just think that would be so pretty!

    Reply
  1460. Kim Hathaway on

    My dream dahlia would be salmon in color and come in an unexpected form.

    Reply
  1461. Kirstin on

    My dream dahlia would be a dusty rose colour, reminiscent of my organza grad dress from the 80’s that I sewed myself, hand picking the fabric because I loved that colour so much!! I still love that colour and to see it in flower form would be divine! Thank you for sharing your knowledge of dahlia breeding and for taking us along on the journey.

    Reply
  1462. Catherine Brown on

    My dream dahlia would be an open-centered variety to support not only my own honey bees, but also our native solitary bees like mason bees. Yet I also want something beautiful for the vase. What draws my affection are broad petals of coral or pink with blushes of another color – creams and pastels, or bold raspberry. So, to choose one that would stop my heart in my own garden, I’d choose a blush-rose, flushed with raspberry veins along the petals or edges and creamy petal bases.

    Reply
  1463. Andrea on

    My dream dahlia would be a creamy pinkish salmon, large fluffy ball, with the color deepening toward the center.

    Reply
  1464. R. Odedra on

    For me the ultimate dahlia – any type of flower colour, shape & size – but it should have tubers that are frost resistant so once plated they would come up year after year.

    Reply
  1465. Alician on

    I just started dahlia seed for the first time. So far they are growing well. I can’t wait to see what each plant will look like. I’m hoping for an orange and pink combo. I’m also looking forward to all the pollinators they will attract.

    Reply
  1466. Meghan DeGuelle on

    I’d love to see a purple pom pom dahlia that has bright green streaking on the edges of the petals.

    Reply
  1467. Michelle Enns on

    A perfect dahlia to me is a blush pink with mauve tones thrown in. But honestly, is there any ugly dahlias?? This dahlia lover would be hard pressed to find one I don’t love. I would love to see what a pack of Floret dahlia seeds would give me to enjoy.🙂

    Reply
  1468. Tom Seale on

    I just love Dahlias because they make me feel good. I love them all

    Reply
  1469. Teresa on

    Oh, my goodness, what joy it would be to look out and see a field of ice cream sherbet dahliah ‘scoop’s- lemon, peach, raspberry and orange! I think my favorite will always be the bright and happy lemon yellows though. Floret friends, you bring such hope to the world with your beauty and your goodness. Thank you!

    Reply
  1470. Joanne Finkbeiner on

    I have loved growing dahlias since I transplanted some tubers from my mom’s garden to mine a few years ago. It would be wonderful to have a raspberry color with a touch of yellow that is combined with the characteristic of lasting long after it is cut. The Firefly is especially beautiful. Thanks for all you do caring for and sharing about dahlias!

    Reply
  1471. Gay Dallek on

    My dream Dahlia would be periwinkle blue.
    I find the color is so soothing and tranquil.
    To have a field filled with periwinkle blue Dahlias wound be beautiful. I can see them now!!

    Reply
  1472. Brooke on

    My dream dahlia would be a peachy pink anemone form with a fluffy white center. I so love dahlias and it is amazing the different types you can get from a handful of seeds!

    Reply
  1473. Kari on

    I love this passion project you are working on. My dream dahlia would be about 4″ across and strawberry lemonade coloured – pink centres fading to lemon yellow petals (or reversed!) in a waterlily form. But I also love the unusual shaped ones that are strikingly architectural.

    Reply
  1474. Enna Wholey on

    My dream dahlia would have a puffy, domed yellow center with the classic, radiating petals in a lavender color. Also, if it could be hardy and grow well with less water and in a hotter climate (Zones 8-10).

    Reply
  1475. Astridfern Hartnell on

    I’d love to find a dinner plate single one with hot pink petals tipped with orange. But to be fair I’m happy with anything from seeds I find it so exciting.

    Reply
  1476. Marla Baxter on

    Every dahlia seems to be my dream dahlia! Each is so magical in its own way. If I had a dream dahlia, though, it might be something in more of a blue color. I don’t know if that is even possible, but since they have 8 sets of chromosomes it seems like there could be a blue or heathered bluish-purple in there somewhere. I’d want it about 5-6” for a bloom size and of course, a prolific bloomer. You’ve encouraged me to save some seeds from my patch this year!

    Reply
  1477. Brynn on

    A small to medium pale buttercream bloom just barely blushed with peach at the center! <3

    Reply
  1478. Rachel Hardy on

    I would love to see a beautiful open faced, soft, light peach Dahlia! This’ll be my very first year growing any sort of Dahlia and I can’t wait to see what happens!

    Reply
  1479. Mego Tracy on

    My favorite dahlia is Lilac Time Purple, so after reading your book I saved the seeds last fall and the the first one has sprouted! I am hoping for a lighter take on the same color, but will be thrilled with anything. Thank you for all the information and inspiration! Dahlia’s were always a favorite and now I’m obsessed!

    Reply
  1480. Margaret on

    The floret dahlia is gorgeous!!
    My ideal dahlia would be something creamy with delicate petals. A flower worthy of a bridal bouquet.
    I would be extremely thrilled to find every single seedling sprouted and strong.

    Reply
  1481. KWD on

    My dream dahlia would be a waterlily dahlia the color of cafe au lait and a pale blush!! 😍

    Reply
  1482. Sandy Good on

    What a delight to look over your dahlia patch! I am envious. I took my first plunge into the world of dahlias last year after we moved to a very large property on the Thames Coast in New Zealand. I grew my first lot from seed, Just 4 wee plants, and have been delighted to see them come back this year and flower prolifically. I also invested in some tubers and set up a dahlia bed, which has given me such joy. Unfortunately, some succumbed to mosaic disease, including my cafe au le. My dread dahlia would be a dinner plate variety with extra-long stems, I have never seen any with a hint of blue, so I would love a soft powder blue. I would love to access your book one way or another as well, but winning it would be amazing! Thanks for the opportunity.

    Sandy Good

    Reply
  1483. Mi Nguyen on

    My dream dahlia looks an awful lot like C33/Floret! I dream of having her in every shade variation in the garden!

    Reply
  1484. Jennifer on

    My dream dahlia would be one that symbolizes me and some of the women in my life. March is Women’s History Month. The core of my dream dahlia would be bright yellow like the sun and the stripes of bees that surround it. The petals would be long, narrow, and delicate like the wings of a dragonfly. The tri-color petals would start with cotton candy pink. This would symbolize all the girls I’ve taught as a Resource Aide. They have grit and determination to work through learning challenges. The pink would infuse into lilac purple; my mom’s favorite color. She inspired me most to be the woman I am today. The tip of the petal would be a deep violet purple which is my favorite color.😊 Soaring to Success would be a beautiful name. All seedlings would be a great contribution to my garden. What fun!

    Reply
  1485. Inés Maraví on

    What a difficult question, Dahlias: I like simple flowers, I like them in the form of pompoms, I have discovered ones that look like zinnias
    If I had to describe any, it would be dark foliage, with a cream colored flower, with some darker shades, maybe with the big center like that cream colored zinnia with slightly darker petals and an apricot streak .
    Thanks to you, last year I decided to produce dahlias from seeds (of my garden) and I have been surprised by the shapes and colors that came out.
    As you say in your article is: dahlia mania is a real thing!

    Reply
  1486. Kim Simpson on

    My dream dahlia would be in its center a deep dark plum colored center with a tinge of yellow in the innermost petals of the flower. As the petals extend out to the exterior of the medium sized flower, the color would lighten to an airy almost luminescent rose color with an ombré effect. The tips of these outside flowers being the same color as the interior dark plum. And of course, it would last all winter long before it propagated and repeated its life cycle the next spring!

    Reply
  1487. Abigail on

    My dream dahlia would be a pure white, water-lily type. But could I really pick a favorite?! That’s only the beginning of my list. Next, I’d like a little soft rose dahlia. And how about finding in my seedling patch an antique bronze dahlia with beige petals that have a stronger brown color to their edges? Guess I am dreaming. (:

    Reply
  1488. Judith Brink on

    Oh wow, my dream dahlia would have to be a single layer of larger petals with smaller petals around the open center. The large petals would be in a warm cream colour with a dark salmon to maroon edge. The inner smaller petals would have touches of the dark colouring on a cream base. The stems and leaves would be the darker colour too, as opposed to bright green. Its fun to dream :) Thanks for sharing your fabulous dreams with us.

    Reply
  1489. Kirsten Potter on

    I have my seeds ready to go for my first ever cut dahlias in my flower garden. I am inspired by your flower firefly and hope to see one pop up in mine.

    Reply
  1490. Lorraine Cummings on

    I love dahlias so any dahlia is perfect to me! I love flowers in general. I love all the different colors. I’d be happy to find just about anything in a box!

    Reply
  1491. Sarah Conway on

    My dream dahlia would be a variegated blossom…pale towards the center with deeper color a the petal edge. In a seedling patch I would be happy just to watch the different blossoms open and would hope for a variety of colors.

    Reply
  1492. marisa on

    A true ball form purple-ish silver would be so cool. Like amazing grey poppies. I suppose informal decorative could also look amazing in same. :)

    Reply
  1493. Kathleen Jackson on

    Well now isn’t this rainbow of groovy colors you have successfully produced worthy of that giddy feeling?! Then you continue to light sparks of inspiration everywhere you go.

    I can’t say that dahlias are the perfect flower suited to my dream but I’m game to give it a go!

    My perfect dahlia would be the island shades of lilikoi, guava and pikake. The challenge is breeding a flower to be strong enough to be strung into a lei. Bouquets are stunning indeed but nothing can match the welcoming glow experienced between two people when presenting a lei to a friend or honoring their special occasion with a handmade floral gift. This art deserves to be shared the world over. It’s my dream to kick start it right here in Skagit County.

    I have a lei needle. Let’s see if we can’t atleast put any of your burn pile losers to the test. Or, I start from scratch with some seeds and your expertly researched guidance.

    Reply
  1494. Annie on

    I had no idea dahlias could be grown from seed, how fantastic! What an interesting and beautiful post, thank you! I would be very happy with a buttercream, turning to salmon, turning to soft pink dahlia, though there are so many beautiful combinations.

    Reply
  1495. Lorna Johnston on

    I love your Firefly dahlia! My ideal dahlia used to be the big dinnerplate size ones with full petals, but I’m starting to love the little open faced ones with interesting petals. Thanks for enlarging my obsession :)

    Reply
  1496. Tara Morgan on

    Your dahlias are so gorgeous! My dream dahlia would be blue and I would love to find little miss sunshine in my seed pack though I wouldn’t be disappointed in any of them. They are all wonderful! Thank you. Tara Morgan.

    Reply
  1497. Whitney Wimer on

    I would be thrilled to find a collarette dahlia with white outer petals and bright red inner petals (similar to the color of C9 in the photos above). I think a flower like this would look amazing as an accent in all red or all white flower arrangements. But honestly, the hunt will probably be more exciting than actually finding the dahlia.

    Reply
  1498. Katheryn on

    I am drawn to collarette varieties just as must as the bees in my garden. My special dahlia would be a long stemmed collarette with an extra layer of petals. It’s an adorable smaller dahlia in soft pink with cream and delicate touches of coral.

    Reply
  1499. Karen Bailey on

    I love firefly and I think it would be fun to see it with loads of petals like cafe au lait.

    Reply
  1500. Ryann Moser- Valley Girl Flowers on

    My dream dahlia would be something like look like butterfly ranunculus, scabiosa & dahlias all bred together! Super puffy inside, two sets of.leaves like double click cosmos, but huge like a dahlia!

    Reply
  1501. Rosemary Easley on

    My dream dahlia from seed would be a classic form about 4-5 inches and in any color or multicolor. Since I have never tried to grow a dahlia from seed I think anything would be appreciated. A lotta love and care goes into anything grown from seed and so happy there are farmers out there that can make that happen to make the world and our gardens beautiful.

    Reply
  1502. Mamta Shankar on

    OMG what a feast for the eyes! I have a fondness for pinky peachy yellowy hues in Dahlia flowers. I love the look of Sweet Natalie, and have always dreamed of what different variations of that flower would look like. I would love to see a combination of Sweet Natalie with the middle pom of Platinum Blonde. That would look perfectly whimsical

    Reply
  1503. Jennifer Davies on

    In my Dahlia garden I’d love to dream of picking a Mini Ball with
    Coral-apricot petals with plum tones on the back side, that would add a ‘POP’ in an all cream dahlia bouquet .
    Thanks for all your teams inspiration !!

    Reply
  1504. Misia Finlayson on

    I would be absolutely thrilled with a dahlia that looks like a scruffy pinwheel at sunrise! Keep doing what you’re doing, Erin and the gang!

    Reply
  1505. Amy on

    This is my first year starting dahlias from seed! My dream would be to have at least one turn out to be a softer pink, peach, salmon or coral. And I love cream or white flowers too. But let’s face it, I’ll probably love them all and I’m super excited!

    Reply
  1506. Jennifer Smith on

    My favorite dahlia would be a simple seed, a strong grower, tolerant of pests, healthy & beautiful. along the dreamy whites/pinks/salmon colors 😍

    Reply
  1507. Marcia Olsen on

    I especially love cactus dahlias. So my dream dahlia would be a cross between a Cafe au Lait with a greenish center that does well in the cottage garden and grows 24-36” tall.

    Reply
  1508. Barbara Tutorin on

    My dream dahlia would be a little smaller than Cafe au Lait with less pink in the blooms and more coffee.

    Reply
  1509. Victoria Smith on

    So many possibilities! I’d love a creamy apricot double flower with delicate raspberry edges to scatter throughout my borders and use in bouquets. I’m new to the PNW after growing in the California desert for the past 36 years, and learning so much about the shorter growing season, constantly reminding myself that patience is an asset worth developing. Cheers!

    Reply
  1510. Sherri Kannmacher on

    This will be my first year of growing dahlias. I love the variety this flower has. The color scheme is large and the variety of the petals are breathtaking. I love salmon and I think something like C33 would be beautiful. I’m learning so much from your page and your book. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

    Reply
  1511. Marla Wexler on

    My dream dahlia would be a pompon shape that is orange with peach on the ends. I would name the dahlia JJ for my grandson who is turning one in two weeks. He is a redhead and adorable which is why I chose the color orange and the cute pompon shape.

    Reply
  1512. Lisa Buchanan on

    Oh wow. My dream dahlia would be multi branching with about 3” blooms with long “fluffy petals” and the puffiest of centres. It would have the juiciest orange petals rimmed with purple, lavender – all shades of purple. The centre would be the same as the edging on the petals. The real challenge would be one that withstands lots of touching and hugging, to the point of jumping in a patch and rolling in it! 🤪Just like a dog would do. All the pollinators would feel the same way about this beauty.
    Erin and team, I am fascinated by what you are doing with dahlias. Every time I read about your dahlia growing program and how you are bringing new varieties to this tired old planet, I get all squishy inside. The world needs more flowers and you are doing that! Blessings to you all.

    Reply
  1513. Greta on

    I love a rusty-orange ball dahlia. I’m always looking for dahlias that would look amazing in a wrapped bouquet and in a fall wedding bouquet.

    Reply
  1514. Margaret S Hazelet on

    I think my favorites are floret and little miss sunshine. I have watched your series and loved it too. I love that you are a perfectionist and so detailed.
    Margaret Hazelet

    Reply
  1515. Victoria K on

    As a new gardener, my dream dahlia would be anything I have grown myself. I am looking forward to exploring the world of dahlias for the first time this year.

    Reply
  1516. Gail Larson on

    I love your C33! Little Miss Sunshine sparkles! I love them all, but my favorite would be dark deep red with purple emerging from the center. Wish list.
    I’ve grown some the past couple of years but they don’t over winter here and I’ve had no success storing them. I’m not giving up…you inspire me.
    I’ve been following you since your story was told on the Magnolia channel. Thank you for sharing your story and continuing to share your knowledge. Thank you, thank you, thank you!🌺🥰

    Reply
  1517. Maureen Ford on

    My dream dahlia would be salmon peachy and yellow hues, kinda like cafe au lait and I would call it Peachilicious Dream

    Reply
  1518. Annie Deaderick on

    My dream dahlia is a funky shaped apricot with a pale green center like the queen lime zinnia mix

    Reply
  1519. Stacey Diehl on

    My dream dahlia would be light mocha with hints of macchiato. I love how you bring them in to have their portrait taken. Makes me smile!

    Reply
  1520. Susan C. Roberts on

    My dream dahlia…I feel as if I grow them in my yard now and feel so very lucky to do so.. but if I could dream one up it would have to be a buttery soft yellow in the center with some lovely rows of petals just edged with an apricot or peach that would almost ombré out to the edges. It would be a ball size just perfect to fit in my hand. If I was truly dreaming it would have a delicious scent almost like butterfly ginger. The stems would be long and sturdy and it would almost be like a zinnia with cut and come again reliability.

    Reply
  1521. Anita Braun on

    This is a trick question, right? How does one choose their dream dahlia? I always lean toward peachy/corals with some yellow undertones when thinking about my favorite color roses, and I have to stick with that for dahlias. But there are so many forms of dahlias that I find so appealing. I find myself gravitating to the straight and incurved cactus forms, and the orchette is so dainty that I find it irresistible. And then there is the single, the collarette and the novelty open. I absolutley cannot choose just one and I can’t wait till I see what my seeds bring forth! I’m a little late because I was away, but I’ll get them into the starting medium this week and we’ll see what happens in several weeks. And yes, I used my book in order to remember all those form names. Thank you for sharing your invaluable knowledge!

    Reply
  1522. Karen on

    I love dahlias and especially like the blush colored ones that we use for weddings to make the perfect bouquet for the bride-to-be! If I could find a mini Cafe au Lait, it would make my day!

    Reply
  1523. Gina on

    My love for dahlia’s started about two years ago. I am super impressed with the number of different styles, shapes, and amazing colors that are created each year. The perfect dahlia for me is one of shades/ hues of pink, peach, and white. Petals would be similar to those of Cute Patootie and Daddy’s girl with the center very similar to a mini pompom. With proper care they would last about 10 days in an arrangement. A soft subtle sweet honeysuckle scent to round off the perfect Dahlia. Dahlia’s are the perfect flower that keeps on giving. Start with a small seed, grow beautiful blooms, and leave us with a tuber in hopes of seeing the same perfection year after year to share with friends and family.

    Reply
  1524. Lisa P. on

    I’m always stunned with the wide variety of colors and shapes with dahlias. When I first fell in love, it was all about Cafe Au Lait, but lately I’ve moved to the deepest burgundies – my dream dahlia would combine the two. I think a breeding patch with a mix of soft pinks and deep burgundies would be stunning.

    Reply
  1525. Monica Goodrich on

    My dream dahlia would be a true periwinkle blue color, maybe a decorative or ball type. I love seeing your collections in this blog post, grouped by colors. They are glorious and bring a smile just dreaming about them!

    Reply
  1526. Jennifer Russell on

    A bright purple dahlia with a deep purple center that spreads out to a light purple tip. They would be at least the size of your hand in full pom-pom bloom.

    Reply
  1527. Ashley Lewis on

    This is my first year planning to grow dahlias (actually first year growing ANY cut flowers) and I’m incredibly excited and humbled by all there is to learn. I have a few tubers ordered and am so excited to see how they bloom later this year! I know that there are so many beautiful varieties that I’ve never seen, but if I had to try to describe dream dahlia it would be something that could make anyone swoon even on their toughest day. Soft petals, welcoming shape, muted peachy/corals that transitions from the outer edge towards the center. For all I know, this exists and I just need to keep looking to get it into my new garden! Appreciate all you do and the knowledge you are spreading to the world!

    Reply
  1528. Rachel on

    This is super exciting! Dream dahlia: elegant cool lavender pink with a green center. I’d be delighted to see any of the dahlias in this post in my garden! but especially the darker ones on the left side of the second from last photo. Thank you for this exciting and generous opportunity!

    Reply
  1529. pam costa on

    Soooo beautiful! I love the peachy colors with light pinks. I aspire to have lots of dahlias in my garden some day.

    Reply
  1530. Shannon on

    I would love to find that color pattern on a dahlia that just makes you awe struck that this could happen in nature.

    Reply
  1531. Kayla Ritchie on

    I’m so excited to start my own Dahlia patch this summer after lusting over the flowers ever since my wedding in 2014. We didn’t go the traditional route of arrangements, and instead had a local, small flower farm deliver buckets of fresh cut stems the morning of. My bridesmaids and I spent our morning sipping coffee and making our own “arrangements” of various flowers in mason jars. The result was perfectly imperfect. The variation of colors, texture, variety was breathtaking and just what my otherwise neutral color scheme needed. The cherry on top was my bouquet, stuffed full of flowers I had never seen, but quickly fell in love with… Cafe Au Lait Dahlias.

    Currently, my biggest dream is that my first round of tubers going in the ground soon enough takes off well and I have a patch of dahlias this summer, regardless of color. In a perfect world, I’ll eventually breed a full bloom in pink & buttercream colors with petals similar to a Cafe Au Lait. Fingers crossed!

    Thank you for the continued inspiration :)

    Reply
  1532. Lori Waddell on

    I’ve never met a dahlia I didn’t love! The perfect dahlia for me would be a bright red, medium sized with long stems so it would be great for cutting.

    Reply
  1533. Deana Riley on

    My dahlia dream would be to have enough to cut small bouquets weekly for the neighbors that walk by admiring my array of flowers that brings so many and myself joy ❤

    Reply
  1534. SNH on

    My ideal variety would be a white-yellow combo because it compliments almost any other flower combo. Something with a fluffy center and spiky/pointy outside to add some textural interest!

    Can wait to see what’s to come from the Dahlia’s project- we are all waiting on pins and needles!

    Reply
  1535. Audreu Andrade on

    Thank you for sharing your heart and soul with your followers. I enjoyed and appreciated every word. My dream Dahlia, if I could get from seed to maturity given that I am a beginner at growing them, would be Firefly or anything yellow which personifies happiness and joy.

    Reply
  1536. Dena Tiemeier on

    Gardening has been my escape from the troubles of life for many years and Dahlia’s have certainly captured my heart. It would be hard to pick just one that I love the most, they are all so beautiful. I am so anxious to get started. Learning to plant from seed and the excitement of what surprises those seeds will bring is truly amazing to me. I hope to have cut flowers this summer to share with friends and family. And I dream of the day I can walk through my own small field of flowers. Thinking about the endless possibilities truly takes my breath away.

    I love lavender, purple, pinks, soft yellows and dreamy creamy colors. And I am in love with the idea of planting seeds rather than tubers and discovering favorites of my own. I can’t wait till you have seeds available again so I can grow Floret flowers here in my garden.

    Reply
  1537. Linda Howd on

    I am so new to Dahlia’s – last summer was the first time that I ever planted and grown a Dahlia tuber! I thoroughly enjoyed watching the first buds arrive and then bloom. It was so exciting and of course, now I’m hooked. So right now, any Dahlia is a dream Dahlia for me!! I would be so thrilled to find a large peachy color and frilly-looking Dahlia in a seed pack! I’m looking forward to planting more tubers (and some seeds) this upcoming season. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, I have learned so much.

    Reply
  1538. Rachael Namiotka on

    I’m actually really new to this “Dahlia” excitement. I am going to plant some tubers this spring, for the first time, and am really excited to see them grow. You have given me the “bug”. I love the uniqueness of all the different shapes and sizes but I think I lean toward the pom pom shape. I would love to see a pom pom that has 2 or 3 colors that slowly fade out – I’m partial toward peach, pink and maybe a light yellow — almost like an ombre effect.

    Reply
  1539. Laura Wentz on

    Oh my gosh, I’d love to find an Apple Blossom or one that looks like your C9!

    Reply
  1540. Amy Stiles on

    I just love all the Dahlias! My dream Dahlia would be a huge Pom Pom variety with blue and purple colors! I’m hoping my seeds that I purchased will grow this year well I’m hoping a do a good job starting them.

    Reply
  1541. J on

    I used to think I wanted a perfect dinner plate dahlia, one stem for an entire vase. But lately, I’ve been charmed by workhorse pompon dahlias and the anemone flowering type. Perfect color, a dusty blue or deep amethyst.

    Reply
  1542. Lindsey on

    My neighbor and I have just started our dahlia journey and it is very exciting and a little overwhelming. Hopefully it goes well. I would love an apricot petal with a bright yellow center. I would be thrilled if there were some orange or pinkish ball dahlias in the patch.

    Reply
  1543. Karianne on

    Oh, man. I am just getting into cut flower gardening and have never grown Dahlias in our chilly Zone 5 garden. But your pics have me in love and I’m dying to try it. So my dream dahlia would be any that I have grown myself. I can’t wait for Spring to arrive in Idaho so I can work in the garden. Today is 35°, so we are getting there!

    Reply
  1544. Lindsey on

    I am just in awe of this project and how much work and heart you’ve put into it, wow!! Honestly, my dream dahlia has to be Firefly. Every time you’ve shared it in your stories I’m struck by it completely and how beautiful it is. It is a joy to my eyes!

    Reply
  1545. Rachel on

    Hmmm, a decorative peachy one I think. But I also am drawn to the anemone forms and subtle smoky tones.

    Reply
  1546. Jordan Daves on

    Hello! Every since I started following Floret and I have seen Erin’s love of dahlias, I, too, have been OBSESSED with dahlia breeding! I have been doing so much research! However, I have yet to grow a single dahlia; but this year is my year! All of the dahlias that I will be growing are from seed; I don’t have any books on it being that I am a student and don’t have a lot of money to spare. My dream dahlia would have a soft cream fluffy domed center, with light lilac petals that have small-petaled layers of deepening blue toward the center, it would be a branching type with two or three 5” blooms per stem!! 😍😂 In my seedling patch, I would love to see the bees and butterflies and other pollinators feasting on the flowers that I have nurtured from seed! What a dream world!! Thank you, Erin and Floret, for y’all’s encouraging and wise words! I am so excited to see how Floret continues to grow and spread the love of flowers to those around them!!!

    Reply
  1547. Kellsie H on

    My dream dahlia would be a big fluffy ball type with light peachy/apricot petals tinged with a dusty lavender. The middle would be lavender too. I’ve had fun experimenting with seeds. I have some of my own to try this year too!

    Reply
  1548. Kelly Thomas-Zarco on

    Love a peach to pink color in the cone shape that you have like the yellow one. Would want it to have a bit of the antique type color to it.

    Reply
  1549. LAURA BLANFORD on

    My dream dahlia would be a tall, bright pink dahlia with a very full bloom.

    Reply
  1550. Amy Monteith on

    A little gem I’d love to discover in my patch is an anemone type with lilac petals and a fluffy soft ginger orange centre.
    Maybe not the best for design work but a beauty for the table when you gather your best friends for tea and carrot cake.

    Reply
  1551. Heather Durfee on

    My son Gavin is 14 and has so far tried cross breeding geraniums and peas, grafting fruit trees, devouring every library book he can find on plants. He taught a botany class to elementary students last year. He has a 4 yr old lemon tree from a grocery store lemon and is getting ready to have his own greenhouse. He loves all things horticulture and propagating plants by various means. We are starting dahlias by seed from a Floret packet together this season. Gavin is also starting rose cuttings in damp sand for my birthday and seems to be having success. I can’t believe the green thumb this guy has! He loves deep rich colors, especially coral and burgundy in flowers.

    I’d love to win this for his 15th birthday coming up!

    Reply
  1552. Vanessa Frank on

    Little Miss Firefly – a cross between little miss sunshine and firefly – Dahlia that resembles a sunrise and sunset with hues of pinkish red and tangerine gold 💛

    Reply
  1553. Kim Johnson on

    My dream dahlia would be full, fluffy, and a muted mauve color! This is my first year selling flowers and I’m so anxious to get the season started! I plan on growing out over 1000 seedlings and around 60 varieties from tubers! I have definitely caught the dahlia bug!

    Reply
  1554. Jenny Swartz on

    My dream dahlia, would be a decorative blue dahlia.

    Reply
  1555. Jennifer C. on

    love this post–it fits well with the science-experiment gardening brain I’d love to cultivate in myself. My favorite dahlia would be the darkest, almost-black purple, in a ball shape.

    Reply
  1556. Catherine Gunther on

    What an amazing journey you are on with your dahlias and you are so fortunate to be doing something you enjoy and love so freaking much! Thank you for sharing your experiences along the way. Since I work a day job and most of my gardening is done well into the evening, my dream dahlia would consist of medium size blooms with light pale colors of pinks, yellows and whites which I can imagine them glowing in the dusk hours. The things that would thrill me the most to find in my garden would be healthy happy plants that I can cut containers of fresh flowers from all summer long to share and enjoy with family and friends.

    Reply
  1557. Sandra Bemski on

    My favorite shape is the pompom which would look beautiful in true dark red

    Reply
  1558. Kristen Snyder on

    Such fun to see the new varieties! I’m planting dahlia seeds for the first time this year, and I’m so excited! In my seedling patch this year, I would hope to find a dark, smokey, raspberry dahlia of any form! Fingers crossed!

    Reply
  1559. Olivia Rooney on

    A large dinner plate size dahlia in a creamsicle orangey yellow colour with a bright vermilion towards the centre. And nice strong stems for cutting.

    Reply
  1560. Wendy on

    Dream dahlia: a waterlily or peony form that has both blush and burgundy. Blush center with mostly burgundy petals? Or maybe just burgundy edged petals. Tall, strong stems plus a long vase life would also be nice!

    Reply
  1561. Stephanie on

    I started dalia seeds this year and I can’t wait to see what blooms. This is my second year growing from tubers and I converted my vegetable bed into a flower bed. Sharing all the flowers with my neighbors is so much fun!! I think my dream dahlia would be something soft, uniformed, with a hint of surprise in the color. A peach or apricot with a splash of purple, or maybe a pale yellow with a deep golden center. It would be a steady bloomer with 3-4” blooms.

    Reply
  1562. Vernessa Prince on

    My dream dahlia would have lovely wide petals in hues of peach and salmon and centre more of green than a yellow. And it would have just enough fragrance to catch a dreamy whiff of it as you pass them on the counter.

    Reply
  1563. Alicia on

    I have to say that I’m partial to the open faced dahlias, I love to see the charming yellow centers. But I would want it have the long vase life of a ball dahlia. I like the open faced to have a few rows of petals instead of one, so it looks full and fluffy and charming. Coloring is soft apricot or melon and looks multi-dimensional with color fading out to the tips.

    Reply
  1564. Shelley Robillard on

    I love ball dahlias. However one of the ones I started from your special seeds this year was a huge, elegant, single layered petal anemone form. The petals were long and wide and rounded on the ends. The colors were this beautiful pink, gold, butter cream, tangerine variegated colors on each petal with a fluffy golden center. It was stunning, and I did save the tubers to plant again. However it is a very short lived flower. If I could wish for the perfect Dahlia, it would be this one with a long cut flower life. I’m keeping it in my garden line up though simply because it’s gorgeous! And I’m thinking about naming it Finley’s Sunrise after my granddaughter.

    Reply
  1565. Joyce Winget on

    I love all flowers that are white with green centers. I tried breeding white dahlias myself last year. But I was so busy moving my Mother out of her house into a retirement center, I was never home at the right time to remove the bags off the dahlias and pollinate them. I love all the dahlias grown from seed for our honeybees.

    Reply
  1566. Carolyn Hansen on

    My dream dahlia would be a deep pinkish-orange hue reflecting a glowing sunset, it would have curved unique petals with a sunning orange-yellow center.

    Reply
  1567. Debbie Guerrero on

    My dahlia dream is to have my own little dahlia patch to experiment with! I have dedicated one flower bed that runs the length of my backyard for planting tuners this year and I’m looking forward I collecting seed! I also know exactly which space I would use for 5 Floret packets of seedlings. I would love to discover a dinner plate dahlia with bright purple outer petals and inner pinwheel petals striped in pink and white!

    Reply
  1568. Carra S. Cripe on

    I would love to see a Hot Pink & Orange combo…light my fire! Just planted mine and hoping to enjoy all the lovely colors of the rainbow this year!

    Reply
  1569. Sarah on

    An anemone dahlia with a coloring mix between that of Totally Tangerine and the colors of Cafe Au Lait that thrives in Texas. I absolutely love the anemone forms!!

    Reply
  1570. Amanda on

    I’ve just started my dahlia dreaming, it started with a few tubers in our front yard and grows each year. I love the joy it brings myself and the neighbors who stop by to admire the colors and intense amount of blooms. Key factors for me: tons of blooms – all the more to share with family an friends, a center that retains it’s green intricate structure if/when the petals are removed, and colorful petals that looks like a painters masterpiece.

    Reply
  1571. JULIE BENEDICT on

    I would love all the orange!! Pom type something like Crazy for Don, ready to be cut and grace my home with it’s scent and blast of color!

    Reply
  1572. Katie on

    Oh wow – this is difficult!! There are so many beautiful combinations already out there, but if I could create my dream dahlia… it would have pale peachy hues with a hint of darker apricot coloring closer to the center. It wouldn’t be quite as large as Cafe Au Lait, but similar shape pedals. It would be elegant and timeless allowing countless combinations with other beautiful flowers.

    Reply
  1573. Dawn Coleman on

    My dream dahlia would be the color of sweet Nathalie, the form of cafe Au lait and with slightly darker “lined” edges like bloomquist blush. ❤️

    Reply
  1574. TRACY MANTY on

    My dream dahlia would be a plate sized in a deep pink-peach color with more of a flat petal vs. rounded petal. Would love the Belle of Barmera, Cafe Au Lait, Labyrinth, Lifestyle!

    Reply
  1575. Mary K Hinson on

    This took some great thought, I haven’t seen a style that I didn’t immediately love! However if I had to narrow it down, I would say my dream dahlia would be a double orchid style with large dinnerplate blooms and full petals. Color shades ranging from light pink in the center of the dahlia to magenta towards the tips. Maybe some faint crème colored stripes for good measure!

    Reply
  1576. Sonja Reichelt on

    My dream dahlia would make me excited to watch it pop up again each year. I think it would be cream colored, with a hot orange underside and tips to the petals. I would use it in my own wedding bouquet so I could reminisce on that day every time I see a bloom!

    Reply
  1577. Lovingly Inyavong on

    You’re absolutely inspiring! The knowledge you share is very helpful. Describing what my dream dahlia would look like is exciting This dahlia would bear double petals in creamy off white with soft baby pink and painted lavender tips. And just the absolute perfect frilly burst of happy yellow center that becomes puffy as it matures. The petals will transition from creamy off white to peachy coral and crimson as the blooms ride into the sunset. And this beauty would smell like sweet pear and lychee. And the stems and leaves are the color of green apple. I would be thrilled to find my “dream dahlia” in my seedling patch. Dahlias are spectacular towering beauty in any garden!

    Reply
  1578. Angela Nieto on

    I don’t exactly know what color or shape my dream Dahlia would be but it would definitely bring me to joyful tears as I look on as it grows in my garden. You know, those tears that just come when you experience breathtaking beauty!

    Reply
  1579. Megan on

    A deep bright pink in the center that moves to a light bright pink on the edges of a large ball dahlia. I would also love some kind of “abnormal” colored ones. Maybe a green with pink edges. However, I would be thrilled to find any dahlia’s in my breeding patch since we haven’t started one yet!

    Reply
  1580. Rebekah Wilson on

    I love ball or pop pom dahlias because they are so easy to fit into arrangements. I’ve started looking for more darker oranges and reds for fall arrangements.

    Reply
  1581. Jenna M on

    I would love one that is round, full, and sturdy but delicate looking. Watching it bloom in lightly sway in the breeze would be so calming to watch. I most enjoy ones that are in the muted coral color family. I would love to see a variety of mutes colors.

    Reply
  1582. Pagyn Harding on

    So many beauties to choose from. My dream Dahlia is a pompom with a soft beige/white upside and a dark burnt umber underside. I really love C33 and C144. Thank you for sharing all your expertise.

    Reply
  1583. Whitney on

    A beautiful “princess pink” that would smell like strawberry cupcakes and the petals would be large, not skinny, and fewer in number than the dahlias that resemble zinnias.

    Reply
  1584. Karlena Lynn on

    While i love the pom-pom dinner plate dahlias, the more daisy style catches my eye, but i love the ones with overlapping petals like mermaid tail tile. I pick flowers by mood, so maybe best would be a flower that starts bright maybe pink with orange edges, colors change to a sunset or blush as it ages, and i could choose color depending on my mood and flower age!!

    Reply
  1585. Maria Rose Grusauskas on

    My dream dahlia rises on a strong, tall stem against dark-as-night foliage—opening with a deep apricot-sunset center that fades from rose-gold to muted, buttercream-white at the edges; its petals swirl in the sacred geometry of the perfect ball, with long vase-life and abundant, easy-to-store tubers. :)

    Reply
  1586. Sarah on

    I would love to find a collarette dahlia with a big, round, bright, sunny orange-yellow puff in the centre that would look like the yolk of a duck egg. I adore my pekin ducks on the farm and would love to find a flower that resembles them. I would name that variety after my favourite duck too.

    Reply
  1587. Lynne Sullivan on

    This is my first summer planting a cutting garden, so right now I love a really large flower in a soft pink. Dahlias will forever remind me of my grandmother who grew the dinner plate variety with such pride.

    Reply
  1588. Susan Dempsey on

    I’d love to see something in medium-dark orange, with a full, fluffy, spiraling petal layout, about 5 inches across, to accompany yellow and red flowers and foliage we already have for charity bouquets.

    Reply
  1589. Stacey on

    Dreaming, if a dahlia could someday have the scent of a rose, that would do it for me! Either a water lily or formal decorative shape, something like ‘Maya’ in color with dark green foliage.Thank you for the joy and inspiration you bring to all of us!

    Reply
  1590. Michelle on

    What a wonderfully beautiful journey for you and your little tribe.
    I would be awestruck to find a dahlia that smelled sweet and juicy, had a fluffy key lime green center, surrounded by a tutu of creamy white.
    Make it happen Team Floret! Lol
    It may be my destiny to breed such a wonky bloom.
    Thank you for including us in your adventures!
    Love from Northern Utah

    Reply
  1591. Judy Faust on

    I have only just begun discovering dahlias and I think I love them all. I am drawn to every dahlia that reminds me of the calm beauty , feeling of contentment I had as a child long ago walking through my grandmother’s flower garden on the family Iowa farm.

    Reply
  1592. Lisa Francis on

    I’d love to find a full and frilly dahlia with linen and pink colors!

    Reply
  1593. Marsha on

    Something that brought memories of a bowl of summer sherbet, melted cream, orange and raspberry supported by strong stems, not to tall.

    Reply
  1594. Claudette on

    I love the apple blossom dahlia. A small garden of just that kind is what I dream of having! I have seen the most beautiful photos with them. Then in the gardens surrounding would be dahlias of the same color scheme a little larger size! I can see the sun setting in the background! Now to find seeds!

    Reply
  1595. Megan Smith on

    There is a very beautiful stormy purple colored sweet pea available from Floret call Nimbus. I would love to to see a dahlia with that same stormy coloring. I think it would be a really interesting combination of softness and an unexpected darker hue.

    Reply
  1596. Vinnie on

    After starting my flower seeds recently, I realized that all but a few of the flowers I started were warm colors, red, oranges, yellows with the occasional white and pink to mix things up. Im obsessed with the blueish Grey of the Nimbus sweet peas, if I saw a dahlia with coloring like that in my garden they’d have to tie weights to my feet to drag me back down to earth :p

    Reply
  1597. Samantha on

    I would love nothing more than to find growing in my dahlia patch one day a true blue beauty, preferably poeny form or a whimsical novelty open. Blue flowers are so amazing to me💙

    Reply
  1598. carah ronan on

    my dream dahlia would be hints of greens, blues and whites. Like stepping onto a glacier or inside of an ice cave, depending on where the light hits, the dahlia would reveal itself in a myriad of colors, no two being just the same and each reviling it’s own depths and story the more you look at it.

    Reply
  1599. Danielle L on

    A beautiful small fully double dahlia with a pale yellow/peach center and white edges that would pair well with a Strawberry Hill or Eustacia Vie rose.

    Reply
  1600. Blake M. on

    I live in hope for a luscious, waterlily style dahlia with twisting slightly asymetrical petals; cool cream, like the color of flour. Almost a smaller, not-pink cafe-au-lait, something that you would see in a Bourguereau I want to fill my house with them and have rows upon rows of these :)

    Reply
  1601. Lærke on

    I would love to find truly unique like a pompom with a softish apricot/White upside and a dark / blackish underside i Think that could be soo fun! Or an red/blackish umbre pompom :)

    I own the other two books and enjoy Them so much!! Thanks for the amazing photos and info :)

    Reply
  1602. Kirsten Norstad on

    I would love to discover a seeding dahlia in my garden that would make Steve and Sandy Boley’s A list.

    Reply
  1603. Martha Johnson on

    Oh there are just so many beauties in your dahlia varieties and I quite like have a variety of textures and color in the garden. If I could design one, I would want a yellow center with flat wide multi-layer petals – light pinks and peaches with varied watercolor-y tones and hints of vibrant streaks. I love the ones you have marked C20, C21, C33, C42, C117, I also love C205 and B42 – the whites are gorgeous. I think I love all the fluffy ones! And the yellow C134 are just so lovely. Oh my goodness I could look at dahlias all day!

    Reply
  1604. Kim on

    large and sturdy with a beautiful color and a smile on her face!

    Reply
  1605. Laura Fisher on

    Got to say, Anything that looks like Cafe Au Lait and is big and large and double.

    Reply
  1606. Kristine Payne on

    I have only started growing dahlias last year. I over wintered mine by digging them up and storing them in my basement. I keep checking on them (not really sure what I’m looking for) but, so far they seem to have survived. I am in love with the pinks and peach colors. I am trying seeds this year. I am hoping to see a ball style that is pink or peach.

    Reply
  1607. Rose Skeels on

    My dream Dalila would have a bright yellow center for the bees to have a blast pollinating. Then it would slowly spread to a soft white, then cream color, then soft pink, then a soft peachy color that blends into a dark peachy color on the rounded tips of the flower. It would smell like mamas homemade peach pie. Just imagining this flower makes me hungry. I would name it yum yum peach.

    Reply
  1608. Nancy Wu on

    I love the informal decorative types of dahlia so my dream dahlia would be approximately 6″-8″ in size, informal decorative, white base with light lavender edges and streaks. I also would love to have dark stems and leaves on this plant so it would truly stand out in the garden.

    Reply
  1609. Kara Kimbrough on

    My dream mix of Dahlias would be pale pink, peach and white. I am growing Dahlias for the first time this year and told my Mother who has Dementia. It triggered a memory for her that my Grandmother grew big, beautiful Dahlias in her garden when my mom was a child. I cannot wait to take Mom a bouquet of my first blooms.

    Reply
  1610. Julie Galbraith on

    My dream Dahlia would be between 24″-30″ tall, with strong stems ~ A soft pinky, creamy, peachy blend, with twisted petals.
    By not requiring staking and still having strong cutting-length stems, they would excite both home gardeners and cutting gardeners.
    Many Dahlias are either too tall or too short, for the garden boarder. I LOVE your new “Floret”Dahlia! Thank you, Erin ~I appreciate all you do!

    Reply
  1611. Georgia Jacobs on

    My dream Dahlia would be a a large full shaped flower with a white center that ombre’d to a beautiful turquoise color. Oh, the joy I would have of flowers could grow in a turquoise color!

    Reply
  1612. Phyllis on

    It would definitely have to take my breath away, that’s not too hard when talking dahlias!!! Something peachy in color with a hint of purple.

    Reply
  1613. Cathy Seymour on

    My ideal dahlia is shades of the lightest pink fading to a light peach, with a sunshine yellow center, and a strong stem for good vase use. Thanks for all the work you’re doing to expand the world of dahlias!

    Reply
  1614. Linda Green on

    I like so many of the dahlias I see, it’s hard to pick! However, I think my dream dahlia would be shades of raspberry in color with a dark gold center and a shaggy appearance. I have a packet of dahlia seeds, and I would be tickled to see any blooms for my first attempt at growing them from seed! Last year was my first experience growing dahlias from tubers, and it was such a thrill to see the beautiful blooms they produced!

    Reply
  1615. Rochelle Hudson on

    I love soft creamy colors, your c33 is perfection! I am a pink and yellow fanatic. 💛 I would love to have a beautiful small cottage surrounded by all of your beautiful Dahlias.

    Reply
  1616. Erin Stewart on

    I saw a picture from Serenade Farms breeding patch the other day with the craziest, most beautiful dahlia I’ve ever seen. Each petal was like it’s own little cannoli roll and inside each roll there were more little petals sticking out. I sure would love a surprise like that! Maybe in a yellow/peachy color?

    Reply
  1617. Grace Castle on

    I adore the photographs of all the glorious varieties your project is producing can’t wait to start saving my own seeds!! One of my favourite things about dahlias is their prolific, dramatic variety.
    My dream dahlia would be a medium warm, creamy linen colour, growing smokey towards the centre of a mid-size fully double dinnerplate variety with irregular, layered and twisted inner petals for a lovely dramatic and asymmetrical look. Dark foliage with no hints of pink or yellow, my dream variety would be a chaotically romantic flower easily home in a vase on your kitchen sideboard, or in a bridal design, or in the patch just before a summer thunderstorm at sunset.

    Reply
  1618. Jennifer on

    I am intrigued with collarettes right now, and I love the jewel-tone deep purple of Thomas Edison. I think a really dark purple collarette would be fabulous.

    Reply
  1619. Jeannine Reynolds on

    Oh my Lord, your Discovering Dahlias book opened my eyes to the beauty of these flowers! My grandmother grew them but I really didn’t pay them much attention. I so wish I had! After getting your book, I promptly went to the Swan Island site and placed a divorce-inspiring order! Just this past weekend, I tilled up my new dahlia beds in preparation for their arrival. I cannot tell you how excited I am and how thankful I am for allowing me to “see” outside my regular perennial garden!

    So since I’m new to Dahlias, they’re all going to be my dream dahlia!!

    Thank you!!!

    Reply
  1620. Sarah Goodman on

    My fav colors are hot pink, pink, and like a limey green together and white. I think a dahlia that had a fuzzy center of white or light pink with hot pink petals that fade into a lighter pink with lighter colored dahlia leaves would be super pretty. Not necessarily for arranging but just colors I LOVE. I also LOVE all things white and puffy centered! Thank you for all your hard work on this project! It definitely is a labor of love! :)

    Reply
  1621. Kathy Rinke on

    My grandfather grew and showed Dahlias way back in the mid 30’s, so I always grow a few to honor is memory. I’m sure he would be proud if his granddaughter hybridized a beautiful flower. Unlike most of my friends, I like the mini pompons, not that I don’t like them all. A perfect round mini bloom on a plant that is tall and stands up to the wind would be my dream dahlia. It wouldn’t hurt if it was a beautiful pink or red, but I love all colors.

    Reply
  1622. Leisa Perrotta on

    I love the dark maroon shades, and the peachy oranges, in the pom pom variety.

    Reply
  1623. Kathryn Bamford on

    I love Dahlias. I don’t know if I could narrow it down to just one dream Dahlia. My favorite Dahlias are soft peach and pink tones with big blooms and soft looking full petals. Although I’m also a sucker for the deep burgundy color as well!

    Reply
  1624. Jayne Polivchak on

    My dream dahlia would have the 8 points and stripes of different colors radiating from a deep wine colored center.

    Reply
  1625. Mariann Farquhar Brown on

    I love them all – especially the “quirky” different ones. I tend to be drawn to the deep burgundy colors though and I love a large dinner-plate size bloom!

    Reply
  1626. Sonya on

    My favourite would be dark deep purple with a burnt orange centre, spiky petals in a dense head with a long stem.

    Reply
  1627. Gary Whipple on

    My ideal would have to go well in bouquets. A color and size to work with zinnias, cosmos, and other simple flowers. A stand dahlia but without overwhelming the others.

    Reply
  1628. Ter on

    My dream dahlia find from a seedling would be a collarette that has full petals and arranged evenly in bright hot pink and bright orange. I hope to find this in my planting of dahlia seeds this year but would be happy with any collarettes of any color since I love this form so much.

    Reply
  1629. Jess Dell on

    My dream dahlia has a handsome plant that stands tall with dark stems and pretty leaves that showcase a medium sized bloom fuly double, of a light blend with dark picotee edging or darker reverses. I love that effect! I’ve also been working towards a light collarette with a bleed of dark color similar to rubarb and custard!

    Reply
  1630. trudeen *rosie renault on

    All dahlias are beautiful in the garden, but my dream dahlia would be similar to a sunflower…giant, thick stalk, and a happy dark gold color! I love reading about life on your farm and seeing your cat keeping you company! Thank you for all the free mini classes you share with us, I’ve learned so much!

    Reply
  1631. LaDonna Kruger on

    My dream dahlia would look like a little girl all dressed up in her poufy skirts … her Sunday best … all layers of pink ruffles around a fuzzy peachy gold center smile!

    Reply
  1632. Liliana on

    I’m really into watermelon, apricot and raspberry shades and i really love when blooms display a lovely ombre of colours, or a contrasting underside of the petals.

    Reply
  1633. Susan Cox on

    My dream dahlia would remind me of a midnight Alaskan sunset at the end of a long summer day: flaming red-orange tips merging into glowing orange encircling a burning yellow center.

    Reply
  1634. Amy on

    I grew Dahlias long ago until I lost all of the tubers one year and decided I didn’t want to go through that again. Until I saw cafe au lait. I love that flower. Since getting Discovering Dahlias for a gift I have fallen in love with different styles and colors, particularly the orchestra and collarette foms. As for colors the more muted the better.

    Reply
  1635. Kimberly on

    My dream dahlia would be anything that starts with a neutral cream/white and fades to a lavender or pink color. I would love to add them to my backyard garden!

    Reply
  1636. Michelle P on

    My dream dahlia will be an orchid form in the color pink with purple/raspberry picotee. I haven’t tried dahlia breeding yet since this is only my second season growing them. However, I am hoping to let some go to seed this year so next season I’ll be able to grow beautiful new dahlias from seed!

    Reply
  1637. Betty Emery on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate size with a dark burgundy center fading out to a blush pink. I love the cupped petals on the inner part of the bloom, and how they open out to big soft petals. I struggles with my first garden last year, too wet, bad dirt, and powdery mildew everywhere. I was discouraged and thats when my friend told me about growing floret. I was inspired by seeing Erin face similar struggles (on a larger scale of course with the farm) and how she overcame them to still produce beautiful flowers.
    Just excited to say hey, thank you for everything you have shared!

    Reply
  1638. Kati on

    I would love to see the sweet little faces of the “Apple Blossom” in a few color variations. I love the shape of the blossom and the color but to see it in vibrant colors would be amazing.

    Reply
  1639. Kari Jahnke on

    While not the most sought after for arrangements- my ultimate dahlia would be some type of Chimera- maybe a pink smaller pompom with splotches of white. Not sure if it is even possible but it would be lovely!

    Reply
  1640. Lynette Daudt on

    My dream dahlia would have chocolate & apricot petals, open-ish like the Firefly above (not so rounded and full like some of the “snowball” like varieties. The leaves would be lighter greens. Thank you for this post. My heart is bursting with joy just reading and looking!

    Reply
  1641. Dianne Maynard on

    Your curiosity in sheparding seeds into beautiful dahlias is inspiring. The numbers are daunting as is the necessity of discarding any babies.
    Color is my first requirement which would be peach to peach/pink, long stems second requirement, flowers resembling peonies which have glorious form but no vase life. Love all your posts!!

    Reply
  1642. Casey Pharmer on

    I have 2 dream dahlias, one being a large bloom and a very deep deep purple. The second also being a large bloom and a royal blue color. As far as the seedling packets, I would just be thrilled to get them. I think all dahlias are amazing.

    Reply
  1643. Amber Sullivan on

    Dahlias are my absolute favorite. Although difficult to grow in our clay, poor soil, I hold hope I will be one day successful in growing these beauties. A dream dahlia is tough because I love all of them! My dream dahlia might be the deep, dark red large ball (like a cafe au latte—is that considered a ball shape?) with a chartreuse center. When I see those burgundy blooms, it takes my breath away. Thank you for sharing your joy and teaching me so many things in your books! This year will be my first experience growing my own cut garden!

    Reply
  1644. Patti on

    My favorites are the Cactus type. A brilliant fuschia magenta would be my choice.

    Reply
  1645. Lori Call on

    My little flower garden is brand new so if I can get my packets of seeds to grow and produce I will be thrilled. I look at that pack of seeds as possibility!

    Reply
  1646. Amanda on

    Oh my I love basically all the anemone type dahlias that have come out of your breed patch. I have always gravitated towards that form!
    I would have to say I would love to find one of those in my garden or a lovely shaggy red guy to really stir things up a bit!!

    Reply
  1647. Annie Polson on

    I am in love with dinner plate dahlias. I would love to have blooms in my garden with a bright red dinner plate with pale pink tips. Would be so beautiful! Thank you for your inspiration! I’ve grown a small patch of Dahlias (about 40 last year) for 2 years. I’m hoping to expand a little more this year.

    Reply
  1648. kelly shepherd on

    In my dahlia patch I would like to find the unusual. The one that makes you go ooooooh look at that! Every angle gives a slightly different look. My favorite color is green so a dream dahlia would be a green one. shades can vary and even some different color streaks running through it.

    Reply
  1649. FRED FEITLER on

    The choice for my ideal dahlia would be a sturdy, long stemmed variety with many branches, bright yellow with a rich orange puffy center with the look of a giant daisy. I want long lived flowers, long blooming season here in Indiana, and for it to smell good, maybe a lemon or citrus scent. Working toward the impossible would be a lot of fun and have lots of surprises along the way.

    Reply
  1650. Louisa on

    I personally love a dahlia that has a petal outline, similar to a eye liner. Her color cream or peach with a purple petal outline highlight would be fantastic. A nice fluffy center, and of course a strong stem and good pollinator thrown in for good measure. A girl can dream. 😅

    Reply
  1651. Sue Ann Pittman on

    Hello Erin and Florets, I’m new to the Dahlia game but I would love to see Cafe au Lait and Honey Crighton have a baby with some flowers emerging with a large fuzzy center in the middle. I imagine a variety of shapes and sizes and variation of those creamy, blushy, peachy, honey colors all on one plant variety :) You’re labor of love is awe-inspiring! Looking to find my bliss in the next chapter of my life.

    Reply
  1652. Charlotte Van Horn on

    My dream dahlia would light my eyes, set my heart a flutter, inspire a huge can’t help myself smile. It would be love at first sight feelings galore. That’s how I would know she was the one.

    Reply
  1653. Genny Verbruggen on

    It’s funny because I was first drawn to the large dinner plates like the Cafe au Latte, honestly, who would’t be?! But I am really falling in love with all the collarettes and anemones now. I have ordered a few new tubers of each for this year and they make me the most excited! I ended up expanding my garden last year, and looks like I will have to do that again this year. …there isn’t going to be much lawn left soon, lol!!

    Reply
  1654. Wendy Kingery on

    A deep true purple ball dahlia would be my dream dahlia. I love the perfect symmetry.

    Reply
  1655. Brittney Denning on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate variety, big and fluffy with a deep purple center fading to a light pink tip!

    Reply
  1656. Angela Zylla on

    My ultimate dahlia would be Big blooms In The 8-11” range doing a sunrise/sunset gradient pale yellow to orange to fire red salmon and lavender. PNW ultimate sunset. And twisted full petals. Almost cactus style.

    Reply
  1657. Shelly on

    My dream dahlia would be as brilliant as a sunrise or sunset! Vivid color that brings life and joy to a field or garden!

    Reply
  1658. Tammy Wharton on

    I love growing dahlias from seed. This past year I segregated my garden, and then saved seed from the big formal and informal dahlias. I collected all the pods from my past seedlings and singles, and shared them with people on FB. That was a lot of fun! My dream dahlia would have texture like Otto’s Thrill and be very large with a soft apricot and pink coloring. Those seem to be my favorites! But, who’s kidding, they are all my favorities!

    Reply
  1659. JT on

    My dream dahlia would be one bees would be attracted to! Perhaps a white and apricot collarette-form that bees would love and would be lovely to look at.

    Reply
  1660. Jennifer Logan on

    I’m drawn to the soft corals, peachs, dusty pinks and buttery yellows. I like the single layered flowers that show incredible detail with they’re simplistic design while but the large pom blooms amaze me just as much. It’s hard to pick a favorite Erin or imagine what it might look like because they are all beautiful. That’s why I’ve been to the nursery five times within the last two weeks trying to pick out some to grow…I can’t pick just one!

    Reply
  1661. Sharon James on

    It would be cream/peach/raspberry in color. 🙂

    Reply
  1662. Sophia Royal on

    Hi,
    I’m really inspired by your hard work and efforts to generously share the beauty of flowers with so many. I think if I were to have a field of flowers I’d be in heaven…any variety of your dahlias would bring me joy! But if I had to choose, I love your C78…she’s got spunk and I love it.

    Reply
  1663. Lia on

    I’m really not sure, this is my first year having dahlias in my cut flower garden although I’ve been gardening for 10yrs. I didn’t want to get crazy with tubers yet, and I love the idea of being surprised so I bought your seed packet to begin with knowing that I can keep the tubers of the ones that I like and hopefully breeding, which I’m most excited about. All have germinated and so I’m very excited to see them if I can grow successfully. I bought your book to educate myself, and have been researching pests and diseases and listening to podcasts with anything to do with dahlias, but I would love even more seeds and resources…and a signed book :)

    Reply
  1664. Chelsea Dunshee on

    Wow my dream dahlia would be close to a toffee color if that would ever be possible. Just to have a multi tone ball dahlia in my breeding patch…scratch that…just a ball dahlia period lol. Thanks for your new post on dahlia breeding. Everyone always looks forward to these! (。♡‿♡。)

    Reply
  1665. Cindy Smith-Putnam on

    Only ONE dream dahlia? Oh my. Well, I think it would have to be a perfect creamy/whipped topping color. Not too white, not too yellow. Vanilla. And for the form, it would be like Peaches n Cream, with curved petals circling all the way back to a strong stem with an unfloppy, unwiggly connection between stem and flower head. I can dream…

    Reply
  1666. Donna E. Friesen on

    My ideal dahlia would be similar shape to “Cafe au lait” but instead of muted cream I would like pink and purple together. The colours would hopefully form a beautiful ombre of those shades.
    Love your blogs!!

    Reply
  1667. Starlene Walker on

    my dream dahlia would be a medium size ,compact.butter yellow with a peach tip on petals.I would be thrilled if one of the pom pom light green dahlias appeared in my garden.I did plant one once. never saw it.lol It might come up some day.lol lol

    Reply
  1668. Lynett Hermanson on

    My dream dahlia would look like a beautiful sunset. With pink, yellow, orange and a bit of purple. I dream big! It would be a thrill to just see a patch of dahlias. It’s like they are smiling at me and bring so much joy.

    Reply
  1669. Daena on

    My dream dahlia would be a beautiful shade of pink mixed with stripes or spots of bright red or yellow. A dahlia that not even its own petals could replicate, where every bloom is different and beautiful in its own way. I love Dahlias! I even named my Daughter after them.

    Reply
  1670. Colleen on

    I love the informal decorative shape with lots of petals. It would be SO exciting to find a smaller informal decorative dahlia with a lot of green/chartreuse in it. I think of chartreuse as a neutral color because it pairs really well with almost everything.

    Reply
  1671. Andrea on

    I love open centered novelty dahlias. My dream dahlia would be open centered with some crazy curly petals and a color combination of pink/yellow/apricot.

    Reply
  1672. Rebecca on

    Dream dahlia…pale yellow center , dusty pink middle and a darker dusty pink shade to the edges with graduating straight petals, not too tight.
    Thank you.

    Reply
  1673. Gail Lesher on

    Flat, green, outer petals with a magenta center!

    Reply
  1674. Lauren on

    My dream dahlia is an anemone style – soft, blush tones, amazing vase life, and invokes joy when people see it. A happy flower 😊 Bonus points if it smelled like lavender!

    Reply
  1675. Jan Sutter on

    I love dahlias have grown them for years. I also like the odd ball looking ones. I would love to see a true-blue colored dahlia!

    Reply
  1676. Alison M Schorm on

    My ultimate dahlia would be an approximately 4″ loveliest pink fuzzy dahlia that I’d name “Morgen’ after my son who died September 13, 2021. I do not want him to ever be forgot.

    Reply
  1677. Isabella L. on

    Dream dahlia would be a dinner plate or large sized double with a faded pink/white/cream color or a rich wine color.

    Reply
  1678. Sherri Schalamon on

    My dream Dahlia? HAHAHAHAHA :) I’m quite a dreamer, but they outdo my wildest dreams all on their own. I’ve been sucked into the grow-from-seed vortex and just wait to be dazzled with whatever happens each year. I love them all. 7,000 seedlings?!?! Oh, I wish! Thanks for mentoring (and enabling!) the passion. <3 <3 <3

    Reply
  1679. Amy on

    I would love a large peachy-blush, feathery bloom that looks like a ball gown. So dreamy. I just finished reading your book and my first tubers are ordered, hopefully to arrive soon. I also managed to score a seed packet from you. I’m so excited to enter the world of dahlia growing!

    Reply
  1680. Eliza on

    My ideal dahlia is a peachy-pink with an interesting shapes (not pom-pom) and around 4″ across so that it works well in bouquets

    Reply
  1681. Chris Hanson-Hughes on

    I would love to have an apricot colored, small head similiar to c33Floret. My grandma always grew the large dinner plate dahlia’s but I love the littler perky type. I agree with Katie Kleiber with loving bright oranges or pinks – so fun.

    Reply
  1682. Lina on

    Dream up some dahlias, let me see… a huge, flaming, golden center, surrounded by every yellow of yellow shades that change each time you look at them, streaked all through with bits of rust and sunset hues. Or maybe a dusty rose dahlia, whose curling petals age to teal? Thank you so much for doing this giveaway!

    Reply
  1683. Lorielle Agraso on

    My dream dahlia would be medium to large, have feather like petals that range from cream to blush with distinct apricot brush strokes on each petal, and a fluffy honey dijon colored center.

    Reply
  1684. Kristi Seamans on

    I love dahlias. They are all so beautiful and unique. It amazes me how many different varieties there are. Personally I’ve never had the opportunity to grow them on my new small family flower farm… yet, but I would love too. I’m ready to try my hand at them so any breed would be a wonderful surprise. Thank you for sharing your love of flowers with the world! It brings hope to the rest of us that we can follow our dreams of growing beautiful flowers.

    Reply
  1685. Theresa on

    My favourite dahlias are the anemones, as well as anything that looks wild, unruly, organic. I prefer desaturated colors myself, muddy, whether dark or light, though I love a good ‘black’ flower too and those tend to have a fair amount of saturation. Thanks for these beautiful new varieties you’re shepherding into the world!!

    Reply
  1686. Bets on

    My dream Dahlia is one I saw last year, but don’t know the name of it. It was pale, but not white with a little bit of pink.

    Reply
  1687. Jennifer Miller on

    For myself, I am usually just happy with a living dahlia…..lol….but the color i would like most to see is a dark lilac with black/ dark tips to go with my lilac roses!

    Reply
  1688. Nancy Birch on

    My friend was a dahlia grower and she had a variety that she referred to as a water lily dahlia. A white water lily dahlia is my dream dahlia. Another dreamy dahlia is any that have a green eye but especially the peach/apricot ones. Swoon worthy.

    Reply
  1689. Karen Sloggett on

    My perfect dahlia would produce a profuse number of bi-color blooms of pale apricot slightly brushed with darker peach. It would have a pale yellow center surrounded by a collar of small darker peach petals to encourage pollinators to rest and collect pollen.

    Reply
  1690. Denise Campbell on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinnerplate that’s dark purple with splashes of pink. I finally got a small greenhouse and I am dying to grow some from seed!

    Reply
  1691. Michelle on

    My dream dahlia would be a ball/pompon style, with very symmetrical petals and that “oddly satisfying” look. It would be lavender with hints of pink, white, and yellow, for an almost iridescent look, and that deep green foliage that seems to be typically paired with red flowers. I have only just started growing and collecting dahlias, so maybe this exists, but it’s a flower I would love to discover and share with my friends & family.

    Reply
  1692. Kathryn on

    I’m growing a small patch of dahlias from seed this year and I CAN. NOT. WAIT. to see what magic appears. I’m hoping for at least one pretty peach color!

    Reply
  1693. Annetta on

    I would love a dahlia with dark leaves (green to purple tone) with a large ball shape that faded from a deep crimson/bronze tone to lighter bronze and outer edges into an apricot tone (think super-sized cornel red to brown sugar to cornel bronze to peaches & cream) or vice versa (outer fading inward).

    Reply
  1694. Hannah Thompson-Welch on

    I had a dream that I was standing in the middle of a field full of blue dahlias. Blue was my grandfather’s nickname and if I could ever grow a blue dahlias, I would name the variety, Blue Thompson, after him. It has always been my favorite color. I can’t imagine a world without the color blue in it. I would be amazed if I was able to stand in a field surrounded by blue dahlias. The blue dahlias in my dream were similar to the floret firefly variety with purple edging on the petals and orange and gold centers, which looked like gold. Maybe one day, the Blue Thompson variety will find me.

    Reply
  1695. Lois Ronalds on

    I continue to search for the dahlias that my grandmother and mother grew on our farm. They were purple with a dark center and lined the fence between the house and barn. But what I remember the most is the fragrance. I am forever sticking my nose into any dahlia I see, but have yet to find it. So the most perfect dahlia for me is a rich purple color, with a scent that takes me home.

    Reply
  1696. Sarah Renée on

    My dream dahlia would have to be a peach coloured waterlily type with picotee edging on the petals.

    Reply
  1697. Magda on

    My drwam dahlia would be coffee colored! I like the ones that have the anemone shape – a little wild mixed with the subdued color would be just my cup of…well, coffee:) Thanks for all you do – beautiful post!

    Reply
  1698. Jane Biel on

    Dream Dahlia: pale peach like a creamsicle bar from childhood summers or anything that resembled a fairy in pale pinks would be magical!

    Reply
  1699. Catherine Stewart on

    This dahlia breeding post is the extra burst of inspiration I’m needing right now! My dream dahlia from seed is one that I will name – Francina. My beautiful sister passed away just weeks ago and I’ve been missing her incredible energy and the joy she brings to this world. To honor her and my Mother who too has passed (also named Francina), I would love to find a collarette form that is shades of pink. A bloom with blush, soft pink and maybe some darker pink edges. ‘Pink’ is the color of universal LOVE. This flower would be an amazing reminder of the confidence these 2 women have instill in me and the love they shared so freely. I’m excited to see the “Francina” dahlia emerge from the seedling patch.

    Reply
  1700. Janis Granger on

    Something that looks a bit like your hair when you first wake up in the morning, tussled and free flowing, unstructured. Any shade of purple. :-)

    Reply
  1701. Diana Berry on

    I would love an all pink little miss sunshine or firefly. I’d call it princess Di. But honestly I love every single one. I can’t wait to plant my dahlia seeds I bought. ❤️🥰😍🌸🤍

    Reply
  1702. Nena on

    Wow! I just recently discovered Floret. I think my dream dalia could come from any of your tiny seeds. I love red ,but will take any color if I could own an early bloomer from your patch. Winters are long in P.E.I Canada.

    Reply
  1703. Joy on

    If I had a dream favorite I think it would be nearly identical to C33\Floret!! I just love that one! It’s my favorite colors and I love the dahlias that are that delicate whimsical style! I just love dahlias!! (and flowers all around)

    Reply
  1704. Madison Fletcher on

    My dream dahlia is a color-changing/light dependent maroon/peach collarette with peach stripy inner petals and a big old fluffy yellow center. It’s based on one I grew out from the Discovering dahlias seed mix last year but with a big anemone center!

    Reply
  1705. Mark Wuestehube on

    My dream dahlia would have flowers about three inches across, lavender trending toward blue, and easy to keep 3-4 feet in height

    Reply
  1706. Farah Sanders on

    My dream dahlia would have bright pink edges which fade to orange and yellow tones on the inner part of the petal to reflect the Mountain sunsets where I live. It would be 10” with wavy petals to emphasize the grand mountains of the Utah Rockies and the melting snow running from the peaks into the rivers that help feed our flower crops. Being able to showcase the area where they grow through their color and size is something that would make them unique, while bringing joy.

    Reply
  1707. Stacy Kamala Waltman on

    My dream Dahlia would be a light and medium purple colored pinwheel. I have orange and red pinwheel Dahlias but would love a purple variety that isn’t too dark!

    I would love to be surprised w a Dahlia that is especially good for pollinators as most of my garden is planted for them. Just put out my Mason Bee larva and can’t wait to see what this round of pollinators produce!

    BTW – I love the work you are doing and am so happy it is inspiring the world to take better care of our glorious Natural World!

    Reply
  1708. Tish Bloomer on

    I’d love to see a waterlily form that’s colored like an Eastern Oregon sunset; light pink fading into muted orange!

    Reply
  1709. Kelley Leek on

    My dream dahlia would be a ball type with Cafe au Lait coloring with lavender tips

    Reply
  1710. Laurel on

    Appleblossom, but peachier.

    Reply
  1711. Julie C on

    I’d love to grow a smoky mauve pink dahlia, ball form.

    Reply
  1712. Christine G. on

    I love dahlias that have two colors, one soft and one dark, like your Firefly shown above. I also like the petals on that one since it looks like a sun. Of course, I also love the big fluffy dahilias!

    Reply
  1713. Bonnie on

    When I look at dahlias, I often get lost in the layers of color (sort of like a spinning pinwheel). My favorite dahlia would be a brilliant red color about the size of a saucer (probably numerous varieties are already available.) I’ve never grown dahlias from seed – only tubers.

    Reply
  1714. Brenda Walker Homan on

    I am a YELLOW girl! I blame my mother who always dressed me in that color as a child. So”Pooh” catch me early on. Our school nurse was a fanatic and share tubers with the willing. I planter my 1st in 2014 and was rewarded with a beautiful pink dinner plate for my butterflies. I moved north and now have friends who gift me the most amazing tubers. Pooh and Cafe au Lait are still my favorites. Can’t wait to recreate my mini dahlia corner garden!

    Reply
  1715. Beth on

    My dream dahlia would be a larger variety with twisty, turning raspberry colored petals and a large fluffy center and a slightly lighter collar.

    Reply
  1716. Alexis J on

    Starting dahlias for the first time this year. I bought tubers and some seeds! I am really excited to see what the seeds bring to my garden. I am hoping for some soft pinks maybe with a mix of yellow.

    Reply
  1717. Katie Kleiber on

    Oh dahlias, how this flower has taken up so much of the space in my brain since I discovered them a few years back. To dream up my perfect dahlia is almost impossible, but I do have to say I am in love with the bright oranges and king petals like bloomquist Jean. I would be thrilled to find something that is a hot bright pink, like knock your socks off bright pink!

    Reply
  1718. DaniK on

    My favorite dahlia would have light bronze colored petals with a slightly darker petals in the sun shape that your top 3 varieties have.

    Reply
  1719. Kate Anderson on

    Muted coral/raspberry with darker accent on petal edges.

    Reply
  1720. Stephanie Spinner on

    Would love to see a dahlia the color of grenadine—a warm, medium red that lights up in the sun.

    Reply
  1721. Dee Clearman on

    I LOVE flowers, especially dahlias. How could I choose a favorite, which include Pom-Pom, dinner plate, cactus, semi-cactus & the sweet ones with the double petals. Thank you for giving all of us such good information & wonderful inspiration!

    Reply
  1722. Paula Olivares on

    Wow Erin you never cease to amaze me and yet I know it’s not just you but all of the ones cheering behind you too! Thank you all of you for all the work that you do to bring such beauty into the world!

    Btw, is it your birthday, or is it in Feb?

    When I think of my dream Dahlia I basically think of something like Ka’s Cloud but a little bit smaller. Something that is billowy, blushy and that makes you just want to rest your head on it!

    Reply
  1723. Tracy on

    I have always been attracted to the waterlily form of Dahlias, with their big blossoms, and glowing colors. One like Wildwood Marie, is a gorgeous variety. That beautiful coral tones would look gorgeous in our flower garden.

    Reply
  1724. Yvonne Mulacek on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate size with a full ball form in Hubba Bubba pink in the center and would fade to a creamy white at the edges. It would have that iridescent sheen and sparkle that few dahlias have and smell just like the gum of our childhood! And would last in my grandmothers antique vase from Lithuania for an entire week. Perfection.

    Reply
  1725. C on

    My dream dahlia would be coral dinnerplate with yellow edges. Love reading about your process!

    Reply
  1726. Nathan on

    My dream dahlia would have to have good color as you mentioned in your blog. I prefer soft orange/apricot or pink color but vivid enough to stand out.
    I would be thrilled to see the type of color that I enjoy in my seedling patch but it’s always a nice surprise to see something else than you expected. I wish that dahlias would have some sweet scent like some roses.

    Last year I planted dahlia from seeds for the first time. I thought I had marked my saved seeds with the color from the flower which it came from (I thought it was purple) but I had a big nice surprise when the new blooms turned out to be yellow flowers. I was exited since most of the dahlias I had were red/purple color and I didn’t have much yellow colored dahlias in our garden.

    Reply
  1727. Christina on

    I love the anemone style dahlias so love seeing these new ones you are developing! I’d love to have a big patch of those!

    Reply
  1728. Kathryn Pfister on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinnerplate dahlia that perfectly captures the colors of a sunrise, starting with a darker tone in the center and fading to a lighter color.

    Reply
  1729. Joanne B on

    I love the peach/pink combinations, which surprises me a little bit because I’m drawn to neither of those colours in the rest of my life; it must be the little piece of sunset in them that bypasses my brain and moves my soul. As for shape, they’re all absolutely lovely but ball dahlias speak of resilience and joy and I’m always delighted by them. Still, I’m glad I don’t have to choose just one colour and shape! And yes, I think I’ll try some seeds from this year’s dahlia patch – why not?

    Reply
  1730. Kathy Salveson on

    I would love to see as much growth possible from my seedlings, protect them from the many wild rabbits and place them on my hillsides. I would love to see a double spiky fower form in magenta and white with a strong fragrance. None of the dahlias that I have grown have ever had fragrance. Thank you for all of your great sessions on dahlias.

    Reply
  1731. Ruthy on

    A ball dahlia where each little curled petal is a different color

    Reply
  1732. Danielle Little on

    I’m just getting started so every variety and color are amazing to me!!

    Reply
  1733. Shelly Brown on

    My dream dahlia would be an early and prolific bloomer, B-BB size, include the colors of golden orange with glowing yellow and a touch of deep, vibrant mauvy fuchsia. I want the dahlia to glow with hues of a morning sunrise peaking from a mountain or a vivid sunset on the water. It could be formal decorative, informal decorative, novel, or water lily. I would name the dahlias with “Joy” as the theme. If the dahlia were a Novelty, I would name it “Freakin’ Joy”. Other names: Pure Joy; Subdued Joy; Burning Joy; Crazy Joy; Deep Joy; Passionate Joy; Amazing Joy; Calming Joy….you get the idea.

    Reply
  1734. Penny White on

    Hello from Northern Scotland! This is my second proper year growing dahlias – 7 last year, nearly 40 this year. Guess I’ve got the bug! So although I love all forms and textures of these spectacular flowers, my dream would be to grow a miniature waterlily type and a miniature anemone type in bright jewel colours. I think they would really be outstanding in mixed floral arrangements – kind of understated at first sight but they would really draw your eye in. Small but mighty! Not even sure it’s possible – but that’s what dreams are for. Thanks for reading.

    Reply
  1735. Kim Hulse on

    I grow for a specific florist that loves unique flowers! I know he would love what ever I can come up with. I love growing dahlias and am so excited to learn about growing such a unique flower. Anticipation is part of the fun! Not really knowing what will bloom excites me for to move forward! Thanks for the opportunity!

    Reply
  1736. COLLEEN BATTCOCK on

    My dream dahlia would have tones of peach and burgundy. I love those warm rich colors, So excited to watch your videos and learn more about the joy of a cutting garden. Thanks again

    Reply
  1737. Laura Luque on

    I love peach and pink/purple mixes, and so many others but I’m trying to narrow it down. Mostly decorative varieties are my favorite shape. I’m glancing back though the varieties in Discovering Dahlias and I enjoy Cara Elizabeth. I bought some American Dawn I believe it was but they never bloomed last year. I’m hoping I figure out what I did and didn’t kill then over winter. I really love the large but not quite dinnerplate size. I would love to see something with a bit darker color on the outer parts of the petals (I think similarly to Bloomquist Isla) in other colors, like the pink and peach, it seems that color saturation tends to be the opposite in most cases, the most vibrant in the center, just how they grow I guess. Dreaming here. Thanks for another giveaway opportunity.

    Reply
  1738. Ashley on

    My dream dahlia would be soft blushing shades of peach, apricot and a dreamy muted pink. I’m naturally pulled towards the ball dahlias, but color always is more important than shape. I collected my first seeds last year and so excited to see what they become!!

    Reply
  1739. Erin on

    I would love to find a blue dahlia since there aren’t any yet!

    Reply
  1740. Michelle on

    My dream dahlia would be dark purple (almost black) petals with salmon streaks and an open center. I didn’t think I loved open-centered dahlias as much as other forms until I saw how much the bees love them.

    Reply
  1741. Jemi Royer on

    A Big fluffy Dahlia, blush pink in the center fading to white, with blush edged petals with long strong stems:)

    Reply
  1742. Meghan on

    My dream dahlia will be a mix of salmon and deep red intertwined with beautiful strokes of each different color.
    I love the variety dahlias offer and we will probably see many more beauties through the years.

    Reply
  1743. Maggie Pears on

    My perfect dahlia is a big, fluffy, HOT CORAL party animal! Maybe with some oranges or yellows tied in as well. It’s a shaggy mess that you can’t help but smile at.

    Reply
  1744. Judith on

    I think a realllly large collarette or orchid form (is that even possible!?) that’s tricolored (like ‘hollyhill calico’), mostly white, with peach and dark coppery orange streaking would be AMAZING.

    Reply
  1745. JUNE DEMERS on

    YOU ARE AMAZING! I live in the area but have never seen such a wonderful display.

    My dream Dahlia would look something like the chrysanthemum I used to grow: I think it was called Princess Pat ..a fascia pink with long spidery petals. It was long lasting and looked great in the garden, in the vase and in arrangements.

    Keep up the great programs that you offer.

    June Demers

    Reply
  1746. Nikelle on

    Oh man it is hard to choose between a lavender and a burnt orange! Definitely a tall stem that contrasts with the brown fence. Maybe I’d love to see an outer petal lavender and then burnt orange inner of an anemone! Then I wouldn’t have to choose between em.

    Reply
  1747. Jeanette Sowell on

    I would love to create a beautiful ball dahlia that is a gorgeous purple bordeaux color and knock the socks off my lovely widow neighbor ladies when I surprise them with front porch bouquets from my backyard cut flower garden during the summer months. Nothing tickles me more than watching their reaction to a surprise bouquet. A total labor of love for sure.

    Reply
  1748. Heather on

    I absolutely love dahlias of all shapes and sizes but I would love to be able to have a small patch of deep coral with muted yellow coloured dahlias.
    Thank you for sharing your trials. It is a beautiful project to watch. I had no idea you could grow them from seed!

    Reply
  1749. Ruth Bollman on

    My dream Dahlia is bright pink or a sweet blush that complements purples, corals, and subtle peach hues!
    I love following and reading about your business and passion for these blooms. The floral photography delights my soul with beauty! Thank you!

    Reply
  1750. Angelina on

    I’ve so many perfect dahlias dreamed out, it’ll be hard to name just one. I think I’d dream about a dahlia with a deep pinky-raspberry center, tinted with gold, fanning out into a lightest creamy pink! It would have a long stem, of course, for arranging!

    Reply
  1751. Melissa Chumley on

    Every year I love to try something new and different that I haven’t planted before. It’s one of my favorite things! Last year we planted hundreds of Zinna seeds and it was so fun to see how they cross pollinated to get new unique colors and I can’t wait to see how they evolve this year. I’ve never tried dahlia seeds but the anticipation of not knowing what you are growing sounds so exciting!

    Reply
  1752. Liesl Ann Artherton on

    My dream dahlia is Firefly! That is such an incredible flower, the texture of it looks so fun to design with.

    Reply
  1753. Deanna Petit-gas on

    Hi Erin and Florets. I grew the whole packet of dahlia seed that came along with the book last summer and loved seeing their little faces emerge. Your new “Floret” is pretty perfect and I see why she deserves the name. My dream dahlia would be a pale to mid pink extra frilly collarette with a big rubber ducky yellow centre. Wish I could add a picture here of my fave seedling from last year; her name is Pink Flamingo. Her petals are fluffy and her side buds really look like little wings tucked behind her. I saved tubers and will grow her forever. So grateful to you for nurturing these babies and supporting my love of flowers along the way.

    Reply
  1754. Lauri M Leeper on

    My dream dahlia would look like a Peace rose, which was my mom’s favorite. She had it wherever we moved – which was often as I grew up in an Army family. It is gorgeous!

    Reply
  1755. Sherry on

    Dream dahlia look would be big bloom with some soft cloudy look with some dusting of lighter colors . Like a between of Silver Years and Castle Drive’s..
    All your dahlias look amazing so any would be grand.
    Thanks for all the posts and blogs. I have followed for years. I do have the Discovering Dahlias book ( and it was signed :) so if you want to pass that on ) but the package sounds amazing. Thanks again

    Reply
  1756. Rachel Isch on

    My dream dahlia would have a large, puffy center of soft yellow, with longer outer petals a watercolor blend of cream, melon & a sage-y green :)

    Reply
  1757. Marla Jones on

    I would like to find a dahlia in my garden that exemplifies ‘hope’. A color combination, somewhat like the peace rose, that blends the soft yellows of the early sunrise of a new day, to the soft pink of the beginning of the secure rest and restoration promise of sunset. It would have stems long enough to grace any arrangement so that it could easily be shared with others, and a vase life that would be long enough to exemplify a sustaining presence. When it faded, the memory of the joy and beauty it held would encourage you to reproduce it again, in even more abundance that, pressing you toward sharing the promise it offers into the future.

    Reply
  1758. Jean Stringfellow on

    I’ve just begun to grow dahlias in the last two years. So I’d like to add to my small collection. I don’t have any pastels so I think the soft colors would be wonderful. Pink, blush or the pale coral. Thank you for your passion for sharing your accumulative knowledge with us , your readership. I love reading how you work your fields. Thank you.

    Reply
  1759. Sophia on

    Absolutely L💗VE all dahlias, but my dream dahlia would be a decorative dinner plate-sized bloom with vibrant pinks and mixed color shades. Ever so beautiful!

    Reply
  1760. Connie Edgerton on

    As a first time dahlia grower I was in love. But what surprised me was how totally taken my husband was by my dahlia’s. He might have even fallen harder in love with them me. He has always helped me with anything I needed in the garden, but now there definitely an added layer of interest in the dahlia patch.

    Reply
  1761. Neda Tanha on

    I love surprises, I feel growing dahlia from seeds gives me same satisfaction! I managed to grow few seedlings from seeds that I collected last summer. Fingers crossed, hopefully they bloom and worthy to keep. Its hard to narrow down to choose my favourite colour, but I find myself recently drawn to soft peachy colours.😊

    Reply
  1762. Amy H on

    I have a small red variety that lasts well into the fall and a purple dinnerplate variety in my yard that I would love to see as a combination. I collected seeds from my dahlias for the first time this year and will create a test bed in the yard to see what happens! Thanks for all the inspiration and advice you give on the blog!

    Reply
  1763. Kate on

    More creamy white, peach with darker bronze high (low?) lights…who are we kidding, they’re all beautiful!

    Reply
  1764. chloe young on

    Oh!!!! Jennie! That would be a beautiful Dahlia!!! Chartreuse.

    Reply
  1765. Alexa Muchiutti on

    My dream dahlia would be white with speckles of light pink and a globe. I would be thrilled to find a wide variety of sizes of blooms in my seedling patch.

    Reply
  1766. Julia Bridgland on

    I love open centered varieties that are just a bit more special, like apple blossom, fancy pants or totally tangerine. My ideal dahlia would at least 4 feet tall in order to stand out in a flower border, have long stems for flower arranging and is in the pink/cream/peach/apricot colour range.

    Reply
  1767. Lindsey Garrow on

    My dream Dahlia would be a romantic masterpiece. Imagine if each petal was a different shade of pinky coral color all coming together to create a mosaic like look. The overall texture and size of the petals like “cafe au lait” but in a more ball form. Maybe it already exists and I just haven’t found it yet? I didn’t know you could grow Dahlia from seed!! I’m so excited to try!

    Reply
  1768. Raquel on

    You’ve inspired me to grow dahlias– and start them from seed– this season and I’m so excited to see the blooms.

    My dream dahlia would be ruffled and wispy, and the colors of a wild Florida sunset, where I grew up.

    Finger’s crossed!

    Wishing y’all all the best.

    Reply
  1769. Dana Bankston on

    My dream dahlia would be a copper-colored, mid-sized lush bloom similar in form to Cafe au Lait that fades to antique peach tones.

    Reply
  1770. Chloe Young on

    I LOVE your book, and can’t wait to read Kristine Albrecht’s wonderful book.
    My dream Dahlia is a large flower with lots of petals in vibrant pink with a dark pink center and long sturdy stem!

    Reply
  1771. Jeannie on

    I would love to find a green colored dahlia someday! Something similar to the queen lime zinnia but with a yellow center . . . how beautiful would that be?!

    Reply
  1772. Elodia on

    My dream dahlia would have to be the golden girl dahlia because I tried to grow it last year but it didn’t do well. But all dahlias are just beautiful.

    Reply
  1773. Kari R on

    I’ve just ordered my first dahlias this year after checking out your dahlia book from the library and already feel bit by the dahlia bug before even growing a flower, hah! I think A soft peachy apricot, with buttercream and pink twisted in with fluffy whimsical petals would be a beautiful delight to find!

    Reply
  1774. Joy on

    I’m trying out my first dahlias from seeds this year and am so excited for the discovery of what I will get. I love the single petal varieties and would love to find one with peachy petals and orangey red centers. Really, I look at your pictures and think I would be thrilled having any of these in my garden!

    Reply
  1775. Caprice on

    I’ve always been drawn to the wide variety of ball form orangy, peachy dahlias available. I love the feeling of joyful abundance that just a few blooms can provide because of their size and sturdiness. But last year I grew a dahlia from seed that turned out to be a collarette with dark purple outer petals and yellow centers that was stunning. I really just love them all!

    Reply
  1776. Julie Richey on

    I had no idea you could grow dahlias from seed! I’ve grown dahlias for 7 years just for personal enjoyment. This new discovery gets me so excited to try it out! If I dreamt a dahlia into existence it would be a lot like your C/33 but dinner-plate sized with a raspberry center (is that even possible?) and light pink petals, tipped with cream. Thank you, Floret, for being so generous with your knowledge and passion of flowers. You are truly a grower for the dreamers!

    Reply
  1777. Alexis C. on

    A dreamy flower for me would be a raspberry version of Hapet Champagne – fluffy and fun!

    Reply
  1778. Jenni Herchenbach on

    How to choose just one? Today, I would wish for the palest pink double flower with a fuzzy apricot center. I imagine dark brick outlines on the petal edges – and a soft citrusy fragrance. Tomorrow, I’m sure my wish will be different. Thank you for starting my dahlia love affair.

    Reply
  1779. Kalie on

    I came to know dahlias by happenstance really. I have just begun my hand at growing cut flowers. Two years ago I was meandering through my local greenhouse and stumbled upon the dahlias. Instantly I fell in love with the large blooms, long petals, and the beautiful pink and purple blooms the dahlias produced.

    My dream dahlia would be any color in the pink family from blush to a bright fushia color. It would have long, wispy petals and the flower itself would be very full. In my seedling patch I would love to see variety. I find myself sticking the “tried and true” that matches my preferences (pinks, blush, purple, full flowers). I am not always one to step out of my comfort zone to different varieties when there are so many beautiful ones to be grown.

    Reply
  1780. Dreama McGlothlin on

    My dream dahlia would be a coral/peach pompon or anemone. My son actually introduced me to dahlias. My husband has always let him pick out a flower of his choice for me for Mother’s Day. A few years ago, he came home with a purple potted dahlia. I had never had one until then. By the end of summer it was one of the most beautiful flowers I have ever had and dahlias have quickly become my very favorite. I have grown from tubers each year since but am trying to start some from seed for the first time this year. I am so excited.

    Reply
  1781. Christine Midkiff on

    My dream dahlia (can I only have one? 😂) would likely be a medium informal decorative with perfectly formed teardrop shaped petals towards the center and gentle wavy, informal petals towards the edges. It would be a stunning combination of muted purples, mauves and peaches with a glowing shimmer in the sunlight. This dahlia would have the power to heal aching hearts (as many already do), bring peace and encouragement to it’s beholder and ultimately change lives. My dream dahlia would radiate love, acceptance, peace, unity and healing. This dahlia would be the ultimate masterpiece from the greatest artist of all time, God.

    Reply
  1782. Rebecca Dinsmore on

    I am in love with the combination of pure orange and hot pink; finding a dahlia in those colors would be a thrill. As it is, I am planting lots of oranges and pinks to get that yummy ‘flavor’ in my super cute raised bed this year. I’ll share pics!

    Reply
  1783. Jodi on

    I really enjoyed reading this blog! The amount of different colours and types of dahlias is incredible.
    I think if I could have a dream dahlia (right now, it would be always changing) I would love an anemone type with a really big fluffy middle, in a soft pinky/orange colour with white petals. So fun to dream :)

    Reply
  1784. Barbara Gupton on

    I am a beginner at growing Dahlias, mainly because I live in North Texas and gardening can be very tough here!. I would love a huge pompom-like one that is dark pink and long-stemmed. I have enjoyed watching your shows and receiving monthly newsletters.

    Reply
  1785. Maria on

    I’m excited to see what my dahlia seeds will look like. I don’t know what’s my dream but i’m hoping that there will be color pink, coral and purple. I’ll also dedicate a memorial garden to my love ones that are no longer here. Dahlias makes me so happy whenever i see them at my window. I love them!!!

    Reply
  1786. Jodi Tomlinson on

    My dream dahlias are the Pom poms, I love love love them! They remind me of my Oma, who always grew a beautiful patch of dahlias along side her vegetable garden. My choice colour is peaches & cream, in a myriad of shades
    Definitely going to try growing from seed next year

    Reply
  1787. Gloria Wilder on

    Wow…with so many varieties to mate it’s a challenge to choose one dream dahlia…
    I love lavender and I love a dahlia with a reverse color on the backside of the petals so I would try to marry soft pink with a lavender reverse on a stellar type dahlia or even a collarette with the inner ruffle of petals also being lavender over the pink…yes..that would be dreamy..pink face, lavender reverse with a lavender collar.

    Reply
  1788. Sierra Matheson on

    My dream dahlia would be a) heavily structured like a pom-pom variety because I love the symmetry and rigidness of that style of boom, and b) coloured like the shades in a conch shell (ranging from deep peach, to cream, then a light bronze).

    Reply
  1789. Leslie on

    I’m just starting on my flower growing journey and planted dahlias for the first time last year. I would love to just see more blooms and watch them grow again. My perfect dahlia would be something whimsical and a pale blush pink in color.

    Reply
  1790. Lana on

    My dahlia won’t have a specific color. It will be the one when I see it I can’t stop looking at it. I visit it over and over wanting it to never leave. So overwhelmed with its beauty that it makes me cry.

    Reply
  1791. Lisa B on

    Growing from seed is like opening presents and I’m so happy with them all, but I would be so thrilled to find anything blush in color.

    Reply
  1792. Marylene Gaudy on

    I love all the forms but i’m not into the cactus form. I have preference for waterlily, anenome informal decorative and novelty open, in the end it’s hard to choose. They are beautiful in different kind of color. I am really amazed by nature’s ability to make such incredible and vibrant colors. I have a small garden that needs to be worked on again and have flowers in it.
    My grandfather used it for his vegetables and my grandmother’s columbines. They are still there by the way. So this year I’m going to try to grow a few varieties, I hope it works.
    I don’t know if this giveaway is open to the international, I live in France, if it’s not it doesn’t matter the question allows us to reflect on our preferences.

    Reply
  1793. Karyn on

    My grandma (born in 1895) grew dahlias in her small back yard. 2 apple trees, green gage plums, raspberries and Marion berries her father grew in Northwood (Lynden). I still grow Marions from the same stock. She gave me a single orange dahlia I grew for years but somehow lost. It was about 4” , good stems, single petals and 3-4’ tall.For years I have looked for something similar, but have not seen one. That would be the dahlia for me. I am trying seed dahlias this for the first time and am very excited to see what I get.

    Reply
  1794. Judith on

    My dream dahlia would have colors similar to the stunning firefly dahlia in your article, be larger and fuller, with a strong stem. It would blend well in a bouquet with most all other dahlias.

    Reply
  1795. Ross W on

    My dream dahlia is white with a peach center (or peach with white tips)!

    Reply
  1796. Jennie Rubio on

    After retiring, I was in shock of how my days were going to go! With this pandemic in place..it was a depressing situation. After looking to see if I could ever grow flowers. Which I love ❤️. I came across Floretflowers website. Amazing to see her grow so many beautiful flowers!!! And the time she takes to help others do the same. So I started with several packs of the Dahlias. Live in a area, where it’s cold in our winters and hot in summer. With a late frost here, this year. I have planted the seeds and have them inside, doing very well. So I can’t wait to see those beautiful flowers bloom once I plant them into the ground and will be amazed that I DID IT WITH THE HELP FROM FLORET FLOWERS.

    Reply
  1797. Lindsey Oldani on

    Last year, the big bit me. I grew out your seeds and some bloom quilt seeds. My word! You grow popular varieties and you’re excited, they are GORGEOUS and you know they are gonna be good in the case – but then you grow surprises – and they steal your heart. I saved 3 seedlings, my favorite was a peach/pink/ with shimmery yellow open and flouncing about in the wind!!! Can’t wait to see her again this year.

    My dream dream dream would be 6” informal decorative that is primarily a light raspberry, but darker in the center and pale toward the outside, and the under side is entirely darker/inverse. Some streaks or color variation, fine, but really that incredible American Dawn seniors hope color vibe in a mid size informal decorative. I neeeeeddd that dahlia!!

    Reply
  1798. Chris on

    OMG!! Always such a happy reading!! I am so in love with Dahlias that I wouldn’t want to chose one!! Moreover thanks to you I have discover so many different types of Dahlias that I rather be surprised and lear / discover something new to push me a little bit in the edge of my comfort zone!! Thank you for always makes me feel joy inside and for showing beauty all around.

    Reply
  1799. Lea Csontos on

    My dream dahlia has lotus like petals and it’s multi colored – pinkish orange. Oh, and it has purple leaves. :)

    Reply
  1800. Susan Felley on

    Dream dahlia: Burgundy with green stripes…coloring similar to Nigella, but big and full. I’d love to arrange this wish-dahlia with Nigella seed pods in a bouquet.

    Reply
  1801. Bethany on

    A dahlia that mixes orange, pink, and yellow, has rich fluffy petals and gradient color tones as it opens and ages. Something soft and romantic looking.

    Reply
  1802. Alyssa M. on

    My dream dahlia would be a fluffy, lofty dinner plate with antiqued-pink copper center fading to blush pink edges. 🥰

    Reply
  1803. Jenny M on

    My dream dahlia would look like cafe au lait in size and petals but the colors would be a peach center that fades to a lavender pink color. I’ve grown dahlias from seed for the past 2 seasons and I love the anticipation of waiting for that first bloom. After watching Growing Floret, I took a keen interest in growing dahlias. I have a small-ish urban garden but I reserve the best sunny locations for my dahlias.

    Reply
  1804. mb meadows on

    How to choose just *one* favorite dahlia?! The softest peachy/pink with ruffly petals and a tiny open center would be divine – but so would a light buttery yellow. And, oh my! – pairing those with dark foliage would be out of this world! I haven’t yet tried growing dahlias from seed but am hoping to try a few this year just to experiment. Every season of growing dahlias seems to be a new adventure…..

    Reply
  1805. Audrey Ganong on

    Different colors make different hearts sing. My heart loves peachy pinks and butter yellows. Thank you for all the documentation and photographs you do.

    Reply
  1806. Carissa Rose on

    Hard to pick just one dream dahlia possibility – I know you all feel me on that ;). But something peachy, maybe with a raspberry edge/outline or some very soft brushing (reminiscent of watercolor brushstrokes), even in a lighter shade of pink or smoky lavender. And there would be some kind of lovely, muted antique fading of color as the bloom ages. That would be a magical dahlia to find in my garden for sure.

    Reply
  1807. Carla on

    I would love a long stem dahlia with a small to medium head that is deep, deep purple almost black that would POP with the hot colors of other summer flowering plants. A purple dahlia like your “Firefly” would be terrific too.
    I love your work and love seeing you succeed doing what you love.

    Reply
  1808. Helena Grahn on

    My dreamy dream dahlia would be a forgiving and strong singel dahlia with an okra yellow nuance and dots. I love okra and I love dots!

    Reply
  1809. Nickee Ewell on

    My daughter and I have read everything, watched every bit of video about dahlias. We are completely obsessed with their beauty and the obvious gift this flower possesses. We are starting our micro farm this year in our back yard. My desire is to be able to go out and pick a arm load of dahlias to enjoy giving away and enjoy in the house. My eyes and heart are drawn to the peachy and yellow colors. If I am able to go outside or look out my windows and enjoy even a tiny morsel of this beautiful gift of nature, I will feel like I have succeeded in spreading the Dahlia love from Floret!

    Reply
  1810. Andrea on

    My dream dahlia would be a big ruffled variety is a raspberry color and also had an amazing vase life. Something like Diva, but in a softer form.

    Reply
  1811. Isabella on

    Thank you so much for doing this giveaway! How exiting a fun! Now let me dream up some dahlias…. little miss sunshine is simply darling imagine it dinner plate size (it might be impossible but boy would it make me smile)… rust colored middle fading to light peach with those heart aching snipped edge petals… you said our dream so here’s a wild one, the lightest of blues with a soft peach center… and might I even dare to dream, a white or blush resistant to cucumber beetles…

    Reply
  1812. Randi Pratini on

    So excited to learn that dahlias can be grown from seed!! Uh, oh, if I win then I will need to find more spots to plant!

    Luckily dahlias are my favorite and there is always room!

    Reply
  1813. Jessica on

    This is my first year growing dahlias from seed! I have the Bees’ Choice Mix. I’d love to find my next Labyrinth, something wild with multiple colors that will bring lots of whimsy to an arrangement. I’ll be sure to go back to the Discovering Dahlias book at the end of the season so I can read about collecting seeds from my dahlia seedlings :)

    Reply
  1814. Gayle James on

    A deep rust / violet center with a cream to orange petal … or orange/yellow petal that fades to cream. I think this would be a great addition to a boquet. I love dahlias!

    Reply
  1815. Briana Valentino Feeney on

    Still a beginner grower here, I dream of having a little field of beautiful flowers some day and dahlias swaying in the wind. Massive blooms with creamy ivory-peach tones and fluffy petals would be a dream come true!

    Reply
  1816. Judy Buckmaster on

    Multiple layered twisting petals with slightly pointed tips in ombré colors of coral/rose/cream surrounding a light fluffy yellow center.

    Reply
  1817. Tara Lichtenberg on

    I would love to see a ball/pompon dahlia the same creamy color as the cafe au lait – I LOVE ball dahlias – they are such a natural masterpiece in symmetry! Thank you so much for all the work you’re doing to bring these beauties to the world – the C144/Firefly is spectacular – did someone ask you for a dahlia that mimics children’s paper windmills!?!

    Reply
  1818. Denise Suratt on

    My dream dahlia would be strong but soft, make you smile immediately upon seeing it because it is bright and beautiful, has 3 layers to please the eye and kind of a fade or ombre in the colors . I know this all probably sounds crazy but that’s what it is :)

    Reply
  1819. Pamela Carroll on

    I was delighted to see that my favorites from your experiment corresponded with two of yours! The delight I felt looking at the photos of your new dahlias could indeed be addicting! I have not had great luck growing dahlias from tubers so I decided to try seeds this year. Now I am even more excited to see what these sweet seedlings will produce this year!!! I grow for my own pleasure so beautiful blooms and healthy plants are what I’m looking for in a dahlia. I am especially thrilled when I see a form that is new to me!! Thanks for sharing the beauty of flowers with all of us.

    Reply
  1820. Sydney on

    I have about 10 dahlia seedlings waiting for warmer weather to be transplanted out and I can’t wait to see what I end up with! My dream dahlia would be a warm pink with wild petals and a gold center.

    Reply
  1821. Lauren on

    I would love a deep to light purple patch of dahlias. Full blooms and ones with open and closed mouths .
    This years my first year to grow the bee’s choice mix … I am so excited to see them bloom!

    Reply
  1822. Tina Negri on

    I love how your present your Dahlias! I’d love to find C196 and C351 in my garden. I love the subtle colors that compliment each other and would love to find those in my garden! Thank you!

    Reply
  1823. Katie Wolff on

    I’d love a big hot pink/apricot/yellow ombre flower on a plant small enough to line my front walk border! The longer-blooming the better, but any shape/form flower would be fine, I love them all.

    Reply
  1824. Christine Pfeiffer on

    Only my 4 th year growing dahlias- 2nd in the ground. Gravitate to the dusky raspberry bordering on the maroon/black varieties. Love the darker foliage- 4-6 inch blooms and of course great long stems for cutting.

    Reply
  1825. Jeri Cleveland on

    Because I have a very small yard, I would love a dahlia that does well in a container that only has a few hours of afternoon sun. I would be thrilled with a very productive plant that has full, spiky petals that range from pinks to creams and maybe a hint of buttery yellow thrown into the center for good measure.

    Reply
  1826. Mallory on

    I absolutely love the appleblossom look. I haven’t had the chance to grow her myself yet but would love to. I love anything waterlily style too. Gosh, can’t WAIT for spring here in Wisconsin!!

    Reply
  1827. Michael Bains on

    A black dahlia with tips of red. Something Dracula would enjoy.

    Also, a question, in order to sell tubers (something you don’t plan on doing, I understand), what number of tubers do you need in order to sell and still have stock for creating more tubers? Is there a minimum number?

    Reply
  1828. Amanda Wilkins on

    The dahlia of my dreams would be a dinner plate blossom, with Cafe au Lait coloring and tinged dark orange at the tips. Sunny and sophisticated. Thank you for your wonderful blog posts and inspiring photos. I’m excited to say the zinnia seeds I purchase from you ALL germinated (!) and are going strong in the greenhouse. About to set them out for a stunning garden this year (fingers crossed). Thank you!

    Reply
  1829. Kimber Kirton on

    My dream dahlia would be Platinum Blonde but with a pink or peach center instead of yellow. Oh, that would be spectacular. I’d be happy with any fluffy center anemones with a great vase life.

    Reply
  1830. Chanin Mauery on

    I would love a puffy, pale pink anemone. I’d love the center to be slightly pink instead of yellow. Sort of like the Mambo dahlia having a purple center. Wouldn’t she be glorious! I have grown a few rows of seedlings and it is definitely an addiction. These beauty queens sure have stolen my heart. (And that of my neighborhood.) Good luck with your gorgeous project!

    Reply
  1831. Chandra McLaughlin on

    I am trying to grow dahlias from seed for the first time this year. My dream dahlia would be a giant soft peachy pom-pom the size of a dinnerplate dahlia, I have never grown a pom-pom one before so I would love to see those glorious geometric faces shining in my garden but big and soft too, like the dinnerplates. I love seeing the gorgeous dahlias you’re getting, thank you for sharing the process with us.

    Reply
  1832. Caitie on

    About 3-4″ diameter with a pink peachy center that fades out to soft white tips with a hint of deep pink veining throughout. I’d love to find any survivors in my seed patch! :)

    Reply
  1833. Emily on

    Huge, fluffy, creamy yellow with darker yellow just in the center. I grew dahlias from seed last year for the first time, and got one gorgeous one that looked like an Arizona sunset. Your pictures light up my day – thank you, Erin!

    Reply
  1834. Susan Lopez on

    My dream dahlia would be a big full bloom with a shorter height. I’m loving the muted, pastel colors currently- yellow, orange, peach- all of them! This is going to be my first season trying dahlias and I can’t wait to see the blooms!

    Reply
  1835. Peggy Dlugos on

    My dream dahlia would be something similar to your c144/firefly but maybe more peachy tones. But honestly, any dahlia that would grow in my poor rocky mountain soil would be a dream come true.

    Reply
  1836. Charlotte Mitchell on

    Picking a favorite dahlia characteristic is tricky. I love them all! However for the purpose of this exercise, I would say that my ideal dahlia would be in the terra cotta color family, with unusual petal formation (not perfectly lined up), and with a puffy center of a different color. The petals would change color (pinkish or blueish) as the flower aged.

    Thank you for the wonderful inspiration you and your team always provide!

    Reply
  1837. Arlene on

    Thank you, Erin, and all at Floret. We (and future) gardeners are fortunate in all of your hard work over the years with dahlias! If possible, I’d love to be a lucky recipient.

    Reply
  1838. Andrea on

    The inspiration (and information) that I derive from your blog, website and emails is heartwarming. I was growing tired of my gardening efforts, but you have rekindled my desire to “get up and grow” something in my yard. My friend also loves Dahlias, so will dedicate an area of each of our yards to our mutual love of flowers and gardening. We also love the soft, muted tones, however I gravitate to the larger blossoms and she likes the smaller ones. It should be a good mix. Thank you so very much for blessing us with boundless inspiration, education, and truly beautiful photographs.

    Reply
  1839. Marisa on

    My dahlia dream would be an early blooming variety, smothered in 4-6” blooms July to October. It would be pink, peach, raspberry and cream colored and would knock people down everytime they walked by!

    Reply
  1840. Molly Cerretani on

    Dahlias are all so dreamy! For me I’d love to see a big globe that is variegated from a bright fuschia to a moody dark red that is almost black. In my mind that ties the essence of summer to fall and matches bloom time :)

    Reply
  1841. Jessica Rutski on

    I am only beginning to nurture my love for dahlias, and my perfect dahlia would be an open bloom, soft pink and cream with fringed edges that entices pollinators.
    I’ve always been a sucker for beautiful flowers, and to me dahlias are the reigning queens. There is nothing quite like nurturing your plant, watching it grow, and delighting in the blooms as they open and change with time.
    I’ve even managed to get my three rowdy boys to stop and admire the beauty, which to me is suscess in itself. My middle son in particular could spend all afternoon walking around the garden when my flowers are in bloom!

    Reply
  1842. Amy Wilson on

    Closed center, lots of petals, ball form with a salmon/peach/coral type color. I grew dahlia seeds last year and need to sprout some more for this year. My sons name is Titus and he wants to grow a flower with his name so I told him we’d try and find a seedling that we liked that we could name Titus. :)

    Reply
  1843. Ashley on

    I love all the funky dahlias. Anything in a peachy color is nice too.

    Reply
  1844. Patti Richmond on

    I would like to see a sherbert color with ruffles with a yellow center that puffs out when it matures. I think this would be an outstanding focal point. C144 petals are quite striking with the two-tone. I look forward to your emails and blog. Thank you for bringing such beauty to our lives.

    Reply
  1845. Tracy Peltier on

    My ideal dahlia would be about 3” in diameter, the spiky kind with very light pink and orange with an ivory field color. The best part about this dahlia is that it could be grown with less light and less water.

    Reply
  1846. Martha Lojewski on

    A sunset colored bloom! Deep, dark colors fading to lighter pinks and oranges at the tips. Flat petals facing straight out.

    Reply
  1847. Helen B White on

    I now love Dahlias, used to think they were for funerals. Thanks to your wonderful website, I am now smitten.

    Reply
  1848. Ruthann Joy on

    I am always drawn to yellow and white flowers, so I think a dahlia that was a little bit on the smaller side that was a beautiful snowy white with just a tiny bit of pale yellow shading near the center or edges would be gorgeous.

    Reply
  1849. Jen M. on

    I would love a dahlia very similar to Apple Blossom, my current favorite, except with purple or lavender undertones!

    Reply
  1850. Elizabeth Moller on

    This will be my fourth year growing from seed. I started by grabbing the seed head off a plant with beautiful dark leaves, hoping for more plants with that trait. Only one seedling had those leaves! It has become the mother if my breeding patch, which gives me much pleasure, even if most of the flowers are pretty plain and I have yet to produce a second plant with dark leaves.

    I would love a deep red dahlia with orange tips and dark foliage, full & ruffled but not too big, and tall with long stems.

    Reply
  1851. Shelley Sweet on

    I am new to this, so am growing dahlias from tubers for the first time his year. I have been arranging using dahlias I buy at the store- mostly Trader Joe’s, so they are wonderful, but the basic varieties. My dream dahlia would go tall and strong and be a wonderful pink with blooms of 4-6 inches, where every flower is just slightly different in the pink shade, all different children of the same family and surprising me as they bloom.

    Reply
  1852. Sheila Bader on

    My dream dahlia would mirror the sunrise that I get to watch on summer mornings coming up over the Columbia River, orangey/yellowy with a hint of pink in its mix color blend, with the shape of a rising sun in its petals rounded together and reaching out toward the sky.

    Reply
  1853. Aliera Peterson on

    I’m pretty new to dahlias and find them all pretty breathtaking, but if I had to pick one dream variety, it was be something akin to your C39 but bicolored – deep plum and lavender.

    Reply
  1854. Patsy Butler on

    I’m learning so much from Floret! Thank you for every piece of flower wisdom you share. I did not know dahlias could grow from seed! I’m excited to try it this year. My patch is small because I have never lived where dahlias grew until recently. My dream dahlia has lilac colored petals outlined in lavender with a golden center fading into a creamy yellow. I once had an iris with that coloring and it’s a favorite memory.

    Reply
  1855. Jayne Froney on

    I love the dahlia messy look.. a crazy Medusa looking thing in all shades of pink and peaches! Large blooms on tall stems that sway in the wind!

    Reply
  1856. Michele O on

    My dream Dahlia would of course lean towards blue haha but I would settle for a purple tipped pink combo. 8 inch or so blooms, spider. Honestly I would be content with anything to sprout up. Each bloom brings me such joy. One day I hope to have enough land to dance among thousands of flowers. Until then I live through your posts. Thank you for being so kind and sharing of your knowledge. My Husband now knows your voice and asks “is that the Floret girl?” Thankfully he is a huge supporter of this hobby of mine.

    Reply
  1857. Angie on

    Soft pinks, apricot and pale yellow – any and all shapes. Love those Dahlia’s!
    Also hope this is open to Canadian fans.
    Thank you for all the inspiration!

    Reply
  1858. Ellen Trojan on

    I recently started following Floret, my friend and I are already planning our cutting gardens. My mother-in-law had Dalia’s years ago but they were plain and nondescript. Her flowers were full and cream and yellow. I find i prefer the purples, salmons, and pinks. I do like spikey flowers over the full flowers. I had never heard of growing Dalias by seed, this would be an exciting adventure!

    Reply
  1859. Nicole LeBlanc on

    To see some dahlias in a lavender shade, and really the whole spectrum of purple would be dreamy! And the ultimate dream of blue of course! Not too big, for arranging purposes. Love reading about what’s going on at Floret!

    Reply
  1860. Barbara Doyle on

    Dahlias were my Dad’s favorite flower and I often stand in awe in my garden admiring each new bloom. My dream Dahlia is actually one I grew several years ago and have never found again. It was a soft coral with hints of yellow and pink and it looked a bit fluorescent. It just took your breath away and reminded me of a glorious sunset. Thanks for the opportunity to share that special memory.

    Reply
  1861. Jenna Chu on

    My dream dahlia would be about 8-10 inches in size. Its petals would be whimsical and romantic with soft shapes on each petal. And the colors would be a mix of shades of pinks, peaches and creams. I am so drawn to all the pink shades!

    The first year I grew Dahlia’s my heart exploded with a new love! And now it’s been so much joy discovering new varieties and learning all there is to grow them.

    Reply
  1862. Kai Koski on

    I collected seeds from my dahlias all summer and I can’t wait to see what I end up with. I love the really unusual looking ones like C171/Little Miss Sunshine. It is so exciting to see what may happen. This gives me so much happiness!

    Reply
  1863. Barbara Vincelette on

    A girl sure could dream right? Mine would be in the sherbet family for sure, I love the lighter pedals with multi-colors in them!~
    Hope you have an overflowing flowering season!

    Reply
  1864. Jen Sacklin on

    My perfect dahlia would be about 4″ across (easy for arranging) and have the gorgeous colors of cafe au lait and pehnill dark monarch all swirled into one bloom

    Reply
  1865. Taryn Anderson on

    To be completely honest I love all dahlias for different reasons. I love the symmetry of the pompon and ball dahlias, the pattern of a ranunculus, the wreath structures of collarette dahlias, the visual texture of cactus dahlias, the size of dinner plate dahlias, etc. I would love to see any of them in my garden. I didn’t know what to do with a garden at my old house 2 years ago and thee in some dahlia bulbs to see what would happen. The size and amount that grew was astonishing to me and now I have a new place waiting to figure out what to plant. I might try a different type and see what happens. Ranunculus and ball dahlias would be fun!

    Reply
  1866. Pamela Rodriguez on

    Although yellow makes me happy, and the perfect pink is , well, perfect, I am drawn to a beautiful deep ruby red or on the other end of the spectrum, a soft heavenly lavender. I am a die hard romantic and the more whimsical the flower, the more I love it…..I see in my imagination hanging dahlia’s!!!! Like the romantic whisteria, beautiful pergolas draped with clusters of dahlia’s that look like soft little pillows of blooms that fairies would lay down to rest on. A garden with beautiful bushes filled with deep ruby red dahlia blooms that take you back to a midnight’s summers dream garden in the spring lit up with lightening bugs and candles…..running barefoot in the grass wearing a silky flowing dress and inhaling the magical scent of the flowers……ok, I officially have spring fever!!!!!!

    Reply
  1867. Teresa long on

    My all time favorite is the cafe’ au Lait. I know it is not a new or unusual but the most moving . I would like to see it have a longer season to enjoy its quiet beauty.

    Reply
  1868. Teresa K. on

    Every year my favorite dahlia changes. The first few years I grew dahlia’s I preferred the big ruffly ones, I hated the ball shaped ones. A few years later, the balls and pon poms became my favorite. Last year I grew lots of anemone and collarette and orchid varieties. Maybe it is the mix of seeing nature interact with my dahlia’s. The bees have claimed those open centered varieties as their favorites too. So I would love to see an anemone or collarette in a lavender and cream mix. Pixie(ball shaped) was my favorite flower last year which, was the softest shade of lavender. I would love to see that translated into a collarette. I see lots of pinks and peaches, yellows, reds and oranges, but I haven’t seen any lavender or purple. I would love to see that! Man oh man, Just talking about this is making me giddy. I cannot wait for this dahlia season to start!!

    Reply
  1869. Katie on

    To choose an absolute fav would be impossible…. But what’s currently coming to mind in my dahlia dreams is a Hamilton Lillian range of colors, peaches, pinks & yellow ranging petals, with the curling smaller more central petals coming from a massive yellow anemone center (almost Polka-ish, w more HL colors). So excited for a field of colors this year! Such a gift of bright light u are to the world w all your flowers & inspiration! Aloha:)

    Reply
  1870. Laura M Soellner on

    Been loving all anemone type dahlias lately so that would be thrilling to find in my seedling patch this year. Also anything in the lavender color. Swoon, so excited for the upcoming season!

    Reply
  1871. Bonnie Schroader on

    I would love to see a dahlia in purple shades that was slightly oblong, rather than perfectly round with lots of texture to bloom amongst my David Austin roses. Everyone pairs up foxglove with their roses but its not safe for dogs or kids. I could imagine an amazing texture of the honeycomb in a cattail type shape. Oh, really though, any dahlia in purple tones that would provide texture and compliment the shape of a rose would be perfect! :-)

    Reply
  1872. Sharin Steele on

    I think my dream dahlia would be anything Yellow. Bright and cheery lighting up a room in a bouquet. In all honestly, I would be thrilled to find any type of dahlia tuber in my seedling patch! We moved into our house a few years back and I had not seen dahlias. They quickly became my favorite flower 🌸! I discovered your website and discovered all the amazing varieties and colors of these amazing plants. I have two pink plants on our property and would someday soon like to begin growing other varieties for bouquets. I would love to start up a small dahlia project on our property in Northern California. I appreciate all the information your website and mini courses offer and am having a blast starting the seeds I previously purchased from your seed sale. Thank you

    Reply
  1873. Suzy Cliff on

    My Grandfather loved his dahlias, his pride flowers were bigger than his head and he loved to have the grandkids stand next to the flowers and giggle. I moved to in the Yosemite Mountains and put in some raised beds. I planted a few Lavender Perfection tubers and now I am hooked! This year I added 6 new colors to the bed and will probably give up on growing vegetables all together! My flower garden brings me such joy and I am excited to see what pops up!

    Reply
  1874. Marci Venable on

    Friends at Floret Farms,

    I’ve been a floral designer for over 2 decades, and love that you are prioritizing varieties with good stems and long vase life that will hold up well in arrangements. I absolutely love dahlias, they are such popular flower for brides/weddings, so I would love one along the colors of a peace rose, with a soft pale yellow with pink edges that’s durable enough to stand up to lots of time in a hand-held bouquet. However, I also love lime green because it’s a color which mixes so well with all kinds of colors and adds a little color pop to a fresh floral bouquet, so if possible something in the lime green family.

    Your books are inspirational and I am hoping to get over for a class one day!

    Reply
  1875. Emily M on

    My dream dahlia is a cross between pink and purple and has a fluffy, fun, large presence! It’s perennial in zone 5 and grows well in containers!

    Reply
  1876. Jessica Neufeld on

    My dream Dahlia, hhhmmm, all of them lol I’m just staring out with a backyard of cutflowers and I already know I will never have enough Dahlias!
    I’d like my Dahlia patch to look like my very own art show, natures wildest dreams.

    Reply
  1877. Marla on

    I’m just getting into these beauties, and excited to try a little patch of my own from seed. I’m a sucker for brightly colored single dahlias with darks whimsical stems. Thanks for sharing something lovely with the world!

    Reply
  1878. Joel on

    He drew her once. In pastels moving. By candlelight. Van Gogh, lost in petals, spun. A lasting fall into evening. Cool curled into her edges. Soft set in pillowy white. Hiding herself a yolky secret. In stamens plucked from the sun. That drop whispers of finest gold. Dustings near nightingale song. Bells he could hear in the silence. Embers and souls.

    I woke to the cat tinkering across the floor. His collar making tones in chase. After a feather he had found. When he brought it to me I saw what was left of last summer. In my hand the gossamer tissue of a petal now see through. And I knew. Synesthesia is a dahlia, Van Gogh once drew.

    Reply
  1879. Wendi on

    I am just starting to grow my own cutting garden at our new house and dahlias are my inspiration. I have bought many more tubers then planned this year and my husband is humoring me! My perfect dahlia is medium sized and strong enough to handle our wind off the coast. It would come in shades of our sunsets and make me smile.

    Reply
  1880. Joan on

    My dream dahlia would be apricot with a hint of fuschia in the center so I could combine it in bouquets with my Abraham Darby roses and some of my old style zinnias. Can’t wait to harvest my Dahlias from seed this year.

    Reply
  1881. Kim D. on

    This last year because of Floret I discovered you could grow dahlias from seed. Before that I had only purchased dahlia tubers. I love dahlias in all shapes, colors and sizes, but my dream dahlia would be purple with flecks of white and yellow.

    Reply
  1882. Marilyn McHugh on

    It doesn’t matter which dahlia you look at, they are all so amazing. I am partial to white flowers, so I think a white dahlia with a green center and green around the edges would be quite different and beautiful.

    Reply
  1883. Mary Patricia Abbott on

    I think my ideal would look like a delicate peach with just a heart of yellow sun in the middle. Not visible until it’s fully open.

    Reply
  1884. Lois C on

    My dream dahlia would be large and double in a beautiful white with pink edges. Able to tolerate some shade. prolific early bloomer and a magnet for butterflies. It would be wonderful if the dahlia was a perrennial to zone 4 so I would not have to dig! My dahlias are their most beautiful in September just prior to a frost.

    Reply
  1885. Tara N on

    Probably a lovely pale purple and pink! I have no idea what I’d be thrilled to find… Any seeds really, haha! We’re hoping to move soon and that’ll mean finally living in a place where I can grown more flowers!

    Reply
  1886. Michaela Majoun on

    I grew my first dahlias last year and saved the tubers as in your instructional video. My ideal would be a large globe dahlia the color of a kir royale. Cheers!

    Reply
  1887. Cherie on

    My dream Dahlia would be a bright pink with white tones toward the petals end, and a center that is chartreuse! ( is that possible??) medium sized, with a somewhat rounded petal end.
    Thanks for your blog and inspiration! Just gorgeous. I didn’t even know it was possible for new home gardeners to grow dahlias from seed!💥

    Reply
  1888. Anela Caldwell on

    It’s so hard to choose, they are all beautiful and unique in there own way. I think that’s why I’m so drawn to dahlias. Just like us they each have there own unique features + beauty. I love the firefly breed, reminds me of sweet summer memories.

    Reply
  1889. RONDA MILLS on

    My dreamy Dahlia is a flowy purple with different variegated hues…

    Reply
  1890. Beth on

    Since I can’t get my hands on Apple Blossom, that is what my perfect dahlia would look like. I’m partial to that style, but honestly, every single one I have grown has been so gorgeous!

    Reply
  1891. Lily Jacobi on

    I would love to see a dahlia with the colors of a sunrise. Shades of pink, orange and purple

    Reply
  1892. Kat O'Neill on

    Wonderful post! Thank you for sharing more about this journey – and the hard work involved. “Discovery Gardening” truly is a labor of love.

    My ideal dahlia (Ok, one of my thousands of ideal dahlias) would be large, pink- apricot color, pom-shaped with deeper shades towards the center leading to white tips, with big green leaves on super sturdy stems to last in a vase. I would cut arms loads to give to my Mom, and have on my kitchen table.

    Thank you for asking. This is fun!
    Kat

    Reply
  1893. Helen on

    My perfect dahlia would have to be something that was an unusual shape with some curly petals and coral with bits of cream and orange. It doesn’t have to be large, just stunning!

    Reply
  1894. Sheryl on

    Oh my goodness, I feel like a kid in a candy shop looking at your gorgeous array of colors and shapely blooms. I want one of each!

    My dream dahlia would be a lovely muted lavender color in anemone form with a blush pink center.

    I’d love to find a seedling in my dahlia patch that had a lovely spice scented aroma (like annual stock). Wouldn’t that be fantastic? No more of that icky aging dahlia scent wafting from older bouquets.

    Reply
  1895. Claudia on

    I like dahlias all my life , ( I love flowers ), but the way you explain and the passion and beauty you bring out of those flowers are at a different level, you made me love them , and now I am figuring out a way to grow more flowers . It’s just amazing watching you and your passion, it would be very hard to pick a color , but my inclination would be towards a pink/ salmon/white color , the C33 it is just gorgeous. Thank you

    Reply
  1896. Marlene Sievers on

    I’m going on the adventure of growing dahlias from seed for the first time this year. Thank you for the inspiration. I’m hoping that some of that wonderful DNA I see in your dahlia photos made it’s way into the packets of seed I got from Floret. My dream dahlia would have layered, slightly turned petals, on a 4 inch head, displaying the colors of the sky just after a Midwest sunset. Mauve, lavender and peach.

    Reply
  1897. Laura Timmerman on

    I am inspired by your blog post and plan on saving some dahlia seeds this year for fun. I especially like the dahlias that are not huge so they work in bouquets easily. I am fond of pink, coral and the mixture of orange and pink.

    Reply
  1898. Cori Anne on

    i would love to see a colouring similar to shirley poppies amazing gray. an appleblossom style flower in that colour would be ahhhhmmaaazing!

    Reply
  1899. Laura on

    I would like an off-white dahlia with a hint of gold.

    Reply
  1900. Connie Barron on

    Oh my…B11 and B64 are my new dream Dahlias! I started growing Dahlias last year for the first time and after your course this year I was so smitten with them. Those colors in the B section are just so yummy!

    Reply
  1901. Heather on

    My dream dahlia would be a cream color (think Caramel Antique) with a Crichton Honey form . No blown or open center. The center filled with curly center petals, a blush color. The blush fading throughout the rest of the dahlia into pearl. Then all petals dusted with that gorgeous pearlescent shimmer.

    Reply
  1902. Mindy Fortune on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate size, white to salmon color, with lots of glittering petals.

    Reply
  1903. Diana Marinelli on

    Last year I grew my first dahlias from seed, and I completely understand the excitement of seeing the first blooms from each plant. I’d be thrilled to see (my dream dahlia) a dinner plate size bright pink/with hints of yellow dahlia. Even though every bloom is a dream for me. From the start of spring, to watching the blooms in the summer, to pulling the tubers out in fall, to checking on the tubers in the winter, dahlias truly are a gift that never stops giving and amazing! Thank you for sharing so much of your knowledge, it’s truly appreciated!!

    Reply
  1904. Rebecca A Hamilton on

    Ohhhh! Reading this blog takes me to my happy place!!! I wish I had more space for dahlias! I’ve been growing them for 30 years. I do lots of arrangements.
    My dream dahlia…if it were narrowed to one, would be apple blossom style– petal pink on the outside, blushing to cranberry with a big green center.
    I would surely love to your your farm❤️

    Reply
  1905. Laurie Marsh on

    My perfect dahlia would be a pompon dahlia that shades from dark red to a vibrant soft pink in the center. It would have long sturdy stems for bouquets and would last a week as a cut flower. It would grow easily in sun to part shade and produce lots of tubers each year!

    Reply
  1906. Mindy Weese on

    I love the funky odd-balls, so my dream Dahlia is anything that is a WOWZER!
    🌼🌸🏵

    Reply
  1907. Gizelle Lamb on

    My dream dahlia would look like C23 but with red and yellow! I am excited to plant the seeds that came with my book last year! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  1908. Elizabeth Sallee Bauer on

    I’m in love with sunset colors. I also absolutely love anemone shaped dahlias so my perfect discovery would be a beautiful, fluffy anemone with all the colors of a sunset. Last year my kids and I had a wonderful time growing dahlias from floret seed. The kids treated it as a cool science experiment, recording everything. We ended up all loving a beautiful peachy, tangerine single that was just stunning in bouquets.

    Reply
  1909. Jen Eiserman on

    I used to think ball dahlias were my absolute favorite, but your Floret variety is PERFECT! It’s beautiful, fun, and just brings so much joy to look at. I’m attempting your Bee’s Seed mix this season and I am beyond excited to see what grows!

    Reply
  1910. Terra Mulliner on

    Oh my gosh! Is it even possible to decide? One of my favorites this year was a creamy white with dark pink veining in the petals. Maybe a creamy white collarette with a pink center? Mmmm…

    Reply
  1911. Lorrie Sutherland on

    I love the pale pink, sherbet-y, pale yellow collarettes with strong stems. Like a showy, pale sunset. Yum.

    Reply
  1912. Jan Bartes on

    I would love to see one that was the shape of like an Emory Paul dahlia with pink /apricot colors with a darker center. I absolutely love dinner plate dahlias and wish we had more room for them than the 6 to 8 we are able to fit in each year.

    Reply
  1913. Jeanine on

    After discovering Floeret, I fell in love with dahlias and ventured to farmers markets to buy cut flower bouquets filled with dahlias. Last summer I purchased my first ever tubers and after a late start to my plantings, I got them in the ground late but was still able to see a couple grow. I dug them in the fall and stored for the winter in my basement. Some haven’t made it but I’m hoping the rest make it until I can plant them out. I hope to see a variety in my seedling patch. I think it’s exciting to save seed and grow a new variety different from the mother plant. I look forward to getting to try that this year or next!

    Reply
  1914. Laura Brem on

    I teach teenagers, which is a scary prospect for most people. But, I find them wildly entertaining, insightful, loving, kind, and complicated. My perfect dahlia would reflect that – imperfectly beautiful and slightly moody with bi-colors, maybe curled petals, open center, fragile looking yet a strong base. It is hard to describe, but I know there is a dahlia out there that looks like a teenager! :)

    Reply
  1915. Margaret Thorson on

    I’d love a kale creamy semi doublecwith peach and apricot touches. Long sturdy stems and , a good vase life.

    Reply
  1916. Pam nelson on

    I have never planted dahlia seeds but would love to try! I would hunt for a combination of a deep magenta and a creamy peach, one color in the center and the other in the outside petals. I like the domed puffy center with big rounded outer petals. Big ask!!

    Reply
  1917. Faith S on

    Last year was my second growing dahlias, and it was another wonderful experience leaving me wanting to add more and varieties when we have no more space for them😁 Along with many tubers,I grew the Floret open variety packet from seed and was amazed when I lifted the tubers this fall!!!🤗 My dream dahlia would be creamy apricot with blush and vintage white tones. Maybe a waterlily form good for cutting. I would call it Sunrise Sensation❤ I cant wait for Floret to make thier amazing blooms available to the world!!( someday, I hope🥰)

    Reply
  1918. Sondra on

    Would love a muted soft pink dinnerplate dahlia.

    Reply
  1919. Katy on

    Since my favorite Dahlia is Apple Blossom, I would love to find either a soft lavender version of her, or a soft off-white / creamy version (so like a Cafe au lait + Apple Blossom baby :). I absolutely love the treasure hunt too! Even if they don’t make the cut for a second season, they still bring beauty to the world for a little while.

    Reply
  1920. Jing Yang on

    I just bought my first ever dahlias tuber 2 weeks ago. I can’t wait for the ground to get warmer to plant it. My dream dahlia will have big white double layer petals with a hint of blue, and a light yellow center.

    Reply
  1921. Heather F on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate sized, Pom Pom climbing dahlia that ranges in color from peach petals in the center to fuchsia petals on the outside

    I’ve always been taught to dream big. ;)

    Reply
  1922. David R. on

    Last year was my first year with dahlias, and thanks to Discovering Dahlias I saved some of my own seeds (basic as they were; tubers ordered didn’t come as ordered) and am REALLY excited to start them in the weeks ahead using the guidance you’ve offered!

    While I’ve become “dahlia addicted” (as my family says) and love them all, water lily types are my favorite; my property will never make it possible to have a large pond with lily pads, but the open beauty and delicate nature of the water lily types bring a little (or a BIG) pieces of that beauty into my garden. My ideal would be something that’s white with a pink blush that fades, or something ringed with color like Leila Savanna Rose (I’m hoping… ordered it for the first time this year!).

    Regardless of what happens, I’m eager to transform a strip of land along the foundation of my house into my own little seed patch to see what pops up. I can’t wait to see what new beauties show up in all of our gardens this summer!

    Reply
  1923. Brittnie on

    I haven’t tried dahlia’s yet as I’m just diving into flower gardening this year, but hope to add them next year! It’s so hard to pick which ones to include in my limited space! I hope to find an abundance of flowers to inspire me to keep going!

    Reply
  1924. Michaela Wilding on

    Wow, I love seeing how many treasures you have already found! My eyes were drawn to C144! I would say my dream dahlia would be an anemone type with light apricot and light pink petals (like brush strokes) layered encircling a fluffy raspberry center, similar to labyrinth coloring. Dahlia breeding is such an adventure! It’s more about the journey than the destination.

    Reply
  1925. Naomi Brett on

    I grew Dahlias for the first time last year and fell in love all over again. My Aunt used to grow and show Dahlias in Alberta Canada and I remember playing with her BOXES of ribbons when I was a kid:). I also remember wondering in her Dahlia garden and as all kids do, talking to these massive bobbing heads waving above me and giving them all their own names :). My perfect Dahlia would be a “sunshiny” yellow with petals that curl at the edges with a whisp of white to remind me of those sunny days playing in her garden and laying watching the clouds. 😊

    Reply
  1926. Rowan Brown on

    I think my dream dahlia would be along the lines of C381 – but in a buttery yellow with copper or bronze toned streaking throughout (especially along the petal edges). BUT, realistically, my dream dahlia would be any that perform well in our cooler short summer seasons in northern Canada! It sounds like you have such an incredible project underway at your farm – it must be magical (and mind-boggling) to have so many new varieties to discover! I would love to start up a dahlia breeding trial up here in the Yukon, it would be so great to have some northern-adapted varieties of seeds & tubers to offer to my community. :)

    Reply
  1927. Ann on

    My dream dahlia— well that’s a hard one. It would be the one that surprised me. I think it would be white with a yellow center. A miniature collarette that could accompany almost any bouquet and that a child might love. It’s hard to describe the surprise that might satisfy, but you’ve made me reconsider finding at least a container to try growing a few dahlia seeds this season. 🌸 (I always love a pink or 🍑 too)

    Reply
  1928. Barb Kittell on

    Peachy-pink dahlias are my absolute favorite, whether dinner plate, ball, cactus, lotus, or any shape! However, I’m always on the hunt for a lower-growing dahlia that works well in containers or in the front of planting beds.

    Reply
  1929. Leslie Edgell on

    I’m so new to growing dahlias that I didn’t even know you could grow them from seed! How fascinating! And perhaps it’s the Enneagram 9 in me, but I honestly can’t decide on a favorite color. Even in looking at all of your photos above, I wouldn’t be able to pick my favorite hue. They are all so beautiful!

    -Signed a woman who hates picking favorites :)

    Reply
  1930. Melissa E. on

    My dream dahlias would be inspired from my first memory of dahlias in the film Alice in Wonderland, the lion pompom. Rich rusty centers of each tightly curled petal, lined with a bright golden edge, with a bit of white in the center.
    I would love to have any dahlias come up in my garden. This is my first year attempting to grow dahlias from seed and tubers- so I will be grateful for any blooms I get!

    Reply
  1931. Grace Phelan on

    I would love to see a water lily variety with peach/pink sunset colours, or lilac. So pretty

    Reply
  1932. Francesca L on

    It’s so excited to see all of the dahlias you are working on. Wow, they are all so beautiful! My dream dahlia would be a Peaches N Cream type coloring with more blush tints and in a larger informal form <3

    Reply
  1933. Stephanie Weemhoff on

    I would love to breed dahlias. This was my first year storing tubers over the winter. My four original tubers turned into around thirty-something! My ideal dahlia would be a vibrant and luminous Disney-looking dahlia that seems to glow from the inside a yellow to orange and then colorful bright pink-tinged tips. Something joyful that lights up this covid-torn world smile at the beauty and hope it gives. I like the fullness and symmetry of the giant whimsical decorative or anemone shapes. Thank you for all the ways and wisdom you share with other gardeners.

    Reply
  1934. Amy on

    I just started growing dahlias last year, and I can see how you can be in love with them. It’s fun seeing all the different varieties growing in my garden. I’d love to have a lavender colored dinner plate dahlia.

    Reply
  1935. Leslie on

    There are so many varieties of dahlias already. I love all the colors and forms with my favorite being ones that have several colors combined like Just Peachy. My ideal dahlia would be one that easily lasts TWO weeks. I know I’m asking a lot, but hopefully with breeding, some dahlias may begin to last longer in the vase.

    Reply
  1936. gretchen on

    Last year was my first for dahlias. I did save out some seeds and am going to give starting them a try. As to what I’m hoping for, it will just be fun to be surprised at the variety. The more the better!

    Reply
  1937. Richard Vincent on

    Your commitment is inspiring and your results fantastic. I am amazed at the variety of shapes of the blooms! My ideal “discovery” would be a deep rose/plum center fading to a lighter pink/rose outer rim of wider petals. Or a deep peach center gradually turning to a copper outer edge, with the outer petals in the star shape of little miss sunshine. Thanks again for your inspiration – and do pursue means of making your discoveries commercially available: you’ve developed some beauties!

    Reply
  1938. Gretchen Easley on

    I am just a beginner when it comes to dahlias. I had no idea you could grow them from seed. I’m amazed at the variety and couldn’t choose a favorite. My dream dahlia might be an apricot/salmon with definite petals in a medium size. Thank you for being an inspiration!

    Reply
  1939. Margaret C. W. on

    Years ago, when living in a different place, I had a dahlia garden. Some of those dahlias were the size of dinner plates. One in particular stands out in my mind. It was a deep pink, and so lovely. I often cut a single bloom and placed it in a bowl…..one beautiful centerpiece on my table. Thirty years have passed, and I am just starting a dahlia garden again and would love to be able to grow some of those show stoppers. Love the blog and all the dahlia inspiration! Thank you!

    Reply
  1940. Gina on

    My dream dahlia would be a pale green with a pink center.

    Reply
  1941. Rosaria Heinlein on

    I would LOVE to see dahlia that is a Taupe-pink color with 5” blooms!

    Reply
  1942. Gloria Waddell on

    A small sunflower shape with a pale yellow center and a double layer of outer petals in a dusty, bluish-lavender.

    Reply
  1943. Erin McMahon on

    Something akin to Williamette’s Superba, which I saw and loved at Great Dixter but have yet to find stateside. A deep red cactus form.

    Reply
  1944. Michael Fitts on

    Coming from the world of rose breeding where the ploidy makes things a little more predictable, dahlia breeding seems like a crapshoot. It’s as addicting as gambling too.

    My dream dahlia would be a large, long-stemmed collarette with the ray petals being deep yellow and the collar, a satiny, mahogany red with a fluffy, yellow center.

    Reply
  1945. Bill on

    My dream dahlia would be one that is as blue as nature could allow, globe shaped, 5-inches in diameter with a long stem.

    Reply
  1946. Joyce Davis on

    My grandfather grew dahlias. My goto would be a small apricot color.

    Reply
  1947. Tara King on

    What a hard question…I love them ALL! Last year was my first year growing more than just a few dahlias in hot and muggy Eastern NC zone 8a. It was really challenging to keep them happy on the 100+ heat index degree days. I also found my two young daughters were drawn to and loved the dahlias that were multi-toned with bright colors. My youngest daughter loves to pick flowers and make “princess crowns” from them but gets sad when they wilt and petals fall off…so I think my perfect dahlia would need to meet all this criteria.

    Reply
  1948. Diana Harris on

    This will be my second year only of growing dahilas in my mother’s vacant veggie garden. She loves to watch the production from amending and tilling the garden to eventually harvesting the blooms. In return I love to give bouquets to her and my sister. I started with less than 10 varieties but my goal is to double (or triple) the number of varieties for this year and share the blooms with friends and family. After all, who doesn’t love a bouquet of beautiful, blissful blooms!

    As for my perfect dahlia, they are all perfect. The cherry on top would be softly scented dahlias. Ooh la la!

    Reply
  1949. Katherine Schubert on

    This will be my first year growing dahlia’s from seed, and I am beyond excited with anticipation of what will grow and could bloom. While we typically love flowers with bold
    colors, I think my favorite would come in the form similar to your firefly. A flower with a soft color on the petal with a bright brush of bold color on the edge. A flower with
    a long stem for enjoying as a cut flower so i can enjoy their beauty both inside and outside. But truly overall, looking forward to what ever surprise our dahlia patch will bring.

    Reply
  1950. Catherine MacNeal on

    Since I am a lavender grower, a dahlia that is a bluish purple or purplish blue would be awesome.

    Reply
  1951. Catherine Brewer on

    My favorite Dahlia would be hot pink with a yellow center. That way it would look like my much loved Hollyhock that every year produces flowers with those colors. I have called that bit of color joy in my yard Pink Lemonade. Can’t wait to have Pink Lemonade Dahlias!

    Reply
  1952. Hannah Maurer on

    I think I would love a fluffy double white that slowly becomes warmer yellow pink as it nears the center.

    Reply
  1953. Eden Theule on

    My dream dahlia would be branchy and have small blooms, with puffy centers and apricot petals <3

    Reply
  1954. Karen Yurkovich on

    My dream dahlia would be a buttery yellow with petals like Cafe au Lait but a little smaller. I would hope it would have nice strong stems and a long vase life.
    Yellow doesn’t seem to be as popular right now for dahlias but I love it! To me it is a very uplifting and even inspiring colour. It’s like a ray of sunshine!

    Reply
  1955. Katherine Horton on

    I have been growing dahlias for a couple of years. I’ve never dug them up over the winter, bc we live down south. I finally dug one up this winter. I was shocked to see how big it had grown! I’m looking forward to dividing it and sharing with friends. Gosh, so many beautiful colors to see! My dream dahlia would be deep orange, single petals with some dark yellow tipped petals and a beautiful center! I would love to see a red dahlia in my seed pack!

    Reply
  1956. Sameena on

    Because dahlias come in every color but blue, that would be my dream dahlia. A pastel blue that might compliment yellows. I think it would be such a beautiful complementary dahlia if if was a Pom Pom dahlia.

    Reply
  1957. Krystle Linic on

    My favorite Dahlia would be a deep pale pink. I just want to soak in a field of Dahlia’s;)

    Reply
  1958. Shari Williford on

    I couldn’t pick my ideal dahlia, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that is a crisp white combined with a bright apricot/coral. It’s always fun to see something a little different. Looking forward to watching your progress!

    Reply
  1959. Hann Johnson on

    There are already so many comments of beautiful flowers! 😅 I know that your favorites have seemed to be few, thin petals around a large center, but I really love multiple, thin petals around a small center, like a Maarn or, of course, Cafe au Lait; I love being flooded by petals.
    [Also, I know it’s been a while since I’ve watched Growing Floret on Discovery, but didn’t you send out all of your tubers and just keep a small personal garden for yourself? Did I miss something to where you now have so so so many dahlias again?! 😅]

    Reply
  1960. Barbara on

    Originally from the south, dahlias were unknown to me. Now, living in a different climate, I realize that the dahlia’s varieties, sizes, and uses in design are so attractive. I would like a large, double, orange dahlia with a burgundy center. Thanks for all you do.

    Reply
  1961. Jason Petersen on

    those are some gorgeous dahlias you have saved from your breeding patch! wow! i’m always in awe of your flowers & how fun would it be to grow some of your own seedlings here in my garden!

    i suppose my ideal dahlia would be something fluffy but not fully doubled. a peachy pink with a soft golden center. a dahlia that looks like it’s glowing. any flower that mimics a sunset is an instant favorite of mine!

    can’t wait to see what this year brings for you & your breeding patch!!

    Reply
  1962. Laurie Ginsel on

    I live in the Texas Hill Country among some of the most wonderful vineyards and wineries. My dahlias (first time every growing them) will be in raised beds. Our home has a beautiful sunset, so I hope to have yellows, oranges, reds. My desire is to be able to photograph my dahlias with the sunset in the background. I had a series of strokes a few years ago, while I have recovered nicely, I still need to take care of myself. Those health issues woke me up, I so appreciate the beauty that God has given us & I want to participate.

    This is all new to me, I’m learning as much as I can. I am so excited and somewhat scared. Everything is ordered, just waiting on the cold to go away. Thank you Erin and all the Floret staff for sharing and teaching.

    Reply
  1963. Abby Bridges on

    I’ve never grown dahlias before but my first foray will be this spring with a small pack of seeds I was able to pick up. I would love a more decorative type with shades of blues akin to hydrangeas or even deeper into navy and cobalt. Blue flowers are more rare so I always have a soft spot for any variety of that color.

    Reply
  1964. Andrea Walper on

    Thank you sharing Erin. Joy shared is joy multiplied. And you have a lot of excited people here with you!
    If I could come up with a variety it would be a cactus type but with the colours from the cosmo’s lemonade and pink lemonade colouring. Muted pink and yellow. Those colours together when shaded well normally give me a shiver when I see them. I want the flower to make me shiver. I would even call it “shiver.”
    Fun little exercise. Happy growing.

    Reply
  1965. Diana Marie Home on

    So many new varieties! This is my first year growing seedlings I saved from last year. I would love to discover a full doubly muted color dahlia for bouquets. Last year I discovered how much joy it brings me to gift flowers I grow to others. This year I am growing many more flowers to be able to gift even more and spread their joy.

    Reply
  1966. Taylor Anderson on

    Oh dahlias!! They are unbelievably stunning. This is my first year growing them from seed and they are thriving. My dream dahlia would be a pastel purple, orange and yellow tie dye look. Maybe some are striped and some speckled. That would be a dream!

    Reply
  1967. Susan M on

    I’ve only had one dahlia (so far) – a dinner plate dahlia that was a very deep red. My dream dahlia would be that size, but pink ombre!

    Reply
  1968. Barbara O'Brien on

    My dream dahlia would be a pinkish orange color!! A dark peach so to speak!! I love the white too with just a sprinkle of that same color. My sister always had peach in her house with all of her gorgeous English antiques and ceramics. Never appreciated it until I was a little older. That would be my dream for my garden!! Makes me all warm and fuzzy just thinking about how beautiful it is!!! They don’t have to be big or perfect shaped with a color like that. It goes with literally every color in the rainbow.. It’s perfect!

    Reply
  1969. Melissa Peralez on

    Thank You Erin, you have inspired me to grow all the flowers. I first heard about your amazing journey when I purchased the Magnolia Journal magazine by Joanna Gaines. (Risk Taker by Erin Benzakein) omg the beautiful Sweet peas you were harvesting. I had no idea about sweet peas. I remember being so excited about being able to be one of the luckiest one to order some seeds from you site. I was able yo grow a few of them here in Texas hot weather I totally planted them out to late but I was able to harvest enough to smell there wonder scent. I was so excited! I also grew your dahlia seeds from Bee’s choice mix and got some pretty ones. I really don’t think I have a favorite Dahlia I will take them all. They all truly excite me!
    #therapy for me..:)

    Reply
  1970. Norma on

    My dream dahlia would be a big fluffy lavender dahlia. Thank you for all the beautiful dahlia pictures.

    Reply
  1971. Mary Herring on

    My dream dahlia is an informal blush with a soft yellow center. I look forward to finding what treasures are packed in my dahlia seed pack from you!

    Reply
  1972. Peggy Crate on

    My daughter bought me the dahlia book from your farm and the seeds came with it . Iam excited to start them and see how they do. The perfect one I would love to see is a very light pink with a lot of petals.

    Reply
  1973. Erin Simmons on

    My dream dahlia is peach-apricot with pink center and pink-tipped petal edges. I love peach-orange tones but I am not a huge pink gal, so a dahlia like this would lead me into the realm of pink that would blend with my peach favorites!

    Super excited for your dahlia breeding program – great things are on the way! Congrats!

    Reply
  1974. Melissa on

    I am not sure what my dream dahlia would look like. I tend to be drawn to peach shades the most and simpler blooms rather than the Pom Pom or button forms. I love firefly and, though not generally a huge fan of yellows, little miss sunshine is the most darling, happy little blossom I’ve ever seen. I too love the discovery process. :)

    Reply
  1975. Mayson on

    My dream Dahlia would be be an anemone type with blush petals and a deep burgundy center!

    Reply
  1976. Merry Daniels on

    I love the pale colors. Maybe a white with peach tips and a pale yellow center? This is my first year! I got in on your sale earlier, so I have a mixed bag of seeds to plant. I have to be very selective this year because I don’t have my deer fencing up so I’m limited on space, next year, it’s on!

    Reply
  1977. Susanna Strutz on

    Long, sturdy stems for bouquets. Also sturdy, sharp petals. Pink or lilac in colors, darker in the middle.

    Reply
  1978. Dori Mccartney on

    My dream dahlia would be coral colored, fluffy and round in shape!

    Reply
  1979. Bruce Burpee on

    There is a place in my heart for all dahlias, all sizes, forms, and colors, so those characteristics are important, but my dream dahlia has other characteristics. My dream dahlia has a profusion of long stemmed flowers. The cut flowers last well in vases. The stalks are sturdy and three to five feet tall. It is disease and pest resistant. It produces tubers which are large and healthy. With proper care the tubers winter-over and get an early start. My dream dahlia is one that I enjoy at every stage of growth, anticipating the final burst of glory.

    Reply
  1980. Lilliana Villalobos on

    My ideal dahlia will be like Dad’s favorite in red. I love see the hummingbirds, and the bees enjoying the flowers as I do.

    Reply
  1981. Diana Haake on

    My dream dahlia would be full of vintage color. A group bursting with muted tones. Soft, calming, pleasant and easy on the eye. I picture them at the top of a slope as you enter our property so they can be enjoyed by many and cut to make the perfect accent for home.

    Reply
  1982. Kathy Thomas on

    … oh my, I’m 78, and just ordered another seven dahlias from one of your recommended sources. My dream dahlia would be deep in rust and salmon colors, lightening up from the center, on a whirlwind of soft feathery spiked petals. Pushing up from our Georgia clay, and surrounded by roses and delphiniums in contrasting colors. Ten years ago I bought my first six, hoping they would continue to grow here, and they did. I am so blessed.

    Reply
  1983. Michelle James on

    I’m very partial to the reverse color effect on the underside of a dahlia, love the really dark foliage and the coloring similar to Seniors Hope and the water colors of Apple Blossom. Love your new Dahlia breeds! Hoping to grow them one day

    Reply
  1984. Vicki Jennejohn on

    It started in my grandmother’s garden where she grew dahlias each year. Then many years later I grew dinner plate size dahlias in white, green and purple for my wedding day. I discovered your books shortly after and refer to all 3 seasonally. This year I’ve chosen ball and anemone style tubers to grow. Love C171

    Reply
  1985. June Wong on

    My dream dahlia is a dinner plate variety in a fuschia /red hue. I have only grown to appreciate dahlias in the past few years, as some tubers that my mom had given me for our home garden 12 years ago have continued to grow and bloom. I would love to have a variety of dahlias and have my own dahlia garden. The dahlias bring me happiness, joy and memories of my mom!

    Reply
  1986. Hema Krish on

    This is my first year planting Dahlias in my backyard. Growing any plants from seeds and watching them sprout is something I look forward every day and my biggest motivation to keep going on :-)

    Reply
  1987. Rachel Rossi on

    Love this post! I am a quilt designer that’s fallen in love with dahlias (among other flowers) and I’m often a little sad that I can’t “design” a flower in the sense that I’m used to! The way you talk about growing them from seed inspires me to try for sure!

    If I could design a dahlia…

    It would have to be something white with random peachy and green undertones! If variegated leaves are even a possibility I would be skipping through the garden!

    Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us!

    Reply
  1988. Britiney on

    What an amazing thing to be breeding these beautiful flowers! My favorite dahlia would be the color of an apple blossom, the size of a dinner plate, and a double or triple layer of petals. Thanks for the never-ending inspiration.

    Reply
  1989. Lorraine on

    My favorite dahlia would be an ethereal but sturdy flower that would hold up to the coming Fall rains and have a changing range of sunset colors.

    Reply
  1990. Peggy San Roman on

    Erin and the Floret Team, let me first say that this blog post is absolutely stunningly incredible! As for my “dream dahlia” I’m always excited about the muted pinks, salmons and lavenders, but at the end of the day any dahlia is a great dahlia! Here in Southern California my “babies” are just now starting to poke their little leaves out of the soil and I can’t wait till the bloom show begins!

    Reply
  1991. Nell on

    Something like a tie dye type!

    Reply
  1992. Kelli Nichols on

    I’m a home gardener with some new, sunny beds. I loved every word of Cut Flower Garden, which inspired me to set up properly for seed starting and saving. Growing from seed makes me feel like a kid and I can’t wait to plant my lovelies out in the garden. And: finally I have the right sun for some dahlias! I suppose my perfect one would be in pink and apricot, with a medium sized blossom, and lots of flowers, even a bit bushy with a good green leaf. But as to flower shape, I simply cannot choose! It’s like being asked to pick your favorite book. Impossible. 😉

    Reply
  1993. Kory Helmuth on

    My dream dahlia would be a big ball type with a light orange fading into brighter orange at the tips of the petals!

    Reply
  1994. Amy Guest on

    I love the shaggy looking varieties like tyrell, labyrinth and big brother- but it would be awesome to have a variety that combined the papya tones of labyrinth and dark purple tones like lammerse – and maybe a touch of rip city. Moody & dramatic.

    Reply
  1995. Rick Grimmett on

    My favorite look would be an orange water lilly type dahlia. I would want it to have a deep orange center and fade out as it goes from center to tip. I would love to have sturdy stems and tons of blooms for cutting. I’ve grown dahlia for over 20 years but have never tried starting them from seeds.

    Reply
  1996. Diane on

    Fushia with red or orange shimmer.

    Reply
  1997. Brenda L on

    My dream dahlia would be a proper black (or intensely deep purple, not red) pom pom. When I was thinking about this, I also found why blue dahlia’s aren’t
    possible (blue would have been my second choice). https://www.compoundchem.com/2021/09/12/dahlia/
    I only began growing dahlia’s in 2021 and found them to be a challenging and different species to have in my garden.

    Reply
  1998. Mara Myers on

    A Dahlia that looks like it has painted-splattered petals with different hues of colors would be my ideal variation.

    Reply
  1999. Lola Ridgley-Wagar on

    I am so intrigued by the breeding of dahlias…I have only planted bulbs, separated them (mostly successfully) and replanted…but I would love to learn more.
    Dream dahlia? It would have to be in the shape of a star and be a shade of eggplant with orange highlights – is there such a thing??? This blog is beautiful and reminds me that dahlia season is not far away – pacific northwest zone 8b !!!!

    Reply
  2000. Katy Linsky on

    My dream dahlia would be a constant surprise. I’m always amazed how my current favorites shift and change which is why I struggle with committing to many perennials in my garden. Sometimes I love vibrant colors, other times I love soft muted undertones.

    Reply
  2001. Mindy Northrop on

    The perfect pale peach ball would be my dream.
    I currently have a tray of seedlings, some purchased and some saved from my own patch, that I am SO EXCITED about seeing bloom this year.

    Reply
  2002. Janet Neill on

    My dream dahlia. That’s a hard one. When looking through all the varieties that you’ve discovered, I went through and picked all the ones that I’d love to grow. Your top 3 were my top three! So my favorite would maybe be a combination of Little Miss Sunshine and Firefly. Thank you for sharing the process, and I am inspired to save some dahlia seeds this year and see what happens next year.

    Reply
  2003. Shelby on

    Hey Erin/Jill & Floret Team,
    I’d be happy to find something in a mauvy/peach blend. I really like C196, C62, C216, B11, B53, C108. I’d be thrilled to see anything like these pop up in my seedling patch that I’m trying for the first time this year.
    Thank-You!

    Reply
  2004. Maddy on

    Looking at these flower portraits makes my heart bloom! I am so inspired by the brilliant way you let methodical experimentation and wild wonder play together! My dream dahlia is inspired by your firefly. It would be shaped like the firefly, with deep purple black velvet petals. Each petal is outlined with bright orange. The base to center of each petal transitions from dark purple to lavender to creamy yellow, is speckled with mint greens and periwinkle blues. The stems are vivd greens and the fluffy centers are lavender too, to contrast with the honey bees always nearby. WOW that was so fun to imagine! <3 Thank you.

    Reply
  2005. Randy Williamson on

    I absolutely love bicolor dahlias, so my dream dahlia would be a bicolor of medium flower size that has a creamy white center, dark lavender (not quite purple) petals with creamy white tips and a dark purple petal reverse. Its petals would curve back the stem like Edna C or Spartacus and it would be a prolific bloomer with strong stems to support its bounty of spectacular blooms!

    Reply
  2006. Dawn Sayles on

    Oh, I would be in heaven if I could find a Dahlia with the shape of Apple Blossom 🌸 But in Soft Vintage tan with white accent colors!

    Reply
  2007. Angela Hadaway on

    The big dinner plate dahlias might be some people’s favorite, but my favorite is the small ball dahlias that are so perfect looking!! They can be any color as long as they are that perfect ball shape.

    Reply
  2008. Cindy Kern on

    Great question! In love with the Firefly variety in this post because it is so unusual. So that would probably be the main characteristic of my perfect dahlia – imperfectly unusually perfect…like me lol!

    Reply
  2009. Lori Powell on

    I’d love to see a dahlia with peachy, pointy petals, like a shaggy daisy, with a scarlet color bordering a yellow center. I’d also love the opportunity to see your dahlia field in person. The pictures are amazing!

    Reply
  2010. Cindi Cameron on

    My dream Dahlia would be pink, of course, with a large head of ruffled exotic petals. It would be tall and hearty and last all summer. I will be planting my first Dahlia seeds this spring and can’t wait for the results. I will be thrilled to find an unusual color or fancy petals in my Dahlia patch.

    Reply
  2011. Kristina Smith on

    I am growing dahlias from seed for the first time this year and I don’t even know what will be my favorite. I think the thrill of seeing an unexpected beauty is going to be like a friend leaving me a surprise gift. I am drawn to muted shades with darker edges, but also love deep hues! I am hoping for some showstoppers to arrange with. 😍

    Reply
  2012. Gwen on

    So many beauties. My dream Dahlia would look like Queen Lime or Queen Lime Blush!
    Since Zinnias are similar to Dahlias, this would be amazing! Zinderella lilac coloring would also be amazing!
    My current favorite Dahlia is B142, an exquisite fluffy white!

    Reply
  2013. Rebekah Desloge on

    I find it so incredibly generous that you share the details of the dahlia breeding process with your community. I love the name and coloring of Cafe au Lait, but have this dream of a creamy taupe with lavender undertones or center like holly hill but in a stellar shape, maybe called latte as a nod to cafe au lait 😊☕️

    Reply
  2014. Jennifer Huff on

    My dream dahlia would be a purple flower with gold center. It would look so good in my garden!!! Thank you Floret for helping me dream of flowers!

    Reply
  2015. Janet on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft creamy yellow, small dinnerplate type, that would stand up to the heat and humidity of Charleston, sc summers.

    Reply
  2016. Tom Arbuckle on

    This will be my first go at growing form seed for my wife, she loves dahlias.
    My hope is to grow a fire red, yellow, and orange dahlia with long peddles of orange, and yellow turning more red as you move to the center of the flower.

    I love your passion…

    Reply
  2017. Amri Dobbins on

    My dream dahlia would be medium/light pink changing gradually to firey orange. I’d be thrilled to find any of the flowers you shared growing in my garden. What a beautiful post!

    Reply
  2018. Sandi Wilson on

    My dream dahlia would be an anemone style dahlia. It would be so cool to have soft lavender petals surrounding the poof, with bright pink picotee outlined edges. The pouff in the center would be a soft yellow that gradually faded into pink. Too many possibilities on a dream dahlia but that one would be so cool!

    Reply
  2019. Kerry Besancon on

    I love seeing all of the pictures in this blog post! It is cold and windy here in MA today, with no flowers growing yet outside, and these pictures give me hope that summer will get here eventually! I absolutely love the hot pink and bright orange together, so I would enjoy a flower with that vibrant color combination!

    Reply
  2020. Sandra Sneddon on

    I’m drawn to orange flowers and my favourite dahlia is one I’ve had for years – David Digweed – a simple ball that looks gorgeous in a bouquet or in the field. My daughter plants rows of Cafe au Lait so she can always have fresh bouquets in the house. My dream dahlia would be an orange version of Cafe au Lait.

    Reply
  2021. Susan McIntyre on

    Your endeavors are making the world a more beautiful place! My dream dahlia would be larger but not dinner plate size, pale to medium pink with soft and flowy edges but not shaggy looking, with darker outlines on the edge of the petals. All on a plant of about 3ft tall would be lovely. Maybe there’s already such a beauty?

    Reply
  2022. Linda McGinley on

    Oh my gosh! So hard to describe just one dahlia! I have a small garden patch dedicated to dahlias. One of my favorite summer tasks is to make a small arrangement to place on my kitchen counter once a week. Always on the search for an unusual variety. My dream dahlia would have a branching habit, a strong stem, variegated petals; thinking cream/coffee/burnt sienna from center to petal tip, and a puffy deep ochre center. Perfect for fall arranging!

    Reply
  2023. Emerald Gutberlet on

    Giant dinner plate dahlia with a dark copper center fading out to the palest peach with slightly ruffle tipped petals. Absolute dream.

    Reply
  2024. Libsabeth on

    The difference between the more typical flower shape of Dahlia Cherubino and say, Dahlia Intrigue is MIND-BLOWING. How can the same genus look so wholeheartedly difference from one another! Those aren’t necessarily my favorite dahlias, but the science behind the differences is exciting to me!

    Wish wish wish I could buy some! I live in zone 4 (almost zone 3) in northern Minnesota, close to Canada. Not even sure if dahlias would do well here even in our warm summers. But I’d love to try!

    Thanks!

    Reply
  2025. Ashley Hall on

    This will be my first year growing dahlias all inspired by floret! So right now my dream is any dahlia! But I’m excited to try cafe au late. I’m in love with the soft peachy pink tones and hopefully I get lots of blossoms. Thanks for the inspiration floret!

    Reply
  2026. Charmaine Teddy on

    Dream dahlia would be something unique like a dish plate size with double petals of an english rose. Pink apricot color and would be a plus if it’s fragrant

    Reply
  2027. Gail Starr on

    My grandfather had a garden of dahlias his entire life, there were many favorites. I think a large flower in a burst of yellow with seashell pedals still makes my heart happy. Great memory!

    Reply
  2028. Donna Shetler on

    The pink pom-pom dahlia ‘Wizard of Oz’ is a favorite. My dream would be to name a pom-pom dahlia after the people I work with daily who are moving from homelessness and formerly incarcerated to a new life of hopes, dreams and success. My dahlia would be creamy white color with pink on the petal tips and a strong, sturdy stem. My dream dahlia would be named, ‘Second Chances’.

    Reply
  2029. Ashley jensen on

    As I start my first year in dahlias there is so much to learn. Breeding dahlias would be a dream. There are so many that I love it is so hard to choose a favorite but out of this years buy I think Sandia Brocade would be my favorite. Thank you so much for spreading all of your bank of knowledge to people like me who are just jumping in with my two feet.

    Reply
  2030. Michelle Lane on

    My dream Dahlia would be burgundy in the center and peach petals – the kind that has like 6 rounded petals :) I would be delighted to get some small varieties like mini poms or anything unusual I can’t find anywhere else.

    Reply
  2031. Rosie Penning on

    Oh the perfect dahlia. I am a dahlia addict. I have never planted from seed though. We recently bought our forever home on a half acre. Now I have the joy of finding the places where my dahlias love it most. Our soil is different than our previous home. The light is different. Having dahlias in my garden makes it feel like my home. My perfect one last year, the first year I planted them here…. Was the the one that did the best and produced the most beautiful blooms, haha! I can’t wait to see what comes up this year.

    Reply
  2032. Emily Roehm on

    I’m so excited about this giveaway! (Crossing my fingers) How can I choose a favorite child?! But, if I had to, my dream dahlia would be romantic: asymmetrical and organic, puffy shape with muted cream but with a few streaks of red (like crossing cafe au lait but with some of the spice of your firefly). Ah, dahlias are so dreamy….

    Reply
  2033. Ashley Ward on

    My perfect dahlia would be a shade of blush or peach, really all shapes are so beautiful. Romantic looking would be lovely.
    My first dahlias were from your seeds in spring of 2020. I grew them on my window ledge and planted them in the garden-where they have flowered since!They brought me and my kids so much joy during uncertain times.

    Reply
  2034. Beth Williams on

    My dream dahlia? Peach with hints of cream and pink, large without being huge, and one that attracts pollinators. Oh, that has enough blooms to share. And makes lots of tubers, again to grow more and share.

    Reply
  2035. Linda Elliott on

    My dream dahlia would be one with a scent to match its beauty. I doubt that’s possible but a gal can dream!
    Ps. I started one small bed from seed last year for the first time. Only a few bloomed so I am anxiously awaiting this season to see what happens!

    Reply
  2036. Michaela D. on

    I’d love to grow a deep pink dahlia with petals that really show those beautiful geometric lines.

    Reply
  2037. Beth Logan on

    A whole field of cafe au lait dhalias with a hint of lavender hues would be my dream! So many gorgeous varieties out there—it’s so hard to choose. Although dinner plate blooms are stunners, I adore the smaller blooms like apple blossom as well.

    Reply
  2038. Kristen Rodick on

    As I wait for my Floret Dahlia seeds sprouting away, I dream one of them will come close to the Floret Dahlia with her absolute perfection. I also have tubers sprouting and waiting for them to get big enough to pinch and see what kind of beauty they will surprise me with. Discovering Dahlias is my reference book whenever I haven’t completely memorized a step in the process. Thank you Floret for all the beautiful goodness you bring to the world!

    Reply
  2039. Lori K Marks on

    Yellow, Orange and Reds, the sunset colors, would be my choice of a perfect dahlia color, Golden scepter, Hamari Gold, Ken’s choice, Comet, so many to choose from, all so beautiful. Like a kid in a candy store, what would I choose…hmm…excited for spring!!

    Reply
  2040. Maria on

    I grew a red dahlia with a white streak, flower after flower the white streak presented itself. A red dahlia speckled with white might be stunning especially around the 4th of July.

    Reply
  2041. Vivian Zuluaga Papp on

    Oh wow. My dream dahlia would look like a ballet dancer-wispy-ended petals transitioning from deep pink at the center to creamy pale yellow on the ends. It would be as wide as my palm and start budding round and tightly bound in a fragrant sphere like a peony. It would be scented slightly of peach and lemon. Now I want this to be real!

    Reply
  2042. Jennifer L on

    My dream dahlia would be: plant size 20-30″ tall; long sturdy stems; pink and cream ruffled petals; flower size 4″; early blooming, long season growing; bee attractive; mildew resistant and with multiple flowers on each plant. Thank you!

    Reply
  2043. Michelle Kerr on

    My husband and I have been gardening fruit and veggies in our backyard garden for 20 years. But a couple years my interest was piqued by your Instagram to do a cut flower garden. This year is the year that we are adding that in!!!! I can hardly wait. I feel so unprepared, out of my league, and insanely excited. Dahlias have always been one of my favorite flowers and I’d love to start my cut garden off right with your seeds. And I know I’ll need the books, I wouldn’t be starting this new adventure if it wasn’t for your other books that I have read a few times each. Time for me to jump in and just do it! Wish me luck!!!

    Reply
  2044. Judy Osmer on

    I love big dahlias with a burst of petals radiating out from the center in a slightly purple pink shade that is reminiscent of pink when viewed in the fading light of a hot summer day as the cool breeze of night first begins to blow.

    Reply
  2045. Jen Neal on

    Whether in a vase or a garden, I most love dahlias that are slightly unexpected and wild looking. The twisted and layered petals of C33 in this update, especially with the color fading from dark to light, is one of my favorites!

    Reply
  2046. Kimberly Lewis on

    Thank you for sharing this post. I’ve been curious on the process of breeding and how it works! I would love a chance to win these books. I am always drawn to the pale peach dahlias. I think my dream dahlia would be a pale peach and have a long lasting vase life!

    Reply
  2047. Julie Hummel on

    Having dahlia’s in my garden, makes me think of the beautiful flowers my grandmother had in hers. One of my favorite dahlia is the deep reddish color with white stripe, and I think this flower with a touch of soft pink in it would take it to the next level. Thank you for giving us the knowledge and bringing exciting way to grow flowers.

    Reply
  2048. Kariann Myers on

    What a great giveaway! This will be my third year planting dahlias from seed. I have yet to find a treasure but hopefully this will be the year. My dream dahlia would be a perfect blush color thick with petals that last more than 4 days in a vase.

    Reply
  2049. Andrea Hodges on

    A really pretty golden yellow would be amazing to find!

    Reply
  2050. Kaelin on

    We’re starting our own breeding patch this year (a tray has been nicely sprouting over the last couple days!) so I’m open to seeing what may come out of it. I am really taken with the anemone types at the moment, and I would really like to cross some of those and see what we get color-wise. My husband was just talking about how he wants to cross a variety of little ombré pompons in different colors! With an emphasis on tuber production and vase life. So that will be our starting point for breeding this summer.

    Reply
  2051. Shari Froelich on

    I’m drawn to dahlias that are a bit quirky in form mostly. I’m preferential to soft, muted colors rather than bright bold colors. Soft pinks, mauves, peaches are my favorites. I do enjoy the collarettes, but have found they don’t have a long vase life in comparison to the ball type, so anything that shows a longer vase life would also be ideal. Long sturdy stems also a bonus and more face upwards than nodding. Good luck and keep posting!

    Reply
  2052. Jael on

    I’d love to see a yellow/pink mix with some twirled petals. It would be nice if it had a contrasting stem color and strong stems, not too tall. Thanks for sharing your breeding project with us! I’m going to start a breeding patch of my own this year!

    Reply
  2053. Jennifer on

    Aren’t all dahlias someone’s dream dahlia?! I have a soft spot for dahlias with a reverse color differing from its front facing color. I’m gonna take a shot at growing some dahlias from seed this year and have been studying Kristine’s book and Instagram for ages to figure out the best techniques for breeding and what will work best for me. Like you, I’m not trying to breed something that ADS will ever recognize or be show quality, just something that is different and adds a little more beauty to the world, or at least my life.

    I just bought your book on dahlias this week so it seems it’s a good time to do a little more reading on dahlias while we wait to start anything just yet over here on the east side of Washington. Thanks for the blogs-the pictures and quick reads add a little joy into my life in a world that often seems pretty sad these days.

    Reply
  2054. Kari ann Brown on

    My ideal dahlia would be the HOTTEST PINK! A large dinner plate full bloom of neon pink that you just can’t look away from!

    Reply
  2055. Heather Mingus on

    I have only ever grown dahlias from seed….. only recently grasped the whole tuber thing. I think my dream dahlia would be something in the yellow family with a happy face that made people smile when they saw it. 😊

    Thank you for the info in the blog….. makes me want to explore dahlia breeding!

    Reply
  2056. Chelsea Davenport on

    Thanks for sharing a peak inside your creative process, so beautiful! My dream dhalia would be a soft gold, probably orchette or decorative shape with vintage feeling frilly petals.

    Reply
  2057. Kelly Hill on

    My dream dahlia would be a big yellow center with two rows (collarette) of petals of white with blush pink gradiating from the center half way out to the petals.

    Reply
  2058. Jamie Martin on

    My dream dahlia is a light pink with creamy-white tips. I would be thrilled to simply find any varied coloring in the seedling patch, but mostly healthy seedlings! I’d hope to find something like golden sunshine variety because they’re so joyful. Thanks for all you do.

    Reply
  2059. Sunny Fedorick on

    My dream dahlia would have long stems and a good vase life for arranging and good blending colors. Since most dahlias bloom starting in the late summer, colors would be more Pink going to Apricot / Peach and bloom size of 3-6 inches. I’ve grown dahlias for over 40 years now and my love for these beautiful flowers just keeps getting stronger. I have been following your journey for a while now. Keep up the good work & all the best with your breeding program.

    Reply
  2060. Cessie on

    My dream dahlia would be something in the blush/cream/apricot/pink tones that would catch me off guard with its beautiful whimsy…and hopefully something that I’ll grow from seed! Thank you for spreading the joy of your passion for growing and discovering!

    Reply
  2061. Ellie Alexander-Loomis on

    My dream dahlia would be somehow, blue, purple and pink all at the same time – colors of the bisexual pride flag, which make my heart very happy.

    Reply
  2062. Becca on

    C144/Firefly looks like my dream dahlia currently! I love the form and colouring.

    Reply
  2063. Elizabeth English on

    My dream dahlia would look like my apricot mini poodles Cocoa & Dior. They would look like pom-poms with curled tubular petals that have tones of caramel glistening with pink tips. The pistil would be bright pink with a golden yellow glow to represent their tongues hanging out of their mouths on a sunny day. I’d name it the Cocoa-Dior Dahlia.

    Reply
  2064. Karen Waldron on

    Dahlia growning is new in the past year for me and to watch the blooms develop into such beauties towards the end of summer brought such joy. I am happy with all the different arrays I have grown so this is hard. Maybe a dahlia with a peachy -lemony hue with small streams of white flowing through the pedals. It could be medium sized but with a real softness.

    Reply
  2065. Lindsey Leighton on

    It’s hard to pick just one favorite look but I think I would want a cream to blush flower, medium in size, with an informal look and soft petals. The dahlia would look great in the garden but also be a good cut flower. When I look at the flower I would want it to invoke a sense of joy and peace.
    Happy Dahlia Breeding! Thanks for all your amazing work and willingness to share.

    Reply
  2066. Bekah Lynn on

    I’ve never grown a Dahlia before! This will be my first year and I am equal parts anxious and excited for the summer season! My dream Dahlia would be a pinky peach bloom that is soft, airy, and of medium size.. when I look at it, it would transport me to a soft place. A place that isn’t filled with unpleasant surprises but rather a safe place. A place to breathe and take in the moment that’s blooming before me!

    Reply
  2067. lorraine Cotter on

    I would love to grow a dahlia that is pure white with green overtones. One in dainty sprays of little posies. I think this would be lovely and very complimentary to all kinds of bridal bouquets.

    Thank you so much for all your free information. It means so much to me.

    Reply
  2068. Christina O. on

    Can greater beauty be found than that of a flower?! ? I enjoyed reading about your process and would love to join in the “hunt”, if only the south were accommodating to Dahlias. I have found that Dahlias grow best for me in MAY here in N. TX.!!

    Reply
  2069. Cynda on

    My idea dahlia would be very large, peach-colored on a stem that did not droop.

    Reply
  2070. Katie on

    My dream dahlia would be a blushy peachy dreamscape. I grew dahlias for my own wedding flowers with the goal of an all-white/blush bouquet. All but one turned out to be Barbie hot pink from a mistake with the supplier (not a breeding mistake- ha!). I’d be thrilled to find more soft and delicate dahlias in the garden this year.

    Reply
  2071. Anna Jennings on

    I love the round balls of vibrant colors. My daughter (5 years old) think they are all magical- and I would have to agree!

    Reply
  2072. Janet on

    Isn’t it the magic of growing dahlias from seed that a form or color combination you’d never consider before captures your heart when its petals unfurl? Suddenly I’m drawn to open centers and petals that shade pink to peach to cream. Who knew?

    Reply
  2073. Audrey Nutter on

    I took 16 seeds off one of my cafe au laits this year. Only one of the seeds germinated and is now growing into a healthy young plant. I can hardly wait to see what she looks like in bloom this summer. I have dreams of her being a big beautiful flower with different shades of pink and white. I would dearly love to have more seeds to try and receive your wonderful book.
    Many thanks for all the knowledge and wisdom you so freely share.
    Audrey

    Reply
  2074. OLIVIA CHU on

    oh, i think it would look a lot like c162! I love the fuzzy yellow middle and cream petals– just the perfect mix of texture and color!

    Reply
  2075. Nancy on

    I am a fan of the deepest maroon reds and of the neat globes of the pompom variety. But, my ideal dahlia would capture the colors of the sunset -radiating from a deep orange center. Its colors would intensify briefly as it fades and dies out.

    Reply
  2076. Cheri on

    Everything you wrote is exactly how I feel. I have 12 little seedlings up from a packet of store bought seeds, knowing the odds are against growing anything worthy of keeping, but still part of me is saying “but what if?” This is my first year buying Tubers and I have almost 100 tubers on the way to me. Next year I will have many more than 12 seedlings to grow, God willing. I truly love all the Dahlias, but am especially drawn to the pinkish orange ball types.

    Reply
  2077. Chandra on

    Ooh, this is fun! I get to dream up a dahlia, hmm… Currently, I am loving the anemone dahlias and Polka has my heart. Her lines and contrast are stunning. My dream dahlia would be similar to Polka, but in a washed peachy blush tone with raspberry lining the petals and a dark striking center. Poof, created!

    Reply
  2078. Yvonne N King on

    Of course, any dahlia is a total dream, but long stemmed, tall dahlias that are puffy like suncrest, but in a ballerina pink would feel like fairies in tutus fluttering around my garden.

    Reply
  2079. Maureen Mosher on

    I’m still relatively new to growing dahlias- last year being my first ever! I am now officially hooked, and literally can’t pick just one that I love because they’re all so beautiful in their own ways. That being said, I tend to slightly favor the peachy-salmony-apricots over others and if I had to make a dream one, it would be off white with salmon and peach hues around the edges, and not a dinner plate size but similar to the more Pom-Pom rounded ones. but I would love having a large variety of them to ooh and ahh over, that truly is my dream ❤️ I love what you are doing, I love the books and the information you are sharing and I’m just so grateful there are people like you in the world sharing mother natures beauty and bettering the world in that way ❤️

    Reply
  2080. Michael Trunkey on

    Orange frill with red tips, yellow center
    This is a wonderful project, like designer clothing from the garden!

    Reply
  2081. Allegra Sowar on

    The time and effort you guys put into your posts and your giveaways is such a gift all by itself. Thank you for all you do from the bottom of my heart.
    My dream dahlia would be an anemone form with the outer petals being a beautiful muted mauve color. The center would be a creamy white with tips fading to mauve. Swoon. I’ve seen this flower in my head for a few years now and just can’t seem find it.
    As far as what would thrill me to see in my seedling patch…honestly, just beautiful healthy dahlia that I grew with all my love. Dahlias that I could give away and know they made people smile. Dahlias are magical.

    Reply
  2082. Kortney on

    Rich Coral color, full flatter leaves. Coral was one of my wedding colors and I had such a hard time finding the right richness in a flower to match. I would love a beautiful dahlia to remind me of my wedding. :)

    Reply
  2083. Jodie ricci on

    My dream dahlia would be yellow with a burst of orange and glow with the sun as it rises. It would have several flowers per stem and dance in the breeze on sturdy stems. A slight citrus smell would call to the bees all day long as they play and feed on the playful blooms. The more you harvest the more they produce but because they are so special it would break my heart a little each time I cut them. And as the sun sets, they blush a little pink until they can rise with the sun again!

    Reply
  2084. Randi M Ruhn on

    A dinner plate unicorn dahlia. Sounds fanciful, I know but id love to see huge soft pillowy blooms with multiple colors.

    Reply
  2085. Kortney on

    Rich Coral color, full flatter leaves. Coral was one of my wedding colors and I had such a hard time finding the right richness in a flower to match. I would love a beautiful dahlia to remind me of my wedding. :)

    Reply
  2086. Jill Fielder on

    The diversity of dahlia bloom forms and colors is stunning and every year there are a few more that call to be included in the garden. Currently, I’m growing these flowers for bouquets to add to the vegetables we deliver to a local food pantry. I’d love to see a deep purple with yellow petal tips and twisty petals.

    Reply
  2087. Rebecca on

    Salmon/orange with a strong stem. Beautiful fall color. I love giving away bouquets all through autumn!

    Reply
  2088. Kathie Lewis on

    I absolutely love how you freely share your passion for dahlias and expertise to others who are seeking to learn how to best grow dahlias. I would like to see a deep rose color that has a soft tinge of pink.

    Reply
  2089. Rebecca Kelty on

    My dream dahlia would be a medium-size ball dahlia with a sturdy stem. The colors would ombré’ from creamy peach at the tip thru shades of pumpkin to a deep cinnamon center. Ball dahlias delight me with their gently and intricately origami-like folded petals . I think I like them as they are a bit more introverted and invite close inspection to follow the deepening shades into the heart of the flower. They are a great counterpart to the dinner plate which are the all out there -if-you-got-it-flaunt-it show girls of the bouquet.

    Reply
  2090. Martha Redman on

    I love Floret ! she reminds me of my tiny granddaughter, who loves to garden with me. Dahlias make me smile!. In a world that is so complicated nothing brings me joy like watching something beautiful come from the earth

    Reply
  2091. Lisa Constancio on

    I am in love with mini pompon varieties and in particular Irish D Porter. I also can’t get over your new variety – Floret. If we could create Floret with a mini pompon in the middle… that would be magic!

    Reply
  2092. Sydney Hinkle on

    My dream Dahlia would look soft, like you want to sleep in it. It would be beautiful in just a cream color with hints of coral spanning from the base of each petal and water colored through it! OR! One that looked antique, like a dusty violet color that fades at the ends into a dustier, deeper color, with petals that are ruffley.
    My first experience with dahlias is me and my brother posing for pictures with them, some as tall as us at the time, in a Dahlia garden next to a small zoo we visited as kids. I’m excited to learn more about them and grow them myself!

    Reply
  2093. KariAnne on

    Just starting out growing dahlias this year. I have a packet of your seeds to try this spring/summer and am so excited. I love big round dahlia blooms of coral and berry. Ready for this MN winter to be over and a summer of growing to start!

    Reply
  2094. Chantal Roussy on

    It’s hard to define the perfect dahlia… walking through the field you see one, you admire it and you find it perfect, then you see another one and gosh “that one is perfect” :))) That’s why I love so much growing from seeds. It’s magic! But I must say yesterday I seemed to like anemone shaped ones, today water lily and tomorrow probably ball… everything from light peach, soft rose, pale yellow with some kind of contrast in colors or centers. It’s super nice that you and your team are taking on this project. By sharing, we are learning with you and that’s more love and beauty in this world. We need it, thank you!

    Reply
  2095. Emily Knuth on

    This is the first season that I get to try growing dahlias from the seeds I harvested last fall. Harvesting the tiny, full-of-potential seeds was thrill enough in itself! I now have eleven little sprouts just dying too get out in the sun and bloom into something magical! I’m hoping for something peachy, fluffy, and romantic. I’d also love playful, sweet, and small. But truth is, just like with human babies, I’d be so delighted with any kind of bloom!

    Reply
  2096. Christine Adams on

    This season will be the first time I’ve ever grown Dahlias. I hope to use them in Bouquets that I will use to bless others who are going through a hard season of their life. I am drawn to any flower with sunset tones because it reminds me of my beautiful and courageous daughter who beat Leukemia 2 years ago.

    Reply
  2097. Audrey Jennings on

    I would love to find a peachy mauve colored water lily variety dahlia in my garden! My dream dahlia would be soft & subtle in coloring yet show stopping in the fact that you just can’t stop looking at it!

    Reply
  2098. Eric Blewitt on

    I would love to find a double coral with a two toned eye. Thanks for this fun contest!

    Reply
  2099. Rita on

    I’m loving the bicolored dahlias that have variety from bloom to bloom. It seems like it’s even more of a surprise within the surprise. So a bloom with a variety of pinks that change with each new bloom would be my dream. Thanks for all the inspiration 💞

    Reply
  2100. Carrie Taylor on

    My thoughts on the most perfect Dahlia is inspired by my Zinnia patch…there were a few white but almost with a hint of faint green…assorted sizes of this color would be stunning.

    Reply
  2101. Gayle Palmer on

    My dream dahlia would be dinnerplate in size with a srong stem to use in floral arrangements. It would be cream in color with alternating stripes of bubblegum pink and tangerine. It would blend well with other favorites like Breakout, Apple Blossum, Cafe Au Lait, Polka, Peaches and Cream and Labyrinth just to name a few. I know it would be a standout in my garden as well as in a bouquet I arranged in a vintage vase or simple Mason Jar. The bouquet would be placed on a vintage tablecloth for a summer gathering. I would name my dahliah Bubblegum Delight! Thank you for the chance to dream and all you have done to teach me about flowers and create in me a love for blooms. Your books have inspired me and your seeds have given me such pleasure in my garden. I am very excited for your Dahliah Breeding Project and those unbelievable new zinnias that hopefully will be available next year.

    Reply
  2102. Alaina Henry on

    Gorgeous! My dream dahlia would be a rainbow of sherbert/nude colors in one flower. Romance in the garden.

    Reply
  2103. Laura Flournoy on

    My dream dahlia would be soooo dark purple that it almost appears to be black! It would take your breathe away and make you weak in the knees. I would want it to be of medium to large in size so that I could make bouquets for all my friends with it. If it had a slight tinge of color inside that would just add to the thrill of it all…possibly a lime green or pale yellow deep in the center! Oooooooh, I can picture it now! It would pair beautifully with other flowers or could stand alone as an exquisite beauty all by itself. I’m on the hunt! If anyone could grow it, I’m sure it would be you!!!! Keep up the flowery goodness and keep on dreaming. ox

    Reply
  2104. Amy Harmsen on

    My dream Dahlia would be an Anemone Style like Polka with a bright egg yoke color center and a deep blue purple edging fading to a lighter blue purple on every petal.

    Reply
  2105. Chris on

    My dream dahlias are peachy-salmon-pink. It would be so wonderful to find a salmon pink ball dahlia in my garden seed patch. I would also love to grow such vibrant and lovely bushy plants like yours. Thank you for the inspiration. PS I ordered several varieties of sweet peas from Enchanted Sweet Peas, 100% germination! Thanks for the most excellent tips!

    Reply
  2106. Genevieve Haberly on

    I have been growing dahlias on a small scale for over forty years and I understand your passion and appreciation for this lovely star in the garden. My dream dahlia would be white edged in a true blue, about 6 to 8 inches in diameter shaped like Cafe Au Lait. A bit fanciful I know but so are all dreams. Thank you for generously sharing your dahlia growing experiences they are inspiring indeed.

    Reply
  2107. Laura Gonzalez on

    Thank you for the inspirational post! My dream dahlia would be a warm blush decorative dahlia that does not have yellow in the center.

    Reply
  2108. Donna Young on

    In the past I was always drawn to pinks and purples but I’ve found a new love this past summer! A friend/co-worker asked me if I would do the flowers for her wedding. ( Many years ago I worked as a floral designer and have always since made arrangements for myself, friends, as gifts, etc. ). I jumped at the opportunity mostly for the fun and thrill of being able to work with so many flowers. I encouraged her to buy from local flower growers and so the fun filled journey began to find these local farmers. Her theme was a Boho wedding! And that’s where my new love began. I totally fell in love with the muted copper, yellows, peaches and bronze colors. So, short story long😂, I would love to see more of these colors in Dahlias in sizes and shapes conducive to arrangements and vase longevity.

    Reply
  2109. Samantha Johnson on

    Dream dahlia ? Hmmm I love them all so it would be so hard to pick just one . Maybe a bloom that started out a pale yellow and slowly changed to a more each color ? Is that even possible? Thanks for sharing your love of these flowers with us .

    Reply
  2110. Ashlin Wilson on

    My dream dahlia would be a dark purple with a thin line of white/cream lining the edges of the petals. I have the perfect place to showcase it too!

    Reply
  2111. Pam Burke on

    I’m a newbie I’d love a peach colored dahlia that’s a medium sized flower with an open face for my bees

    Reply
  2112. Stephanie Costello on

    From a gift of a dahlia in a pot to buying your book and then building a raised bed, I have fallen in love with Dahlias. My creation would be two varieties of “primrose look alike” but with green centers. A bold vibrant yellow and a pastel yellow so when paired in a jar they would complement each other beautifully.

    Reply
  2113. Emily R. on

    These are absolutely gorgeous! All dahlias make me squeal with excitement, but my very favorite would be a soft pink with layers and layers of petals.

    Reply
  2114. Daisy Gonzalez on

    My dream dahlia would have a coral color and be the size of dinner plate and have a gold fluffy center. I’ve grown dahlias only once and for me it was the most satisfying flower to grow!!!

    Reply
  2115. Michelle Profant on

    Last year was my first year growing Dahlias and I started with 16. I fell in love. So this year I dug up my veggie garden and compost is coming in this weekend so that I can plant 35 more. I started your seed packet this last two weeks and they are doing so good. I don’t have a favorite but I do love pompoms and large dinner plates. by the time all my babies bloom I am sure I will change my mind.

    Reply
  2116. Kasey on

    Love all of the beautiful blooms!

    My dream dahlia would be tall, full, and any soft pastel color. I just started planting dahlia tubers last year in the alleyway where I often come into my house from walking my dog, and it’s such a fun burst of beauty and color when I get back.

    Reply
  2117. Rita on

    I would love a larger than usual pom pom Carmel colored with a Peachy glow.

    Reply
  2118. Mariah on

    Dinner plate Electric red with ‘singed’ orange tips!

    Reply
  2119. Nicole on

    These are beautiful! My dream dahlia would be yellow petals that fade into purple tips.

    Reply
  2120. Lori Kraft on

    Somewhere between pink and coral, delicate in nature, but yet strong in character. I have truly found the most joy from the seedlings. It is such joy to see the surprise that awaits.

    Reply
  2121. Amanda on

    I have never seen the style with the puffball Center and a 8+ simple petals surrounding. I also love a muted lavender or dusty cream and anything with a color variation!

    Reply
  2122. Tiffany Councill on

    I am a hobby gardener and love reading your blogs for inspiration and motivation to go outside my comfort zone to try new things. My dream dahlia would be whitish to pale pink petals with a mauve center. Thanks for sharing your journey!

    Reply
  2123. Holly Snyder on

    Hmm I would love to grow a really large dinner plate size dahlia! And I’m always a sucker for the corals and peaches and pinks!

    Reply
  2124. Tate on

    My dream Dahlia would be a single dahlia with beautiful light sky blue petals, perhaps in an almost ombre pattern with a yellow center. My first spring seeds (unfortunately no dahlias) have just started to sprout indoors and I’m so excited to watch them grow!!

    Reply
  2125. Sarah on

    What an amazingly beautiful and worthwhile project! And WOW…what potential! After taking the online workshop this year and feeling like I have a grasp on what to do, I’m going to plant my first dahlia tubers. SO EXCITED! I tend to be drawn to the big, puffy, round, colorful blooms–most of the informal decoratives catch my eye. Really love the yellows and soft pinks. Something along these lines would probably be my ideal…but anything new would thrill my soul.

    Reply
  2126. toni on

    I can’t imagine the beauty of your compost pile!
    just the thought reminds of the (paraphrasing),
    “letting go of the life you have now for the life
    waiting”.
    maybe a dahlia of chartreuse shades that glow at dusk & dawn?

    Reply
  2127. Nancy Greenberg on

    Waltzing Mathilda is my absolute favorite but it really is impossible to pick just one specific color/breed of your gorgeous dahlias – you have done a superb job and all of that hard work shines through. Thanks for inspiring so many of us to get brave and put our gardening gloves on!

    Reply
  2128. Jax on

    I love a peachy-pink dahlia, preferably with tone variation through each individual flower — an ombre-ish effect. My favorite are the big, round, full flower heads! My husband and I are starting a farm this year (moving out there in a couple of weeks) and I’d love to have dahlias as a part of what we do. <3

    Reply
  2129. Kristen W on

    Dahlias posts are back!!!! 😁 I saved my first dahlia seeds last autumn… and they are sprouting in the greenhouse as I type this. They came from cafe au laits and potentially pollinated with a red dahlia from a grab bag. Curious as to what happens from that mating. This year I bought more dahlia tubers… the more unusual and bizarre, the better. If I’m going to collect seed, I want to see how weird and wild it can get. I love these types of natural surprises.

    That said, my favorite dahlias are the illusive Apple blossom (I have my calendar marked for March 14th) when that one goes on sale though a small scale grower. 🤞 I may finally get my hands on a single tuber. I love the shape of the petals and tufted center.

    I also am in love with Erin’s Firefly… the red trim around the edges of each petal are Mother Natures pure artistic magic.

    That said… my dream dahlia would have the shape of Apple blossom, with cafe au lait’s subtle cream and beige… and a each petal trimmed with burgundy outlines. That with a sturdy and long stem, heat and humidity lover, and prolific blooms. Tall order.

    I’m happy with just about any long, sturdy dahlia that makes someone smile though.

    Reply
  2130. Michelle lopez on

    My dream dahlia would be a cream color with peach and pink hues. What would thrill me in a seedling patch is a beautiful field of a new color of dahlia from dahlia breeding . Although I would love any color dahlia since I am now hooked and dahlia fever is very real lol.

    Reply
  2131. Renee Lockington on

    Just so beautiful! My mom often talks about her grandmother’s garden, a small plot in the city in NJ, she had come from Italy and was farm from family and her garden brought her peace. It was filled with roses and dahlias and fruit trees and my mom still recalls how she fit so much beauty into such a small space. Over the years as I have been expanding my own garden and skills I am including flowers reminiscent of my great grandmother’s garden. It has brought me such joy and peace in the beauty it brings and it’s connections to the past. My dream dahlia would look something like the apple blossom dahlia in shades of blush and pink.

    Reply
  2132. Michelle J. on

    Since I’m a complete rookie at this, I want a dahlia that beams joy—which means it’s the first one I grow that blooms successfully.

    Reply
  2133. Lisa on

    My dream dahlia would look like C139 in your photos above. I absolutely love that one!
    I would love to see vibrant and contrasting colors in a variety of sizes and shapes.

    Reply
  2134. Aisha on

    I grew dahlias for the first time last summer and fussed over many tubers – funny enough one tuber I received as a part of a mixed “summer bloom” Costco pack I didn’t put much stock in surviving but planted it anyway – it was a Thomas Edison and oh my the purple could not even be captured – totally my current favorite.

    Reply
  2135. Jamie Daugherty on

    My dream dahlia is a full pom shape but in a pale blush color. I would name it Shy Sunset. We are moving our garden boxes this year and I can’t wait to plant.

    Reply
  2136. Tracy Bradley on

    My dream dahlia would be one that had the shape of the apple blossom but the petals would be a mocha color of the lighter muted brown with a soft pink at the very center and then a brighter pink at the base of the petal that lightens as it travels and fades into the mocha color.

    Reply
  2137. Jodi McDonald on

    My dream dahlia would have a long stem and head with salmon color brushed on very light peach petals. The center would be yellow and fuzzy looking.

    This year was my first year growing dahlias and the only “successful” one was Arabian Nights. I’m hoping this year is even better! They brought me such JOY!!

    Reply
  2138. Lisa M Woerner on

    Hi! My perfect Dahlia would have strong, straight stems, produce a lot of blooms and be either a peachy color or dark, dark purple/red. As a florist, those are the two colors of Dahlia I use the most.
    P.S: Pick me!

    Reply
  2139. Alyssa on

    My dream dahlia would be a coral colored water lily type with a delicate dark edging around each petal.
    Last year was my first year planting dahlia tubers and I already know I am hooked!
    I plan to add to my collection each year from now on.

    Reply
  2140. Gabrielle on

    My dream dahlia isn’t just one!!! My dream is a sea of soft pinks and peaches of all shapes and sizes that I can swim through and just soak up all of their beauty. Dahlias are a magical flower.

    Reply
  2141. Amy Kaminski on

    My dream dahlia would be blush tips with a dark coral center. They are all beautiful to me though.

    Reply
  2142. Lina on

    I love dahlias that progress from a lighter center to darker tips. One that has a fading colour affect.

    Reply
  2143. Erin Day on

    I love the dinner plate variety. The more rows of petals the better! How beautiful if we could apply the firefly affect to a dinner plate version 😍 I am truly enamored with most of the varieties though and the idea of being surprised at what pops up is SO exciting!

    Reply
  2144. Diana on

    Growing for the first time. I will let the Dahlias tell me what is is and then go from there. They are beautiful in their simplicity and complexity. Can wait because flowers have magic.

    Reply
  2145. Sue on

    I would love to have a double dahlia which starts off as pink and changes over the days to a coral.

    Reply
  2146. Cindy Teskey on

    My dream dahlia would be a creamy white cactus with a copper center going to pink. I have only planted a few over the years but this year I am dedicating my time to planting more and learning how to grow them. I am planting a small dahlia garden on one side of my back yard so I can enjoy them whenever I am outside. Iv’e just started reading your blogs trying to educate myself on growing them, so thank you!

    Reply
  2147. Kandus Thorp on

    This is my fourth season coming up. I am only a “backyard hobbyist” completely smitten with the stunning beauty of dahlias. Just bought your book and couldn’t put it down! My passion is to brighten others lives with beautiful bouquets. Last summer I gave away over 120 bouquets in my community and I think I was more blessed than each recipient! My ultimate dahlia would be 6-8” predominately deep magenta, with pale warm yellow tips, long stems and vase life.

    Reply
  2148. Marcy Weaver on

    I think my dream dahlia would be a pinky purple twisted petal with a fluffy lemony yellow center. I’m a sucker for purples and yellows together. Bonus (since it’s my dream dahlia!) if it grows on a branching, sway-in-the-wind stem.

    Reply
  2149. Leslie on

    My ideal Dahlia would be a pom Pom style with a dark (almost black) center, fading out to a light blue/purple. Kind of just reminds me of being out in the late evening. I think it would be great to also have some yellow or white speckles in the dahlia to represent stars!

    I’ve recently gotten in to Dahlias and trying them out, I have much to learn! Learned about you from Laura at Garden Answer. Hoping to be able to grow a green thumb like the both of you! Thank you for what you do and for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us!

    Reply
  2150. Debbie Enery on

    I started growing the highest one year ago and I’m completely head over heels in love. My dream dahlia seems to be almost every one that I see. I have filled so many shopping carts and then let them expire, only because I don’t know how I would get them all in the ground or where I would put them. I guess it’s a nice problem to have. But realistically speaking, that little sunshine dahlia you bread is so unique and amazing. It would be a joy to have a full bouquet of those on my table every morning this summer. Thank you for letting me enter your contest and for all of your amazing posts. So much to learn about these gorgeous flowers. How did I miss them all these years. ❤️

    Reply
  2151. Gina A. on

    My dream dahlia would be a deep blue with black tips on the pedals with an ombre colored center of yellow and orange.

    Reply
  2152. Ally Smith on

    I haven’t met a dahlia I didn’t like but my dreamiest colours are in the peach tones, anything from the palest creamy peach to a light orange has me swooning.

    Reply
  2153. Sarah M on

    A pale green anemone or pompon dahlia with good stems for cutting!

    Reply
  2154. Ellen Gresham on

    I would love to find a Dahlia like Little Miss Sunshine or Floret in my seedling pack. I love that style of Dahlia.

    Reply
  2155. Florence C on

    I LOVE all the colors and dahlia variety from your farm, especially the Little Miss Sunshine! Winner of my heart. I’m also looking for more natural colors of dahlia that represent the Blue ocean, blue sky, blue mood. Thanks

    Reply
  2156. Cheryl Piacentini on

    I am new to growing these amazing blooms and will planting for the first time this spring! I am just blown away with the variety of shape, size and colors! As a first time grower I would love to see Dahlias that are hearty growers and a bit forgiving to home gardeners that may not have the perfect open fields for growing! Love your book and your blog! Thank you!

    Reply
  2157. Toni Lyon on

    This is my first year of growing dahlias, and I’m already wild for them!
    My dream dahlia looks a lot like your “little miss sunshine.” I LOVE anemone dahlias and yellow is my favorite color! Can’t wait to grow Floret seedlings in my patch this year!

    Reply
  2158. Sun on

    My buying habits are heavily warm tones but have recently started looking for cool-tones but have found the selection to be slim. I’d love to see a cool-tone blue/purple flower with a light green center. It can be any form but must have lots of petals. Maybe a pom pon or large decorative?

    Reply
  2159. Danielle Clearwater on

    My dream dahlia would contain a magical force that would do two things. Firstly, it would repel earwigs, which is very important for the second thing. Secondly, each evening at dusk it would produce a glittery scent, which if inhaled would shrink you to the perfect size so that you could sleep amongst the soft petals. This dream dahlia would be the colour of moonlight glowing through a peach.

    Reply
  2160. Michelle Burton on

    There isn’t one dream Dahlia, although I think Firefly is so beautiful. I want to fill my backyard with these beautiful flowers and try growing them from seed!

    Reply
  2161. Jon Moore on

    I tried to grows dahlias from seed last year. My wife received a pack of your seeds as a birthday present from a co-worker. I think all but a couple spouted and were planted. Some were lost to raccoons digging for worms and some lost to that nasty heat wave and more to snails. Most didn’t make it to bloom, however I stored the tubers to plant again this year. I did get a micro bloom red flower petal yellow center that I was super exited about. Now if I could get a bit white fringing the red petals would be it. I spent a bit of time collecting seeds from the remainder of the dahlias grown last year. Unfortunately, I don’t have space to grow everything I collected. I have to remind myself those seeds could turn out to be anything. I’m not organized enough to breed for one trait. It will be another fun year. Thank You for for starting to give me confidence in trying something new.

    Reply
  2162. Kristin on

    I’m just dipping my toes in the dahlia world this year for the first time! I’m not sure how to answer. I love so many…the creamy apricot ones are some of my favorites. But I can’t think of something new.

    Reply
  2163. Mary on

    What an amazing undertaking! My dream dahlia would be a creamy white with pale blue tinged edges.

    Reply
  2164. Lauren Crumm on

    Hi! This is amazing thank you for sponsoring this give away. My dream dahlia would be a beautiful deep lavender double variety. I would be thrilled to have any new interesting variety in my seed patch that I had never seen before as the genetic diversity of dahlias is what makes them such an amazing flower.

    Reply
  2165. Joni Springer on

    I am so grateful to learn so much from you . It has given me a love for Dahlias I didn’t know I had.
    I’d love to see a light blue and creamy white Dahlia.💕

    Joni Springer

    Reply
  2166. May Merkle-Tan on

    Hope to grow some dahlias this year in our elevated balcony planter!

    My dream variety looks something like a hybrid-combination of a “Firefly”, “Tahoma Moonshot”, “Willie Willie”, and luscious creamy “Café-au-Lait” flanking the main focal petals… I’d like it somewhat compact but versatile enough to grow bigger where space is more abundant. It will have strong stems and attract friendly pollinators. And its quirky blooms will be suitable for cut flowers.

    Someday, I’ll like to try breeding something like that! =)

    Reply
  2167. Carlie Brooks on

    I’ve discovered a trend in my flower preferences: I love flowers that fade into the yellow, pink, or orange range. Flowers like the rose Distant Drums, the rose Honey Dijon, or the Dahlia Peaches and Cream all steal my heart and stop me in my tracks. My dream Dahlia would be a new iteration of this ombre color scheme and maybe in a ball form, but the form is less important to me than the color variations.

    Reply
  2168. Jenny McMullan on

    I’ve always been drawn to the peachy pinks and soft raspberry shades of dahlias. Dahlias are such happy flowers that each have their own personalities! I had no idea that one could grow Dahlias from seeds! Thank you for sharing your love of flowers with the world!

    Reply
  2169. julie wix on

    My dream flower would be a sea blue with with white.Would love to be a winner. Starting over on a flower garden this fall. We lost our house when a EF-4 tornado came thru in 12-10-21 Thank you

    Reply
  2170. Louisa on

    I love dahlias that have a thin edge of color around the outsides of the petals (like the lovely Firefly that Erin is growing). I would love my dahlia to have a shape like a larger version of Sweet Nathalie, with a pale lavender color and blackberry around the edges.

    Reply
  2171. Gayle Barton on

    My dream dahlia would be a light color, a little dainty, and a little wild looking. I love C21 above. They make me happy just looking at them.

    Reply
  2172. Martha Duffy on

    This is my first year at growing dahlias but I have been inspired by so many of you in the cut flower world to put my experience and passion for growing flowers to good use and try my hand at selling cut flowers on a small scale. Listening to you talk about your excitement in breeding dahlias sounds like so much fun. I could emagin a dahlia that was deep purple in the center then transition to a deep red violet that fades to a peachy orange. Not to big so that it would look nice in an arrangement. You’ve really got my wheels turning and curious as to what I can do in my own back yard. Thanks for the inspiration. Sometimes great things really do come from a single seed.

    Reply
  2173. Allison on

    I am excited this year to grow my dahlias from seed for the first time ever. My favorite would be something like cafe au lait with the muted peachy colors.

    Reply
  2174. Shelly on

    I love the two toned dahlias where the underside of the petal is different from the top of the petal. I was smitten this year by crème de cassis!

    Reply
  2175. Michael Forrey on

    I feel like my answer has changed a dozen times in my mind already between reading the contest questions and when I started to type. My ideal dahlia would be a soft peach, semi-cactus, with some accents of white on the petals. My wife has become more and more drawn to peach, so I think this would top her list too!

    Reply
  2176. Linda on

    My dream dahlia would be dinnerplate size, dark pink petals on the outside and shorter lighter pink petals towards the middle that are somewhat curly. It would be a dahlia that was super productive during the growing season and produced many tubers upon digging them up in the fall. Best of all, my dream dahlia would last 7-10 in the vase.

    Reply
  2177. Lisa Anderson on

    My dream dahlia would be a a 3-4 inch bloom that’s a deep raspberry with a periwinkle edge. I wouldn’t care what was in my box because dahlias take your breath away every time even if you’ve seen it many times a day. They just make my heart bubble up into my soul each and every time.

    Reply
  2178. Nina Moore on

    Just beginning to get the dahlia fever. Never thought I’d be “that dahlia person.” Oh well never say never. This is a gorgeous post.

    Reply
  2179. Jenn Powell on

    My ideal dahlia would be smaller than a dinner plate, more of a decorative size. It would have long, sturdy stems and would hold up on slightly windy days.

    I would love a white and green color combination with a puffy center.

    Reply
  2180. Brittney Rarig on

    I would love a larger than average Pom-Pom (but not quite dinner plate sized) the color of a splotchy sunset, if that makes sense. 😅

    Reply
  2181. Ann Rode on

    My dream dahlia would be of medium to large size but not as big as a dinner plate. It would be kind of loose and blowzy and be a warm pinky apricot with deeper tones in the center if that is possible!

    Reply
  2182. Laura Baker on

    Erin and Floret Team,

    I admire and envy the work that you all do! I know it must be grueling at times, but thank you for sharing the most beautiful parts with us!
    I have have just returned home after being gone for seven years for my husband’s career. Most all of my 25 years’ worth of perennials are dead, so I’m mourning that loss. Now I look ahead to the future of replanting new, exciting things, one of which is a Dahlia garden:) The tubers have been ordered and will be delivered when it warms up a bit. I’m pretty excited about this after catching your enthusiasm. I’ve only had small numbers of these gorgeous plants in the past, but loved every one! I’m anxious to dig up and save tubers in the fall and let some go to seed:). Cafe Aulait…oh my!!!
    I’m also starting a new rose garden, thanks for sharing the journals and the journey of your late neighbor and what you are doing to continue her legacy.
    Best to you all and Good bless!

    Reply
  2183. Isabella on

    My dream dahlia? I have absolutely no idea! I’m a person who loves flowers, and there are so many beautiful varieties. In the springtime I go out and look at the gorgeous wildflowers, especially the glacier lilies, with their yellow drooping heads that win over my heart.
    At home, I am becoming a bit of an orchid fanatic. While I don’t have any named varieties, I go shopping around the town on holidays (like Valentine’s!) and see what pretty orchids are in stock at the stores. Most are Phalaenopsis, but this year I found some Oncidiums at Albertsons, which thrilled me to no end. Oncidiums are scented, and they remind my mom of the smell of honeysuckle, rich and sweet.
    My aunt grows dahlias, and my favorites of hers are the dinner plate dahlias—huge, vibrant flowers that are overwhelmingly gorgeous! If I had to pick a variety, it would be one of those. I love their excessive, over-the-top feel. Regarding color, I love the dahlias that have gradients. It fascinates me that each flower is slightly different in intensity, hue, and what colors have majority. I love ones that look like sunsets, which remind me of the beautiful sunsets my family sometimes watches off our porch at home.
    But I could never be unhappy with any kind of flower. They are all perfectly beautiful in their own ways!

    Reply
  2184. Chris Holt on

    My dream dahlia would be the color of a summer sunset.

    Reply
  2185. Amy Eisenberg on

    To be honest, I really don’t even know yet. I fell head-over- heels in love with the dahlia after watching your show! I have jumped in with both feet clearly in the deep end and have rented a garden plot that I am hoping will turn into the most beautiful dahlia garden one has ever seen(at least in my neighborhood!). I ordered your book to guide me on my adventure and crossing my fingers that something beautiful will grow. All I know is I love the way the flower makes me feel and for that, I am grateful.

    Reply
  2186. Shandell Pottorf on

    My dream dahlia would be a corally peach dinnerplate dahlia. I would be over the moon to see the firefly dahlia pop up in my flower bed, it reminds me of the golden flower from Tangled.

    Reply
  2187. Cristina Arcese on

    I would like to get a Dahlia similar to your C361 from seed, it would be my dream Dahlia!

    Reply
  2188. Loran Polder on

    My dream dahlia would be a consistently blush-y Cafe Au Lait shaped dahlia, half the size and on a short stocky shrub instead of a sky-high tower. Maybe it already exists, but I’ve not found it yet! This giveaway would be a dream to win 😍

    Reply
  2189. Heidi Barnett on

    I am growing Dahlias from seed for the first time this year! My dream Dahlia would have to be a dark purple with multiple layers of petals and a bright yellow center!

    Reply
  2190. Kimberley Allan on

    I love Firefly! Such a beauty. I think my dream dahlia would be cream with a touch of yellow in the centre. My daughters started dahlias from seed last year and we had so much fun discovering them. I would love a patch that looked like a beach sunset- yellows, creams, blush, and deep magenta.

    Reply
  2191. Juliana Casale on

    My dream dahlia would reflect all the colors of a sunset, starting with a darker pink (fuchsia), toning down to coral and fading to golden yellows like marigold, and canary.

    Reply
  2192. Sherrie on

    Lately I’ve been fascinated by the Queen Lime series of Zinnias; the blush color most of all! I would love a decorative dahlia with those colors sprinkled throughout because green is such a beautiful and unusual color to find in the petals of a flower.

    Reply
  2193. Stephanie Galarza on

    This is my first year growing dahlias from seed and I’m so excited to see what treasures I find! I’d love to find an informal decorative lavendar colored blended with hints of blush!

    Reply
  2194. Lynn Conley on

    I would love to discover a dusty rose type that is a medium double. Something where the petals fade out and are possibly fringed in a different color. Also one that has a few petals that twist making it slightly less than perfect. Sounds dreamy!!

    Reply
  2195. Katie Wrubel on

    My dream dahlia(s) would be a large bloom with a long stem with a blush center and pale cream petals or one with a lavender center and peach edges.

    Reply
  2196. Tre on

    Just seeing all the beauty your fields have produced, I’m not sure I have one dream dahlia. The flower in front of me is always my favorite until I see another. Fickle ;). Perhaps a soft white with edging of peach and interesting petal shape? I’d be beyond thrilled to win your giveaway but regardless will be saving some dahlia seeds this year. Thank you SO much for the inspiration, knowledge and effort you share.

    Reply
  2197. Mollie Carruthers on

    When I dream of dahlias, I dream of them all…Obsessed with the structure and form of the ball dahlias as they are a true work of art, one that only God could do. Then the large soft frilly petals of a dinner plate, just heavenly. I would just love to do a full garden of seedlings like you did just to witness the new beauty that comes from seedlings never seen on this earth before!

    Reply
  2198. Donna Shapiro on

    I would so happy to be surprised by almost any kind. My favorites would be blush, peach or pale yellow and I love a ball type!

    Reply
  2199. Kelly on

    I love to surprise people with cut flower bouquets. I love ‘Diva’ but it takes a long time for her to produce blooms. I hallow out pumpkins, insert a vase, and make a flower arrangement for people that I know. I would love to have something like Diva that produces the dark colors but has more buds and long vase life.

    Reply
  2200. Cheryl on

    I am drawn to the full pompon type dahlias with the color or colors going from intense to fading softly.

    Reply
  2201. Michelle G on

    Just started growing dahlias last summer and I’m in love! My dream flower is hard to define I’m still discovering so much. I love blues and purples. I would love to find one that’s a soft purple ish grey color with hints of deep purple. I would be thrilled to find in my seed patch lots of whites and soft colors with pop of deep here and there. I love the Cafe one you are known for. Thank you for sharing your gardening wisdom with all of us.

    Reply
  2202. Elizabeth Burke on

    While it is difficult to select one dream dahlia, I am most drawn to the sherbet blush colored water lily shaped dahlias. They seem so romantic! I really enjoy reading about your journey and am so happy that you have found joy in your adventure! I’m equally excited to see what my Floret dahlia seeds will produce!

    Reply
  2203. Allison de Visser on

    I love all dahlias in different colours and forms, but I think my dream dahlia would be a blush pink water lily style!

    Reply
  2204. Aldie Hockkey on

    I feel like I would enjoy a muted golden color with a same tone but darker fluffy center in an open petal look about 5 inches on a taller 30 inch height. I would call it moonlight

    Reply
  2205. Colleen Hazen on

    To me there is no one dream dahlia, each dahlia can add an elegance to a special occasion, while adding warmth to a table while having a family dinner. They are versatile, delicate, yet strong. Walking through breathing in all the colors they have to offer are a comfort to me. What I would like to find in a seedling packet is the surprise and beauty that comes from the hard work my grandchildren will put into their part of my garden patch once seedlings have been planted. Inspiring the next generation of gardeners.

    Reply
  2206. Cindy on

    My dream dahlia would be one that ground hogs didn’t like! I cry every year as they climb into our large planters and destroy my beautiful dahlia plants. But I keep planting dahlias because the few I can harvest before they become dinner for the ground hogs, is totally worth it!
    If you have any tips on deterring critters, I would appreciate learning what they are.
    I love the Little Miss Sunshine!

    Reply
  2207. kathleen whelan on

    my first Dalia was café au lait after a visit to Oregon unfortunately not to see Swan Island in situ but see their products at other nurseries. I had a sort of dysfunctional relationship with Dahlia is until a couple of years ago when I finally just relaxed about it and stuck them in the basement, they flourished! I am in zone 6B and mostly grow dinner plates although I really love the variety “Obsidian’. I think my ideal Dalia would be some cross between the rich colour of obsidian and the size of café au lait. I found your company through Laura at garden answer and I’m so thrilled to be at the beginning of what I feel will be along and very enjoyable relationship!

    Reply
  2208. Elizabeth Frankart on

    I would LOVE to find an anemone shaped dahlia with the yellows and pinks…maybe with a little orange to make it pop! I Just love how anemone dahlias show off their centers but are adorned with these beautiful petals that fade to the back… you don’t notice them right away until you get up close and examine the way the colors look painted on with watercolor paints. Nature’s true art! Who needs to go to the museum when you have these beauties outside your door to love and appreciate every day!

    Reply
  2209. Alexandra on

    My dream dahlia would have the shape/petal structure of a Claire de Lune dahlia, with a peachy/pink color.

    Reply
  2210. Cheryl K on

    Oh I love a good dahlia seedling!! The surprise beauty is something to look forward to each year! My favorite is the peachy big full flower but have some quirks with the twists or a few spikes. What a dream that would be. Love seeing your progress on the breeding patch. Thank you for sharing the journey!

    Reply
  2211. Jenny Dyer on

    Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I am a home gardener. I suppose the most.important aspect of any flower…including dahlias are how they make me feel. My favorite dhalia are always those that change through the season. Layered pedals that tend to tell a story and unfold that story every day…in its changed pedals…even dropped pedals. Half eaten petals because I don’t use pesticides. All tell a beautiful story. My perfect dhalia is usually a mix of cream.apricot yellow and pink. Those are the colors I enjoy the most in a dhalia. That would be the kind of dhalia I would be overjoyed with seeing in my seed starting patch.

    Reply
  2212. Jane on

    First off, a big THANK YOU for what you are doing, bring joy to all of us with your web site.
    Looking at the picture of the samples you shared I was drawn to the petals and color of D23 and C39.
    A petal color that would start out one color and as it aged change to a different shade/color would look fantastic in flower arrangements.

    Reply
  2213. Lisa on

    I am excited to grow my dahlias from seed this year. My favorite would be a big, bright coral colored dahlia with a long sturdy stem.

    Reply
  2214. Lauralee Harding on

    My dream dahlia would resemble a gardenia, dripping with fragrance, with layers of ruffled, soft white and pink petals blending out to the tips, and I would call her Ruby’s Promise, after my Grandmother, who has a special fondness for gardenias, narcissus, and all things blooming. Thanks for inspiring me with this post, Team Floret!

    Reply
  2215. Micol Marotti on

    I’m a super fan of collarette varieties because the bees love them as much as I do! I would love to see in my garden a collarette with curved white petals and a thin line of cherry red on the edge of the collar. I think it would spectacular in bouquets and just enough color to attract the pollinators.

    Reply
  2216. Debbie Schule on

    Omg! There you go again making my Dahlia Fever Spike! Geez! Love everything you grow,
    I’m going to need more Flower Beds :)
    I really can’t pick a fav, but Love that lil Firefly! So Appreciate the Journey your taking us all on!

    Reply
  2217. Karen Shirey on

    This will mark my second year of falling in love with dahlias. I have planted my own tubers from last years flowers. They are currently sharing my bedroom with grow lamps, since I live in 5B. My favorite colors in dahlias are the pinks, purples and of course the yellows. Ultimately is there any I would not embrace?? No. Love them all.

    Reply
  2218. Markella on

    It is impossible to compose just one dream dahlia. They are all so beautiful, unique, and inspiring in the garden, in an arrangement, or as a stand alone bouquet. Absolutely gorgeous!

    Reply
  2219. Lizzie B. on

    While it is impossible to narrow down a favorite flower, I am consistently drawn to coral and peach tones, with hints of pink. And the more ruffly, the better. I think my dream dahlia would be in that color palette with a higher petal count and be a variety that produces well in the garden while still holding up for arranging.

    Reply
  2220. Dixie on

    My perfect dahlia to find in the yard would be small to medium size (less delicate than the dinnerplate), the cute pin-wheel shape and a super bright color. I love the bright pinks/reds/purples that really stand out when I put them on the kitchen table in a bunch.

    Reply
  2221. Kim Sheffey on

    My dream dahlia would be a striking contrast coloration such as a light pink center with dark almost black tips or a Halloween inspired with orange and purple since fall temperatures in zone 7 East TN can have dahlias blooming till October. I had dinner plate Thomas Edison’s blooming till November last year.

    Reply
  2222. Michelle Becker on

    I’m pretty new to Dahlias, but my favorite so far are like your Floret or Firefly varieties! They are so unique. My dream Dahlia would be a cream color with accents of peach and pink! 😍🌺

    Reply
  2223. Angela Smith on

    This is my first year growing dahlias. I was able to get some seeds from Baker Creek & can’t wait to see what grows!! I think my dream dahlia would be not too tall (I’m a backyard gardener), and a pure white & coral mix. Thank for the great article!

    Reply
  2224. Melanie Ramey on

    My dream dahlia would be the colors of a late-winter sunrise :)

    Reply
  2225. Erica on

    My dream dahlia would be an almost black ball variety, talk about drama!

    Reply
  2226. Rachel Richardson on

    There are so many endless possibilities, but since I’m growing primarily for cut flowers, I’d love to breed dahlias with the production of Maarn, a good amount of tubers that store well, long lasting vase life, and some bold fall colors since that is when my dahlias are producing their best… Specifically, I’d love a golden (sunflower) yellow in the ball or decorative category, and I’m always drawn to coral, peachy, and blush tones (My dahlia patch doesn’t lie)! I saved a few seeds this year from my Arabian Knight and Tahoma Moonshot… They had pinks on one side and oranges on the other… Excited to see what those seeds might produce!

    Reply
  2227. Susan O'Halloran on

    My dream dahlia could be pale pink, or pale yellow, or pale peach with lots of petals!

    Reply
  2228. M on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft blue with a soft pink center. Gorgeous!

    Reply
  2229. Marissa on

    My dream Dahlia would be a massive sized pom-pom head with an ombre color scheme!

    Reply
  2230. Melissa on

    My dream dahlia would be a beautiful scarlet red, soft but intense, with ruffled edges.

    Reply
  2231. Ariel on

    My dream dahlia would be a purple ball form with dark foliage. Maybe each bloom would have different splotches of purples reminiscent of watercolor paints mixing together

    Reply
  2232. Amie Barnes on

    Medium sized ball that is REALLY geometric looking in a natural tawny kinda color would be amazing!!!

    Reply
  2233. Erica Pollan on

    As much as I love the large dinnerplate dahlias and the highly coveted café au lait my ideal dream Dahlia would most likely be something in the peachy pink tones with a long strong stem in the 3 to 4 inch size! I am currently obsessing with a Dahlias I’ve seen online that have curled cup-like petals! The details and color would work well in a single stem arrangement on its own or combined with other garden favorites for a breathtaking bouquet! Aaah swooning for summer flowers now!

    Reply
  2234. Tracey Brookshier on

    I grew my first-ever dahlias last year after moving from Santa Cruz CA to Olympia WA, in a vastly different gardening environment from what I had planted in for 30 years. What amazing flowers they were – enormous, long-lasting, and aging gracefully from bud to falling-off petals. I think my dream dahlia would be dark red, with pointed petals and a chartreuse center. I have the color joy of a 5 year old – the brighter the better!

    Reply
  2235. Loli on

    I want a Cafe au lait but in a pompon shape.
    Maybe already exists? 🙈

    Reply
  2236. Julie Morris on

    My dream dahlia? A giant, sunny, ridiculously sparkly blossom that reminds the world that there is still goodness and joy here :)

    Reply
  2237. Holly on

    A mocha-cream colored anemone!

    Reply
  2238. Nehana Dew on

    This is our first year growing dahlias on the farm. Our first year flower farming in general. I’m overflowing with excitement about the handful of varieties we will be growing. Long story short, our hemlock trees on our 30 acres of forested land is infected with an aphid. We are getting some areas clear cut and I dream of replacing it with a field full of dahlias soon. My dream dahlia from seed would be a shade of lilac with a hint of yellow on the edges of each petal, a medium sized decorative dahlia type. Full and beautiful like a lilac bush surrounded by the sun.

    Reply
  2239. Linda Neil on

    I absolutely love the color yellow, so I am so thrilled to see Little Miss Sunshine. Oh, if only I could have a little area in my front flower garden filled and overflowing with Little Miss Sunshine’s😍

    Reply
  2240. JENNIFER ALEXANDER on

    My dream is always blush dinnerplate dahlias… could you imagine if they had a fade of lime and lavender?

    Reply
  2241. Brooke Bayless on

    This is my first season growing dahlias. I live in Texas – so I’ve mainly stuck to the varieties that are said to be ‘weatherproof’ or actually like heat/humidity. So I’ve been able to see a lot of varieties that I couldn’t grow. The ones that I always seem to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ at usually have a darker center that move to a lighter color edge. I also really like the lavender ones. So I’d love to see maybe a different lavender variety in my garden or maybe a berry-centered, bright orange coloring.

    Reply
  2242. Jill A. Kennedy on

    I’d love a dahlia with the beautiful red and pink colors of a fiery sunset.

    Reply
  2243. Melissa Babich on

    My dream Dahlia looks similar in size and color to the candy cane beets (that’s what I call them ;)). Red and white striped, about the size of my palm, lots of petals packed together.

    Reply
  2244. Bonnie Harper on

    My dream dahlia would look like a burst of yellow sunshine fringed with tints of coral and peach. I’d be thrilled to find any coral colored ball dahlia in my seedling patch. It would go handsomely with my yellow sunshine dahlia.

    Reply
  2245. Julie on

    This is so inspiring!

    I would love to see one with coffee or chocolate coloring. I think it would blend so well with so many other colors in arrangements, or in the garden.

    Reply
  2246. Joanne on

    My dream dahlia is the one that sparks “the look” in my child’s face. Where they catch a glimpse and the world just falls away as they walk over in awe. The smile, the fascination, the spark of realization that they were responsible for helping make it happen. Doesn’t matter the color, shape or size – I just want them to have that feeling!

    Reply
  2247. M. Powers on

    It’s so hard to choose when there are so many options available! I seriously am running out of room for more dahlias because I’ve bought so many this year! HA! But, for me personally, I would love to find peachy/pink, blush or muted yellow dahlias in my garden. They are just beyond gorgeous and there is something about it that just captivates you instantly!

    Reply
  2248. Jen Martindale on

    I would love to see a waterlily dahlia with the same coloring of apple blossom. Those muted tones are so dreamy.

    Reply
  2249. Danielle Doby on

    My dream dahlia would be a more neutral palette anemone!

    Reply
  2250. Angela Zehm on

    My dream dahlia would be any variety that could come close to ‘Himalayan blue poppy’ blue- I can just see big bushes of delicate single blossoms or larger lily style dahlias in an incredible blue tucked around the garden reaching for the sun!

    Reply
  2251. Yvonne on

    My dream dahlia would be a cross between a collarette and an orchid dahlia in a color blend of tangerine and magenta with some extra ruffled inner petaloids. The dahlia would stand tall in a garden or vase and have a center bloom that would greet me with a smile. Dream? Thank you for all the work you and your team does and shares. You’re an inspiration and your dahlia passion is contagious.

    Reply
  2252. Allison Vail on

    Hi, I love blue flowers! I would like to see a flower like the Mystique but starting out as a cream color in the middle and gradually turning to a medium color of blue, not too light and not too dark. It would be beautiful!

    Reply
  2253. Maggie on

    While I love the simplicity of a Cafe Au Lait, I think it would be incredibly exciting to discover a funky little flower with a ton of personality. The firefly one you pictured in this blog is fantastic. A little off the beaten path but still picture perfect. I’ve been patiently waiting to put my dahlia seedlings in the ground and this made me even more expected to see what pops up in my little backyard!

    Reply
  2254. Lucy on

    I am loving the collarette type dahlias more and more. I would love to see an Appleblossom type in multi colors. Peach and yellow, pink and lavender, etc. I grew some of your seeds last year and have saved a few to grow on again this year. It’s addicting!

    Reply
  2255. Kelley on

    A true BLUE ball dahlia would stop my in my tracks! Think delphinium blue, not a whiff of purple in it. That’s the stuff of dreams.

    Reply
  2256. Margie Fondse on

    How can one choose just one variety! They are all so truly beautiful that any one of them would be a delight to have. I do tend to gravitate to softer pinks, though.

    Reply
  2257. Trisha Navarro on

    As a child I drew flowers with big blossoms full of pedals and colored each one different shades of pinks and Oranges. I now see that they were dahlias! I had never even heard of dahlia till I was in my 40’s . Well once I found them. I have grown many. But none with the colors I imagined they could be. I would love to find one that has a pale pink center and gradual darker pinks as it reaches the edges of the petals.

    Reply
  2258. Ashley on

    I’d be thrilled to discover a dahlia with bright yellow and a deep purple coloring. It’s a beautiful balance of cheerfulness and elegance.

    Reply
  2259. Lisa on

    My dream dahlia would be an ombre pink dinnerplate dahlia. It would be hardy in cold climates and not have to be dug up and stored.

    Reply
  2260. Mary Berg Lass on

    It’s so hard to pick my favorite because every dahlia I grow are my favorites! I tend to grow more pastel varieties- yellows, oranges & peach colors. Thank you so much for inspiring this zone 3/4 Minnesota gardener! I enjoy reading & rereading your books! Beautiful photos!!!

    Reply
  2261. Syrene Forsman on

    I love the vigor of American Dawn and it’s gemstone center: lavender is a flood of apricot!

    What if a chartreuse jewel was inside a pale butter color?
    A ruby in the core of a deep bronze or orange?

    Every blossom a treasure!

    Reply
  2262. Megan on

    I am a sucker for the smaller varieties, pom poms are so cute! A more blue purple would be such a fun color that isn’t seen very often and would really stand out!

    Reply
  2263. Lindsay on

    My dream dahlia would be a nice full, large, round shape. The color would be salmon with touches of yellow or white!

    Reply
  2264. Kathy Kresovich on

    Dahlias are my absolute favorite❤️! My favorite would be snow white with a hint of pink to remind me of my favorite season, Spring! My favorite box of dahlias would include white and shades of beautiful pinks!

    Reply
  2265. Katrina on

    My dream dahlia, mhmmmm.. perhaps white with a greenish center, fading out to almost translucent.
    Or a ball shape, with lots of poky petals, in a coral that fades to light pink.. or a chocolate mauve dahlia.. also a short season dahlia, for cool Alberta summers..

    Reply
  2266. Caitlin Custer on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate variety with very tight petals in a deep pinky purple.

    Reply
  2267. Jean Marie on

    This is my first year growing flowers. My husband and myself are so excited!! My perfect Dahlia would be just to be able to grow 1!!!!

    Reply
  2268. Emily Allen on

    I am inspired! I’d love to have a range of bold colors in my garden—yellow, orange, pink full blossoms. They’re all so beautiful!

    Reply
  2269. mia on

    I’m new to Floret and have never grown a Dahlia. But I am SO distraught, heartbroken and feeling helpless for the people of Ukraine — that (as a distraction) I’m spending all my time nurturing flowers and herbs from seed — and think of them as “Seeds of Hope.” So my Dahlia would have characteristics that symbolize the Ukrainian struggle. For example, one like C130, that has a sunny yellow center surrounded by dark grieving petals that I’d call “Kyiv Hope”. Please remember those all those around the world displaced and hurt by aggression as you choose a winner. We can be better than this. Thank you.

    Reply
  2270. Pamela Andersen on

    If I had to decide today, my dream dahlia would be blush colored with faint raspberry notes, with many layers of open faced petals with no visible center!

    Reply
  2271. Heather Fry on

    It would be so perfect to find an anemone type that was sort of a mix of “Platinum Blonde” and “Peaches and Cream”. I’m obsessed with how the anemones look but I wish they were just a little bit bigger and more blushy and romantic!

    Thank you guys so much for everything you do 💚

    Reply
  2272. Joeda Lanquist on

    I am hoping to just be successful in producing any blooms from the dahlia seeds that I have planted in my little garden in Central Oklahoma. I have not been successful with the Dahlia tubers and am really hoping for any blooms for my Farmer’s Market table. I know they will be lovely and my Market customers will love them in my small kitchen jar bouquets. Thanks

    Reply
  2273. Melinda on

    My surprise dahlia would be medium sized, with outer petals a cream color, transitioning in to gold and then a rust color in the center. In the meantime, I will enjoy whatever I can get my hands on!

    Reply
  2274. Becca C on

    I would love to see a magenta to burgundy dahlia, and look at the rich color in the sunlight. Maybe even have fuscia in the bloom somewhere, a deep blend of colors that keep from summer to fall would be gorgeous.

    Reply
  2275. Terri Byrd on

    My dream dahlia would be a muted lavender with darker purple tips, it would be in a waterlily form and around 4-5 inches wide. I do not see many lavender or purple blooms, so in my seedling packet, I would love to see one of those. However, I would also be happy to find a yellow/caramel/gold colored bloom in my seed packet. Thank you so much for your consideration!

    Reply
  2276. Candace on

    They’re all so beautiful there’s no way I could choose just one. I think the pom styles would be my favorites but each one is certainly unique and perfect for any garden or arrangement!

    Reply
  2277. Samantha Lipoma on

    I would love a yellow and bright pink dahlia. Just a showstopper. Any shape – love them all.

    Reply
  2278. Mimi Renaud on

    Having just lost my mom, my dream dahlia would remind me of her. A patch of very large, colorful dahlias that brings joy to my heart and reminds me of my mom!

    Reply
  2279. Celine on

    I think my dream dahlia would be a dark red-to-black mignon single. Tonnes of flowers on wiry stems so I could make tiny dramatic bouquets all summer.

    Reply
  2280. Joyce Plake on

    When I first “discovered” Dahlias, I fell in love with the ball-shaped ones and the soft colored ones, like Cafe au Lait. But now that I’ve read and learned more about Dahlias, my dream would be to have a mixture of the different shapes & colors. It is hard to single out one shape or color-they are all so beautiful.

    Reply
  2281. Patricia on

    Thank you for sharing about this project! I think there probably is a market for large scale dahlia tuber production in the US. Just look at all the imports coming in that you can find in Costco or Home Depot (that often have gall) wouldn’t it be fantastic to have US bred and grown dahlias in the big box stores ?

    My dream dahlia would be a 4.5ft BB ID in a true tannish/taupe/brown or Coco Loco rose color with white or cream backside of petals.

    Reply
  2282. Lisa McCullough on

    I would love a dahlia that looked like cafe au lait but had the coloring of KA’s Boho Peach. I also love KA’s Boho Peach. Hope it gets into production enough to purchase a tuber someday.

    Reply
  2283. Ralph Hammock on

    My dream dahlia would be a saucer-size flower that goes from a deep red center to a soft pink edge. (I got a packet of seeds with the purchase of my book last year and immediately planted them; by the end of summer, I had a beautiful collection of dahlia’s in my front yard. My neighbors loved them.)

    Reply
  2284. Emma D on

    My only exposure to Dahlias has been reading the book “Discovering Dahlias” that I borrowed from the library. I love each different variety and color, but my favorites are peachy-coral varieties with very soft edges and an almost watercolor-painting look. I also like the ones that are almost white or pink but somehow with lavender tints. I’ve never grown Dahlias before but I am so excited and inspired by researching them and I hope to be able to grow some this season!

    Reply
  2285. Stefanie on

    My 3rd year growing dahlias and I’m hooked! (Even if I’m not very good at it, ha!) I love super round dahlias, they’re just cute as a button.

    Reply
  2286. Taryn Molitor on

    I would LOVE to grow (or find) a dahlia that would be similar to unicorn zinnias–a pom with creamy pinks, yellow, light orange blending together beautifully. :)

    Reply
  2287. Sue Marsh on

    I dream of growing a dahlia that resembles the Montana mountains where it will be grown. She should be tall on strong stems, with colors blending out along her petals. My dream dahlia should exude strength, sweetness, and beauty just like her Montana home!

    Reply
  2288. Christina Hancock on

    Another great read! The world of dahlias is so amazing. My dream dahlia would be a waterlily type dahlia that is white with blush tips. So dreamy!

    Reply
  2289. Katie Sayre on

    So hard to choose a favorite! I know they don’t exist, and maybe because of that, I think a true blue dahlia (sky blue) that fades into cream would be beautiful. A dinnerplate or ball shape.

    Reply
  2290. Sara Kraus on

    My dream dahlia would be a mass of loose white petals, with stems strong enough to stand tall but still sway in the breeze, tucked into my garden next to the tulips, ranunculus, peonies, roses, hollyhocks, and nasturtium (all in shades of deep purple/black and white). 🤍🖤

    Reply
  2291. Tara on

    I absolutely love your dahlia ‘floret’! Also a huge fan of apple blossom!

    Reply
  2292. Janet Hatch on

    Any and all colors I would love to see in my flower patch. They all make me smile when they start opening up.

    Reply
  2293. Melony C. on

    My dream dahlia would be a two tone dinner plate dahlia, parents would be Emory Paul and Cafe au Lait. The petals would be stripped with both colors so the sun would clearly show the stripping of the two colors. The stems would be long and this gorgeous creation would be an early bloomer. Yes I tend to dream big with dahlias because dinner plates are my favorite dahlias. Go big or go home or in this case …. Grow Big and go to the garden. Bring on dahlia mania!

    Reply
  2294. Jeanie Miller on

    My ideal dahlia from seed would be one of many colors. This dahlia would cross several color spectrums beginning with shocking pink tinged with tangerine, and then fading to a bubblegum pink with peach highlights. The flower head would be as large as a sunflower, a real show stopper.

    Reply
  2295. Hira Shamsuddin on

    My dream, my dream, it’s simple. The curve of the petals tilts to the upward sun on a southern sky. They are bright orange reaching out to vivid yellows at the end. They are as big as my face and when you pose with them for a picture it looks and feel like you live inside a flower. There stems are long, strong, and winding. The oranges near the center could almost be deep red. A tie dye of color explodes in each one, unique. My ideal Dahlia is grown on my warm soil that earth worms share in Lorane, Oregon. It’s early spring now but I can see each one.

    Reply
  2296. Jodi on

    Ooooo… Mine would be several shades of pink (light pink with some streaks of dark) with a fun Yellowy/orange fluffy center.

    Reply
  2297. Lindsay S on

    My ideal dahlia would be a rosy blush color with pointed petals and a full shape. Dreamy!

    Reply
  2298. Jenny N on

    I got a dream dahlia from one of your seeds. The pink color is out of this world!

    Reply
  2299. Carrie Cirrito on

    I love dahlias. They look like sunny little faces in the garden. My two favorite flowers are daisies and cosmos. So a dahlia that looks like a combination of a daisy and cosmos would be awesome.

    Reply
  2300. Donna J Elliott on

    2022 is just my 2nd year growing dahlias. I love the cactus style and any flower in any shade of pink makes me swoon! I will triple my bed space this year. Can’t wait for next week when I start planting. My goal this year is to supply cut flowers for the residents at my mom’s assisted living residence since flowers make everyone feel better.

    Reply
  2301. Nancy Davey on

    WOW, I looked at all of the above and they were All my dream dahlias! The peach, GORGEOUS! Then the magenta, SPECTACULAR! And the striped DOUBLE WOW! So I guess if those could possibly be topped I would choose a peach, magenta and cream triple striped dahlia!

    Reply
  2302. Wilma Vreeswijk on

    It is so hard to choose since I love the pompons as much as the ultra large cafe au lait! My dream dahlia has lotus shape flowers, is a deep raspberry colour, with a dark purple tips to the petals. Thank you Erin for your fabulous inspiration-love your book!

    Reply
  2303. Ashley on

    My dream dahlia would be very similar to the cafe au lait – that creamy pink-peach color. It would have petals that are curled on the edges and be very fragrant. It would be a great pollinator, too!

    Reply
  2304. Laura Loomis on

    Rusty orange with hints of pink on a multi-petaled round bloom. <3

    Reply
  2305. Laura on

    A dahlia in the colors of a distant drum rose would be my dream.

    Reply
  2306. Taylor Kopp on

    My DREAM dahlia would be a dark ombré colored dahlia fading into a light, soft color. No specific color preference but I do love the dark flowers.

    Reply
  2307. Brooke S. on

    I wonder if we could find a dahlia treasure to remind us of Ukraine- maybe it’s sunflower-like (yellow) or maybe we can have the miracle of blue in the flower (I know, I know- impossible) but that’s who’s in my heart and on my mind.
    I also just love apple blossom and any plays on her colour will be my dream treasure find.

    Reply
  2308. Cheryl Vanderheyden on

    My first Dahlias were grown from a seed package last summer. Wonderful range of colours and shapes and enormous tuber clumps. I would love to see a creamy dahlia with burgundy edges like the firefly above, but full of petals with some curled near the center as they unfold.

    Reply
  2309. Marissa on

    I’m just entering the floral garden world and have loved the resources and help you have provided! Your mini course was so inspiring and easy to follow. My dream dahlia would be a large deep purple, ball shaped, dahlia. I would be thrilled to get seedlings for your Floret dahlia, so sweet and different from the typical dahlia! Thank you so much for all the time you put into doing what you love!

    Reply
  2310. Jessica on

    I love raspberry tones! My ideal dahlia would be a raspberry ball dahlia with tips that blend to rose. I love the layers and layers of lush petals in a ball or decorative types. I have dahlias from my great grandmother’s farm that have been kept for generations now. But I’m also growing some from seed this year–thanks to Dahlia’s by Julie! And I’ve bought many more tubers from so many fun small sales. Dahlias are a bit addictive! :)

    Reply
  2311. Clarissa on

    I’ve never grown dahlias but have always loved them! When I imagine my dream dahlia, I’m torn between wanting a big, tightly rounded pale pink flower, or a bright yellow with defined petals & a puffy center, like your Little Miss Sunshine. 😍

    Reply
  2312. Stephanie on

    I love the more open dahlias like your Floret. The bees go crazy for them.

    Reply
  2313. Carrieann Schneider on

    I think the idea of just one dream dahlia is impossible – it’s why so many of us grow fields of dahlias! I would love to see some green (along the lines of lime zinnias) enter into the dahlia field! So many customers comment on the green zinnias that I could only imagine they would be shocked by a green ball dahlia or a little open faced blush to green, or a waterlily bi color with green and purple, or…

    Reply
  2314. Jenny Quaglino on

    I love peach and pink dahlias the most! I’d love to see any new varieties of seedlings. Honestly, the best dahlia planted is usually the first to emerge. Its the first girl to arrive at the party to kick off the rest of the season!

    Reply
  2315. Sarah on

    When I was in 8th grade, my BFF and I had our ‘color analysis’ done…I believe I’m a winter, I don’t remember what that means except that my ‘best’ color that I look good in is magenta. While I no longer where it as I did back in the day, I’m still attracted to it as a color, like it is part of my history. So my perfect dahlia would be a deep, rich pure magenta color, with a hint of darker in the center, like it has a secret there. And it would be a medium to large size/ball shape.

    Reply
  2316. Kayla on

    This is just so exciting. I have a packet of dahlia seeds and an envelope I collected last year that I am just TOO excited about getting started to see what I find (and hopefully they germinate at all!). I have been growing my collection and this year realizing I need some cute little varieties to add a different element to my bouquets. I think little ball/pompon or single/collarette would be a great addition, a dusty rose or burnt oranges would be lovely.

    Reply
  2317. Regan Duffee on

    A dahlia that’s similar to breakout, but instead of yellow in the center, peach (orange undertone).

    Reply
  2318. Christi Scalera on

    It would be a coral waterlilly type. Its petals would have white stripes coming just from the center (think Edge of Joy). The center of my coral waterlilly with white stripes in the center would have a center exactly like Destiny’s Blessing was growing from there (yellow center with white pointy leaves (8 leaves) tipped in coral. Can you just picture that? I know it’s a lot but if your going to dream be sure and dream big. Christi

    Reply
  2319. Austin Flores on

    My dream dahlia is a periwinkle in the waterlily form 😗

    Reply
  2320. Sarah Michalek on

    I’m just getting my first tubers this year! Definitely an addiction. I’m drawn to the peaches, apricots, and oranges. But what I would LOVE would be a purple to pair them with-I’m thinking a lilac or lavender coloring.

    Reply
  2321. Allison Logan on

    I love reading your journey of all your dahlia variations. Personally I would just love to be able to have seeds to grow dahlias. They are by far my favorite flower. I have been dreaming to get some seeds. My favorite dahlia that I would love to see growing in my garden would be what you have marked as B11 and C384 these are so beautiful and full. Thank you for making my day brighter with the blog post.

    Reply
  2322. Misty Hooker on

    I love big blush color dahlias. However last year my husband and I grew dahlias from your seed pack and we had one that had this giant fluffy yellow center and these beautiful red and yellow petals on the outside. It was both of our favorite. We moved and didn’t get to take it with us and we were both so sad.

    Reply
  2323. Dawn wirth on

    I would love to get a box. If I was to have a dahlia. I would want it to be a deep purple one with a yellow center.

    Reply
  2324. Rebecca Rawls on

    My dream dahlias would be ‘Floret’ in many different colors. I love how simple yet intricate it is and the twirly petals close to the center. Gorgeous!!

    Reply
  2325. Shana Tundevold on

    I feel like this answer may change in the years to come as I become more familiar with dahlias and have grown them myself – but this year will be my first year growing them! After becoming very interested in Dahlia’s last year, I ordered some tubers, but I also really wanted to grow my own from seed. All through my childhood, my dad’s hobby was to breed aspen for specific traits. He worked with a local university and shared his research and work at conferences – all just for the fun of it! This allowed me to step into gardening with vegetables, but when I began to discover my love for flowers a couple of years ago, I just felt like that was where I wanted to really invest my gardening energy! And I wanted to be able to create my own varieties and breeds like my dad has done with his aspen.

    I asked for the Discovering Dahlias book for Christmas, but unfortunately it was purchased through a third party and therefore did not have a seed packet. However, I had purchased one potted dahlia plant from a store, and I was able to harvest the seeds from that.

    The dream dahlia that I would love to see blossom some day would be a shape similar to a anemone or decorative dahlia with the soft peach tones that have darker areas that fade into light peach. I think the peachy dahlias are so dreamy and invoke a lot of good feelings!

    Reply
  2326. LeighAnn Sullivan on

    I’m so excited to grow my first cut flower garden this spring – I can hardly stand it! I’ve already got a packet of dahlia seeds waiting for warmer weather. I’m not going to be picky, but really hoping for some of the biggest blooms. I would love a pastel peach or deep, dark color.

    Reply
  2327. Krista Campeau on

    I would love a small soft pink / apricot bloom thats fully double with little petaloids nested inside of each individual petal! I grew some last year that were semi double like this from seed but lost the tubers in storage this winter. Will continue the adventure again this season and keep wishing for that swoon worthy daydream of a dahlia.

    Reply
  2328. Karen Bowman on

    I gravitate to the orchid varieties and ones like Waltzing Mathilda. I would love to see a bloom that resembles what you have with FireFly because I like the more open form of the petals, but with more purple and yellow, more closely matching some of those rich royal tones that orchids come in.

    Reply
  2329. Ruth Adler on

    My dream dahlia would be a big, very big, pink dinner plate dahlia like an old timer neighbor’s grandpa grew in his garden! As a child, I admired those dahlia’s and to this day still admire and grow dahlia’s every year. I have yet to accomplish those that he was so good at growing!

    Reply
  2330. Lane Moyer on

    It would be a dream to have a dahlia patch with robust yellow flowers that seem electric because the back of the petals are a bright pink that bleeds over the tip. Something that pollinators would enjoy with me.

    Reply
  2331. Adrianna San Roman on

    My grandma loved gardening and I am on a quest to name a new variety for her that captures her personality. She was a professional dancer in her native Argentina. To me, the “Gloria” dahlia would be in the blush-red family, a bold look, that dances in the wind.

    Reply
  2332. Angie W on

    My dream dahlia is deeply colored and full of petals. I love the poms and can’t get enough of saturated colors!

    Reply
  2333. Lisa W on

    I love cafe au lait and all of the champagne dahlias! I have the perfect spot to plant them and can see them growing there. I can’t ever seem to make the dream a reality since they sell out so quickly. Maybe this year… (hope hope)

    Reply
  2334. Teresa Shiraishi on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft, creamy yellow with hints of peach. Mid size, ball. 🌼

    Reply
  2335. Jenna Robbins on

    Dahlias are such an incredible flower for so many reasons; one being they are the gift that keeps on giving. Being a fairly new flower gardener, I am thrilled to just experience any dahlia that grows in my garden. Although, if I could imagine the ultimate dahlia that would knock my socks off I would say one with a unique coloring in the blue or green family. Especially if it was a large and in charge dinner plate variety. Floret has truly inspired me to follow through with all of my dahlia dreams.

    Reply
  2336. Jetta Neely on

    Hmmm…how about a deep purple with orange accents? For a Trick or Treat dahlia, and dinner plate size please!
    Thank you so much for all of the inspiration and beauth that you bring to this crazy world!

    Reply
  2337. Leena on

    Coffee coke with red tip petal.

    Reply
  2338. Gina on

    There is not enough shades of purple! From magenta to lavender, my dream monochromatic dahlia would hold more than one shade of purple.

    Reply
  2339. Crystal Willard on

    Erin & Team!!!! Soooo dreamy!

    What a beautiful, lovely read this morning!! (Thank you) With all the noise the past 2 years and especially now, what a breath taking treat to just join you in your dahlia journey and drop into your world and escape for a few minutes. The opportunity with flower farming is endless for dreaming.

    Thank you for taking clearly the incredible time/work/effort, to make this happen! With the Lord added magical goodness from Mother Nature, what a dream! “Magic” as you put is so well in your series on Magnolia. ♥️♥️♥️ Just beautiful!! Job well done Floret Team!!!

    Reply
  2340. Linda Dion on

    I would be absolutely thrilled to find pink, peachy or muted yellow dahlias in my flower field. Those jewel toned ones are gorgeous, but there is something about how those soft, warm colors that mirror a sunrise captivate me. Something that attracts pollinators too would be a dream also. In my old garden, I used to pull and cut bouquets for my colleagues at school. In our new home, it is a blank slate, but haven’t grown any bouquets yet. Patiently waiting for the soil to warm up so that I can tuck in some dahlia tubers! So amazing to see all the work you all have done 🤍 thank you for the continued education and inspiration!

    Reply
  2341. Robin Cameron on

    I’d love to see a Dhalia that looks like a cross between a firework and a gradient sunset. Something that captures summer in all it’s explosions. Being fairly new to flower growing I’d love to be able to learn more and experiment in my own new space. Thanks for all the work you do!

    Reply
  2342. Lauren Seiple on

    I love it when the Cafe Au Lait blooms come in creamy with the slightest undertone of beige and blush. I’d love another variety like that in a slightly smaller size. If we’re going with a theme then it would definitely be named “Cappuccino”.

    Reply
  2343. Hannah Seal on

    I think my dream dahlia would be a frilly cafe au lait type but the softest lilac color with more of a deeper purple as it fades towards the center. My daughter’s name is Violet and I believe that flower would almost capture her essence and beauty.

    Reply
  2344. Josie on

    One of the nice qualities of dahlia flowers is the neat/uniform formal looking feature it has in bouquets 💐. The larger pom pom types are stunning and would look perfect as alter flowers in our church. To me, any flower that starts one color and matures to another color adds interest to a bouquet. I feel passionate able white to pastels! Are any dahlias fragrant?
    Update: Due to my crazy caregiving schedule, I am not “owning” a cut flower garden, but I started a foster team for a church garden. I am the starter until seeds show their first and second leaves, then another church member fosters the babies until they can transplant into pots, then a group of church volunteers will work with youth group to plant a cut flower garden for our church for bouquets inside the church as well as shut ins.

    Reply
  2345. Elizabeth Arpin on

    I am a lover of the orange/peach/cream hues. Honestly, I’m so in love with dahlias that I don’t necessarily have a dream one- each one offers its beauty in its own way. So excited to see what you have to offer in the future.

    Reply
  2346. Marsha Watkins on

    I grew dahlias from your seeds last year. They were the best to germinate from multiple sources and had incredible diversity in color, size and shapes. My total favorite and one that I most carefully saved, was and crazy petaled semidouble that was a beautiful rose /blush with and darker rose edging. The crazy twisted petals were remarkable and I love that shape, blush with rose went so well with the lime red zinnias and I would love to see your trials come up with a “different” shape like these. Thank you for inspiring my dahlia breeding on a very very tiny scale. Best wishes.

    Reply
  2347. Deb Hall on

    Last year was my first season growing & digging up tubers, & I can’t wait to plant this year. My ideal dahlia would be as black-purple as possible with more pointed petals.

    Reply
  2348. Beth Leipert on

    I’m new to Dahlias and haven’t had good luck so far. I don’t want to give up and I love pink so that would be my choice. I love arranging flowers to give away. I grow tons of zinnias and I’m ready to branch out. I’m so glad I found Floret, you’re such an inspiration.

    Reply
  2349. Meredith on

    My dream dahlia would be many shades of peach; round edges and from light-to-dark oranges, reminding one of summer sherbet!

    Reply
  2350. Angie on

    Dahlia’s are so beautiful and catch the eye with their intense color and size. I prefer the big ball / pompom varieties and would love some deep purple and bright white to round out my color blocked cottage garden

    Reply
  2351. Penny Haney on

    I imagine an dahlia that would have the the colors of an Oklahoma sunset. The center would be a creamy yellow that fades into bronzy orange petals. Maybe in an informal decorative bloom, but honestly any of the different types of bloom would be beautiful!

    Reply
  2352. Maddie on

    I’d love to see a dahlia with as much texture as possible maybe mixing different variety types! No matter what dahlias are gorgeous

    Reply
  2353. Kristy Huntsman on

    This is our first season growing dahlias! I have a tiny budding flower farmer who is inspired by you and Nicole from Flower Hill Farm. Thank you for giving a dream:) My dream dahlia would be a lovely white with beautiful faint purple tipped petals. One with a nice big bloom! My little Makayla says hers would be coral pink and fade from yellowish to pink and purple.

    Reply
  2354. Jenny on

    I just started growing dahlias last year. My dream dahlia would be a compact, daisy-looking dahlia with yellow, pink, or white.

    Reply
  2355. Emily Johnson on

    My dream dahlia is any dahlia actually growing on my own property! I’ve been learning and preparing and obsessing over every blog post, (almost every) book, and series that Floret produces in preparation for dahlias some day. I’m growing vegetables and a few other flowers but soon I’ll get my hands on some dahlias too! The fluffier, the smokier/muted, the pale pink-ier, the bigger, the sweeter, the better.

    Reply
  2356. Melissa Ferrari on

    I’m making my first cutting flower bed this summer and would love to find a large bright orange dahlia that resembles “Little Miss Sunshine”. I also really love the misfit shaped dahlias. Thank you for being an inspiration to gardeners!

    Reply
  2357. Michelle Lasitter on

    I’m new-ish to dahlias only having discovered them through you the last year you sold tubers. I’ve mainly been an enthusiast of roses and bearded iris previously so I must admit that one thing I miss having in the visually stunning dahlia varieties is scent. I was surprised they don’t smell as divine as they look…at least not as far as I’m aware. That would be my dream dahlia #1. #2 would be blue or green, my favorite colors.

    Reply
  2358. Faith Allison on

    This last year I tried to breed my polka dahlia with my rockin run Ashley dahlia, unfortunately none of my seeds germinated! It was my first time trying so I will try again, for sure! I was hoping I would see some fun varieties that had the form of the polka, and still the brushes of pink that a polka has, but with added touches of the peachy pink tones of the R.R.A. that deepen as season continues. Maybe this year I’ll surprise myself… fingers crossed!

    Reply
  2359. Stephanie on

    I’d love a big dinner plate dahlia with a cream/white color and pink or coral in the inside.

    Reply
  2360. Sarah Graves on

    It’s so hard to choose! I think my dream dahlia would be a big dinner-plate size dahlia that’s rosy-apricot. Yum! I’d also love something in a buttery yellow. It’s hard to pick just one! Can’t wait to start my dahlias here in Vermont.

    Reply
  2361. Kathy Greene on

    Thank you for the beautiful photos and helpful information in these articles! I am a novice when it comes to seed starting and breeding, and I just watched your seed starting tutorial. Thank you for your inspiration!

    As a retired art teacher, I LOVE bright and darker colors together that compliment each other. I would love to see a star shape flower with yellow centers and the outside deep violet with slightly paler violet tips that curl up. A Van Gogh Star!

    Reply
  2362. Amanda Perin on

    I would be thrilled to find a pale, loosely petaled open variety, with just a hint of a dusty blush coloring. Or maybe the creamiest of yellow. I admire dshlia blooms with unsaturated color, and think the white and open centered types make up my favorites. I am growing out some seed collected last fall, and can’t wait to see what I get.

    Reply
  2363. Kelly on

    My dream dahlia would be a huge dinner plate size dahlia, loaded with apricot petals. I would love to just find a dahlia that is the large dinner plate size. 😊

    Reply
  2364. Nancy Bills on

    My dream dahlia would be a mixture of magenta and cream petals with a bright yellow center. When I look at dahlias, I am in awe of God’s masterpiece that He created for us to enjoy. All the perfect looking petals blooming, one by one. I only with everyone can enjoy seeing one in person.

    Reply
  2365. Bonna Shook on

    I would love to grow a huge bed of corally and peachy dahlias in all shapes and sizes. Wouldn’t that be dreamy?!

    Reply
  2366. 4 eyed Lisa on

    If I had a summer garden with only dahlias, it would be a plot filled with a rainbow of color and bloom sizes. The garden would be large enough to host dinner parties on long tables in the middle of the patch and large enough to start a U pick business.

    Reply
  2367. Jennifer Tuleja on

    To be surrounded by dahlias in my garden is a dream – pinks and oranges that have full and big faces of petals. LOVE them all!!!

    Reply
  2368. Debbie Elmer on

    My dream dahlia would be one we could name “Pinafore Dahlia” after the dress.. of course it would be collarless ;) since the pinafore dress is.. and then this dahlia would then lead to a long list of other dahlias we could name after vintage garments! cooooool…and honoring a legacy of beauty.

    Reply
  2369. Maria MacLeod on

    I love all dahlias! How can one decide?
    I think my favourite dahlia would follow colours of the season. Chartreuse in the spring, fresh cut grass. Brights with large yellow centres for the summer, double, triple petals. For the fall, burned orange, rusty red and ochre. For me the more the merrier. My husband and I will be developing a small dahlia cutting garden because of the inspiration and joy you have shared with the world.

    Reply
  2370. Judy Phillips on

    My absolute favorite dahlia would be blue like a Himalayan Poppy. It would have a lot of strong stems with flowers that wouldn’t flop in the wind. I also love flowers with a lot of petals. Flowers that have two colors in more muted tones are also a favorite.

    Reply
  2371. Lucy Vue on

    My dream dahlia would be a dark budge day almost black if possible large ball dahlia.

    Reply
  2372. Emily A Johnston on

    I would love beautiful yellows and pinks that are agreeable to grow in Utah…with strong stems to withstand the strong wind. 💗💛💗💛💗💛💗💛💗💛

    Reply
  2373. Sarah Tatley on

    Although bright colors are fun and exciting, my dream dahlia would be a light and muted shade of peach with more of a ball shape & many rows of petals! And, of course, a long stem for arranging and ideally many blooms on each stem.

    Reply
  2374. Ashley Crouse on

    Pink orange and yellow ombré like a beautiful PNW sunset!

    Reply
  2375. Stephanie Sweet on

    My dream Dhalia would be as big as a dinner plate, an obscenely bright color and smell like heaven. But I would be honestly thrilled to find any of these beautiful flowers in my seedling patch. I’m looking forward to trying Dhalias for the first time this year and I am quite excited for the ride. Thank you for the wonderful inspiration!

    Reply
  2376. Alicia DR Hankins on

    A dream dahlia… the ever sought after Blue color! The secret sprinkle of that bluish lavender to play peek a boo amongst the beautiful muted vintage tones of rosy pinks and cremes in a swaying field. I know, …it’s the unicorn of all dahlia colors…
    I love everything dahlia and everything Floret. Thank you for all you do. You’re and extention of garden beauty.

    Reply
  2377. Darlene MacDonald on

    My dream dahlia would look like an inspiration that would bring “joy” to the person I gave it to in order to put a smile on their face; particularly to someone hurting! Either large & brilliant or soft & romantic. Too many beauties for me to pick just one.

    I would be thrilled to find a “surprise” in my seeding patch. I’m in love with your C144/Firefly! I’d die to be able to plant it from seed!
    Thank you Erin. Have a magnificent 2022!

    Reply
  2378. Kate Alexander on

    There are so many wonderful dahlias! I love the big ones that are peachy/pink/yellow, just so creamy you can’t exactly nail down their color. They have their own color you can’t describe. I can’t wait to check out your book, I didn’t know it existed until recently!

    Reply
  2379. Molly on

    You’ve already created a dream dahlia, Firefly! A fluffy bloom with muted autumnal colors would be wonderful too. Thanks for being such a wonderful dahlia guide and inspiration!

    Reply
  2380. Lillian McDowell on

    It’s hard to say exactly what my perfect dahlia would be, I’m drawn to so very many. But something peachy with a beautiful antique look. Soft yet fierce and captivating. Pom Pom dahlia…or maybe the open type. This is my first t
    Year growing dahlias from seed and we are adding two long rows separated from the rest of my garden just for dahlias. You are such an inspiration for myself and so very many. Thank you for this opportunity to win and add to my collection, it would really set off my new dahlia project here in my own garden.

    Reply
  2381. Jennifer on

    I love the pink/red/white variegated varieties!

    Reply
  2382. Cortney on

    A dreamy dahlia would be around 4 feet tall, have a peachy/pink coloring and attract several pollinators to the garden

    Reply
  2383. Melissa on

    A dahlia that I dream about is a chocolate, sparsely petals flower with a uniquely contrasting center. It would have strong, long stems and a compact growing habit.

    Reply
  2384. Laura Matthews on

    I’ve only just entered the world of dahlias. I think a big, bold color would be amazing. Maybe some pink and orange?

    Reply
  2385. Rebecca Bond on

    My dream dahlia would a berry coloured (mix between fuschia and purple) pom pom with pink highlights on the tips of petals and bright yellow centre. Pure happiness and gorgeoussness.

    Reply
  2386. Deborah Lemmer on

    I would be thrilled to find a 4-6 inch cream, deep auburn, light pink and deep pink Dahlia growing in my patch where the colors are muted and blend together like watercolors.

    Reply
  2387. Anne Starr on

    A dream dahlia would be the yellow center with deep blue fading to the palest of blues on the outer petals! I take care of the flower beds at our small little church and , because of you, decided to focus on dahlias this year! Everyone should be inspired by their beauty as they drive by or as they walk in for services! Thank you!

    Reply
  2388. Bonnie E Braunius on

    Oh, boy, they’re all so beautiful. Something pink or red, with lots of petals and a big, fluffy yellow center.

    Reply
  2389. Jillian on

    Firefly is perfection! I honestly cant imagine a more perfect dahlia in color or form for me. I hope that I can grow one someday!

    Reply
  2390. Jill Arens on

    My dream dahlia would bring a smile to that one who is in the hospital or home bound, it would bring comfort to that one who has just lost a loved one, it would brightened the day of a grandparent who hasn’t seen or been able to hug their grandchild during the pandemic or just bring that ray of sunshine to brighten anyone’s day.

    Reply
  2391. Jan on

    As above, it is hard to narrow a choice down to a favorite. I am always drawn to the blush pink, white with interesting multi-petal and colorful sweet centers. My seeds that came with my copy of the book did so well last season., better than some of the tubers planted. I’m looking forward to separating and planting soon. (Zone 6b). I love the profusion of color in this blog! Spring! Thank you!

    Reply
  2392. Laurie Taylor on

    My dream dahlia would be about 4 foot tall and have nice, long stems to use in arrangements, the coloring would blend from a golden yellow in the center to a rusty peachy orange to the slightest burgundy tips. My dream dahlia would be a larger ball type dahlia.
    I would be thrilled to find my granddaughter and daughter enjoying flowers in the seedling patch. When she was growing up, dahlias were the only flower my daughter took an interest in that I grew. They have always had a special place in my heart for this reason.

    Reply
  2393. Connie Hall on

    Oh man, I have to dream up just one ideal bloom? I get so excited watching all my plants grow, even when I know what they are 😂 ( example below). If I had to choose, I’d say a mid to smaller dahlia ( they’re easier to add to the smaller mason jar arrangements I love gifting to people and brining into my dental office). Ball, frilly many petaled beauties or unique ball center with interesting petal shapes would all be adored, and cream/ peachy/ yellow/ pink colors, either swirled, splattered, or fading into each other. I’m a sucker for those colors and love watching the colors change as the flower ages. Those colors always feel warm and like sunshine, reminding me of my late Grandma, who shared her love for and taught me to garden, bake sourdough, preserve jam, and that love and laughter are the best things in life!
    My 10 and 18 year old daughters were laughing at me the other day when I gasped and squealed because my japanese maple little red leaf buds had all popped out a little further over night to the bright like green leaf color and everyone ran outside to make sure I was alright.

    Reply
  2394. Brittany Pendegraft on

    I would love a creamy white single or frilly dahlia with an exposed center, something that would bring lots of bees to my flower garden.

    Reply
  2395. JODY JESSOP on

    My dream dahlia is definitely C33! When you first showed this, my heart stopped. I would be so honored to have any of the dahlias coming from your patch. I’ve enjoyed watching your struggles turn into such HUGE successes! You and your team are so amazing, and I am so proud that we share the same back yard! (Helps me know, I can do this gardening thing, lol!)

    Reply
  2396. Kelsey Alto on

    My dream dahlia would be a cafe au-lait dahlia that was bursting with color

    Reply
  2397. Tania on

    So hard to pick a “dream dahlia”. There are so many color schemes that I’m drawn to! I think something with a light base color and a darker highlight—maybe yellow with a wine red 😍

    Reply
  2398. Hayley on

    Oh man, my ideal dahlia! I would love something that instantly captures your attention – medium sized peachy/coral color. More on the informal side and long lasting in a vase. I’ve become completely enamored with dahlias and have loved your Discovering Dahlias book!

    Reply
  2399. Heather Arpoika on

    Some curly and frilly and big, in a very moody purple. That would be my dream dahlia!

    Reply
  2400. Shu-Hsin Bredthauer on

    I would love to see something in the anemone shape with blush/champagne color… I just love the shape of some of the anemone dahlias how they look like tutus on little ballerinas or fairies.

    Reply
  2401. Amy Welborn on

    Thank you for sharing your passion! Growing plants and flowers fills me with joy. I think my dream Dahlia would be one that would be a reflection of a beautiful summer day. I like the full ones but the unique Daisy like ones are adorable. Just seeing things bloom that you have no idea what it is going to look like is both exciting and wonderful.

    Reply
  2402. Renée Fisher on

    Oooh…my dream dahlia would be a double Firefly…that color combo is HEAVENLY!!!

    Reply
  2403. Stephani on

    Turns out you have already discovered my dream dahlia! I saw her peeking out of several of these pictures. 5th set of flower portraits, top row, second from the left. What a beauty! 🤩

    Reply
  2404. Nicole Crumbley on

    What would my dream dahlia look like?! This is actually a very hard question. Last year was my first year growing dahlias from tubers. (Also my first year to dedicate a whole garden to cut flowers!) I purchased a few tubers from our local flower farmer at Sierra Flower Farm in Gardnerville, NV. Come to find out I was super successful! I LOVED having fresh cut flowers daily for myself and to give away to all my friends, neighbors and coworkers. Not to mention the beauty it brought to my yard! Unfortunately I was not successful in gather seeds from my dahlias last year. I really wanted to see what I’d get from the varieties I grew. So that is a goal of mine for the coming growing year. As for what I’d like to see come from my dahlia seed..I think I’d love to see a splashy peach/orange/cream dinner plate variety! THANK YOU for all the inspiration and education. It’s brought so much happiness to me and my garden. I will be doubling if not tripling my flower garden this year! Move over veggies the flowers are taking over!

    Reply
  2405. Alexandra on

    I would love a tiny anemone style bloom with a fluffy center and very pale blush cream tones. Long vase life and sturdy stems for arranging. Basically a perfect floaty small compliment to a Cafe au lait for bouquets and other wedding arrangements!

    Anything with the coloring of honey Dijon roses would be absolute perfection as well!

    Reply
  2406. Anna on

    A mini Cafe Au Lait with more twisted petals that fades from a soft pinky cream to an intense dark mauve, or one with deep dark purple and pink alternating strips, or more drastic bicolor dahlias- ohhhh the possibilities!!! 😍

    Reply
  2407. Yenelys Hernandez on

    Your blog posts never disappoint. You are on such a beautiful journey of discovery. Can’t wait to see how many varieties you find. There are so many beautiful Dahlias, it’s really hard to pick just one. I love the Cafe au Lait but the Creme de Cassis, the Labyrinth and the Peace of Heemstede are soooo beautiful too. Dahlias are just show stoppers. I can’t help but stop and admire them when I see them in gardens. Growing them and watching them bloom is so rewarding. I can’t imagine how you feel when you discover new varieties. Must feel like Christmas morning lol. Thank you for sharing your Dahlia journey with us.

    Reply
  2408. Arwen Notobartolo on

    Since reading you first book, dahlias quickly became my favorite flower to grow! They just look
    stunning in a vase all by themselves! I love bright yellow lemony sunshine colors and deep, dark pinks! Give me all the warm colors in September!

    Reply
  2409. Lisa on

    My dream dahlia would have to be lavender with deep violet edges.

    Reply
  2410. Annette Fisher on

    My dream dahlia would be a yard full of pastel colors of dahlias. They are my favorite. However the uniqueness of one would be a pink camo like one. where you look at it from one angle an it’s bright pink another angle light pink another angle soft white.
    Each one is beautiful to me created with love an passion.

    Reply
  2411. Claire Wade-Hak on

    What a beautiful selection already! I would be thrilled with a dahlia that holds colors from the sunset, a dreamy pink/peach/orange blend that like a sunset isn’t uniform and comes with a big fluffy flower head. I am very excited to experiment with growing dahlias from seed this next growing season.

    Reply
  2412. Christina on

    I’m partial to the apricot-appleblossom colour and I love a water lily shaped flower so my dream dahlia would combine these features. I really loved seeing your daffodil-like yellow dahlias from the breeding patch.

    Reply
  2413. Emilia Costa on

    Wow, your journey with dahlia breeding is so inspiring! I am planning to begin my own small dahlia breeding program this season and additional seeds you’re giving away would be such an incredible asset to help me get started. I’ve found that I’m also very drawn to the unusual forms and soft colors that Erin describes. My dream dahlia might be a seedling cross of Platinum Blonde with a strong informal decorative dahlia like Cafe Au Lait. Something like your seedling C33! I dream of more anemone and collarette dahlias with interesting soft color combinations. I especially love the yellows, blush, apricots and peach colored dahlias. I also like the smaller size dahlias as I think they are more useful for designing and arranging .

    Reply
  2414. Kathy on

    Love Chartreuse! And a dahlia of any form would be great fun to pair with ‘Green Ball’ Sweet William or Tobacco ‘Lime Green’. Thank you for your inspiring work shared in your photos and emails.

    Reply
  2415. Nicole Greenwood on

    Oooh boy my dream dahlia would look like a sunset deep pink and orange at the center and slowly lightening as it goes to the outer petals and it would definitely be a dinner plate dahlia. My dream seed packet to receive would be one of the cactus style dahlias all are so unique. This will be my
    First year growing dahlias and I’m sooooo excited.

    Reply
  2416. Anne K. on

    I’ve been watching the Floret journey all these years with you. Love all the Cafe Au Lait wanna-be’s, the blush and light pinks are our favorites. I hadn’t thought of growing from seed yet but now we will. Happy Spring in the garden! You still are the Dahlia Llama :-)

    Reply
  2417. Karen Macfarlane on

    My dream dahlia would be a warm peachy color with a light to dark pink rose color in the center. It would stand tall with 5 inch blossoms.
    I live in Oregon and our sunrises and sunsets are beautiful. I would call this dahlia Oregon Sunrise.
    Thank you for all of your hard work and efforts.

    Reply
  2418. Jenna Donovan on

    5 years ago I was medically retired form law enforcement. My husband and I decided to pack up the life we knew for the last 10 years and leave the mountains to start a new chapter. We moved 12 hours away too early by the beach. We were surprised the day we moved to find out we were going to have a babe.

    It has been so amazing watching my son grow and he is now old enough (3) to start digging and growing things himself. We spend a lot of time outside in the dirt and this season we have stocked up on dahlia tubers from local farmers here. I would love, love, love to be able to grow some special Dahlias with him. I love the simplicity of firefly and would love to grow and breed more of the beautiful simple dahlias. Reds and oranges that look like fires.

    Reply
  2419. Torrey on

    Dahlias were my grandma’s favorite flower, so whenever I see one I think of her. My ideal pompom style dahlia would be purple with a burst of yellow in the middle. Though I also love the firefly variety with the cheerful yellow and streak of red.

    Reply
  2420. Karen Kirkman on

    My dream dahlia would have colors of the sunset 🌅. I would love to have your book and some seeds. I am already seeing them swaying in the breeze in my mind!

    Reply
  2421. Michelle Westphal on

    My dream dahlia is a rich, solid medium raspberry in waterlily form, an early bloomer with long, strong stems with good branching capability.

    Reply
  2422. Martina on

    I’d love to see brown or tan – maybe with a rose or burgundy center

    Reply
  2423. Miranda G. on

    It appears that you have my ~DREAM~ dahlia and it’s called “Floret”. It appears like a ~strawberry lemonade~ version of Appleblossom. I would love to grow her!

    Reply
  2424. Elizabeth Haddad on

    My dream dahlia would be a deep vibrant red with a dark center and dark green foliage. I would want it to be smaller as I am stuck to container gardening and trying to grow huge flowers in pots or shade has been a challenge.

    Reply
  2425. Amybeth on

    Something that captures the beauty of women on National Women’s Day… a purple toned violet dahlia with hot flashes of magenta.

    Reply
  2426. Kristi Knevelbaard on

    I would love a peachy pink medium size variety that looks a bit like a peony. Being a profile bloomer would also be nice.

    Reply
  2427. Sarah on

    This is my first season growing dahlias, I am eager to learn and grow just as much as the tubers and seedlings themselves! Firefly is one that I saw you post a while back, I would absolutely love to see that one sneak into my garden. I enjoy the unique flowers that make you do a double-take. I love when the petals appear outlined, they add another delicate dimension, it also reminds me of how my son is learning to color and stay in the lines.

    Reply
  2428. Wende on

    Hi…I’m new to growing them, so far I love them all, but. If I could have a dinner plate Anemone that is white with deep apricot edges and throat, with a black center, that would be a dream.

    Reply
  2429. Amy on

    When I think of dahlias, I think of my grandmother. A strong, beautiful, classic that stands strong and not only survives, but thrives through the decades. I’m dreaming of a huge garden of dahlias and my dream dahlia would be a bright fushia pink with pointed petals and a beautiful yellow center. Thank you for all your beautiful posts and sharing your experience with us. It is so generous of you!

    Reply
  2430. Amy L Jouwsma on

    My Dalia would look like a gorgeous Washington sunrise. Pinks, purples, yellows all mixed into a tight ball.

    Reply
  2431. Angie on

    I absolutely love cream to light pink dahlias. I would say that color is my fav. But who am I kidding, I love all the colors and size/shapes from pompom to dinnerplates. They make me HAPPY.

    Reply
  2432. Michelle Gagne on

    My dream dahlia is white with yellow variegation. It would be the size of a dinner plate dahlia and look like sunshine!

    Reply
  2433. Stephanie on

    This is my first year growing dahlias from seed (from the packet in my Discovering Dahlias book!) and I’m so excited to see what beauties grow. If I could dream up the perfect dahlia, it would have long rounded apricot petals with deeper coral edges and a big, fluffy yellow center.

    Reply
  2434. Ainsley on

    My dream dahlia would be something that grabs your attention- multiple colors, dark fading to light, light fading to dark, a little bit less than formal towards the fluffy side, picotee edges are *amazing*. I want bold, something that could sit in a vase all by itself and still be the center piece. Something that makes you stop and just look for a moment.

    Reply
  2435. Julie on

    My ideal dahlia would be a bright yellow with hot pink veins in the petals. I love the flowers that are bursting with pillowy petals!

    Reply
  2436. Jill den Hertog on

    I have a preference for white. Tight balls , medium to smallish, with hints of soft pink or blue, many branches would be nice.
    Your descriptions make me drool. Thank you for sharing all you do.

    Reply
  2437. Lori Fugate on

    My dream Dahlia would have to be medium to large size, very full and fluffy looking, and very bright colors because the front of my house is very boring right now. Preferably a bright red with maybe some purple in the middle and yellow. In my mind all dahlias are beautiful but I can picture that one across the front of my house!! I live on a very busy four-lane divided state route, and I always have people comment about my landscaping when it looks nice.

    Reply
  2438. Tami Brown on

    I adore dahlias with dark stems so long, strong almost black stems would be my first dream characteristic. I also love dahlias in high contrast speckled colors. So maybe a raspberry and cream speckled Decorative with inky black stems — good long vase life, of course. AHHHHH! Perfection.

    Reply
  2439. Olivia on

    I am really not sure and would love to discover a variety that is hardy to 5 degrees, scented and a vigorous grower. Dahlias are such generational plants and have been favs of my grandparents and possibly my great grandparents who were gardeners also. It’s the utter joy of discovery that I want and nothing more !

    Reply
  2440. Tammy L. on

    I would be thrilled with any bloom in my garden. My grandma grew them but I have been hesitant to try them myself. The yellow sun looking ones look so cheerful. I could use some cheerfulness as I just lost my mother who loved to garden.

    Reply
  2441. Judy M on

    My dream dahlia would be a hearty variety for zone 5B so I wouldn’t have to dig them up to winter them over!

    Reply
  2442. Michele Steen on

    I would love to find a semi double bloom with a peach center and pale yellow outer petals that are streaked with peach. This was an inspiring article to read. Thank you for all you do!

    Reply
  2443. Colleen D on

    My dream dahlia is pink dahlia with hints of cream and yellow. Lots of petals and about 4″ with plenty of blooms and long stems! I loved this blog post!

    Reply
  2444. Rhonda Hall on

    Like so many others that commented on this blog, I have a hard time picking a favorite but I find myself drawn towards the Pom Pom shaped and peach/salmon colored flowers. I think my idea of the perfect seedling would be hardy and have strong stems, and multi colored like some of the yellows that fade to peach or pink. I love the flower you labeled in your pictures as c361 and D6.

    Reply
  2445. Jan Nelson on

    Discovering Dahlias was a fantastic introduction to dahlias and dahlia-growing, especially the extensive gallery by color and form of all of the different types of dahlias. One color that was not represented … blues in all different shades. Not sure if blues are scientifically possible, but they would be a beautiful complement to all of the rainbow of whites, creams and warm colors of current dahlia favorites. Thanks for a great book and a great blog on Dahlia Breeding Update!

    Reply
  2446. Lynn Frens on

    My ideal dahlia would have tones of pink, peach and soft yellow in it. I love all of the varieties available, but I would love to see these colors in a dahlia where the petals are a sparser double layer. It would have a stem of strength and would look beautiful in an arrangement of only this flower or in an arrangement with different flower types.

    Reply
  2447. Greg Cannistraci on

    I love following the Floret journey. My dream dahlia would be one that was totally unexpected, maybe a trio of colors in each petal or a form that just dazzles. Asking to pick a dream dahlia is like asking “Which is your favorite child”? lol

    Reply
  2448. Emily Kissel on

    I would love to find a variety in my English garden that brings in a terracotta color in an unexpected form with a long vase life and strong stem. I have old Quarry Tiles in my 1940’s home and love bringing in flowers that tie into the pinky oranges found throughout the tiles.

    Reply
  2449. Stephanie Frey on

    My dream dahlia would be full of tight pink and cream colored petals. It would have long strong stems. Standing proudly above all the other flowers in my garden. I would name it Christina in honor of my daughter who passed away this past Father’s Day from Turner Syndrome. When she was just 4 years old I bought her a pink dinnerplate dahlia to grow and she absolutely loved the large flowers that easily was larger than her tiny little face. I cannot pass a dahlia by now without thinking back on those sweet days when she would eagerly rush outside to check on her flowers.

    Reply
  2450. Lori McKinney on

    I have had such a love affair with Dahlias!! Just a couple years ago I was clueless to all that they offer, and Floret has taught me so much. I preordered your book and planted your seeds alongside some other tubers for my first effort into a dahlia patch. With our extreme hot summer here in Idaho last year, and my inexperience, it was a flop. BUT….the plants that did come up were your seeds, so I transplanted them into my flower beds where the conditions were a little kinder. I visited them daily to enjoy their progress and the beautiful blooms were so worth it! I did not feel defeated, I felt empowered to learn from my mistakes and try it again this year!!! I have 13 tubers in pots that I saved from my plants. I’m super excited for 2022! Thanks for the inspiration and the education! I love Dahlias!!

    Reply
  2451. Lindsay L. on

    My dream dahlia would be one that is fill and round and has the colors of a muted sunset, pinks, yellows and whites. I’d enjoy discovering all the varieties that dahlias come in!

    Reply
  2452. Bridget Farren on

    The dahlia that I dream about popping up in my patch would be shaped like your sample of C11 in the portraits shared. I like the slender strong stem and the beautiful pedals like the ones I drew as a kid, but with a second bright layer. The main color would green similar to the green envy zinnia, but softer with and explosion of white and muted pink for the inner second layer of petals.

    Reply
  2453. Jessica Thomas on

    My dream dahlia would look like a tequila sunrise with the petals being the lighter orange fading to the darker red center. I’ve never grown Dahlias ($$$), but I’m excited to try seeds this year! Thank you Erin for all your inspiration and motivation.

    Reply
  2454. Joan F. on

    I have never met a dahlia that I wasn’t in awe of. ALL of them are truly unique and beautiful. That said, I absolutely adore the multi-colored, striped ones and would love to see more of those.

    Reply
  2455. Stacy on

    So hard to pick an ideal bloom!!! But some of my favorites have full blossoms that look wild, like bed head!!!! My favorite color I had was white, with violet undertones in the middle. It was the coolest blossom that had to be left behind when we moved (wasn’t the right time to dig up). I still dream about that beautiful white and violet bloom with the structured round bloom. Sigh…..

    Reply
  2456. Amy Watson on

    My dream dahlia would be a purple and white speckled dinnerplate dahlia. The joy of the treasure hunt with dahlias is one of the best parts of summer. Thank you for sharing all of this wonder with us.

    Reply
  2457. Shelly on

    I’m always drawn to flowers with a coral color. So my pick would be a yellow center and coral petals brushed with deep red on the outside.

    Reply
  2458. Pat Esker on

    Oh my, I dream of having our 80-acre field covered in an assortment of dahlias, but my favorite would be those closest to the peaches and cream-I love them!

    Reply
  2459. Heather on

    This was beautiful to read thank you for sharing the joy! Perfect with my morning tea.

    I know some dahlia varieties produce blooms that are all slightly unique even from the same plant.. my dream would be a ball or pompom dahlia that has this feature!

    Reply
  2460. Johanna on

    Even though my favorite color is red, and I would love to have a red and white dahlia, that would not be my ideal color. I would love to grow my own Informal Decorative dahlia that has a glowing, two toned peach effect.
    I love seeing your posts and all the beautiful pictures you post. It is such a wonderful thing to see, especially during the winter.

    Reply
  2461. Betsy on

    My dream dahlias would be large and fluffy and look like the sunset with soft pink and purple pedal.

    Reply
  2462. Laura on

    Wow! I am so blown away by this post. What an amazing project. Now that I’ve seen “Firefly” I can’t seem to dream up anything else… But in general my dream dahlia would be dark pink in the center fading to yellow with red edging and big frilly petals.

    Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
  2463. Chanda on

    I would love a Diva’s vase life and shape but in the most beautiful burgundy color. Like rich velvet!

    Reply
  2464. Michelle on

    I’d love a light pink (not pale, still with some brightness to it) that is full like a Pom but rufflely petal Ed like cafe au laid, one that look like a peony. I love the look of them but can’t grow them and even if I could their season is so short. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a dahlia that looked like a peony?

    Reply
  2465. Naomi Takazawa on

    I love a small to medium sized decorative dahlia that’s creamy pink and blush. A smaller cafe au lait would be an amazing to work with.

    Reply
  2466. Christy on

    My dream dahlia would be the shape of a cafe au lait but smaller & upward-facing, a creamy white with ombré variations of pinks and apricots – and an early bloomer!

    Reply
  2467. Linda Angerer on

    I am going into my second dahlia season. I have so many favorites but I do one that catches my eye above all. I like the single petal edged with a big Pom-Pom center. Make it white with some raspberry color to center down deep and outlining petal raspberry tipped. I enjoy your videos and blog. Having a successful flower season with dahlias galore would be my dream to see in my flower gardens. Happy growing 💐

    Reply
  2468. Wendy Marti on

    I have been growing dahlias for about 10 years. They are, hands down, my favorite flowers in my garden.
    I’m blessed to have plenty of space to continually dig up new ground to expand my Dahlia beds. My husband , who recently passed away, had Parkinson’s disease , but thoroughly enjoyed his tour of the dahlias every evening ! It was the hi-light of the day.
    It’s very difficult to choose a favorite, but there are a couple of dahlias with pink fading in to orange that are stunning.

    Reply
  2469. Brooke on

    My dream dahlia would be a peachy pink color with petals upon overlapping petals!

    Reply
  2470. Lila Bender on

    I would like to create a Dahlia that is a larger light pink ball that looks like it was touched with Fairy 🧚‍♂️ dust! Like tinker bell herself had created it!

    Reply
  2471. Jenn Post on

    My dream dahlia?? Large heads with long blade like petals , slightly inverted at tge ends, ombré color with the darkest red on the outside getting gradually lighter orangey red to yellow to pale pinks on the inside. I literally had a dream about this that led me down the path of researching it to see if the variety existed (so far, no) and ended me on your page months ago! I have since purchased your book and follow your blog and I’m starting my own dahlia patch this spring!

    Reply
  2472. Janet Kramka on

    I would love to discover a dahlia with similar coloring & style as Cafe au Lait, but in a smaller form. The color & shape is what makes that particular variety so versatile and dreamy, but sometimes a dinnerplate dahlia is too large to use. Having said that, I am excited about something similar that has happened with seeds we received from Floret last season. A beautiful, shaggy white dahlia grew in our patch that looks just like Fleurel, but smaller with 4″ blooms. It appears to have produced some good tubers; I can’t wait to see how this continues to perform!

    Reply
  2473. Tina Floyd on

    Thank you for inspiring dreams! I grew a sad row under some sunflower giants. I listened to everyone on how to grow and I listened to people who do not grow them. I have learned my lesson. Like you taught us only take advice from people who do what you want to know. I am currently growing at a community garden for one more year/season until I can move on the land we purchased. I bought 10 tubers again and am trying to take cuttings I have watched all your videos and my teachers and students at the college again told me to treat them like potatoes WRONG!!! and I am so glad you, Jill and the whole gang are here to guide us in making our dreams reality. Thank you again! I dream of 5-10, 50-foot rows with T-tape and amended full of blooms. We are starting a u-pick flower farm in Washington next year and I want to make it a family experience where kids can fall in love with flowers. Learning all things flowers…. and yes, we will lose a few to small hands picking the wrong way but that is fine there will be plenty to sacrifice for learning no judgement we all are learning and encouraging future farmers.

    Reply
  2474. Jessica Dreisbach on

    Oh gosh my dream dahlia would be something close to a mauve color. I’d be thrilled to find a treasure in my seedling patch, something that ends up becoming a staple on our farm. How special would that be? (It is my first year growing dahlias) :)

    Reply
  2475. Gail Bartley on

    I’m growing some of your seeds for the first time this year. Wouldn’t it be great to discover a new color altogether, more in the blue range, with a bit of a fuscia/purpley center! I’d love it to be a larger ball or meduim waterlily shape. Even a lacinated cactus shape would be beautiful, I imagine it looking like an artichoke or cardoon flower…

    Reply
  2476. Marisa J Goldman on

    My dream dahlia would be some kind of collarette. I love the look of the peony and single flowered and the collarette are such a beautiful blend of both. They have the cute sturdy petals on the outside that are rounded and make me think of a perfect flower and then it’s like a while new flower inside with it’s wild petals. I love the way they come together which is why I’m in love with the C33 Floret you bred this past year. It’s got the sweetest flower face and you can’t help but smile looking at it. If I had a packet of seeds I would die to see any cafe au lait, collarette “Pooh” with their contrasting colors or the simple singles with ombre petals like “Bashful”. It’s hard to pick your favorites when each Dahlia has a unique radiance and beauty of their own.

    Reply
  2477. Leslie Lee on

    This will be my first year planting cut flowers and of course Dahlias are my top favorite! My dream Dahlia would be a large flower with a dark pink center and a muted pink outside, but in all honesty they are all beautiful and I love the mystery of waiting to see what you get! My daughter and I love following you and dreaming of building our fairytale garden.

    Reply
  2478. Katy W on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate, muted but rich pinky-blush that fade out to silky translucence . Long stemmed and prolific, that lasted really well in a vase. I love fresh flowers and none more so than my dahlias.

    Reply
  2479. Mirna Best on

    That be my second time to grow from seeds, and traid yours new varieties and surprise what will be produce, the fantastic mixed colors , incredible texture, unique and exquisitely and the same time excitement as well. Thanks for sharing and makes possible.

    Reply
  2480. Trisha on

    I am so inspired by this blog post. This will be my first year planting flowers and I’m so excited. Dahlias seem very elusive and intimidating to grow. I follow farmers who are selling tubers and I’m not sure I’m ready for that quite yet! Seeds sound easier! I don’t know all the terms to use to describe dahlias but my dream dahlia who be the round shape with peach bleeding out to cream on the tips. I also like the deep pink colored dahlias.

    Reply
  2481. Amanda Reid on

    I’m new to gardening but have always loved dahlia’s. The first flower I ever bought my mother from a greenhouse was a dahlia. I didn’t know what it was I just thought it absolutely breathtaking. I think my favorite dahlia would be a mix between the cafe au lait and the Princess Elisabeth. Tonal range from a deep orange to peach and pink. Very whimsical.

    Reply
  2482. Patti Szkwarok on

    I love them all, really! As a 1st generation Ukrainian, the yellow and blue/purple dahlia flowers are particular close to heart. Wishing you all a great growing season.

    Reply
  2483. Margaret on

    I love dahlias with petal forms that draw you in to look at them closer, where each petal shape fits perfectly in with the next, and the shadows between them become part of the color palette.

    Reply
  2484. Gennarina on

    My dream dahlia would be something so gorgeous and unexpected that I couldn’t even dream it up… it would just happen! But I do tend to love softer colors and lots of petals.

    Reply
  2485. Jessica Dunn on

    A rainbow of colors, a variety of shapes and sizes, each with their own personality and differences growing all together. The beauty of the people and places of the world in flower form.

    Reply
  2486. Chrissy on

    My dream dahlia would be light pink/salmon. My daughter would just love it. I’d also love to find a new color like blue or a true purple. I’m not sure how that would happen, but it would be remarkable to see!

    Reply
  2487. Val Taylor on

    It is hard for me to imagine the perfect dahlia but it would be strong stemmed and tall, have a long vase life and be a good producer. I like the anemone types and peachy/salmon are some of my favorites with a yellow center.
    I love your dahlia book Erin. I’ve been asked to write 2 articles for our local paper on dahlias and I will be recommended your book which I bought last year and grew my first dahlias from seed. They were beautiful!

    Reply
  2488. B Sanborn on

    My dream dahlia looks a lot like Firefly! I love single dahlias, and watercolor petals with streaks and folds or ruffles. This was an exciting post to read, I am fascinated by the process. I also want to say how much I love that you write about why you’re doing it… not everything is for sale, sometimes we do things to understand, learn, and celebrate that they simply exist. I also never knew (despite years of gardening) that I could try growing dahlias from seed. I’m so inspired!

    Reply
  2489. Nikki Wilson on

    Erin, you and your team are simply amazing. Thank you always for the inspiration. Xoxo

    Reply
  2490. Lizz Gold on

    My dream Dahlia would be a large full Pom of raspberry/orange/red exploding out of the center and opening up to a beautifully rich peach colored petal. I am quite new to Dahlias (they are a fav of my daughter-in-love, who is from WA state, so I am trying to incorporate something for her as well ). Thank you for sharing your passion- it is beautiful & contagious !

    Reply
  2491. Denise on

    Thank you for this inspiring post!! I have never grown dahlias from seed, but I definitely want to try it! I tend to gravitate towards peachy/salmon colors and thankful there are SO many varieties in that color range. I usually don’t gravitate to yellows, however, I think a dahlia the color of honey would be absolutely amazing. It would be the same shape/form as peaches-n-cream….with petals that shimmer in the sun. I’m swooning just thinking about it.

    Reply
  2492. Pascale shaw on

    My earliest smellmory ( smell memory) as a small child is that of my aunty dahlia garden. The flowers were colourful, frilly, beautiful and towered over me. What I remember the most though is the subtle and wonderful dahlia scent.
    It took me about 30 years but I now have my own dahlia patch and the wonderful scent bring back memories. Dahlias are not knows for their smell but if you grow them you can recognize it anywhere.
    What I would love to find in my dahlia patch is a small decorative pale to medium pink with the most wonderful smell. The smell of happiness.

    Reply
  2493. Brittni on

    My dream dahlia would have a 5-7inch bloom with fluffy, semi-curled white petals. The petals would have a soft bronze pink dusting working from the base of the petal outward. The center would be a puffy yellow. The stems would be long and strong. It would be romantic and lovely.

    This season, I would be thrilled to find anything that closely resembled my dream dahlia! But, quite honestly, I’m excited about every potential bloom and variety that will pop up from some seeds I’ve started.

    Thank you for this blog post! The creativity, organization, and research the Floret team display and share are inspiring beauty all over the world. You do the good hard work.

    Reply
  2494. Erica on

    When I think of dahlias, I think of the sensation of a soft, fluffy linen, pillow, duvet set that allows you to thoroughly relax. A dahlia that evinces this soft landing comfort is my style – I tend towards the white to light pink/apricot color range with voluptuous petals, all crowding in to be the first ones to beckon you to rest.

    Reply
  2495. Regina on

    It would be a dream to see a huge cafe au lait style dahlia growing in my backyard. Any color would do. Last year was my first year growing dahlias and they made me so so happy!

    Reply
  2496. Natalie Tegarden on

    I have closer to a dream dahlia palette that coordinates with Cafe Au Lait. I’m a farmer-florist that focuses on wedding work. Cafe is the perfect blush. I’d love a long lasting mid sized ball, a pompon and a water Lily in that soft, muted, velvety tone. And if we’re talking about my dream, which I don’t believe is actually possible, I would add a blue dahlia. Something small as an accent over a focal size but think eryngium or a periwinkle like tweedia. That sort of unicorn would be amazing!

    Reply
  2497. Terri Gambini on

    I love any pink and dark colored dahlias but my honey bees seem to prefer the softer shades.

    Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge .

    Happy growing!

    Reply
  2498. Julia Helgeson on

    I’m not sure I could possibly pick a single dream variety as I love so many different types and colors, but I am drawn to dahlias in the palette of yellow, peach, and pink that fade into one another on their petals, giving an overall impression of a late Spring sunset.

    Reply
  2499. Stawn Barber on

    My dream dahlia would be a giant pale pink AA beauty where the blooms fold back to a thick, strong stem.

    Reply
  2500. Kayla McLemore on

    I would love to find a smaller type dahlia that looks like Cafe or Fleurel, blush pink to creamy white but easier to use in arranging.

    Reply
  2501. Kathleen on

    I love the large dinner plate varieties! And am drawn to blush and cream. But wow Little Miss Sunshine and Firefly are so fun! This is my first year growing dahlias and I’m excited to start excited to how the season goes!

    Reply
  2502. Anna Jacobson on

    I’m a real fan of the unique fuzzy centers that have been introduced recently. However these flowers tend to be on the small size. I’d like to see a dinner plate dahlia mixed with a fuzzy one. An explosion of dinner size fuzziness! – Perhaps with a few wisps of cactus like petals curving up the sides for contrast.

    Reply
  2503. Beverly Meek on

    My dream dahlia would thrive in the south with small petals and small dark green leaves nestled close to the bloom. The flower would have small cupped and curved, sparkling white blooms with pale yellow slightly raised centers with the dark green leaves as much a feature of the the flower as the bloom itself. Together it would sometimes be mistaken for a miniature magnolia grandiflora bloom varying only the center color to indicate the possibility of another type of magnolia. Only the scent would be missing.

    Reply
  2504. Linda Henke on

    I was 6 months pregnant with our second daughter the day I married my husband 32 years ago tomorrow. (March 9) I had to wear a maternity dress and the prettiest one we could find was peach. Since then I have considered peach my good luck charm of colors. So my dream dahlia would be an aged peach that would have double layers of petals and a gorgeous center that would represent the life my husband and I have built together. We have 2 daughters and a son, have built a business together as landscape contractors that has morphed itself into flower farming. I am beginning with dahlias this season from both tubers and seed. I will be anxiously on a mission from here on out searching for my “Perfect Marriage” peach dahlia. Wish me luck!!

    Reply
  2505. Rachel McKee on

    My dream dahlia is a tall, light peach dinnerplate 🍑

    Reply
  2506. Pam Rickman on

    My dream dahlia is salmon in color with symmetrical petals and a long stem! A fellow teacher friend of mine gave me a bag of tubers last fall and I am really excited to put them in the ground and see what happens! I would love to win a surprise package!

    Reply
  2507. Brenda on

    My dream dahlia is vigorous, resilient, eye popping and jaw dropping! I enjoy the varieties that produce different unique blooms on the same plant so each bloom is a mini surprise and a big smile. Since it’s a dream dahlia, it would also be spider mite and virus proof!

    Reply
  2508. Bev Ray on

    I’ve never grown dahlias but the variety is exciting. I’d love to start this year. I prefer soft pink snd purples

    We are on our fourth year with a vegetable garden and I reserve the perimeter fence line for flowers. Have had success with zinnias!

    I enjoy the joy exhibited in all the educational materials provided by Floret. Thank you!!

    Reply
  2509. Shannon E on

    To me, it’s always a dream to find a flower that is “true blue,” so I’d certainly be surprised and in awe if I had a dahlia in that shade growing in my garden!

    Reply
  2510. Celeste Atterberry on

    Hot pink and purple informal decorative with dark foliage and a sturdy stem that holds the bloom at a nice angle!
    The floret dahlia seeds I started last year were so much fun and I got some really fun varieties yellow with a red center was my favorite I called her pyro.

    Reply
  2511. Tana Brown on

    My dream dahlia would be ombre purple and yellow, dinner plate. I would be thrilled to find some labyrinth in my seedling patch. This is my second year groing dahlias. We just purchased 30 acres and it has always been my dream to have a large cutting bed so I can delivery bouquets all summer and fall to people to bring them joy.

    I had 26 dahlias last year. I am attempting 500 seedlings this year and hope to continue to grow each year.

    Reply
  2512. Candace Riegel on

    My dream dahlia… Oh my how does one choose? To be honest I would be thrilled with anything in my seedling patch, but if I had to pick, it would be something muted and pastel in the blushy peachy pink palate. I don’t know how else to describe it, but it gets me every time. I can see one that’s delicate with the sweet, sunny-yellow, fluffy center and think that’s the one, until I see A poofy round ball of beauty that says “here I am” and then I’ve found a new favorite. When deciding which to grow, keep, grow more of, the struggle is real. It’s addicting. I love them all.

    Reply
  2513. Mitchell Weltman Tatar on

    Incurved cactus form with an ombre look from center petals to outside petals. Pink around the center petals fading to a light pink and ending in yellow at the outer petals. With great vase life!

    Reply
  2514. Janice on

    I would be thrilled to find a bloom with creamy white that has hints of yellow and blush to raspberry coloring. The blooms are fluffy, like a dinner plate but smaller so it works well in arrangements, on long, strong stems. There’s just something about a dahlia, and I am always blown away by the work you’re doing and how you willingly share it all with us! Thank you Erin! From one of your biggest fans!

    Reply
  2515. Anne McGilvray on

    My dream dahlia would be peach tones from yellow to pale orange. It would be 3-4 inches wide and would not require heavy staking if I could have all my wishes granted.

    Reply
  2516. Linda Jones on

    My dream dahlia would be a dark, almost black Burgundy cactus type dahlia with strong stems!

    Reply
  2517. Shawn on

    My dream dahlia would be a burgundy with pink and the one that looks like the sun in yellow

    Reply
  2518. Liv Mayoros on

    My dream dahlia would be a single petaled coral merging to chocolate brown just on the edges of the petal. The center would be a deep burgundy surrounded by tiny secondary petals of a lighter red wine edged with white or pale pink. I’d call it something like “the inversion.” How fun!

    Reply
  2519. Cindy on

    This will be my first year planting Dahlias. I’m starting with tubers . I will save plants for seedlings for next year. I’m so excited to see what the varieties I’ve ordered will look like after blooming.
    My dream Dahlia would be a large dark pink on the outside , with a liter pink , then a bright yellow center. All your flowers are so Beautiful!

    Reply
  2520. Kate Lyaker on

    I would love a dahlia “bush” with large white flowers similar to cafe au lait that I could mix in with my landscaping. I know they did something similar with sunflowers and made a plant that has dozens of blooms in the form of a shrub. Thanks, Erin!

    Reply
  2521. Karen Wignall on

    I’m so excited to start the seeds that I recieved for Christmas. I shared some with my son and daughter. We are so excited to share photos of the flowers we grow and compare the colors and shapes. I love almost all colors and shapes. I’m especially drawn to a pale pink in a full blossom.

    Reply
  2522. nancy on

    I have been growing dahlias for three years, since I jumped in to have flowers for my daughter’s wedding. I like muted colors and a longer picked life-they do not last long inside my house. I also like plants that do not grow over 5ish feet tall! I have not saved seeds, just tubers, but I am feeling inspired! Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
  2523. Heather on

    I would love medium size dahlia that was the softest pink (blush) that is a pompon style on a long stem.

    Reply
  2524. Jackie on

    I am hard pressed to pick a favorite. Every new one i see beco.e the one. But, I do love pale yellow with pink.

    Reply
  2525. Sara Robles on

    Congratulations on your one year anniversary! What would my dream dahlia look like? Something large and blush, maybe a coral/peachy color. The most important thing would be that it could handle our heat and mountain extremes, maybe even a little shade tolerant. I grew dahlias for the first time last year and saved enough seed to have a while bed of seedlings. I’m so excited to see what they gift me with!

    Reply
  2526. Aimee on

    I’d love a pale anemone with a big fluffy center, collarette-style petals, and good cut flower qualities. I think another great breeding goal would be resistance to diseases like mosaic virus and gall.

    Reply
  2527. Claire on

    My dream dahlia would be orchid purple tinged with magenta! I’m growing dahlias (from tubers) for the first time this summer and so dang excited!!

    Reply
  2528. Meredith on

    Right now I am VERY into blush ball varieties, but I think this is an evolution for me. A few years ago it would have been a dark purple or red cactus, I love the ability to find a new favorite around every corner.

    Reply
  2529. Cindy palta on

    Last year was my first year growing dahlias from seeds and it was easier than I thought and also rewarding because it was a surprise what kinds of blooms one would get. I would love to grow daias like labyrinth and cafe au lait one day soon.

    Reply
  2530. Astrae Doty Vargas on

    I’m always drawn to the red-coral-peachy color spectrum, and think a dahlia that moved through that spectrum as it aged would be amazing. Something with a medium to big head and a little spiky. And maybe a few creamy streaks thrown in. I feel so inspired by this article and can’t wait to start my first dahlia patch this spring!

    Reply
  2531. Susan J. Kehoe on

    Thank you for allowing me to share my journey and dreams here in Ottawa, Canada. To be able to answer your question would require me to know something, anything, about specific dahlias. I have never grown a dahlia…how sad is that! (And I am 64 years old!). What I do know about dahlias is that looking at their beauty brings incredible joy to my heart and beautiful memories of long gone family members to my mind. There are so many varieties that I cannot choose just one colour or structure…which of course, is no help to your research.

    This year however, is the year that this will change! I bought your Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden book this past winter and it has inspired me to grow dahlias, all from tubers, which I have already bought. I have also rented a 20 ft x 7 ft plot in our condo community gardens in a space where the sun shines all day, to grow a cut flower garden (among all of the vegetable gardeners). I am so looking forward to see how my adventure in cut flower gardening unfolds. I hope it is fruitful as I would like to share my bounty with the many flower lovers in my condo community later this summer.

    Thank you for sharing your gift!

    Reply
  2532. Supiadah Jacques on

    Hello my name is Supi. My dream dahlia would be a cool light lavender, almost white with a hint of lavender, with purple color on the edge of the petals. It would be a medium size ball dahlia. It’ll be a perfect size dahlia for flower arrangements! Would love to see shades of purple dahlias from the seedling patch, if I am so lucky to win it. Thank you for sparking a joy of just growing flowers in general, in me!

    Reply
  2533. Lydia Shanholtzer on

    I received your book “Cut Flower Garden,” as a gift. This book opened up a whole new world for me (on a very small scale at this point). I now have a small flower bed for cutting, now blooming with Tulips, daffodils and Crocus. I cant wait to see what is new each day. My family is probably so tired of me showing it to them…lol! I have seedlings of your Dahlias sweet peas in a starter tray right now on a warming pad. I appreciate your short classes, I have found them to be so helpful…Thank you!! I am so excited to read your book on Dahlias.

    Being so new to this breed, I am blown away as to how beautiful Dahlias are. All of the colors are so beautiful, but I always seem to lean toward the pinky, coral color, although the yellows are so bright and sunny! I thought that I would pick the ball shape, however after going through this blog, I might be leaning toward the open pedal type. Since I don’t have dahlia experience at this point, I would hope that they have a long cut life.❤️

    The picture of the white ones…WOW!!

    Reply
  2534. suzanne cheverie-pugh on

    I love large dinner plate dahlias like Penhill Watermelon and Labyrinth but I wish they would have stronger stems and a more compact habit. But I still love them!

    Reply
  2535. Linda on

    I’d love to find a tall, stemmed Dahlia with large ruffled purple petals that graduate from light purple near the center and dark purple edges and a dark purple center. We can dream! I’m very new at planting Dahlia’s. We shall see if any of the tubers I saved come back to life!

    Reply
  2536. Angela Turley on

    Your generosity is always inspiring! My dream dahlia would be a deep burgundy red with double petals.

    Reply
  2537. Rebecca on

    My dream dahlia would have purple hues, loads of petals and some curved ones too.

    Reply
  2538. cherie tsong on

    My dream dahlia would have a blend of 2 colors: coral pink and orange. It would remind be of a beautiful sunset with lots of ruffles.

    Reply
  2539. Rebecca on

    I love true blue flowers of any type. Blue blue not purple. I would breed the fluffiest bluest Dahlia I could. I’d pair it in a bouquet with smaller white blooms of varying flowers. It would be a florists and environmentalists dream because it’s not artificially tinted.

    Reply
  2540. Maria Collins on

    My dream dahlia would be the salmon colored and deep red ones. Yellow with colored tips is a favorite as well. Actually, I would just love one of every color! lol. I missed out on the seed sale, as when I signed on during my lunch break, one hour after they went on sale, they were all sold out. That did not deter me, as I was able to get some seeds from Swallowtail Garden Seeds. Thank you for your generosity and sharing your gifts and talents with the world. Through you we are all making it a brighter more colorful place to live. Looking forward to growing my dahlias and harvesting my tubers to send them out into the world!

    Reply
  2541. Natalie Lairamore on

    Goodness.. it’s so hard to decide what my dream dahlia would even look like. I love so many of them! I would be thrilled to find one in my garden that is Appleblossom-esque with a fluffy domed center.. or maybe a large, frilly dinner plate that is creamy white with buttery, peachy undertones. Discovering Dahlias has been on my book wishlist since it came out, so I would be very excited to win!

    Reply
  2542. Lisa Padden on

    I’ve never grown dahlias, but am inspired by your journey. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world. My dream dahlia would be the 18th picture in this blog post. As I was reading down, I literally gasped at that picture. Peachy blush and full heads. There will definitely be dahlias in my garden this year. I’m so excited to get growing.

    Reply
  2543. Amanda Hanna on

    Dark purple outer petals with lighter purple on the inner petals with a bright green center would be my dream dahlia. To be honest all dahlias make my heart happy, and I look forward to spring to see all the beautiful colors.

    Reply
  2544. Val on

    The dahlia for me would be a soft dusty rose color, a perfect foil for the dreamy pastels, medium sized and oh so perfect in a vase. Renaissance recreated!

    Reply
  2545. Amanda Wisdom on

    Thank you for sharing your process! I love seeing the varieties you discover- it’s very inspiring.
    My dream dahlia would be a layered apricot, brushed with a deep plum.

    Reply
  2546. Renee Nelson on

    Oh – hard question. One would be a peachy center maroon at the ends ball type bloom. I really just love them in almost any color!

    Reply
  2547. Jennifer A. on

    My dream dahlia would be a fuchsia color with lots of petals then the inner or center petals would fade to a light pink color creating an ombré like effect. I would also be thrilled just a finding dahlia in my patch because last year mine didn’t survive the heat and bugs where I live!

    Reply
  2548. Kim Carter on

    How exciting to find other gardeners that love Dahlias as much as I do. I am partial to peach, with a subtle pink tone. But honestly I love all colors and really enjoy the longevity of the dahlia. I am designing my own area this year among my already too many plants area, :) to really focus on cut flowers. I would really like to try breeding dahlias also. Thank you for all your information you have been a wonderful teacher and mentor for me.

    Reply
  2549. Jackie Schmidt on

    Dahlias are such wonderful flowers, it’s hard for me to pick what would be my dream dahlia! I love to bring cut flowers inside to enjoy, so I guess as long as it was one that works well for cutting the possibilities are endless! There are so many beautiful colors that it’s hard to choose, each has its own beauty and can be combined or not to be enjoyable with other flowers.

    Reply
  2550. Denise Cummings on

    My dream dahlia would be an anemone or collarette with a dark red/maroon center and cream with pink ombre petals. A person can certainly dream right?

    Reply
  2551. Kim Plzak on

    I have a special name selected in honor of a childhood friend for a dahlia that I dream will look like a pink carnation with creamy white tips. The dahlia will be 3-4 inches across and will have Informal
    Decorative petals that have a whimsical look to them.
    I will have seeds planted again this year!

    Reply
  2552. Sophie on

    My dream dahlia would be full, twisting peach or cream petals with a yellow center. I really would be thrilled to find any keepers! My first year growing dahlias was just from seed and it was so fun!!

    Reply
  2553. Diane Greiner on

    I’m totally new to the dahlia world, but you have inspired me to delve into this with your insatiable joy of dahlias! I think my ideal dahlia would be one that would fit into my flower garden landscaping, so shorter in stature. My favorite color would be in the apricot family with gradations in that color (maybe an ombre effect).

    Reply
  2554. Susan Boyd Stepanchuk on

    I have fallen in love with this pinkist looking, tall, Dahlia that is to your left, my right, in a video you did showing us how to collect dahlia seeds. It reminds me of a Appleblossom but so much different. I have scoured the internet for it, but it must be one of your originals. It definitely has my heart <3 Recently, I just purchased your book on Kindle, (waiting for my next pay period to order the hardcopy of your book) There is a White Star shaped flower, you have a photo of, that I have not been able to find either. I saw a photo of a "Cafe au Paris" on a site overseas that was absolutely gorgeous as well and would LOVE to have. Honestly, it is your site and books that have inspired my love for Dahlias, I am soooo crazy about them all….. Thank you for all your hard work for bringing beauty into all of our lives. Sincerely, Susan

    Reply
  2555. davia mcnamara on

    Oh my gosh. This is just the dream!! I’m growing to 50ft beds of dahlia seed here because of you and cannot wait to see what treasures I find. I don’t really have any clue what I want to find but I want to find something so unique and special that will just wow me. Can’t wait!!!

    Reply
  2556. Renae Summers on

    I’m of the mind that all dahlias are my favorite dahlia *right then*! I’m a lover of all shapes and colors and sizes and types. I especially love gorgeous color transitions. I haven’t tackled seeds/breeding yet, but I’m obsessed and intrigued.

    Reply
  2557. Amanda Hagens on

    Anything. I cannot imagine the thrill of stepping into my garden and seeing a uniquely formed dahlia that only I have been fortunate enough to capture. The excitement I feel in seeing my tubers sprout and grow each year is thrill enough but to have had a hand in nurturing something completely new? That would be exhilarating. I can’t wait to try my hand at this. Differing petal lengths, puffy yellow centers, watercolor brushed petals, and rich green foliage are all some of the qualities I’d love to attempt to conjure.

    Reply
  2558. Darcie on

    Strong stems, muted color, fluffy petals, and great vase life!

    Reply
  2559. Adriane Dillard on

    I know nothing about dahlias, with the exception how how beautiful they are in any size, color or fragrance. All I know I was hooked when a friend gave me a bouquet after a hospital stay. So this spring I’m planting a ‘I’m a survivor garden”. To help put my mind and soul into something while I fight this cancer (multi Myeloma). This includes a veggie garden with help from my daughter and son, along with some of my favorite flowers.

    Reply
  2560. Ashley Tooley on

    Hello everyone! My dream dahlia would be a pointed petal anemone style in the palest cream, yellow and apricot tones. It would have the same tones as a cafe au lait, but with 3-4 inch pointed petals and frilly mini petals around the center. The center would be a short dense marigold yellow. The breeding patch id love to have would be in my side yard under the beautiful garden lights we recently strung. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this drawing!

    Reply
  2561. Sondra Cover on

    I’m just a flower freak so I don’t know if I have a favorite in mind. I just love all the different shapes, sizes colors of your Dahlias. My favorite used to be the tight pin cushion variety but now I’m in love with the single pointy petal with velvety middles. Pink is a favorite color but also love the multi color as well. I live in the Dallas TX area and anxious to see if I can raise them in them zone.

    Reply
  2562. Audrie Patterson on

    My dream dahlia would be a pale peach that has iridescent qualities to the petals so that when the sun rests in the petals it shimmers like it’s got gold dust in it! The leaves would be a deep green with deep purple undertones to complement and accent the pale peach.
    I’d be thrilled to find ANY seedlings growing in my garden that will bloom well in Texas. Still on the hunt for dahlias that will withstand our hot summer nights. And the fluctuation in our spring temps. It could be in the mid 70’s during the day and in the 30’s at night. I’m still determined to succeed!

    Reply
  2563. Bethany on

    I’d love to see one that is somehow a bright vibrant plum with some hints of pale gold. My husband is fighting for his life with colon cancer and the University Athletic Department he’s worked for his entire career wear purple and gold as their team colors. My boys are used to seeing their Dad in these colors so a flower that’s very “Papa” would be amazing.

    Reply
  2564. Christine Federation on

    I would love a midsize anemone type dahlia with coloring similar to cafe au lait with some light peachy salmon mixed in.

    Reply
  2565. Stephanie L Shoemaker on

    This is so amazing!! Yes Dahlia Fever is a real thing… keep up the hard work and spread the love.

    Reply
  2566. Leah Garriott on

    I love your firefly and little miss sunshine. I’d love something like those in a purple-gray color. Thank you for your posts. They’re always so beautiful and inspiring.

    Reply
  2567. Ashley Cunningham on

    First off I love all Dahlia & would be happy to have any additions to this years patch however, my favorite has always been cafe au lait. It’s 8-10in creamy blush bloom size is a stand out. Similar informal decorative variety’s that I have not grown & would like to include ‘Clearview Palser,’ ‘Break out,” ‘Haley Champagne,” ‘Summer Beauty,” & ‘Shiloh Nowlle’
    I seem to be attracted to the light colored (white, blush, light pink, light salmon) feminine Dahlias & am very excited for this summer’s season!

    Reply
  2568. Kimberly Beiswenger on

    It would be so hard to pick just one dream dahlia but I would love one that builds on the idea of a coleus mix. With ruffles of hot pinks, deep pinks and a beautiful lime. As with the coleus I would love a mix where on one the center is more lime and the edges more pink and then a reverse if that makes sense. Lots of lime and pink for pop in window boxes

    Reply
  2569. Lisa Smith on

    The beauty of dahlias is their ability to stand out without the presence of other flowers. The shape of the petals and the variegation in colors is so appealing to the eye. Another aspect is their colors are not typically not found in other flower varieties. I would favor a variety in peach/apricot variegated tones in a delicate water lily peony shaped head. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, love, and appreciation of flowers.

    Reply
  2570. Laura Ramie on

    Super inspiring – I love all of the stunning photos of dahlias. I’ve become a dahlia enthusiast after purchasing a grab bag of mystery tubers from a local dahlia grower. My dream variety… I have to say after visiting the Dahlia show at Longwood Gardens I’m in love with cactus types. My dream would be a peach and yellow cactus – maybe with a reddish middle. Although a close second would be super tight apricot ball or pompon. I love how tightly the petals are clustered in the ball type of dahlia! Warm sunsetty colors are my favorite.

    Reply
  2571. Brittany on

    Hi I’d love a creamy pink with billowy petals but not as large as dinner plate with soft but bright yellow streaks and a fluffy yellow center. Almost like apple blossom but more drama and sophistication.

    Reply
  2572. Suzanne Hetrick on

    What an inspiring post! With spring coming faster than a freight train it’s fun to make plans for my dahlia tubers’ future.
    I love so many varieties but it seems that I can never find enough of the pom-pom varieties to mix in arrangements. Bright orange with pink centers or cream with edging in yellow would be gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing all your experiences. ❤️

    Reply
  2573. Jenny on

    My perfect dahlia would be a creamy white with apricot bleeding from the center with the perfect symmetrical tiny petals!

    Reply
  2574. Rebecca Petersen on

    I would love to see some Golden Hour, Peaches & Cream, or Floret variety. I find myself drawn toward the blush colors and peach colors. I am loving all the different shapes they come in, especially the big ones.

    Reply
  2575. Julianna Boulter on

    It would be a giant ball dahlia with hombre rainbow colors. I can’t imagine anything that would make me happier!

    Reply
  2576. Maren on

    Colors similar to the Amazing Gray Poppies with some shimmer in the petals and slightly aerated petals like the Jowey Mirella Dahlias.

    Reply
  2577. Susan Kraeszig on

    My dream dahlia would be as big as a dinner plate in shades of yellow, since my heart went pitty-pat when I reached the yellow dahlias in your pictures above. Last year was my first to grow dahlias, and I was truly delighted when the green leafy plants produced some lovely pink blooms. I’m planning a larger bed this Spring with some actual Floret seeds I was lucky to get.

    Reply
  2578. Emmy Gran on

    I would love to see a lilac colored dahlia! I really enjoyed hearing about your experimenting and trials. I always felt like being a farmer was often more like being a scientist, testing hypotheses all day!

    Reply
  2579. Stephanie Rose on

    So hard to choose a dream dahlia, they’re all so incredibly beautiful! If I had to pick it’d be a light pink to lilac color globe flower (similar to your C216 above). I saved seeds from dahlias I grew last year, hoping to have some beauties this year in the garden.

    Reply
  2580. Jodena Beard on

    My dream Dahlia would be a teal/turquoise color. Why don’t they come in blue?

    Reply
  2581. Niina on

    There are so many to choose from, but I would absolutely love to see a completely new color such as blue coming out of the seedling patch! The odds (or even dahlia genetics) might not be in favor but that’s the thrill of growing from seeds!

    Reply
  2582. Melisa Gordon on

    My dream dahlia would be a peachy, coral raspberry one! I can’t get enough of this color palette! This is my first yr growing from seed. Last yr I tried dahlia cuttings for the first. I just LOVE dahlias. My grandma introduced them to me💓

    Reply
  2583. Heather on

    My husband gave me all 3 books for my birthday last year. This is my second year of growing dahlias. Your book helped me through my first year and I so enjoyed all of the blooms. I can’t wait to replant my tubers in a few weeks.

    Reply
  2584. Laura Koenig on

    My dream dahlia is a peachy orange waterlily type, with a darker center with some purple tones to it. Drama and dimension!

    Reply
  2585. Lisa O'Connell on

    My dream dahlia would be yellow and pink with purple edging! I don’t even know if that is possible, but I love the dahlias that have two colors- they are so magical! I love what you are creating with your breeding program- so excitng!

    Reply
  2586. Lindsay Wehrwein on

    My dream dahlia would be a deep pink or purple and really full. I am always attracted to the pinks and purples!

    Reply
  2587. Emily Mitchell on

    My dream dahlia would be so creamy and sherbert that it would look like frosting on a cake. I love the lighter colors that are almost white but have a wee bit of color so that I get lost looking at the petals.

    Reply
  2588. Megan Dawson on

    I love the big showy blooms but trying to decide a color is hard. I typically go for the muted colors but love a deep saturated magenta too.

    Reply
  2589. Kendra on

    I would love to see a fuchsia colored medium size dahlia. A dahlia that had the strength to stand in a bouquet. That color makes my heart spark with longing and a sense of beauty. I haven’t tried saving dahlia seeds yet, I seem to have a failure to launch of other flowers I tried from seed. I think to see a seed patch full of variety and color would be a great joy for me.

    Reply
  2590. Dolly Perry on

    My dream dahlia would be a Labyrinth type of dahlia. It would be purples and pinks with a cream center. It would have long stems and make tons of tubers.

    Reply
  2591. Melody Simpson on

    Inverted gradient fuchsia color on an informal decorative. I feel like that was a mouthful…I am brand new to this so I don’t know the proper description.

    Reply
  2592. Luz on

    I would have to say AnY dahlias. I have never grown anything but children. 😆 Thinking of starting a garden in my empty backyard. A flower garden. Stumbled upon your blog. Learning all things.

    Reply
  2593. Peter Jones on

    My dream dahlia has a bold center that softens the further out the peddles it goes. The shape has to catch the eye so when it is displayed it has depth as well as beauty. I think the biggest thrill to find in the seedling batch would be that just brings you back to it to watch it grow and simple enjoy in its creation.

    Reply
  2594. Amy Shell Hoggard on

    This is my first year growing a Dahlia. I only put two in the ground just to see. When reading your blog post , I kept looking of the color of Winnie the Pooh. A very light yellowy orange. But my favorite flower color is white. So I’d love a big beautiful white one too.

    Reply
  2595. Tiffany Flake on

    I would love a dahlia similar to the queen lime red zinnias. Pinkish hues with a touch of green. Thank you for this post. It’s very inspiring and makes me want to save some dahlia seeds.

    Reply
  2596. Kathryn May Huff on

    My dream dahlia would be a cream to ivory with a light mauve brushing the edges, dinner plate size to medium. For my mom, she would love a raspberry color perfect small to medium ball.

    Reply
  2597. Heather Barron on

    My dream dahlia would be a prolific B size informal decorative with an ombré of pinks. I’d love to find a pink or lavender version of Optic Illusion in my dahlia seedling patch. Loved reading your update! Thanks!!

    Reply
  2598. Lindsey on

    I am with you seeing and planting flowers bring so much Joy! I have always told my husband if I could figure out a way to have fresh flowers fill my house year round I would. How about a Dark rich purple with hints of coral coming through. The pestles would be bigger and almost look fluffy. never seen a purple and coral/orange color coming through and think it would look pretty magical.

    Reply
  2599. Betty Dorotik on

    Thank you for inspiring so many of us. This year I am dedicating a small raised bed of soil, that was overcome with mint, to grow dahlias.
    My dream dahlia would be the color of the rose Distant Drums or KoKo Loco, pink embellished with muted caramel fading to ever so slight lavender.

    Reply
  2600. LAURA WILSON on

    My dream variety would be a beautiful pearly neutral, with a dark center. Possibly hinting at buttery yellow. Not too big of a head, but lots of soft petals, and soft looking.
    I’ve never met a dahlia I didn’t love! Your project sounds thrilling!
    I don’t have nearly your space, but am interested to try it with what I’ve got.

    Reply
  2601. Mary on

    My dream dahlia would be similar to Little Miss Sunshine, but with streaks of orange in the outer petals. Simple shape with a burst of color! I’ve never grown dahlias from seed before, so would be thrilled to give it a go!

    Reply
  2602. Melissa Vliem on

    Ooo, that’s such a hard question! I love to see several varieties/colors growing together for that multicolored effect. But if I had to pick one, I think I’m drawn the most toward the peachy-pink hued dahlias in the ball shape, medium to large size.

    Reply
  2603. Allison on

    One that will grow well in the southeast where I live! I tend to like both muted colors or super dark, nearly black flowers. Or better yet, dark foliage with a white mid-sized bloom.

    Reply
  2604. Victoria F on

    I’m always torn between the delicate, ethereal pinks with a touch of yellow, and the bold, shocking purples. And unfortunately, my new favorite color of Dahlia tends to be whichever one I happen to be looking at. 😉

    Reply
  2605. Amanda Baxter on

    Cafe Au Lait was my first dahlia experience and it’s really hard to top. I love color variations and speckling on petals. Peachy rose colors are my favorites, big fluffy blooms that put on a show when their petals unfurl. I have loved watching the process and feel so inspired by you and Kristine Albrecht.

    Reply
  2606. Kelly Woolen Strang on

    I have just started to really admire the dahlia. So many shapes and sizes and colors. My favorite (so far) is the dinner plate Dahlia. Love how big it gets. I also love the Tyler James as that is a nephews name!! Oh heck. I love ‘em all.

    Reply
  2607. Amanda on

    First of all, the gallery of photos in this blog post are stunning and make me SO happy to see as I enjoy my morning coffee. My dream dahlia would mimic the daisy. A stark white honey comb giant pom pom with a brilliant hansa yellow middle! I have been inspired by your blog and attempting my first flower garden this year – our dining room has been taken over with flower seed start trays :)

    Reply
  2608. Pam on

    I grew dahlias from seed for the first time last year and I was amazed. I had previously only grown them from tubers. It was so much fun to see what each flower would look like when it opened. I don’t know that I will ever go back to buying tubers. I love them all so it’s hard to narrow it down to just one, but I do love the peaches, that may has an surprising bit of another color like maybe raspberry swirling in.

    Reply
  2609. Sophie on

    I would say something big and fluffy with a creamy white and pink undertones!

    Reply
  2610. Kim Pitzer on

    My dream dahlia would be one with a beautiful bright salmon color with some pink and white entwined. And I would be thrilled to find even one growing as I have never grown them before so even one would be a success to me! Thanks for bringing so much beauty into the world!

    Reply
  2611. Ashley Baker on

    So many ideas— but I keep coming back to the thought of something with a pale, creamy yellow center that fades to a peach-coral towards the tips of the petals. A big, fluffy head, but not with perfectly uniform petals. I’d like the petals to have motion, twist a little, be slightly imperfect- but draw you in, in a nostalgic way.

    Reply
  2612. Christi on

    I love the textures, the muted colors, but also the deep black blood red. They capture my imagination more than most flowers…I loved finding out their flower language meaning is strength and dignity.

    Reply
  2613. Julia on

    My dream dahlia would be a cactus type dahlia with hot pink petals that fade to a paler pink at the tips.

    Reply
  2614. Debby Henning on

    My perfect dahlia would have strong stems, stay in a fairly compact plant so it doesn’t take over the garden and have vibrant purple flowers with a touch of yellow on the petals. Also a vibrant yellow center.

    Reply
  2615. Amy T. on

    I love raspberry and salmon colored dahlias. I haven’t grown dahlias from seed yet. I think the biggest thrill would be the surprise of not knowing what you were going to get! Like opening presents all summer long.

    Reply
  2616. Caroline Velazquez on

    My dream dahlia would be a deep aubergine moody violet with sturdy, strong petals. Thank you for inspiring and teaching me how to grow flowers! This will be my first year growing dahlias.

    Reply
  2617. Cara Slabach on

    My Dream Dahlia, oh that’s a hard one! Every flower just makes me so happy and their truly isn’t an ugly one out there. I’d say though it would be big white and fluffy like a cloud ☁️ ☁️. maybe with a hint of pink or salmon to it like when the clouds are illuminated by the sunset ⛅️ 🧡

    Reply
  2618. Rebekah Frye on

    I dream of dahlias that seem to come alive and converse with me, like little flower angels that say, “Hey girl, we know you are heartbroken, but here we are, beautiful and free, holding you right now, in this moment. Oh, and the color! Lushious and revealing the most to the gaze that lingers.

    Reply
  2619. Niki Williams on

    My dream dahlia would be a full, almost feathery dinner-plate that would be nearly black in the center (deep red/black or purple/black) and would bleed out to the ends, getting lighter as you go so that the tips would be a blush/white, depending on how the light hit it. The dahlia would have long, strong stems that would make them perfect for display.

    Thanks for this moment of creative dreaming!

    Reply
  2620. Christi Tirabassi on

    I have seeds from my dahlias last year that I am going to grow this year and I can hardly wait to see what I’ll get! My dream bloom would be a more peachy/apricot version of cafe au lait or a medium ball variety that was antique rose colored.

    Reply
  2621. Lodivic Middlebrook on

    I’m new to Dalhias so anything what you have to share is highly appreciated.
    I love your Dahlias .

    Reply
  2622. Kate on

    Goodness I would love a dahlia that was either pale cornflower or even a deep navy center fading to white outer petals. Too bad they don’t come in blues. More realistically, I would love to see a cafe au lait colored Pom Pom/button dahlia. I’m loving the beauties that you shared in this post. Well done Floret team!

    Reply
  2623. Melissa Winters on

    I am new to dahlias and, thanks to Floret, have just recently realized that I can grow them successfully. They are wooing me with their beauty. I think my favorite color would be something in a blush with a subtle deepening of color at its heart.

    Reply
  2624. Karen Schilter on

    My dream Dahlia would be a dinner plate size with lots of petals!! Overall light pink with the very center light raspberry, fading into apricot, then the light pink…with soft frilly edges!

    Reply
  2625. Crystle on

    Hi I could never choose a favorite dahlia !So many different sizes and colors and they our all unique in there own way !Having a variety of them would enhance my garden an I know they would all look beautiful in a arrangement or just as a single stem they look Stunning! Always have loved there long stems and they smell so amazing especially when they start to just bloom.Thanks for your kind soul to do this giveaway !Happy cutting and arranging .

    Reply
  2626. Kim on

    My faves are the pale blushes and muted cream ones! The more wild the petal pattern, the better! I do like an occasional dark red to spice things up, though!

    Reply
  2627. Carissa L Herman on

    My dream dahlia is a showstopper. The kind of flower that’s so vibrant it demands attention. In my head, it’s larger variety with many petals in a bright hue. A flower that owns its flamboyance.

    Reply
  2628. Christy on

    A decorative dahlia with a deep blue color would be my dream treasure to find in the backyard.

    Reply
  2629. Sharon K. on

    I love dusty pink colors- but I’d struggle to define one shape I prefer. I love them all!

    Reply
  2630. Ramona on

    I love dahlias and it is difficult to pick a favorite. But I am always drawn to the white ball variety. My dream dahlia is all white and white with some red or pink accents. I would be thrilled with any dahlia that I would be successful in growing here in Ohio😍

    Reply
  2631. Beth Snively on

    My dream dahlia would definitely be a dinner plate type that is muted orange with tinges of cream and had a long vase life. A blush with a hint of soft lime green would be fabulous as well. And, I would be so excited if Little Miss Sunshine or Firefly would make an appearance in my seedling patch!

    Reply
  2632. Samantha on

    This is such an awesome giveaway! I always find myself drawn to the informal decorative type, probably because they are so elegant and beautiful, as well as still a bit wild (I feel like I can relate ;) ). So my dream dahlia would be that form, in more muted neutral / peach / sherbet tones, like a soft sunset painting in each bloom. That way, she gets along with everybody in an arrangement!

    Reply
  2633. Sandra on

    I grew my first dahlias (from tubers) last year in a little rounded bed on the side of my house I created just for them. As I came down the stairs I could see them starting to bloom, and each morning I actually spoke to them, haha. They were so beautiful, I almost cried when they were done blooming. My dream dahlia is one that looks like a sunburst, with various gorgeous shading moving from the middle outward!

    Reply
  2634. Katie Englert on

    Great blooms of creamy yellow, pink, or peach that love a vase! I love the varieties that are more individual petals and less of a ball shape. You have inspired me to start growing dahlias this year! And I love bringing my garden inside in vases all summer. Thank you for sharing your journey that is nurturing a love for dahlias and gardening in all of us!

    Reply
  2635. Ali News on

    Dahlia mania … real for sure. An anemone dahlia in the slightest shade of lime and white with a pink center I think it would be pretty. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us the home gardeners

    Reply
  2636. danielle roberts on

    My dream dahlia would be a raspberry color with lighter variations throughout the petals. It would be about 4 feet tall. The petals would be similar to Cafe au lait.

    Reply
  2637. Toni on

    This is a tough questions….. I love them all, but tend to gravitate toward pink, apricot and greens. I would love to have a dinnerplate dahlia with the form of Cafe Au Latit that started out with a green center, went to pink and then apricot on the outer most petals. I would love a field full of them, please.

    Reply
  2638. Felicity Kirby on

    For me, I’m in love with a bright flower against dark leaves, the contrasts are magical in the light.

    Reply
  2639. Sarah Cate on

    My dream dahlia would spark fond memories of summertime strawberry lemonade. My absolute favorite colors are creamy yellow and blushy-peachy pink. If I walked out into my garden to find fluffy, ornamental-like dahlias with romantic, pale, and sweet yellow petals with a watercolor-brushed strawberry hue, I would probably melt.

    Reply
  2640. Leslie Messersmith on

    Hello from Mechanicsville, Va.! My dream Dahlia would be a 5” water lily pale salmon color with pale yellow at the center, large in curving petals and a raspberry edge and back of the petal. I just started growing dahlias 2 years ago and I am so hooked! My greatest joy last summer was creating and sharing gorgeous floral arrangements with friends.

    Reply
  2641. Maria on

    My dream dahlia would have medium and pale pinks, apricots, and sunshiney pale yellows and creams with a slightly elongated petal formation that is maybe double or triple petals (not too full), and about the size of a gloriosa daisy flower, about 3′ tall and reblooming constantly all summer. I also want to say that I just LOVE what you’re doing here, so incredible all of the work, organization, and research to make something even more beautiful and amazing. I had no idea that dahlias could be grown from seeds, and you’ve inspired me to want to try this! Thanks so much for making my day!

    Reply
  2642. AMY DENDY on

    My dream dahlia would be a full large bloom that had deep pink and purple tones for coloring and I would last a large patch near the pond in my back yard. I would like to see a long bloom time so I could enjoy looking at them from my back porch when in season.

    Reply
  2643. Beth Larson on

    I could seriously look at the photos of your dahlias all the live long day!! : ))))
    You’ve inspired me to try planting dahlia seeds now and my dream dahlia would be if I could plant a tin seed and end up with a peachy pink BALL dahlia- my absolute favorite variety for their mesmerizing perfection!

    Reply
  2644. Lyss on

    My dream dahlias would be a mix of my favorite white and blushes (pale baby pink to salmon blush, not more on the purple side) with neutral cocoas thrown in for a beautiful range of earthy colors! I get excited just thinking about that gorgeous rainbow!

    Reply
  2645. Aimee on

    Since “Salish Twilight Girl” is such a tough dahlia to get here in Canada, more dahlias with that 2 toned type of petal with darker maroon on the outer side of the petal and soft pink on the inside. It is so beautiful, I would love to grow more of this type of dahlia!

    Reply
  2646. Maureen Kelly on

    Dreaming of dahlias! Mine would be a large pom pom variety (with sturdy stems) in an apricot. Or a sunny yellow. Or a soft white. Or a rose pink? Such a difficult decision choosing just one!

    Reply
  2647. Amy Ford on

    Erin, your results are breathtakingly beautiful! I adore the big fluffy centers, particularly when they are a delicious deep buttery yellow with petals of blazing magenta or plum or purple as well as white! This answer surprises me as I’m a “Plain Jane” at heart. Flowers elicit such joy. I’m thrilled to be a first year flower grower, so much to learn and discover!

    Reply
  2648. Carolyn Zielinski on

    I’d love to see a 4”, short stemmed variety in a luscious pink/magenta swirl! I live in Michigan and my flower garden general gets hit with 20 mph winds and often take down taller dahlias. I had no idea you could grow them from seed. This my be my new adventure! Thank you so much for the inspiration!

    Reply
  2649. Dorian Bunting on

    I find myself gravitating toward the color salmon lately. I like the Dahlia’s that cut well and are easier to put in arrangements too!

    Reply
  2650. Tiffany Richmond on

    My dream dahlia is a patch of reds and purples with mixed shapes. I love the star shapes along with the varigated colors bleeding out to the edges! For several years i just go to a farm, admire and pick boquets.
    This is the first year I plant to attempt a patch.of my own. Can’t wait!!!

    Reply
  2651. Kaitlyn McDonald on

    I ADORE Firefly and Little Miss Sunshine!

    I guess I’d love a dahlia that’s a true terracotta color in that shape of a Cafe au Lait, or perhaps petals a little sharper. I don’t know if that already exists, though. There are so many dahlias in the world that I probably just haven’t seen it yet :)

    It would also be really cool to see if blue dahlias are possible. I’d love to see little blue pom-pom dahlias!

    It’s always so wonderful to get your newsletter in my inbox! The dahlias look amazing!

    Reply
  2652. Robin Mallory on

    My absolute dream dahlia would be a strong stemmed water lily with a yellow/green color!

    Reply
  2653. Daina on

    I am absolutely in love with the new floret dahlia!!! My dream dahlia would also be a light pink and white ball variety with tonnes of blooms!!!

    Reply
  2654. Chloe Rice on

    My dream dahlia would be light-colored: peachy and pale pink, and would probably be in the anemone variety with a bright yellow cotton ball-like center. What a dream!

    Reply
  2655. Joanne Le Dressay on

    I love the one I have created from your first seeds. It was a tiny tuber due to the small space I had for the “dahlia seed experiment” Three years later I now have a beautiful dahlia I call Simply Erin. It reminds me of the simple elegance you have brought to flower farming as well as the joy I have experienced. Sadly, My green house heater /breaker stopped working during the frosty days earlier and my tray of dahlia seed took a hit. This is a gentle reminder of the fragility of the journey we are on with flowers and flower farming. It used to make me want to run away like a scared rabbit and now these small challenges just give me the opportunity to squeeze my eyes just, warm my hands with the tea cup and wonder what the next adventure I am on might bring.

    Reply
  2656. Rhonda Collier on

    I grew dahlias from tubers last year and fell in love with this flower. I’m excited to try growing dahlias from seed this year. My dream dahlia would be a large dark wine fluffy center with pink pointy tips.

    Reply
  2657. Susan Dyer on

    I once had the pleasure of attending the dahlia trials of the R.H.S. with Fergus Garrett of great Dixter and he showed me what qualities the committee was looking for to award the A.G.M. Garden worthy had to have a nonrigid structure with the flowers properly spaced above the leaves. A good example is Twynings After Eight.
    I applaud your efforts and love your choices.

    Reply
  2658. Alice G on

    I enjoy all the beautiful colors of the dahlias in this post. If forced to choose one – it would be the color of the B50 – burgundy almost red with just the right amount of petals. Thank you for sharing your flower growing journey.

    Reply
  2659. Alison Densley on

    I’d love one similar to your Floret variety but in a soft buttery yellow that’s just barely white. Something delicate but sunny!

    Reply
  2660. Tammie P on

    I would love to find a pastel green dahlia with a light center that illuminates from the center – just like Gabbie’s Wish. My goal is to visit beautiful Ireland someday and I think a green dahlia that glows from the center would be like visiting a small piece of Ireland in my garden!

    Reply
  2661. Sandy on

    Last summer the 20 or so sq. ft. I had for the Discovering Dahlias seeds was by far the highlight of the season! So fun to watch each one open, and see how it looked/grew. Like a garden version of an Advent calendar! Cannot imagine how awesome it is with the size/qty. you are working with! Thank you for sharing the process, it’s so fun to watch as you keep discovering all these new beauties!

    Reply
  2662. Laura Gage on

    My dream dahlia is a creamy pink on a solid stem that I can work into my border gardens. I like having my dahlias mixed into my garden rather than having a separate patch. Oh an I’m obsessed with the dinner plate blooms. Can’t beat blooms the size of your face!

    Reply
  2663. Amy Beaupre on

    I would like to see one that was bright pink with greeny yellow smaller petals coming from the center and white edge on outer petals. Thanks 💖

    Reply
  2664. Alisha on

    I would love to find a big poof ball style dahlia that some how managed to have a bright yellow center. And give me a thick stem!

    Reply
  2665. LeiLani Blackwell on

    I have been fascinated with dahlias for awhile and also frustrated because after purchasing some from a reputable dealer they didn’t grow. My absolute favorite is the Bishop of Landolf. I love the dark foliage . So I would love to see more dark varieties. I have enjoyed reading your blog about your journey. I have never tried dahlia seeds but I would love to. Thanks for all your information.

    Reply
  2666. Jill D on

    My dream dahlia would have a dusty rose color. Maybe an ombré effect? Big and full of petals. ♥️

    Reply
  2667. Linda Cib on

    My dream dahlia would be about a foot and a half tall covered with 4” salmon colored cosmos-like flowers with a blue-black center. it would attract bees by the bushel and become a great pollinator for other dahlias.

    Reply
  2668. Anna on

    My dream dahlia would be peachy-coral lotus-type flower. I love that look!

    Reply
  2669. Megan Bollinger on

    Clearly a newbie here, but wouldn’t it be special to see a dahlia with a green and white ombre? As if it is literally stretching it’s emerald petal arms out to the blinding white radiance of the sun.

    Reply
  2670. Meredith Numnikhoven on

    My dream dahlia would look like the marigold, Coco Gold, with a broad 5” bloom stuffed with deep orange, gold colors of layering petals that are stacked finely like pastry in a french croissant. Strong and vigorous stems that pump out blooms in the golden afternoons of fall. Coco Dahlia! I would love to breed this variety specific for zone five to withstand the inclement weather of the open plains in the Midwest. Xo, -M

    Reply
  2671. Sue Holloway on

    Dahlias have become a rather new find for me and I am in awe of the rainbow of colours and forms.
    Apple Blossom with its quirky face and form have me drooling to purchase this elusive tuber. Variegations and striations on any dahlia have me aching to find more room in my humble garden.
    “Discovering Dahlias” has been an eye opener of a read and I can’t wait to follow the Floret journey
    I feel I have joined a wonderful new community
    Thank you for supporting my addiction and I hope to support many local growers as I go

    Reply
  2672. Janika on

    Your dahlias make me so excited to get back out into the garden! My dream dahlia would be something with the domed puffy center. I’ve been obsessed with the anemone form lately! I lean to the more muted colors too. Maybe a dusty pink or salmon color.

    Reply
  2673. Laura on

    The dahlia of my dreams is strong and soft. I am drawn to a substantial petal with a pointed, but dull tip, which I believe would translate to fewer and full. I think I have to say a bright crimson red would be a vibrant addition to my developing urban flower bed.

    Reply
  2674. Christina on

    My dream dahlia would be the most beautiful pure white color, with the fluffiest gardenia shaped petals. A petite and elegant bloom, with whimsical movement in the breeze.

    Reply
  2675. Jackie Augustin on

    This will be my first year planting Dahlia from seed for breeding purposes after reading your book Erin. I am anxious to start the journey of documenting varieties and discovering what grew. Very excited to share this experience with my daughter and bring new dahlia varieties into the word.

    Thanks for making that possible, Jackie Augustin MN

    Reply
  2676. Cassy on

    My journey is just beginning but I love the soft pastel colours with a little character to them. I think the treasure hunt of growing them from seed would be so exciting and fun to see the miracle of nature creating new babies along the way. So excited to get the flower dream started and produce beautiful flowers for others.

    Reply
  2677. Megan on

    Growing my first dahlias this year and very excited! Baby steps… but when I start breeding, I would love to find a panda anemone colored dinner plate dahlia. Delicate white petals with a dark black/purpley center.

    Reply
  2678. Sharon Kruger on

    My grandma always had a colorful garden full of life and joy but the dahlias were the most vivid memory in my mind that bring back the fond memories of her. I would love dahlias of any color but blue or teal shades would be intriguing if I could grow them!

    Reply
  2679. Gina Carling on

    I have grown dahlias for years, in all their colors and varieties I have different favorites in the garden than I do on my counter or to gift in bouquets. Although I adore the dinner plate-size varieties for their splendor and uniqueness in my garden, I think my favorite dahlias are actually the Pom Pom varieties because I can admire them for such a long time inside as they seem to last the longest in my vase. My ideal dahlia would be a button kind in fading hues of pinks, peaches, oranges and yellows. Thanks for all the happiness your farm brings to so many!!

    Reply
  2680. Kristine Scott on

    I grew some from seed last year and saved the seeds again, I would love some super light pinks or almost white colors, the yellows are so sweet too! I love them all!

    Reply
  2681. Kyle Starkey on

    My dream dahlia would radiate “compassion” and love the moment she was gifted. Soft tones of earthy neutral cream and chocolate. The petals would resemble the floppy ears of a magnolia. Dalias to me are a wonder of joy, it would my pleasure to read, plant, care, harvest, and share the love of your generosity. In the naming of “compassion”, her self love and the love of others is given in equal parts to create true kindness.
    Warm Regards
    Kyle Starkey

    Reply
  2682. Geraldine Picha on

    My dream dahlia plant would be about 3.5-4.5 ft tall. Long strong stems with 4-6 inch flower. The under petals do not wilt. The flowers would be bright and almost florescent in color and appear to glow in the dark. You would need sunglasses to look at them. An example of is the variety ” Fabulous “. Imagine an entire bed of florescent color dahlias. It would be a real ” Car Stopper”. Cars would come to a dead stop to take pictures . I often get cars stopping on Farm to Market Road just to take pictures.

    Reply
  2683. Sarah on

    There is nothing prettier than a coral dahlia with feathery petals-something similar to Labyrinth. Thank you for all sharing your dahlia knowledge and experience with us!

    Reply
  2684. Diana on

    My ideal Dahlia would remind me of the softest sunset. The kind of sunset that isn’t bright orange, but the one with soft purples and pinks that perfectly blends into the clouds.

    Reply
  2685. Janette on

    Always love the soft peachy pink full petal dahlia but if I could inspire a new dahlia it would be a multiple pedal soft periwinkle dahlia. I want to thank you Erin for giving me something so exciting as your Growing Floret when I needed some inspiration in my life. You are so magical!! Keep growing those beautiful dahlias, maybe I could be so lucky! Thank you thank you!

    Reply
  2686. Julianna Weber on

    Absolutely love the petals and delicate display cafe au lait has. My dream dahlia would have the soft petal formation with big blooms. And range in shades of deep purple!
    But I would also love smaller dahlias in the anemone style, with yellow and gold tones.

    Reply
  2687. Betty Chambers on

    I have not tried Dahlias yet in my yard as they intimidate me a bit. I love the range of hues in the pinks and peaches and the how different each variety looks. As I gather my nerve to try Dahlias, I enjoy your blog and the beautiful flowers you produce. This year I am building a pollinator garden and would love to add Dahlias to the mix.

    Reply
  2688. Nina Knapp Jebens on

    My dream dahlia would be a tall plant with long stems that sway in the breeze over the heads of passers-by. I definitely lean toward collarettes or peony varieties with layers of white or pink petals and a large yellow center for the bees.

    Reply
  2689. Nancy Jen on

    Dream dahlia would be BLUE like the Endless Summer original hydrangeas but with a fluffy center like C33. Wouldn’t mind one that is all blue with an anemone shape either. 😆As for the seedling package, I would be thrilled to find ones that have muted colors to go with the dahlias I already grow.

    Reply
  2690. Maggie Pitts on

    I am so so excited for Little Miss Sunshine. A longtime ball-dahlia fancier, I am ready for these and other sun and star-shaped dahlias–a new dream dahlia for me. Sun, moon, stars!

    Reply
  2691. Lisa Calhoun on

    I garden not only for the pure love of getting my hands dirty and then seeing the rewards through the beautiful flowers I have sown but even more to be able to share with family, friends, and coworkers. My dream dahlia would be a pastel yellow with a darker pink center with light pink hues bleeding out into the petals. I love to try new seedlings every year so pretty much anything is fair game but I am a huge Zinnia fan for its long lasting abilities both in the garden and as a cut flower so some new variety of this beauty would incredible!

    Reply
  2692. Nancy Backlund on

    I am starting some plants from seed for the first time this year. I hope that one might be a pincushion center in a bright color. My preference is pink, but I wouldn’t be choosey!

    Reply
  2693. Holly Rutt on

    My Dream Dahlia – it would surprise me!!! I love discovering something unexpected and being surprised how much i love it. For example I thought my type was a tall dark and handsome with a beard so imagine my surprise when my blond haired blue eyed future husband appeared in my life and started charming me. The act of stumbling over a new unusual even weird variety is my favorite part of wandering the garden (or the woods). Thats what I’ve always appreciated about floret seeds :) The more off beat the better.

    Reply
  2694. Kelsy Vargo on

    My dream dahlia would be whimsical with soft long petals and a nice large fluffy center. Colors would range from cream to blush to a hint of deep pink. It would feel elegant yet approachable. Thank you for bringing more beauty into this world!

    Reply
  2695. Romana on

    I really love Firefly and Floret, they are amazing!

    Reply
  2696. Sara Doman on

    My dream dahlia would have lots of color. Streaks or rays or splashes of color on the petals and lots of petals. I love surprises so anything out of the ordinary would be dream to find in a packet of dahlia seed.

    Reply
  2697. Lyn Cosby on

    I have plenty in space in my backyard (currently grass/weeds that we call “the meadow” but we’re kidding ourselves) to grow dahlias. I would love to transform it with these stunning flowers!

    Reply
  2698. Chris Sutton on

    My dream dahlia wld be a bold white with slightly curved petals and fluffy, domed center also white but with slightly pink hues at its base.

    Reply
  2699. Tamara Wilcox on

    My dream would simply be to find any creation of Mother Nature that I have never seen before. That is why I find planting Dahlia from seed to be so thrilling :-)

    Thank you for the inspiration, Floret!

    Reply
  2700. Sue on

    I love the soft massiveness of the petals of a rosey apricot dahlia. The head showing off its warm yellow center with a touch of white. The stem strong for this midsize beauty and room enough for lots of friends. My garden would have a sweet variety of colors. I tend to lean towards the fuller dahlias but not the giant heads. Thank you for your generous heart in sharing so much, it’s been so fun!

    Reply
  2701. Brenda on

    I do grow some dahlia seeds! In my garden, I’d love to find a petite ball shaped darker pink that fades to white at the bottom. I’d name her “Joan,” after my mom, who just makes me happy being around her.

    Reply
  2702. Sarah Coldwell on

    Such a hard question! It totally depends on my mood, but I seem continually drawn to the brighter blush tones of Break Out, so I think my dream dahlia would be a formal decorative, waterlilly or pompon version of Break Out. Just kisses of her dreamy colors.

    Reply
  2703. Heather Andignac on

    I love Arabian Night or any of the dark, deep reds with shimmery higher colors on the back of the petals! A dark dahlia with lighter color on the back, dream dahlia!

    Reply
  2704. Melissa Hosegood on

    My dream dahlia would be one I don’t have to fight for on dahlia sale day on everyone’s website😉 but it all seriousness something smoky colour or the colour of a Shirley Grey poppy and a great brown or tan coloured dahlia, those would be a garden unicorn for me.

    Reply
  2705. April VanDerwerken on

    I would love a smaller Cafe Au Lait in a soft pink. I only started growing dahlias last year but am already hooked.

    Reply
  2706. Andrea Ware on

    I love all the dahlias! I think my dream dahlia would have to be like a pink sunset. My daughter loves pink and has been my helper in the garden her whole life. I can’t decide whether I would like a simple form like apple blossom or wild cactus variety. I love that the possibilities are endless!

    Reply
  2707. Andrea Coyne on

    My dream dahlia would have wide petals that catch the light in an arrangement. Light a creamy in color with a few stripes of muted yellow.

    Reply
  2708. Dee Brewer on

    This year will be my second season with dahlias. I saved some seeds and my ideal dahlia, too be honest, would be any that germinate and bloom. That would be so exciting!! I love the fullness of dinner plates, but appreciate most structures. I lean towards soft pastels, but an occasional bold color speaks to me. I would love to eventually fill my 5 X 10 flower bed, tucked between my house and my veggie garden, with a full array of colorful dahlias of varying shapes, heights and structures. #gardening goals

    Reply
  2709. tina mcp on

    i agree growing flowers brings one “,freaking joy,” and giving or selling bouquets just spreads the joy n love.
    also reinforces the beautiful world our Creator made for us. thanks for all your work and sharing of knowledge. Love love all your books

    Reply
  2710. Angela Hicks on

    How about creamy yellow fading to a pale pink blush at slightly curved ends….with nice big eyes so they are easy to divide!

    Reply
  2711. Nancy Sherrer on

    Dreaming of a dahlia with curled petals and a deep, salmon pink that fade into creamy vanilla tips.

    Reply
  2712. Elaine Gilman on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft dreamy peach with raspberry coloring peeking out in the center. Soft and dreamy but with a fun personality. I would call her Brigid Hope after two special grandmothers. I love all of the dahlias that I have grown and the surprises that come not only with seedlings but the subtle changes in the classics as the seasons change.

    Reply
  2713. Amelia Halker on

    My dream Dahlia would be a large bloom with bright peachy orange long petals on the outer and lighter peach ruffled petals in the center. I would be thrilled with any seeds, I’m on a quest to fill my yard with as many flowers as I can.

    Reply
  2714. Amy Shaler on

    My dream dahlia would be coral, with hints of yellow and white. I am drawn to the ball type or one with symmetrically placed & curled petals. I can’t wait to plant my seed packet and see what I discover. Thank you!

    Reply
  2715. Monica Marsh on

    Thanks to your Dahlia book, last year was my first year to grow. I was ever so merry when I dug up my tubers last fall, and, indeed, just as you said in the book, I found, like a math problem had occurred underground, my tubers had multiplied! I’m absolutely in love with all the deep maroon/black varieties, Black Narcissus, Karma Choc and Rock Star (how could you not love a flower with a name like that?!? It’s like not having a crush on Bon Jovi back in the 80’s!!)

    Reply
  2716. Jenny on

    My dream dahlia would be a deep, rich red with tightly packed petals. The kind where they’re almost a round ball. Somewhere in the flower there’s a bright pop of orange or yellow. On the edge of the petals of a mix of petals red and orange.

    Reply
  2717. Kayla on

    I would love a blush pink/peach colored dahlia. I have only grown a few dahlia plants, so I’m not seasoned at all. But I would really love to try to grow more!

    Reply
  2718. Mary Lou Skillin on

    I would like to see a dahlia that is rainbow colored as improbable as that might be. I own and love your book and grew dahlias for the first time last summer. Needless to say the ones planted in full sun did much better. (Although in my defense I planted them in spring near trees that hadn’t leafed out as fully as they did in summer.) Lesson learned! Look up before you plant. BTW our neighbors loved the dahlias and want to plant some for their garden this year.

    Reply
  2719. Melissa Kane on

    My dream dahlia – how to narrow it down to one? It would have hints of lime green and salmon and have a starburst shape. All dahlias are delightful but cutting for floral arrangements would be my priority! Thanks for sharing all your flower and breeding knowledge. You are my inspiration!

    Reply
  2720. Katherine Nelson on

    For me it is so very hard to choose, because I think each and every dahlia is a work of art and so beautiful! But, perhaps my perfect would be C62 with a creamy off white under layer showing in the center of the petals :) I so enjoy all of your expertise and shared information. Also, your generosity! Thank you! :)

    Reply
  2721. Tracy V on

    I would be thrilled to find a soft, blush pink decorative or ball dahlia that is a darker blush in the center that fades to white or a very pale blush at the tips of the petals! I would also be ecstatic to find other beautiful pinks and light lavender varieties.

    Reply
  2722. Carissa on

    A huge dinner plate one because they are just so stunning in a mix of like a yellowish orange color!!

    Reply
  2723. Rebecca on

    My dream dahlia would be sunset colors – pale pink merging to darker coral then to glowing red. The form would be more star shaped, but with complex petals. The foliage would be dark plum.

    Reply
  2724. Susan Pettit on

    I have never thought of growing dahlias from seed and it is a little intimidating. You have me excited of the possibility!

    Reply
  2725. Erin Maxen-Lewis on

    My dream dahlia would be the softest shade of pink with layered petals. I love the faded and muted colors of vintage so I’d love to find something to emulate that.

    Reply
  2726. Theresa A Hoover on

    C144 and C33/Floret would be my dream dahlias. They are such sweet and pretty blossoms. Dahlias are such beautiful flowers with such an amazing variety of colors and shapes. My daughter is getting marries in August and wants to have dahlias and sosmos on the tables at her reception which will be outdoors (pray for a sunny day, please). He faces aunt’s and I are going to grow some for her centerpiece arrangements to help make her tables beautiful

    Reply
  2727. Susan Sims on

    A favorite for me would be a long stem with white petals and pink centers. Thank you for sharing your journey with everyone. You are an inspiration!

    Reply
  2728. Jen on

    My dream dahlia would have soft creamy petals with painted-looking streaks coming from the center ranging from apricot to deep coral.

    Reply
  2729. Brianne on

    I would love to see a patch of dark pink dahlias with a light green center and the petals would also outline in light green, almost like they were glowing!

    Reply
  2730. Anna on

    I love double bloom with a unique pink or purple color. Or a big coral colored dahlia!

    Reply
  2731. Kirsten Barnstead on

    Here in New York, our busiest design season is fall – so the ask for fall colors is constant. I would love to find a dahlia that has a truly pumpkin orange or mustard color to rival mums and cremone.

    Reply
  2732. Katie on

    I have always been drawn to the orange hues in my garden, so I would love to see a variation of Woodland Wildling. That dahlia is so striking to see in my garden, it always stops me in my tracks, and I just have to admire it! How wild would it be to see this in a multi-colored red and orange? Maybe a deep red? Hmm… now I’m starting to get some ideas!!

    Reply
  2733. Gale K on

    Pick one – an impossible task. The dahlia has so many faces each unique and sharing their distinction ….. you ask for one C144, today – tomorrow it may be different based on my mood ;-)

    Reply
  2734. Karen Clapper on

    I’ve only ever grown dahlias by planting tubers in my small mixed perennial garden but you’ve inspired me to venture out of my comfort zone. I’ve purchased several packets of seeds and am anxiously waiting for my western Pennsylvania planting/growing season to begin. My 96 year old mother has been my inspiration when it comes to flower gardening. While she no longer can garden herself, we share in our love of flowers when I take bouquets from my garden to her. I’d have to say my favorite dahlia to find would be a soft lavender, pompon that would be perfect for a nosegay!

    Reply
  2735. Mary Wilson on

    What an impossible question! Anything unusual in soft creamy tones with approximately a 3” span would probably be a favorite for me. In my packet I would probably love to get loads of bold colors, it would force me out of my comfort zone!

    Reply
  2736. Kirstin Davidson on

    Ruffled blush-pink or buttercream! Heavenly! That’s what I dream of when it comes to a dahlia from seed. I am starting cafe au Lait and apple blossom from seed this year (open pollinated) and am really looking forward to seeing what comes from both collections. Thanks for your inspiration, Erin!

    Reply
  2737. Jennifer on

    My dream dahlia would be a light lavender purple anemone-type dahlia that produces plentiful tubers at the end of the season!

    Reply
  2738. Heather Moon on

    My dream dahlia would be creamy with cinnamon tones near the center, a medium size that would blend perfectly into an arrangement. Thanks for the beautiful photos, as always, your such an inspiration!!!

    Reply
  2739. anne on

    My dream dahlia would be blush with light tan undertones. Such a delight to see your beds and beds of dahlias

    Reply
  2740. Samantha L Durfee on

    My dream dahlia would be something like a polka but a dark pink or purple. I would name it after my mom who had a stroke and has dementia she used to garden all the time. Now I build flower and vegetable gardens at her house and try to get her involved and interested.

    Reply
  2741. Carmel Eash on

    This is so exciting! What a great giveaway.
    I would be thrilled to find a salmon pink colored dahlia that looks like Appleblossom show up in my dahlia patch. 😊

    Reply
  2742. Lisa & Jim Franey on

    We were entranced by your project and your show- would love to win 💛
    Pr dream would be variegated with orange tips, red center.
    Thanks for the opportunity in these challenging times 🤗

    Reply
  2743. Whitney on

    I would love a purple waterlily dahlia.

    Reply
  2744. Jennifer on

    Anemone in lemony peach raspberry gradient tones!

    Reply
  2745. Alexa on

    Rose pink deepening to maroon at the center.

    Reply
  2746. Kim Tregilgas on

    In my dream garden I would have four sections – going from deep-ish pink through a pale creamy pick. I love the photos here, it is a welcome respite from the snow and crazy wind off Lake Superior. (lovely place to live, just a long winter!) The colors make me happy. Thank you for what you do.

    Reply
  2747. Kristi on

    I’d love to see a full, apricot colored dahlia with raspberry edges!

    Reply
  2748. Kaela Robinson on

    Happy anniversary! My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate with the coloring of a Koko Loko rose OR Bishop of Oxford with its peach blooms and purple foliage but in dinner plate form! I think the peach would be stunning against its purple foliage.

    Reply
  2749. Staci L Stasiak-Irons on

    My dream dahlia looks like a burgundy wine merlot, shiny like silk, small to medium in size. I love how inspiring you and your blooms are. You have changed my life! Thank you!!

    Reply
  2750. Anna on

    Greetings from Boulder, CO! My dream dahlia would have coloring that radiates from the center outwards in a perfect gradient between two complimentary colors—purple to yellow, greenish to reddish pink or even a black/maroon center that transitions to a creamy white. It would have a tall sturdy stem that stands up to the crazy Colorado wind that my garden is subject to. And it would smell like milk and honey.

    Reply
  2751. Amanda Cook on

    We love ball dahlias and poms. The ultimate treasure for us would be rust, Merlot, and more berry toned balls and poms. However watching all of these beautiful star shapes coming out of your breeding patch has me reconsidering them. Thank you for all that you’re bringing to light.

    Reply
  2752. Elizabeth Mathews on

    My dream dahlia would be a bright, vivid color, doesn’t even matter which. They are perfect flowers and always the star in any bouquet. I aspire to grow them in my climate range of 8b where many folks say they won’t grow. We’ll see!

    Reply
  2753. Jolene on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate dahlia that is purple, my daughters favorite color, with muted gray overtones that isn’t too bright. Sending love and sunshine from San Diego!!

    Reply
  2754. Michelle on

    A big, full, blush colored bloom with tons of petals that dried beautifully would be my favorite. 🙂 Happy one year anniversary!

    Reply
  2755. Lauren Smith on

    I’ve found a love for peony shaped waterlily dahlias like kelgai ann and brackenridge ballerina. I love finding unique varieties that literally stop you in your tracks the first time you see them growing.

    Reply
  2756. Janelle Foerster on

    2021 was my first year for Dahlis. I fell in love. I did tubers, sprouted a few from tubers and planted from Floret dahlia seed. I found a few treasures in my seedlings. This is my second year. I am planting all the tubers I saved and in addition starting may from the seeds I saved. I am hooked. They truly are a treasure. I actually have both books. If chosen I will “pay them forward”.

    Reply
  2757. Janice Lew on

    Wow! You are very inspirational! You go all in with every new dahlia discovery and we are all the wiser for it because of your generosity in sharing your knowledge. Thank you for including all of us dahlia lovers along your journey!
    My dream dahlia would be a 6-8” deep coral incurved cactus variety.

    Reply
  2758. Kat S Perez on

    Gosh, To be honest, my dream dahlia looks an awful lot like C33! I’m fondest of that open, friendly form, and softly glowing pinks and apricots. Perhaps mine would be a little warmer, like a tiny happy sunrise.

    Reply
  2759. April on

    My dream dahlia would be two toned, light & blush pink, small 4” range, wispy petals, early & prolific blooms, sturdy long stems, great producer & storage of tubers. Would love to get those books. I haven’t been able to read or own either of them yet. Happy growing all.

    Reply
  2760. Celeste McNiesh on

    My dream dahlia has lots of peach color,but also fades to yellow and possibly lavender on the petals’ edges. I love the big fluffy blooms with long stems…and I would love a few small streaks of bold color in a few petals… you never know what you’re going to get with those and each bud has her own journey. Oooh I cannot wait for dahlia season!!

    Reply
  2761. Julia Zurbach on

    My dream dahlia is red (my favorite color) and is big and bushy with a lot of petals on it. I’m experimenting this year with different varieties of flowers in my beds. I think I purchased at least one dahlia seed packet this year, I can’t seem to get my dahlia tubers to last the winter (I just looked and they are all rotted again) so I’m going to try again this year.

    Reply
  2762. Christine on

    My ideal dahlia would be fluffy with a white center and dark purple petals that are a bit funky shaped or twisted edges. I love the contrast between a deep dark color and white. Thanks for sharing the beauty of what you do – you bring so much joy to the world!

    Reply
  2763. Tia on

    I would love to see my two favorite colors in one bloom, a deep almost burgundy with a splash of apricot on dark foliage. I’m partial to the open shapes, maybe a puff center with a sparse ring of outer petals. I’m so glad I acquired my grandfather’s love of dahlias while he was still alive. His prized tubers are in my garden each year but I have never saved my dahlia seed.

    Reply
  2764. Taylor Grandfield on

    I think my dream dahlia find would be something a little in the burnt orange color family with a bright yellow center and ruffled leaves. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world ❤️

    Reply
  2765. Barb Page on

    I love the vibrant dark Raspberry pink, a full petalled flower, not so compact. In reality, though, I love all of the varieties, but IF I had to choose, dark, deep Raspberry pink for sure.

    Reply
  2766. Ruthe Ploskunyak on

    I don’t know dahlias at all having only grown them for two seasons over thirty years ago. I would treasure whatever would grow from any seeds I could score. To me, they are all beautiful.

    Reply
  2767. Jenny Mays on

    My dream dahlia would have a large, fuzzy center with short and wide petals. I love complimenting colors as well, such as a yellow center and peach colored petals. I would love to just have a variety of dahlias in my patch. I plan to save seeds this year to experiment with breeding next year. Life is the most fun when it’s filled with a little bit of everything to make it beautiful, and I feel the same about dahlias.

    Reply
  2768. Lori G. on

    This will be my first year growing dahlias, and I am starting with seeds. My dream dahlia would be discovering a new pollinator favorite with the more open types and new beautiful blooms for me and my family to enjoy. I’m not sure how they will respond to the heat and wind of the Midwest, but looking forward to the journey.

    Reply
  2769. Robin on

    A soft peachy pink dahlia with rows of tender petals edged in a dark magenta red and a complementary sunset colored center is one of my dream dahlias. I would also be thrilled to find a periwinkle dahlia with a butter colored center amongst my flower garden.

    Reply
  2770. Carol Conrad on

    My favorite would be salmon or pink with darker tips in the chrysanthemum style.

    Reply
  2771. Mary Turner on

    Wow! What an amazing read as I sat here with my morning coffee. Eye candy for the soul in coastal Maine this early spring. And then, you say to describe my dream dahlia, which at any moment can be something different since I love them all. While I enjoy the ball types because they are so reliable and sturdy, it is the waterlily petals that really makes my heart flutter. Add some blushy peachy tones (like predawn light) that change with the temperatures, put sturdy stems, prolific flowering and a great tuber making in the mix and it would rock my world. Size? They can differ. If it is long stem, some larger flowers would be great for bigger designs but medium probably is more versatile. Middles that peak out as they age, I like it. What a wonderful thing you are doing! And thanks for allowing us to live the experience through your journey.

    Reply
  2772. Cathy Sloan on

    Green! My dream dahlia would be an array of green. Lime, sage, olive. Any color green. Is that even possible to create from your magic seeds?

    Reply
  2773. Kay Jenney on

    A bright yellow/orange edged with deep pink. I purchased your book and tried my hand at growing dahlias last year, but they failed to thrive. I will try again in a different area with more sunlight.

    Reply
  2774. Rita Beneda on

    I would love to see a C33 in my garden! I am very new to growing dahlias and can’t wait for the growing season to start again. Thank you for all you do to grow these gorgeous flowers and educate us all!

    Reply
  2775. Caroline on

    The brightest, biggest red – like a firework on the 4th of July. I’ve been dabbling in dahlias for a couple years now, inspired by my father who adores dahlias. I love following your journey!

    Reply
  2776. Trisha Dokken on

    My dream Dhalia would be named after my late grandmother Leona. She grew the most spectacular roses and tulips, and instilled the magical love of flowers in me. The Leona Dhalia would be a beautiful cream center that faded into the prettiest peachy pink at the tips. Classy and elegant just like her.

    Reply
  2777. Autumn Mahaffey on

    My dream dahlia would be like c316 with magenta hidden underneath blush pink 😊

    Reply
  2778. Debbie Thome on

    I would be thrilled to see a dahlia that is either a decorative, water lily or a collarette style, that is orange with a green center, or a deep red velvet with an antique deep hue of plum, or a deep peach with a coral center. I love fuzzy centers, however, I love Pom Pom varieties. What is there not to like, dahlias are such work horses in the garden, and they can have such beautiful personalities;)

    Reply
  2779. Alicia Nelson on

    My ideal dahlia would fluffy with a deep almost red coloring at the center of the petals fading to a lovely peachy apricot. But really, I love them all, and that ideal could change tomorrow!

    Reply
  2780. Noor on

    My dream dahlia is the color of the sunrise, with large full petals! On the flip side, a dahlia that is a deep deep red that it’s almost black sounds mystical as well

    Reply
  2781. Nicole on

    I love anything peachy and BIG But not even necessarily as structured as like a dinner plate? I don’t even know how to describe it how I see it in my head. Honesty anything peachy, orangey, salmonly is a dream to me!

    Reply
  2782. Katlyn Woodruff on

    I would love anything that was softly multi colored petals with either a yellow fluffy middle or flowers that twist slightly in the middle. I love firefly!!!!

    Reply
  2783. Beth on

    A big peachy coral bloom with petals that look like they have geometrical precision!

    Reply
  2784. Katie Duncan on

    My dream dahlia would be anything in a creamy blush color, preferably big and ruffley like Cafe au Lait.

    Reply
  2785. Luetta Nikkel on

    I love all colors surrounding champagne, soft pinks/peaches, apricots, raspberry hints. A mid sz is what I love to work with. I wud lobw to see what my garden produced, I’ve been IN LOVE with dahlias for quite a few yrs.

    Reply
  2786. Melanie K on

    My dream Dahlia would produce large pale pink and yellow flowers with a strong base that would wouldn’t flop over or have to be staked, and it would produce an abundance of flowers.

    Reply
  2787. Angelina Penev on

    I just did an oil painting of dahlias! My dream dahlias are soft blush colored mounds with lots of petals curved downward as they age. They evoke simplicity and joy!

    Reply
  2788. Lori Warnygora on

    Always awed by the beauty of your flowers and photos! My dream dahlia would be an ombré of a Dreamsicle, from the creamy vanilla ice cream to the sweet orange coating and every shade in between!🧡

    Reply
  2789. Carol Conrad on

    This has inspired me to try growing Dahlias from seed next year.

    Reply
  2790. Angie W on

    M favorite dahlia would be a waterlily shape with and orange/pink color. But also bug and disease resistant.

    Reply
  2791. Shela Yount on

    So excited! Just ordered your book with seeds and we have other seeds to experience with this season!! Can’t wait!! My dream Dahlia would have a huge head, muted pink petals with gray tips and a pale yellow center!

    Reply
  2792. Tammy Bart on

    I’m new to growing dahlias and all of them seem so dreamy to me it’s so hard to choose. I love anything pink, so if I had to pick just one it would probably be a dahlia with a nice compact ball shape with curled petals going from dark pink in the centre and gradually fading to almost white on the edges.

    Reply
  2793. Susannah on

    My dream dahlia is Ferrari red—that glowing hot orange/red that is so sexy. If it faded out to the color of the summer song rose, I’d love that, too!

    Reply
  2794. Meredith Brown on

    I would love to find a deep royal, regal magenta dahlia, packed with petals, standing up tall to declare her royal proclamation across the neighborhood!

    Reply
  2795. Joyce Wolfley on

    My dream dahlia would be a peachy pink mini ball that fades to cream. I’m trying to grow dahlias for the first time ever and doing it from tubers and seed. My first dahlia seedling just bloomed and was a single red that faded to orange/apricot striations. I can see why everyone gets hooked!

    Reply
  2796. Angie Jimenez on

    I would love a soft yellow/pink one. Something “ruffley”! We had our first grandchild a month ago…her name is Ensley and she’s precious. I would name it after her! It’s my second year of flower farming, but this will be my first year growing dahlias. I’m nervous and excited all at the same time!! Thank you for sharing all your do! I’ve learned so much from all three of your books!!

    Reply
  2797. Marcia Freed on

    I have been growing Dahlias for 40 years. I am so glad others are getting just as excited as I was, when I started. I’ve moved a lot, over the years. With each move, I’ve left the dahlia behind. Getting others intrigued with the flower. Leaving behind my Zinnias too.

    My favorite flower would be any color, just large. The bigger the better. Like a sunflower.

    Reply
  2798. Kathleen Chappell on

    My dream dahlia would be a waterlily or collarette shape that has cream/blush petals and a burgundy edge to them with a deep yellow center! My husband’s dream dahlia is the pompon shape with a beige color since he thinks the curved petals look like burritos 😂
    So love the work you do! I have a few seeds in a seed tray from blooms I harvested from last season, excited to see what they’ll look like!!!

    Reply
  2799. Eunice Khan on

    I absolutely love the deep reddish pink Dahlias, by far are my favorite and would love to see them grow on our property for years to come ;)

    Reply
  2800. Deborah Luce on

    Happy Women’s Day! Erin you are such an inspiration! I would love a star Dahlia like your Firefly (which I love) that is cream, lavender and deep purple. I grew 50 Dahlias from seed last year and each plant produced at least 10 tubers! Debbie from Canada (still under snow, here).

    Reply
  2801. Sara on

    I would love to grow a creamy champagne colored dahlia with lavender/purple streaks in either an informal decorative or waterlilly form.

    Reply
  2802. Jayne DiMarco on

    This is so amazing!!! I totally understand your joy and freaking excitement surrounding this project. I would feel the exact same way, I would want to shout from the roof tops. For me, I love so many varieties of dahlias it would be hard to choose. I love orange and the Ball shape but the singles and collarettes have stolen my heart lately. You have some new beautiful ones already that I love. C335, C179, B53, C20, C108…Wow!!! But most of all the color variation in C11 is so beautiful!!! Congrats on doing what you love.

    Reply
  2803. Karen Barnett on

    I have never planted dahlias. I have been hesitant for years, and all I hear is that they are great to grow. Not to mention what beauty they bring. I would love to start this project, and would love to receive such a wonderful gift!

    Reply
  2804. Macey Zaffina on

    An anemone type with a fluffy center and big oval petals

    Reply
  2805. Jessica Missel on

    Thank you for sharing about this project. I love the bright yellow one, even though it isn’t usually the color I gravitate towards. I grew 10 seedlings from the Floret packet and it was exciting to see what would grow! My favorite was a medium sized one that was similar to Linda’s Baby. I would love a dahlia that has great cold tolerance, produces good tubers that aren’t brittle to dig and is miniature in bloom size.

    Reply
  2806. Savanna Hobbs on

    I love this, and it has inspired me in such a big way to start a breeding patch this summer! My dream dahlia would be a fluffy rose gold toned ball/mini decorative variety. I think it would be stunning for neutral toned weddings. Thank you for sharing your inspiring creations!

    Reply
  2807. Crystal DuPont on

    Like the love a mom feels for her child, the ache when they leave, and the longing to see them over and over in a never ending journey, ever changing. Start a creamy lt yellow with tinges of pink that continues to turn darker ending in a deep fushia with tinges of creamy yellow.

    Reply
  2808. Heidi Klammer on

    I love pink! My perfect Dahlia would be the most delicate salmon pink but with a ray of buttery yellow radiating from the center in a waterlily style with a strong and long stem that would make a great blender flower in a bouquet and last a week. I once heard a little child’s voice in a fabric shop repeating “I love pink” as they ran their fingers along the bolts of fabric. My companion commented that he had never “understood” pink. My perfect Dahlia would convert even those who have never understood pink and turn them into a child chanting “I love pink, I love pink, I love pink…” as they walk through an aisle of sunny pink blossoms.

    Reply
  2809. Michelle on

    I have to say that I have never been a fan of dahlias; well until now. Your love and passion for the flower is contagious. I will simply have to try growing one or several this year. I am drawn to the soft petaled and soft muted colored dahlias with less petals than more. Thanks for sharing the magic of these beautiful flowers.

    Reply
  2810. Hollie Thompson on

    If I had to imagine the most magical dahlia it would be a nice dinner plate style that is a dusty pink with mauve details. But any dahlia is beautiful!

    Reply
  2811. Karen Bergh on

    My dream dahlia is the one that wants to go along the ride with me! I’m not that beautiful or that easy to enjoy, lol!

    Reply
  2812. Maggie Carty on

    My dream dahlia would have magically blended corals, pinks, and overall ombré petals with a hint of red/raspberry at the ends. I think big petals would be beautiful but the color I’m imagining would really be the priority. Ideally an open center for pollinators too :) thanks for the inspiration Erin & team!

    Reply
  2813. Chelsea on

    A dream dahlia – I’ve never seen any blue ones (like anemone or cornflower) so that would be pretty amazing. I’m drawn to the perfect symmetry of the ball type dahlias, but really, any form would be beautiful. Just not too huge so that they are good for use in floral arrangements. Congrats on the 1yr anniversary! My book is still sitting at a warehouse waiting for me to be able to get across the border to pick it up.

    Reply
  2814. Janet Barriger on

    Orange and yellow and pink, with subtle suggestions of purple or violet too. I love the multi-colored dahlias! The images in this blog are just amazing! I have never grown dahlias, but our nephew and niece-in-law practice permaculture on their farm in Magnolia, TX and just sent us a bag of dahlias that we will share with our friend Erika for her garden in her new home garden. We are excited to plant them.

    Reply
  2815. Sharon on

    Hello, my dream dahlia would the palest blush to a crimson red. Dahlias were my father’s favorite flower besides his beloved roses.

    Reply
  2816. Ann Light on

    This will be my first year of growing Dalia’s. I want to grow them for our village flower sales – bouquets for various events. All for charity and who wouldn’t want these lovely flowers? Dinner plate are amazing but I could never pick just one : )

    Reply
  2817. Sadie Dykslag on

    Absolutely on my “ wish list “ would be any type of Dahlia looking like Appleblossom. That one is so beautiful and I’ve looked for the past several years , without any luck . I’ve only started growing Dahlias 2 years ago , but I’m hooked. I’m just a home gardener but truly enjoy my garden . Thank you for all your amazing videos and books . Love each and every one of them .💗

    Reply
  2818. Julia on

    Tough to pick, but my dream dahlia is white with muted peachy tones and that nice puffy (daffodil-esque) center. Perfect cottage-garden vibes

    Reply
  2819. Morgan K on

    My dream dahlia is a little funky! I’m also such a fan of the non perfect “misfits” in the garden. Something in the sunset pink/yellow/orange tones always catch my eye. Last season I grew just a cheap 50 cent pack of seeds that I picked up and got so dang excited at every new bloom that opened and amazed at how different they were.

    Reply
  2820. Mary Dondlinger on

    I love peach and coral and would love to find an anemone shaped dahlia in that color. Or a Cafe-Au-Lait shaped dahlia in a muted pastel color. I already have a handful of seedlings growing from seeds from my own patch last year and seeds that I received from Floret. Watching all of your breeding efforts last year has gotten me very excited to try some of it for myself!!

    Reply
  2821. Merideth on

    Thank you so much for sharing this incredible work with the world. It’s so hard to say what my dream dahlia would be. I love the peachy colors, but also the vibrant magenta/purples as well. The C144 is so unique. I am on the hunt for some seeds and excited to explore this new world of flowers.

    Reply
  2822. Nicoline on

    I love the muted colors also, a soft cream/pink flower would be a delight to see. Nothing to vibrant, dull, muted colors are what I am hoping for if I seeded dahlias.

    Reply
  2823. Janice on

    Thank you for spreading your joy of flowers. My dream dahlia is a Cafe au Lait colored flower with a magenta colored center and would have a long bloom time.

    Reply
  2824. Martha Bryan on

    I agree with the “treasure hunt” feeling! I grew my seed packet from Floret last summer, and it was so fun! It was awesome to find a stunner with a dark magenta color on the back of the petals and a different, pale, creamy yellow color on the front… I’d love to find a perfect one like that again. ❤️ I did dig it up to grow again this year, so we’ll see how it grows!

    Reply
  2825. Alisha Schulz on

    I love the whimsical playful dahlias. The dahlia you’ve breeded “Floret” is pretty much perfection. I love the ones with the big yellow or cream centers, especially with pink, yellow or creamy petals to go with them. It certainly must be addicting to unearth new varieties indeed- to me, the discovery and exploration that growing flowers brings is the best part of gardening. There’s always more! Who knows what life changing varieties are out there to discover!

    Reply
  2826. Amberly Smith on

    A dinner plate peachy color! This is my first year growing seeds and second year growing tubers. I am so excited and the mystery of growing seedlings and not knowing what you will discover is so fun! I’m hoping to grow a couple that I can keep and think it will be fun trying to name them!

    Reply
  2827. emily frye on

    My dream Dahlia would be the color of Indiana sunsets :: golden, salmon, deep red threads in the petals

    Reply
  2828. Daphne Luttrell on

    I’m a pink girl! My dream Dahlia patch would have every shade of pink in a “color wheel “ from light to dark with small to the largest ones. In my dreams in would be as large as a corn maze or maybe big enough for my only granddaughter to walk through dressed in pink to make it seem that tall.
    Excited to see the seeds from Floret farm bloom this year!
    Thanks for doing this!

    Reply
  2829. Anik H on

    My dream dahlia would be a version of Platinum Blonde but in a candy pink colour. Somebody please make it happen!

    Reply
  2830. Gail on

    I had no idea there were so many beautiful varieties. The intensity of color in dahlias is amazing, yet they can also have the soft muted shades. Watercolor is my pastime and flowers are my passion. My dream Dahlia would be shaped like C316 in a deep, deep crimson with white! 🤩

    Reply
  2831. Jenn on

    My dream Dahlia would be a creamy tea and coffee color. It would be so full with petals that you could barely see the center. It would have a stiff stem perfect for an arrangement.

    Reply
  2832. Kate on

    A buff-colored dinner plate style dahlia that’s magical enough for weddings but small enough to bring that magic into my house for every ordinary day. Thank you for sharing this update, Erin.

    Reply
  2833. SUSAN SPEERS on

    I love the medium to large dinnerplate sizes but do not have room for many 6′ tall plants! I would love a strong, sturdy plant less than 5′ that can produce large blooms in the kind of “blended” shadowy color effects that Floret loves too. Pink/cream, Pink/Coral/, Yellow/Orange, and Red/Silver.

    Reply
  2834. Karen Mclucas on

    First of all, Thank you for all the wonderful information you share so freely with the gardening world. You’ve inspired me to turn my backyard garden here in Minnesota into a cut flower garden. Dahlias are one flower that I absolutely love but have had a hard time over wintering them. I’m anxious to try them from seed if I win!

    Reply
  2835. Betty Fields on

    It’s too hard to pick a favorite! They are all so beautiful. I do love shades of pinks.

    Reply
  2836. Linda Q on

    I love dahlias that are not a solid color but may have 2-3 colors/shades in the blooms. I grow mostly ball dahlias but also like the decorative types & anemone types!

    Reply
  2837. Katie Oskin on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft, muted caramel with long gorgeous stems and soft purple highlights. It would have incurved petals; its flower would be large and powerful, making a huge but soft statement. Like the period at the end of a sentence. It would be a flower that begs you to come closer, stop what you are doing, and take a moment to catch your breath.

    Reply
  2838. Stephanie on

    I tried growing dahlias from seed for the first time last year and it was by far the most exciting part of my garden. Waiting to see what they would look like, I could barely stand it! I am drawn to muted colors but was surprised to find my favorite was a bright orange collarette with deep burgundy stems. It was my first experience with dahlias and I’m addicted! Thanks for what you do. You’ve brightened some difficult times in my life and inspired new hobbies.

    Reply
  2839. Ingrid Thornton on

    A warm creamy many petalled blossom, with some twisted petals, that warms to blush as it ages.
    I wonder too if any kind of blue has shown up…..

    Reply
  2840. Marissa Bertsch on

    My dream dahlia would be a blush pink dinner plate dahlia with tips like a water lilly and a golden center 😍

    Reply
  2841. Laurie on

    My dream dahlia would be C33 form in a deep burgundy with a fluffy yellow center. Love the work you do! Thank you for providing so much beauty in this troubled world.

    Reply
  2842. Kelsey Edwards on

    This is so inspiring! What an amazing project!

    I would love to find a fringe dahlia with a mauvy center that slowly fades into a dusty pink color at the ends!

    Reply
  2843. Danielle Koch on

    My dream dahlia would be, a total surprise! I love the big bloom and colorful surpluses! I’d be thrilled to have dahlias
    of all colors grace my patch. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  2844. Robin Pruett on

    My dream dahlia would be a nude to peach more ball shaped than dinner plate , with lots of petals. It would fade from a light nude to darker peach as it aged.

    Reply
  2845. Elizabeth Burch on

    I LOVE them ALL!!! Last year was my first time ordering from Floret. Watching my garden grow was almost the highlight of the year but using the flowers for my daughters bridal shower and wedding was the most satisfying! So many compliments…. I tend to ❤️ Any flower with the color orange and white.

    Reply
  2846. Tara Nelson on

    Hi! The perfect dahlia would be the color of a wild, country field in the fall…just starting to dry. It would be shades of warmth with a touch of a pink evening sky. The petals are deep and in the morning they will look like little cups of dew. I am dreaming of the morning sun glistening off those petals! The thought of these with some cinnamon basil sitting out on my kitchen island puts a huge smile on my face. Love your show! I can’t wait to receive your books. I have had them on my gift wish list. Keep growing!

    Reply
  2847. Meg King on

    I would love a Tequila Sunrise colouring with curly petals. Orange and pink🌄🌅 I’d love to get dahlias that are very unusual. My friends look forward every year to walk through my dahlia patch🌻🌻🌻🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦☮️☮️☮️

    Reply
  2848. Sarah on

    My dream dahlia would likely be a velvety magenta with long spikey petals, maybe a decorative that looks like she has her fancy party dress on.

    Reply
  2849. Teena Carroll on

    My dream dahlia would be like a chocolate with cream edges to go in arrangement with my Koko Loco rose!

    Reply
  2850. Suzanne C Smithline on

    I’m a home gardener in Queens, NY. Our home sits on a 50′ x 100′ corner lot walking distance from a large hospital. It brought me great joy during the last two years to brighten the lives of my neighbors, healthcare workers and essential workers with a beautiful garden. Dahlias added to that. Polka is currently my favorite, but I’m drawn to dahlias that combine more than one color. I have never seen a dahlia that has a green bloom. THAT would be special!!

    Reply
  2851. Kari Schmitz on

    Oh do these ever make my eyes and heart happy! My dream dahlia would have strong, crisp large petals around the outside, framing a medium size ring of original-furled looking petals! In a pastel yellow with peachy strokes!

    Reply
  2852. Rebecca Sills on

    Could you imagine finding a dinner plate sized ball dahlia in a color that is not quite salmon but not quite pink 😍 or what about a dahlia in a shade of green 😍😍😍

    Reply
  2853. Pamela on

    I must say I love dinnerplates but I have so many I am really hoping this year to just find something truly unique. I don’t even know how to describe it because it isn’t here yet! I know I’ll know it when I see it! Thanks so much for sharing your journey!
    God bless

    Reply
  2854. Lisa Jackson on

    My dream dahlia would be BLUE and smell wonderful…. So many colors these dahlias come in, but never a blue!
    Please develop one!! :-)

    Reply
  2855. Jess Little on

    My dream dahlia would be a blue that faded into a deep purple in the center. Form would be similar to the Floret in your breeding patch. The petals would twist in their own way as if some were dancing. The petals would be layered almost as if they were partnering up to be “Dancing to the Blues”.

    Reply
  2856. Amy Van Guilder Dik on

    This is so fascinating! I could definitely see myself falling down the rabbit hole of dahlia breeding — it must be so fun and exciting to discover something beautiful and new. My ideal dahlia would be one of the small open ones with a smaller, double row of petals around a cheery full center, about 3 feet high. I think a creamy apricot color with muted pink/purple tones and darker peach/coral on the reverse with dark purple foliage would be amazing!

    Reply
  2857. J kel on

    I’d love to grow a dahlia that is coral and pink!

    Reply
  2858. Ballard Orr on

    I love huge dinner plate dahlias, but anytime if in a pale blue would be lovely!

    Reply
  2859. Angela Myers on

    My dream dahlia would have pointed petals in yellow and plum. Any Floret dahlia seedling would be a dream come true in my garden!

    Reply
  2860. Marci Imes on

    A sunrise colored dahlia full with playful petals. I would greet it each morning during its life – in my robe, with coffee in hand, and smile. That’s what I do each morning with all my new seedlings. Morning joy!

    Reply
  2861. Sharcondria Salone on

    Wow! I love seeing the progress of you dahlia breeding. It’s really hard to think up what my dream dahlia would look like. I know I love the anemone types and it would definitely need to be a bronzy pink color.

    Reply
  2862. Alexandria May on

    My dreaaaam dahlia would be iridescent, sparkly, glittery in the sun or with the morning’s dew. She would have a strong long stem, and perfectly curled petals in the shape of Sweet Nathalie but with a tiny bit of flair. Her color would be a that iridescent ivory white with an ombré effect headed toward the middle of a streaky shimmery coral and a very delicate but bright lavender color. She also has a bit of surprise with each flower.. a little pop if solid but pastel streaky colors in just a couple petals that differs from all the rest because really wants to be exactly the same as all the rest. We all stand out and shine in our own unique ways. Her name would be Little MisMismatch Wylie – after my firecracker of a daughter.

    Reply
  2863. Paige Patterson on

    C33/floret is pretty close to exactly what I’d love to grow although I’d like a ruffled slightly more petals appleblossom.

    I’d love a range shapes and sizes in chartreuse dahlias (like the spider chrysanthemums & envy zinnia) as well as less maroon & more blue purples.

    And also a ruffled white collarette that was larger. Oooooh and how about dahlia in the queen lime color range?

    There already exists a miniature cafe au lait, I just wish it was more available so your version would be great. And perhaps a collarette that has some Shiloh Joelle in it.

    And a real beige & a real brown & a real antique white. Please.

    Reply
  2864. Nadie VanZandt on

    In my dream seedling patch I would be thrilled to find a 2 ft high mound filled with coral pink and raspberry blooms of informal shape. I would plant it in the flower beds in front of my cottage for curb appeal and close enough for me to snip a few blooms to enjoy inside.

    Reply
  2865. Isabel on

    How exciting! My perfect dahlia would be apricot with greater hints of yellow streaking in the form of C33/Floret ! Such a perfect dahlia. Congratulations on all your success thus far in this project!

    Reply
  2866. Cari on

    My dream dahlia is had big fluffy, soft petals in pinks, creams, and a touch of yellow. I love a variety that can grow well in containers as I have an urban garden. My dream would be a dahlia garden on my rooftop!

    Reply
  2867. Stacy on

    My perfect dahlia would be almost red, but truly a watermelon-y pink that makes you go “ahhhh” when you see it. Add of course there would be peachy pink in there too. If I got the win, (please o please o please) I would hope there would be pinks, magenta & absolutely peachy pinks in the mix. That’s pretty much heaven right there.

    Reply
  2868. Therese on

    My dream dahlia would be an antique white with a pastel pink center. You are blessed in what you are doing, living, and I am jealous! It’s a lot of hard work that pays off tenfold.

    Reply
  2869. Alison on

    My dream dahlia would be one that was somewhat star shaped, so the row would resemble a scattering of little stars.

    Reply
  2870. Casey C on

    My absolute favorite time of the year is fall, so my dream dahlia would have a deep red center, flowing into rich orange and gold petals. It would be so nice to have the beautiful fall foliage colors in a vase on my kitchen table.

    Reply
  2871. Laura Bertagnoli on

    Greetings from Wisconsin! I know our summers are short and dahlia bloom time fleeting…but I can’t help myself! Just got my 1st packet of dahlia seeds and am excited to plant them- maybe someday grow 4 unique varieties to name after each if my grands😊 For me I love the burgundy and blush😉

    Reply
  2872. Kelsey Heller on

    My dream dahlia is def an anemone style like polka but more orange and cream! I’m obsessed with all the anemone type flowers. I want them in every color!! I love explaining dahlias to people who have never heard of them. They are such a true expression of creation like each human-unique and beautiful and never the same.

    Reply
  2873. Susan MacDonald on

    My dream dahlia would be a fluffy white bloom with tinges of orange at the ends of the petals. The arrangements would also have solid flat orange varieties with tinges of red in the center. Great blog post. I was fascinated.

    Reply
  2874. Jen on

    My favorites are the softer color palettes with slightly varying colors throughout. Cafe au lait is a favorite. All are beautiful and interesting though!

    Reply
  2875. Karen on

    I would love to see bunches and bunches of beautiful blush colors 😍

    Reply
  2876. Nancy Sage Sciarretta on

    Darkest leaves as possible, with red flowers streaked in black. Can’t wait to see it!

    Reply
  2877. Jennifer Gray on

    I love flowers that change as they age, so that as I walk through my garden each day during the blooming time, the plant and blossoms change. In the vase, I love the subtle changes each day as the arrangement ages.

    Reply
  2878. Brenda on

    I would love a fully double purple pink dahlia on a strong stalk for cutting that lasts a long time. I think you have talked me into trying to raise dahlias from seed. It sounds like an exciting adventure. Thank you for the chance to win!!!!

    Reply
  2879. Julie Puhr on

    I would be blessed to have what nature wants me to grow!

    Reply
  2880. Susie Bates on

    Last year was my first year to grow dahlias and now I’m hooked! I need more room and am trying to learn more about growing them in containers so I can have more. After reading your blog, I’m thinking I also need to try some seed. I love all pink/peach/melons and am becoming more intrigued by collarettes, so a large collarette with those colorings would be beautiful! Thank you for your inspiration!

    Reply
  2881. Anne Branco on

    My dream dahlia would have variegated colors. Going from very dark at the outside row of petals to subtly fading to a very light row towards the center with a creamy center. I still love the traditional Pom Pom shaped flower heads.

    Reply
  2882. Angie Sutton on

    I just got my first Dahlias this year after I purchased your book and I fell in love! I am excited to continue growing them. I love the soft colors, white, yellow, pink and purple. Good long strong stems and a good vase life. I have not tried from seed but my tubers have stored nicely. Thank you for your amazing work.

    Reply
  2883. Beth on

    I think my dream dahlia would have the loose whimsical petals of cafe au lait but on a much smaller flower, maybe only 2-3”, and muted apricot coloring with picotee edges. Or maybe a cute little pom in a soft orange sherbet color :)

    I have grown dahlias for a few years and this is the first year I will be trying a few from seed- and you are right! This will likely be the most exciting patch in the garden!

    Reply
  2884. Karen Lilienthal on

    My dream dahlia would be the stunning c33 with light lavender petals with a dark lavender center. That would be dreamy.

    Reply
  2885. Tracy Kelly on

    Since I was a little girl, I’ve been drawn to anything with a swirl of brilliant orange and yellow that melts together. It automatically turned on the endorphins! These colors in a large full bloom would be my ideal dahlia. ☺️

    Reply
  2886. Nicole Balanoff on

    My dream dahlia would certainly be a full dinnerplate size with pastel coloring (I’m thinking pale purple and pink). This is my second year growing dahlias and each year my collection grows. The flowers are stunning and by far the stars of my garden.

    Reply
  2887. Sonya on

    What eye candy , such a massive array of just stunning beauties!
    Dream dahlia, white delicate petals ,orange button, and in the very center avocado green.

    Reply
  2888. Lori on

    Being that this is my 2nd year growing Dahlias…a new grad floret 2022, and I’m still learning…I’m hooked. The beauty, the wonder, what a little creation that makes us all smile. The thought of giving it someone to brighten someone’s day…the color would look like pure joy to me! Whatever that color may be…a gift to give and share! This year I have plans for over 75 different varieties. I cant wait to fill my car and bless someone’s day! I love them all…its the name of the dahlia that is the extra fun part as well for me…like polka dot!

    Reply
  2889. Coni Fisher on

    It is hard for me to pick a favorite! I would be thrilled to have any variety show up on my door step!

    Reply
  2890. Mary Farley-Mell on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinnerplate variety, with pink and raspberry colors. I love them and cannot get over how a plant can produce something so large and beautiful.
    In my seedling patch I would be thrilled to find any flowers. I have never tried to grow from seed but I am going to try this year. Thanks for all you do!!

    Reply
  2891. Heidi Cookson on

    I have always grown certain flowers in my gardens as memorials to my family members that have gone on. My mother has beautiful peonies so I grow them to remind me of her. My grandmother- petunia and clematis. My mother in laws name is Fern so I always tuck a few in the garden in her honor. My father-in-law loved his hostas. But my daughters inspire me to grow dahlias. All 4 of my daughters are obsessed with Floret and we set the alarms to be able to order seeds. I was able to get dahlia seeds this year and hope to grow and keep tubers in honor of each of my daughters and granddaughters. I’m hoping for their favorite colors- pink, purple, yellow, and my favorite is anything apricot/bronze. Thank you for being such an inspiration!

    Reply
  2892. Alyssa on

    My dream dahlias are a range of blush colors, maybe even with notes of pale green or white in the centers, but definitely blush tones. I am a sucker for neutrals! And I would lean more towards a full, small to medium size bloom, but would love a fantastic mix in those color ranges! I absolutely love your collection!

    Reply
  2893. Emily Giles on

    My dream dahlia would have big floppy, almond-shaped petals that are white with light streaks of raspberry pink and eucalyptus green. I think these would be great for floral arranging with seeded eucalyptus!

    Reply
  2894. Carol Chandler on

    My favorite flowers take me back in time to peaceful happy moments. My ideal Dahlia would take me back to the beach watching my granddaughter experiencing the magic and wonder of the sun setting over the ocean for the first time. The yellow of the sun light shading into pinks and purples. Obviously we would have to name her Miracle. :0)

    Reply
  2895. Jenny Law on

    I think I grew my dream dahlia last year – a deep dark orange with a wide open face and a fuzzy yellow center that often hosted 4-5 bumblebees each morning, swaying sleep-drunk. I’m adding beds to the front of my yard to absorb the tubers and seeds I harvested last year. I’m so curious to see what the blooms will be this year.

    Reply
  2896. Shannon on

    I know dahlias don’t come in blue, but it would make my son so happy as blue is his favorite color! Behind that, I’d love a beautiful lavender full double bloom. I have space for 16 seedlings so fingers crossed.

    Reply
  2897. Laurie on

    A collarette variety with soft almond-shaped blush colored petals, outlined with a dusting of raspberry and a chocolatey centre. about 3 inches in diameter.

    Reply
  2898. Lynn Martell on

    My favorites are dreamy creamy soft pinks. Like cafe olay however smaller. Breakout is my favorite but again a dinner plate. Looking forward to Floret new introductions.

    Reply
  2899. Melissa steil on

    My dream dahlia would be dinner plate or water lily type . Color would be anything from soft creamy peach up to a loud red or yellow .

    I don’t think there is any dahlia I wouldn’t love .

    Reply
  2900. Sonia Covarrubias on

    This is my first time growing dahlias from seed , I got your seeds from your Discovering Dahlia book and I would be trilled if I get one single collarette pale pink Dahlia 🥰 thanks for sharing so much with us

    Reply
  2901. Kimberly Meyer on

    My dream dahlia would be the color of my new granddaughter’s cheeks and I would name the flower after her: Leota Mae.

    Reply
  2902. Sofia on

    I have two dream dahlias. One is large with mounding pink/peach petals that fold back on themselves toward the stem fading to a softer and muted pink to a cream center on firm, long stems. My second dream dahlia is a smaller anemone type in shades of pink and wine with a fluffy yellow center on firm but slightly bowing stems with deeply scalloped, darker green leaves. Sigh. Dahlias!!!!!

    Reply
  2903. Andrea on

    My perfect dahlia would be a soft orange fading into pink with hints of lavender, reminiscent of our beautiful sunsets we adore watching on our property, any shape would be beautiful, big, small, quirky, or perfect, all would be admired.
    In our patch I would also love to find just really abundant bloomers, as well as many anemone shaped. We love watching our pollinators just as much as looking at our beautiful flowers so blooms that attract them would be important too. The possibilities of what dahlia seedlings May become bring me are a childlike magic of excitement, mystery, and refreshing freedom. The whole process is just magical! I’m excited to grow more this year!
    Thankyou Floret for sending that little package of dahlia seeds with your book Discovering Dahlias last year it has opened a door of an unknown joy that I didn’t know I was missing!

    Reply
  2904. Krishna on

    Would love the have Pom Pom dahlias that match the color of the sky at the time of sun rise from light yellow, peach , orange and coral. To enjoy His beauty reflect through them during morning meditation and deep breathing.💕

    Reply
  2905. Jodi Beckworth on

    I really want a cactus variety that is bright pink and white!

    Reply
  2906. Flo on

    It is hard for me, a complete dahlia-loving novice, to make suggestions to the esteemed Floret tuber team. But, since you asked, here goes! I love champagne-colored flowers – brute and rose. I think it would be extraordinary to develop a dahlia that mutes the yellow in exchange for a soft cream and the peach for the color of a rich rose champagne. The Firefly (144) is truly beautiful. I would love to see this flower tinged with the same lime green found in little limelight hydrangeas – of which I am a big, big fan…I can see this magnificent bouquet now!

    Reply
  2907. Mia Iannotti on

    I am a first year farmer and just finished your work shop, which I loved by the way. I learned a lot just thought you should know. I love Dahlias but what I believe would be amazing is a hydrangea Blue color! I am so excited to start this year .I bought most of my seeds from you and also your dahlia seeds that I have started in Jan, i can’t wait to see what they produce.. Kudos Floret Team ! Also would love if you followed my journey as we just began clearing land and now waiting on excavator .. beyond excited .. Hope you can check it out. https://www.instagram.com/milliesflowerfarm/

    Thank you again!!!
    Mia
    Millie’s Flower Farm
    https://www.instagram.com/milliesflowerfarm/

    Reply
  2908. Laura on

    My dream dahlia would remind me of a beautiful sunset. I would love anything in the box because anytime I get a package it’s like Christmas.

    Reply
  2909. Kei on

    I feel like there are a good number of gold tone dahlias as it is, but just a great big dinnerplate with that turmeric/citrus orange-y gold would absolutely thrill me!

    Reply
  2910. Kelly Hill on

    My dream dahlia would be huge, with multi-colored petals, like Firefly! Looking forward to growing some this season and seeing what treasures come! Thank you!

    Reply
  2911. Tami on

    I love most any dahlia! My dream would be one that you didn’t have to dig in the fall! Ha!

    Reply
  2912. Joni Sauers on

    Let’s just say, that picture #22 above (lower right corner) made me instantly cry when I saw it, it was SO beautiful 💜 So, I would love to grow one like that! I’ve never met a Dahlia I didn’t like so anything that shows up in my garden patch would be truly loved. Thank You, for doing such beautiful heart work…you bring beauty and soul to a world that needs more of it, keep up the great work!!!

    Reply
  2913. Mel on

    I would love to see a miniature ‘Café au Lait’.

    Reply
  2914. Mary Catton on

    My dream dahlia would be a version in the color periwinkle, medium sized blooms, that would hold up well for days in a vase. Your seeds grew the most beautiful dahlias last season. Enjoyed watching the variety that emerged. Thank you for love of dahlias.

    Reply
  2915. April H Heflick on

    Im just a beginner, but your journey inspires me and the nurturing, cultivating, and arranging these beauties gives me so much life! Thank you for nudging me in this direction!

    Reply
  2916. Megan Fischer on

    Dahlia breeding is such an exciting topic that I’m really interested in! What a fabulous post. From my #discoveringdahlias seed packet last year I was fortunate to keep a winner! It was about a 3” bright orange bloom, and shape was a cross between a ball and decorative. It was an amazing plant! I can’t wait to see what the plants look like this year from its tubers. My ideal seedling dahlia is probably a ball form, peachy and blush tones are my favorite. I also love a good anemone type with a fuzzy center!

    Reply
  2917. Amy Phipps on

    I would love an anemone form with great vase life.

    Reply
  2918. Angie Grohoske on

    It would be the shape of the little miss sunshine but the petals would be bright fuchsia and the middle bright orange.

    Reply
  2919. Patricia Dunne on

    I would love a deep apricot informal variety, with hints of copper to give it depth. But honestly, I’d just love the adventure/treasure hunt of watching the seedlings flower for the first time. This is my second year with dahlias, and I’m hooked!

    Reply
  2920. Larissa Hannan on

    A dream dahlia for me is a light green toward the center and creamy white toward the outer petals! I love white dahlias with a pop of color. They feel fresh, but still vibrant.

    Reply
  2921. Jennifer Thompson on

    For me, the perfect Dalia is a mix of sherbety colors. The bloom is roughly 4inch or fist-size blooms and has a strong stem. I love that size to arrange as my key flowers in an arrangement.

    Reply
  2922. Tuuli on

    My dream dahlia would have a whimsical mystical look with outer petals of dark purple and blue and in the center smaller clearer petals with green and light purple. The pollen would be light green as well. It would be called ‘into the wild’ and even just one flower would be enough to draw in attention and meditate on. The foliage would be delishiously dark green and purplishious!

    Reply
  2923. Kate on

    What a generous giveaway! I’m inspired by your work so much; your flowers are truly beautiful!
    My ideal dahlia would probably be a warm and bright (at the same time!) sunset colored waterlily type.

    Reply
  2924. Alicia Rose Urban on

    My son has autism and is always most intrigued by blue flowers. Of everything in our patch he always gravitates towards anything blue. Years ago he wouldn’t have ever touched dirt due to sensory issues and now he is gardening with me. My dream dahlia would have a blue hue and would resemble the sun to remind me of not only the sunshine that he brings to my life but also of the light at the end of the tunnel. One of the things I love about dahlias is that they are all different. Different does not equate less and this is the same mentality that must be adopted for people with special needs. Those beautiful dahlias? Boy did they have to work much harder than that crimson clover someone just threw on the ground and they bloomed. At every step they faced obstacles but then they rose and continued to rise until they bloomed in all of their glory. They can accomplish great things given the conditions and support they need yet no two seeds even from the same plant will produce the same bloom. They are all unique. This is why I love dahlias.

    Reply
  2925. Heather E on

    Butter yellow with maroon tips would probably be ideal for me because I love yellow and I’m a Texas Aggie and we love maroon!

    Reply
  2926. Margaret Wray on

    Dahlias bring me so much joy!!! It’s the third year I will be growing them and the first year reusing my saved tubers. I’m digging out another 10 ft by 8 ft of grass for my patch just for these beauties. Growing a little neighborhood cut garden because it gives everyone such pleasure and joy. I love the fuchsia of Thomas Edison with a yellow fluffy middle. But to tell you the truth, I love them all!!

    Reply
  2927. Pamela Burnside. Utah on

    My dream dahlia is one that would simply take my breath away , one that I would want to fill my home and every one else’s with this breathtaking jewel and would probably fall into a pink/lilac shade.
    Here’s hoping I find it growing among my seeds this year !

    Reply
  2928. Hannah Wilhelm on

    I think a muted purple center with creamy edges- any variety would be lovely but probably for these colors I would pick a collerette

    Reply
  2929. Lynda Hardwick on

    My dream dahlia would be a pale pink dinner plate size with tips of light blue. I would be thrilled to find a rainbow of pastel colors in my seedling patch. I am growing dahlias for the first time this year – I am so excited for the season to begin!

    Reply
  2930. Patty Grove on

    I have never grown dahlias here in the Midwest, but am awestruck when I come upon them in a flower arrangement. Can I do that? Can I co-create such beauty? My favorite would be a flower with a peach center radiating out to a coral full bloom! Beauty on a stem!

    Reply
  2931. Rachael B on

    A dahlia with rows of compact petals in that classic, tidy ball form I remember from childhood in shades of creamy blush would be lovely!

    Reply
  2932. Geetika on

    I would love 4-5 inch flowers on sturdy stems that don’t require staking. The petals would be a magenta fading to blush. The petals would twist slightly making it look like they were constantly in motion. They would look happy and nod in the breeze. They would say good morning and have a nice day.

    Reply
  2933. Nicole Breslin on

    This will be my second year growing dahlias. It all started bc I had covid and was allergic to the meds they gave me (caused insomnia). So there I was, lots of time on my hands, at home…what else is a girl to do?! Yup, binge watch Garden Answer! I was in awe as I watched Laura planted plant out what I considered a ‘massive’ amount of for flowers for cutting. She mentioned seeds/tubers came from Floret and that wasn’t too hard to find…(lol) … since my gardening game changed dramatically!

    Not being able to go anywhere … I got my first set of tubers (from Aldi of all places) via instacart. And thank goodness for my mom who was just dropping soup off and I wrangled her to taking a detour to her local Aldi to see if they had any more (because like you said dahlia-mania is a REAL thing) and set to work potting things up I what ever I had in garage.

    I have gardened my whole life but finding you really took things to the next level. When the dirt was finally pliable I set to work clearing out some viney weed that had taken over behind my garage and 75 lawn bags later I had something that sort of resembled rows for flowers. Certainly not the beautiful rows your dahlias grow in but there is always this year! I remember my friends faces when they came to ‘see’ what I’d been up to and why I hadn’t golfed the whole month of May.
    Let’s just say, initially they were not impressed which was a huge bummer bc it was a ridiculous amount of work just to that point, but I digress.

    In all planted 20 tubers, had some room for 10 sunflowers, a small patch of zinnas (just 2 seed packages worth),and snap dragons. It was the end of May by then so I bought those from my local greenhouse, but this year I’ll be growing several of yours (thank goodness for the early order now emails!!). :)

    What started as a little project to occupy me during quarantine ended up changing my life. The peace and joy gardening brings is priceless. Sharing my flowers with friends and family is just icing on the cake. I had flowers until November and what a gift they were the whole time. My girlfriends (yup the same ones who were initially unimpressed) could not wait to come over and help me cut. Every week I would get texts asking if there were enough for a new bouquet.

    I dug up all my tubers and even managed to harvest some seeds and I am anxiously awaiting getting started. It’s still a little early yet, (I’m watching it snow as I type this) & I have no greenhouse, and what room I have in side is now full of ranunculus (yes, thanks for your detailed mini-course on that one!) I am hoping my seeds will produce some of the star shaped ones with the pedals that curl inward. And maybe a massive dinner plate, as I don’t have any of those, yet.

    You, Chris, Jill, and the rest of your team are amazing. Thank you for sharing your beautiful flowers, wealth of knowledge, and kindness with the world! I look forward to where your ‘side project’ takes you (and the rest of us)!
    Congratulations on the anniversary of Discovering Dahlias!

    Reply
  2934. Amy Su on

    My dream dahlia would have soft blush pink petals and a warm vibrant yellow centre!

    Reply
  2935. Winnie Black on

    Your blog is such an inspiration to me. My dream dahlia would be a combination of red, white and blue to symbolize the great America that we live in. The colors would start out bold and gradually blend together. The leaves would be dark and bold to symbolize our brave, diverse Americans. My dahlias provide color and life in my garden as it gets hot and zest until frost. I love dahlias because I can put small ones in the front and taller ones in the back areas. Everyone always loves to get some of my dahlias in a fresh bouquet. Your books provide me with future ideas of new dahlias to grow and admire. I bleed green as I am sure you do. Thank you.

    Reply
  2936. Lorrie G Fulton on

    A tall, largish. deep zinfandel-colored flower with little sunset streaks, slightly open centered so that the bees will love it.

    Reply
  2937. Teresa on

    I am new to the dahlia world so I am not sure I have a dream variety yet. I am simply excited about finding any in my patch right now!

    Reply
  2938. Amy on

    A bright white with a dark red almost black center with dark green shiny leaves would be striking.

    Reply
  2939. Karen on

    I think my favorites fall into the peachy pink range. I’m thinking a saturated but soft shade of apricot fading to pink in the center would be really pretty but I can’t exactly decide on the form. Maybe that’s to be discovered.

    Reply
  2940. Jennifer Knoch on

    I’d love a dahlia that’s the pale peach of a summer sunrise!

    Reply
  2941. Pam Stone on

    For the past 14 years my garden space has been partial shade, at best. This season I will have a full-sun backyard. Bye-bye hostas and heucheras, hello Dahlias! I haven’t yet planted a seed or a tuber, but I’m already slightly addicted from too much time spent lusting online. Is there a Dahlia’s Anonymous organization? “Hi, my name is Pam, and my husband thinks I have too many dahlias…”! My dream dahlia will be the first one that blooms for me this summer. Thanks for getting me hooked, Floret Team!

    Reply
  2942. Katie Yeaton on

    I would love a dahlia with the form of cafe au lait in a dusty raspberry color!

    Reply
  2943. Angelica on

    I have never grown dahlias before but every time I see them I want to add them to my flower garden. I am planning to grow them this year and I am very excited! My kids love gardening with me and they love the bright and colorful flowers. Also, last year I was experimenting with drying flowers in silica gel crystals. The results were amazing and my kids and I hope to make dried flower frames and sell them to make some money this year.
    So if I was to grow my dream dahlia it would be from the Pom Pon category and be bright and colorful for my kids. I think those would dry beautifully! I love the big and bold varieties. I would be excited to receive any seeds that you would recommend for drying. And my kids would ask for the colorful ones too! I would also be so excited to receive a copy of your dahlia book! I have your others and I love them so much! This book is definitely on my list of next books to get.
    Thanks for doing this giveaway! I love your work and following along with you! Your flowers are so beautiful and you definitely have a God given talent! God bless you, your family, and your work!

    Reply
  2944. Kristin Lovig on

    My dream Dahlia would be a combination of apricot and peach with a dark center, maybe a burnt orange. I like the unusual ones. 😉

    Reply
  2945. Leah Junkins on

    This will be my first year to grow dahlias and I am very nervous and excited. I am going all in growing from both tubers and seeds! I am in zone 8b so I already have seedlings coming up in their trays. I would be amazed to grow a ball type dahlia with beautiful coral and gold petals that shimmer in the sunlight and glow in the moonlight. But honestly I have not seen a dahlia yet that does not catch my breath in some way. Your Firefly is just stunning. Thank you for this opportunity and sending best wishes for your amazing breeding patch this year!

    Reply
  2946. Marie Craig on

    My dream Dahlia would be C144 with cream & green in place of the raspberry red. Wow the incurved petal is so striking. Mother Nature & Floret are truly miraculous 🌿

    Reply
  2947. Mylène on

    What an incredible dahlia adventure! You guys are awesome. Growing dahlias used to feel intimidating to me, but after going through all your resources, I feel more confident to give this beautiful flower a try.

    If I were to choose one, right now I feel called to the varieties with the larger blush and cream petals with the big yellow centres. I purchased Floret’s Bee’s Choice this year and one Café au Lait tuber from a Canadian farm. I’m very excited to see what will bloom from that selection!

    Thank you for sharing your love of flowers with the world. Your passion is contagious.
    XO

    Reply
  2948. Jo Hannon on

    This post is so inspiring. Years ago I grew dahlias from a neighbor’s plant he called Ruthie G. The first few years I diligently dug up Ruthie each fall. Being a young mom, one fall turned to winter and Ruthie was not dug up. I lots her to one very wet winter. I have been trying to find my way back to some version, she was perfect. Creamy yellow center, blush pink petals brightening to a deep pink at the edge of the pedal. We have since relocated to Boise and I am excited to plant my first dahlias this spring.

    Reply
  2949. Laura Dillon on

    Oh my!! A little piece of heaven. My dream dahlia is a peachy/pink/yellow. I love the single/doubles above. New house next year means a new yard to fill!!

    Reply
  2950. Dee Taylor on

    You know the old saying, “red skies at night sailors delight..” I would love to find in my seedling patch a dahlia that would emulate that. Soft yellows giving way to beautiful glowing oranges with a hint of sunset pink. It puts a smile on my face just imagining that gorgeous dahlia. :)

    Reply
  2951. LuAnn Connor on

    I would love a deep purple fluffy dahlia. I would prefer them to be small and dainty.

    Reply
  2952. Elizabeth Huynh on

    I would love a Dinnerplate sized dahlia that look like cafe au lait with a hint of yellow and orange.

    Reply
  2953. Jennifer on

    Sunshine and magic on a stem for a dear friend. She cared for someone so very special who had dahlias in her garden. These seeds would bring sunshine,light and love to an Angel.

    Reply
  2954. Johanna Heinrich on

    I don’t quite know what my favorite seedling would look like. I am a baby farmer and this will be my second year, first year growing seeds, but I know discovering new varieties will be an incredible journey. I am drawn to peachypink muted tones and I love dinner plate varieties. I also love small balls. So who knows, I’m just hoping for a flower that takes my breath away.

    Reply
  2955. Aimee Williams Meder on

    This is my first year trying to grow dahlias from seed and I am so freaking excited, because like you said, you never know what you are going to get. And I can honestly say that it was you who inspired me to try, so thank you. My dream dahlia would be salmon colored, dinner plate size, bloom all season and produce enough tubers for me to give some to family and friends for next year 💚🌱

    Reply
  2956. Kristen on

    Dahlias are the queens in my garden so it’s hard to pick what I love the most. I do love lavender, so It would be fascinating to find a lavender colored dahlia! Almost blue but with purple color or a white dahlia with a hint of blue/lavender.

    Reply
  2957. Suzanne on

    I am new to growing dahlias…and have enjoyed learning by reading your blog. I’m not sure what my dream dahlia would be as I honestly have not met one that I didn’t love. Do tend to favor rose pink and white-want to be able to enjoy inside.

    Reply
  2958. Chelsie Solie on

    Dahlias are what first sparked my love of flowers. My mom had a gorgeous little flower garden in her yard. Honestly, firefly is perfection! I love the colors and size. It is stunning! Every time you post a picture of it, I keep hoping you’ll share those tubers one day. Thank you for your endless work and dedication. Flowers brighten everyone’s soul and we need it now more than ever.

    Reply
  2959. Tania Dunham on

    My dream dahlia would be a salmon colored with yellows mixed in. I would be soo thrilled to find this one Variety (looks alot like your C108 from the pictures above) I grew before from a tuber bag I bought from lowes, which is how I started growing Dahlias for the first time ever and fell in love with them and the process taught me patience of waiting for the flowers to bloom was soo exciting!

    Reply
  2960. Lauren Krause on

    My dream Dahlia would be a giant poof ball cream color with champagne/ baby pink splotches all over it, tall stems, long vase life, and of course a pollinator favorite for my bees💕

    Reply
  2961. Marina McLeod on

    I arrived in Ireland in 2018, freshly divorced and looking for an adventure. I made my way to an Airbnb that had windows which opened to rolling green hills and languishing cows. That first morning my hosts left an Irish soda bread, golden butter, and a vase holding a single spectacular dahlia. It had a dark coral center and the petals grew increasingly lighter to the edges. It was as large as my hand. I remember looking at it and thinking ‘this is what love feels like’. That is the dahlia of my dreams and one that I would love to bring to life in the summer garden of my new home.

    Reply
  2962. Abby Hellauer Geiger on

    a long stemmed lady, with a full and fluffy bloom. the petals would be almost tricolor. creamy white at the center, fading to a violet, brushed with chocolate at the edges. i’d grow these to fill the back of our small garden so they could smile over the rest!

    Reply
  2963. Robyn T. on

    My dream dahlia would have a dark center that transitions to a bright sunny tip! It would represent renewal after the storm. Our local flower farm Pepper Harrow in Iowa suffered devastation after a direct tornado hit this week. I would love to donate a gift to them representing the beauty they have given others, being returned to them.

    Reply
  2964. Ana Valean on

    I honestly never understand the hysteria around dahlias until last year. Now I’m in it all the way ☺️.
    My favorite dahlia has one layer of petals, has a soft pinkish color and stands proud in the sun.
    This year is my first year flower farming and I am starting from seeds close to 600 dahlias. I can’t wait to see them all .

    Thank you for the inspiration.
    Love, Ana

    Reply
  2965. Jessica W. on

    I love learning more and more about dahlias! I can’t wait to start my seeds and tubers this spring. Peaches are my favorite so I’d love to discover a creamy apricot decorative with hints of smokey lavender in the middle…..with dark foliage. Sounds dreamy to me!

    Reply
  2966. Virginia Selzer on

    I’m in love with Firefly right now and would feel like I won the lottery if one of my baby surprise seeds ends up looking anything like that!! Thank you!!!

    Reply
  2967. Grace G. on

    Fluffy! And light! After wearing black most of my life, I have fallen in love with colors again. I simply can’t have enough color because it’s all about joy and variety and the fun of being alive. Flowers understand that and I am so happy to bring a lovely bunch of flowers that I grew myself to friends and family to share my joy.

    Reply
  2968. Erin beyer on

    It’s hard to picture my perfect dahlia after reading this blog! Little Miss Sunshine is incredible, for sure I’ll be waiting til you start offering seeds or tubers of that one 😍 I got your book for myself for Christmas and I have dahlia seeds, here’s hoping!

    Reply
  2969. Jessica Mattaliano on

    My dream dahlia would be a gorgeous large bloom that has a creamy center fading out to lavender tips on the petals with a nice long stem. 💜

    Reply
  2970. Chas on

    My dream dahlia would be a beautiful soft white, that had long frilly and slightly twisted petals. Similar to Sebastopol goose feathers.
    My favorite flowers are always the unique ones!

    Reply
  2971. Ana on

    My dream dahlia would be an all white double anemone with white center rather than a yellow center. The petals would be more like a dinner plate dahlia but 3/4 the size of a dinner plate. I would be thrilled to find any type of double flowering anemone on my patch or miniature pom poms. I love the softer cottage garden flowers so anything in that color scheme would be a thrill.

    Reply
  2972. Lauren H. on

    Hmm, if I could see a dahlia that is a cool purple verging almost on a French blue or periwinkle with a creamy yellow center I would be in love!

    Reply
  2973. Erin Marsh on

    I would love to find something with the same shape as your C21, but with colours like the ones you see on a mango.

    Reply
  2974. Michelle on

    This will be my first summer growing dahlias. And I’m so excited!! I love the pale peachy pinks, tight petals and on the smaller side. Though the yellow sunburst ones you talked about are making me rethink that!!

    Reply
  2975. Mary I on

    I would love to see Colors like orange to apricot with burgundy edges. However it’s a hard thing for me to choose because I love them all.

    Reply
  2976. Barb Haberkorn on

    My dream dahlia would have three tones including a beautiful yellow center with two toned petals. I prefer the light pastel shades. The petals would be short, curved gracefully inward, and cluster together in a ball with semi-firm stems that can either stand up in a vase or stand out in a garden.

    Reply
  2977. Leslie McLaughlin on

    I am one of the people who you introduced Dahlia’s to. I love Corals and Pinks and yellows so a mix of those three colors in one of the new shapes – like the sun one you showed would be wonderful. I will try to get seeds this year from my plants!

    Thank you

    Reply
  2978. Bailey on

    I am all for the lighter pale colors, but I’d love to see some more blues in dahlias. Maybe a lighter dusty blue edging with white centers on the petals.

    Reply
  2979. Stephanie on

    I’m drawn to peach and coral colored blooms and would love to find a verigated version marbled with a soft pink or white. I just adore all of the different varieties available with dahlias. Thank you for sharing your wisdom & experience with us.

    Reply
  2980. Jen Ford on

    My dream dahlia is something bold and unique. It still preserves the essence of a traditional dahlia but really makes you stop and appreciate its uniqueness. I love the idea of planting dahlia seeds and going on a “treasure hunt.” This has been my hardest year teaching in my 10 years in the classroom; I can’t wait to get my garden going here inNew England and plant some joy.

    Reply
  2981. Tali on

    I would love to find a soft, pale yellow variety. Then it would just feel like the lottery if that same bloom had rosey pink undertones in the center! However, it’s hard not to find beauty in all dahlias new and old.

    Reply
  2982. Jen on

    Any dahlia with twists and curls. They are beautiful to look at and interesting to photograph. I spend too much time documenting my few dahlias. Subsequently, there are days my gardening chore list accomplishments fall short.

    Reply
  2983. Annie Ellingson on

    My dream Dahlia presents herself as a larger cream to blushy salmon in color, irregular whimsy shaped petals (c26) attracts hummingbirds to the garden while lending itself to stunning stems for a vase. Did I mention easy to grow, perfect!

    Reply
  2984. Jen on

    Thank you for sharing your passion project! The form of C33/Floret is so lovely! My perfect dahlia would be similar in form to Floret with cream and pale green petals.

    I grew surprise Dahlias from seed 15 years ago but didn’t have the chance to dig their tubers or collect seed before unexpectedly moving. Since then we’ve been in a condo without the opportunity to do the type of gardening I’d been used to. I’m looking forward to reestablishing cutting gardens on a piece of land we’ll be moving to next year and dahlias of all shapes, sizes, and colors will move in with us!

    Reply
  2985. Tracy Marino on

    I would love to see something with a blush peach and a touch of blue. I don’t know if blue dahlias exist, but there is something so special about an icy blue tone in the garden. And to mix that with a blush tone would be incredible!

    Reply
  2986. Lindsay Wadel on

    I would love a mini dahlia variety… round full blooms in a variety of pretty colors.🤗

    Reply
  2987. Sam Nelson on

    I’m drawn to more of the clean, crisp symmetry of some of the dahlias and things in nature. While snorkeling in Hawaii recently, I saw a fish that stood out to me called the Achilles Tang. It was mostly brown, but has sharp lines of white, orange, and black. A dahlia that could be a perfect peach color with white and dark colored lines either in outer petals or in the center…that would be my dream dahlia!

    Reply
  2988. Christine on

    My dream dahlia would be a Cafe au Lait type with purple and white. You have inspired my to try dahlias from seed this year.

    Reply
  2989. Amy on

    My dream dahlia would have longer outer petals in raspberry with shorter inside petals and a yellow fluffy center.

    Reply
  2990. Ashleigh Henderson on

    I think I would be most excited to find a dinner plate dahlia with large fluffy petals and the perfect shade of pale creamy coffee… something that can tone in with dried persian cress to create a stunning arrangements with gold and pale coffee colors.

    Reply
  2991. April K. on

    Im just starting my dahlia journey, and can’t wait to find my own treasures. I love anemone and water lily styles, and love pinks and lavenders!

    Reply
  2992. Sheryl Smith on

    My dream dahlia would look like the Dew Drop Fairy from the Nutcracker. Graceful, whispy pink petals that bleed into a deep rose heart, tipped with glittering dew.

    Reply
  2993. Susan Herrera on

    My dream dahlia would catch the breath of the westerlies & twirl in abandon, capturing sunbeams on her flaming gold petals. Bees would not be able to resist her deep, tufted center and the slugs would be so awestruck by her rare beauty they would declare her too sacred to eat. I think she might call Firefly her sister.

    Reply
  2994. Sandy Naber on

    My favorite is Hamilton Lillian so maybe even one more deep coral.

    Reply
  2995. Barb Kelii on

    Hi Erin! My dream Dahlia garden would look like a watercolor dream. Vibrant orange and sunshine yellow swimming together…. Deep reds with paint spattered white edges, purples and pinks circling each other like the tea cup ride at Disney! I love color chaos!

    Reply
  2996. Pamela Zelman on

    Dahlias always seemed intimidating to me — so gorgeous but kind of needy in the garden. Now that I better understand them, I can imagine the glee of finding tall stems of flowers with a dark yellow center and orange petals that fade to apricot. Floofy, open, stop you in your tracks flowers. Flower power!

    Reply
  2997. Maureen Cameron on

    I grew my dream dahlia last summer from the packet if seeds That was included in my copy of Discovering Dahlias it was a beautiful coral/peach medium sized flower. I’m still perfecting my dividing and storing skills, so hoping her tubers survived the winter! Love growing Dahlia from seeds!

    Reply
  2998. Amber Yates on

    I am starting my little flower farm on 3/4 of an acre. I am nervous and excited. I can’t imagine a more uplifting life than flower farming. My color of Dahlia that would be so exciting to find is a smokey blue with tinges of grey. All the colors are amazing and a wonder to look at!

    Reply
  2999. Mimi Murphy on

    I just moved into my new house and have been dreaming about the garden I want. My dream dahlia would be big and round with a yellow center and petals that are faded from pink to purple with little darker spots sprinkled throughout!

    Reply
  3000. Tracy Lowry on

    This is my first year growing 500 plus dahlia tubers! My dream flower would have large very very very light creamish pinkish outer petals w a slight tinge of primrosey pink inner petals, double of course and maybe even w a slight twist here and there and then the center being a light yellow large soft mound that looks like cotton.
    The color being the elixer initially of course but this little dream of a flower would be a vigorous producer of branching blooms and stand 4’ tall. Strong stems but not rigid, and will produce easy to separate tubers that store well and bring eyes easily in spring!! Not much to ask right?
    May your blessings flourish!!!!

    Reply
  3001. Julia Loran on

    My dream dahlia would fade from pink to salmon color. The mature flower about 10 cm . Dahlias that I can successfully start from seed would make my day! Week ! Year!

    Reply
  3002. Jackie Taylor on

    My dream dahlia would be a small short variety that blooms and fills my half barrels with color from early spring to late fall……allowing me to see beautiful colors much sooner and for the entire growing season. I find it so hard to wait for the blooms to appear…..

    Reply
  3003. Katie Hoak on

    Something I would love to have in the fall! I get so excited in spring that I pick colors that are far too bright to enjoy as the color palate of the seasons change. Also, not having to stake it would be 💯 :)

    Reply
  3004. Geraldine Turner on

    On my breathtaking Dahlia I would have purple’s, pinks , yellows and white with cream. I love all colors.

    Reply
  3005. Jessica Stone on

    My dream dahlia would be similar to that of labyrinth, but instead of coral/peach it would have rich pinks/purples.

    Reply
  3006. Anne-Marie schweiger on

    I would find a deeply layered hot pink bloom…the petals rich with color in the center, fading to the borders in a soft pastel tone. My seedling patch would reveal endless combinations of petal structures and colors…as if walking through a kaleidoscope.

    Reply
  3007. Clayton on

    I would love rust color dahlias or a tricolor dahlia that has red, orange and yellow. Nice fall colored because that’s when you dahlias at their peak. I love ball varieties but decorative dinner plate dahlias are awesome too or even semi cactus.

    Reply
  3008. Mary Zinnecker on

    I would love a decorative sized dahlia with different shades of purple. I’ve bought several I thought would be like that but they are never quite what I thought they’d be. 💜

    Reply
  3009. Katrina S on

    Oh goodness – this entire blog post was such a feast for the eyes!
    I’ve always loved the messy crazy looking dahlias, so my dream dahlia would be an irregular petaled, open-hand sized one in a deep orange with deep pink edges.

    Reply
  3010. Jocelyn on

    I’d love a big beautiful dinner plate dahlia with the coloring of a koko (coco) loco rose. Dreamy!! If this is already available someone please direct me to the grower!

    Reply
  3011. Debra Moffitt on

    A dream dahlia would explode in chiffon petals of blush pink and white, ethereal and otherworldly. Worthy of poetry, this bloom would, as the poet Jane Kenyon wrote, “loll about in gorgeousness, live for art, believe in excess.”

    Reply
  3012. Amy on

    My dream dahlia would be a pale antique tea dyed looking lavender, one that reminds me of my great grandmother’s sweater. It would flower profusely because I would be so in love with it I would harvest as often as possible! Funny I’m wearing her engagement ring and it’s that exact color, a pillow cut amethyst!!!

    Reply
  3013. Emily Tulip on

    Looking at all of the colors, I think I’d love to find some softer shades. I haven’t found any in the apricot range yet, and I adore the uniqueness of that shade in bouquets. It’s simple but elegant. I also think your firefly variety is very unique and would be fun to try to arrange flowers with. I have a large patch of honeysuckle out back, and I’ve been trying to find pretty complimentary colors to use.

    Reply
  3014. Julie Eiden on

    I would love to see a large flower with muted, soft colors – perhaps in creamy pinks with darker pink/red hues on the side of the petals. Thank you for sharing your story.

    Reply
  3015. Jen S. on

    This is a really hard question because I love so many of them already but I would have to say an ivory or blush with a wine eyed center!

    Reply
  3016. Martina Schutte on

    Erin, thank you for story! You are an inspiration for so many. My dream dahlia is a fairytale, starting with a strong stem with a length at least 12 inches. This is so each flower can tell a story to its recipient, or a grouping extends the storyline. The petals would be dramatic, full of dimension, starting with a vibrant pink or fuchsia, and ending in a soft pink.

    My fairytale flower would be among the earlier bloomers, so the ‘author’ experiences more joy and happiness than anxiety waiting for the flower to grow/bloom.

    Reply
  3017. Marie Anter on

    It’s hard to say exactly what my dream dahlia would be. I’m new to growing dahlias so with that in mind it would be easy to grow, very productive, and since my favorite colors seem to go toward the peachy yellows it would be a new variation of those colors.

    Reply
  3018. Ellen Greenberg on

    Yellow and peach. Attractive to pollinators Long vase life. Lots of flowers. Disease and pest resistant

    Reply
  3019. Catherine on

    Thank you Erin for the fun and informative blog post! I am pretty indiscriminate in my dahlia appreciation -I love them all. So I didn’t know what to say for a dream dahlia but then looked outside in the early morning and saw a soft lavender-blue sky with glowing peachy-pink sunrise streaks. My dream dahlia! (Plus tasting bad to those petal-munchers!) Thanks!

    Reply
  3020. Andréa on

    Such a tough question! I love the light, delicate colors, especially with multiple tones, small or miniature blooms. Boy would I love to win this one 🥰

    Reply
  3021. Kristen on

    I am new to growing dahlias, I think purple with a white center.

    Reply
  3022. Megan Struble on

    “Darling I do not have no dream job, I dream of dahlias”

    I believe a white with a green center would live up next to all the purples and the dark arrangements soooo wonderfully!

    Reply
  3023. Susan Smith on

    I would love a dahlia with the shape of the labyrinth dahlia and a lovely vintage dusky pink colour similar to the koko loko rose. Dreamy!

    Reply
  3024. Colleen Cowin on

    My dream dahlia would be a mini sized flower/plant with the color family of Cafe O Lai. We have just downsized our home size to a townhouse for retirement and have only a side yard (lol maybe four feet wide) for growing in pots. This was my very first dahlia and lucky me bought from your first sale. Thank you for all you do and share with us!

    Reply
  3025. Jennifer G on

    My inner five year old would love a ROYGBIV rainbow dahlia. A girl can dream can’t she??

    Reply
  3026. Karen on

    Although I am a life long gardener I have only recently been reintroduced to the wonders of the dahlia family. Our little band of backyard gardeners lost a dear friend suddenly this year. Liz loved growing dahlias and was determined to convince us that we should convert all our beds to their honor.
    She loved bright colors – all of them! So my dream dahlia would be the brightest in the garden, one that glows with color and makes you laugh out loud with delight, like she would, when you spot it.

    Reply
  3027. Lisa Arrigo on

    I am just getting started and I honestly have zero clue what my dream dahlia would look like. I did order your discovering dahlias book so if I would win, I’d give it to me sil who also shares in the love of gardening. I will be planting my first tubers this year. I have three varieties so far. Maybe I’ll try the seeds that came with my book as well.

    Reply
  3028. Shelly Boucher on

    Hi!!!
    The dahlia of my dreams would be bright magenta double bloom with soft paintings of yellow and peach shimmer and a big yellow disk for the bees to enjoy❤️❤️ I love to grow seed dahlias because they attract so many pollinators and my partner and I would go out into the patch every morning and there would be 3-5 bumble bees sleeping in the dahlias. When I harvest I have to gently move them to surrounding flowers so they can continue their own dreams.

    Reply
  3029. Rachel on

    My ideal dahlia?! A question I have never considered. I would love to stumble across a beautiful mid sized coral dahlia full of all the petals you could ever think of. Finding that bloom in my backyard would be an absolute dream and something I think and hope for often.

    Reply
  3030. Debbie J on

    They are all so beautiful, but wouldn’t a variety called “Confetti” be fun?!? I imagine a blossom with many bright, cheerful colors. Something for everyone to enjoy, both humans and pollinators alike. 😊🐝

    Reply
  3031. Laticia on

    Dahlias are such a fun treasure hunt, there’s something about the hunt for that elusive tuber that I think helps make them so addicting. My dream dahlia would be a lot like Kelgai Ann that has a longer vase life and came in a variety of colors, something about the peony look out of season that makes me happy

    Reply
  3032. Kate Rozelle on

    I LOVE OMBRE coloring so I think something in the coral family with classic Dahlia structure would be AMAZING!

    Reply
  3033. Laura F. on

    I would love to have a bright pink center that fades out to the palest peachy pink 🥰. That way I could mix bright colors or softer tones in my bouquets!

    Reply
  3034. Laura on

    I would be happy to have any dahlias! I started my seeds indoors last spring, but when I moved them out I killed then all. Every last one. Totally user error, so I would love a second chance this year with a better plan and setup!!!

    Reply
  3035. Kelly Prather on

    I love peach anything. So… a pale peach that grows in intensity ending in a deep nectarite colored rim. Long lasting flowers that are 4-5 inches across.

    Reply
  3036. Sarah Kendell on

    I’m a new dahlia addict with only one growing season under my belt and 50 new varieties ordered for this season. While picking out tubers, I was drawn to the deep reds and purples, so I think my dream dahlia would be a deep colored beauty. And I know they’re impractical for arranging, but the dinner plate size amazes me every time they bloom and block out the sun.

    Reply
  3037. Katelyn Posego on

    A very light peach or cream in color,
    gradient from petal edges to the center!

    Reply
  3038. Amy on

    I grew dahlias for the first time two years ago when a friend gave me extra seedlings. All three bloomed a different color and I was hooked! I missed the chance to get my own seed last year, but this year ordered early for my first seeds. Can’t wait! So my answer to the question is: my dream dahlia is any one I grow from germ to bloom myself! (And yeah, I’m partial to deeply pink, jammy magenta flowers, but all flowers are welcome, always :) )

    Reply
  3039. Teri Pozniak on

    I’d love a dahlia with flowy petals, with the coloring of a Koko Loko rose, changing from taupe to lavender! Standing upright with a great vase life!

    Reply
  3040. Melanie Schleich on

    One color, stem, or good tubers is a hard thing to pick. I find I usually go to pinks and then all of a sudden something new blooms that’s just a glorious beautiful flower that just stands there in all it’s glory. You think to yourself that I would never have thought about you but here you are and I am so happy that I was here to see you. So I pick good tubers !

    Reply
  3041. Erin on

    I am drawn to the orange dahlias! I would love to discover a pom that has fading orange colors and tight petals.

    Reply
  3042. Kathleen schmidt on

    I’m trying to grow dahlias from seed for the first time this year! I’m hoping for some creamy or peachy flowers!

    Reply
  3043. Britt B. on

    Dream dahlia would look like a cafe au lair with lavender center or edges. I’d name it Reese Jacqueline after my daughter who was born this past November. 🥰

    Reply
  3044. Jenna Street on

    In my dreams I see a Dahlia that is the color of a bright purple Lavender flower! I would love to have these (and many other Dahlias) in my future Lavender field!

    Reply
  3045. Christine Lyon on

    I lean toward the salmon colored varieties. I would love to find a salmon-peach variety in my garden with an explosion of curly long petals with a long vase life and loads of flowers on the plants to share.

    Reply
  3046. Caitlin Kerr on

    A dusty lavender that fades into a dusty dark purple brown.

    Reply
  3047. Malia on

    My dream dahlia would be too toned and slightly blush and tan, like a mini cafe au lait.

    Reply
  3048. Cathy Yatson on

    How exciting! I’d love to grow a dahlia from seed that reminds me of my mom. She lost her battle from breast cancer when I was 19. I think about what I would name it?? Maybe Ellen’s Courage or Ellen’s Legacy. I also want to grow one for my granddaughter Scout. She was diagnosed with Leukemia before she was even 2. She is an amazing fighter, still mid battle but amazes us everyday with her fiesty courage. I see this one with fun wild petals. Id love to grow out tubers and sell them to raise money for pediatric Leukemia. I know in my heart I will know which dahlias ‘fit’ my amazing ladies when I see them.

    Reply
  3049. Lauren Schafer on

    Reading this post I am in tears. I grew 5 dahlias last year from a variety pack I purchased from a distributor. The second the first one opened I fell in love.

    For Christmas this year my husband bought me your book and I refused to do anything else until I finished it. I’ve taken ample notes on the varieties of someday love to grow but was too late for most tuber sales this year.

    I am particularly intrigued with the beautiful whites with lavender centers and am just so grateful for how generous y’all always are.

    Thank you for sharing your gifts with us.

    Reply
  3050. Stefani Logsdon on

    Hi there!

    I’ve never grown flowers before, but after watching the Floret documentary, I fell in love with the idea that flower farms are a reality. What a beautiful way to spread joy.

    I’m now in hopes of having land of my own someday to start my own little flower patch in my yard, and I’m interested in learning about all of the types of flowers and how to grow them.

    For me, my perfect Dahlia would be soft, bushy, and billowy. I love the large, single, round flower per stem, but with more of a feathered look than a perfect ball shape. I love pink, and I’d love my Dahlia to have a perfect light yellow center that fades and bleeds gently to the petals into light peach, then fades into light pink, and eventually ends it petals with a darker pink color. Like taking those colors and smearing them gently into one another so that the edges of one color bleed and blend into the next. I’d want the petals to be true “petal” shaped with a tiny point on each end, and for the petal to be large and soft and flow-y, with ends that gently feather and puff out, filling the flower into a soft, gentle bloom.

    Maybe none of that makes sense… or maybe I described a totally different flower. But to me, that’d be my dream “Dahlia” 🥰

    Reply
  3051. Jennifer Bridgman on

    My first memory of dahlias is when I was a teenager, my older sister wanted them for her wedding. We couldn’t find them anywhere, so my mother tried growing them. She was successful, but the bloom timing didn’t match up with the wedding date. I remember being mesmerized by them walking around her small backyard garden. Since then, they’ve been my favorite. This year, over 20 years later, will be my first opportunity to grow some of my own, the first time in my adult life where I have my own yard in the proper climate to grow dahlias! I would love to see a frilly anemone shape in bright fiery orange red. I absolutely love the soft peachy/blush tones you’ve worked to cultivate and I think a vibrant orange-red would complement them beautifully. Thank you for all your hard work and love you’ve put into this project!

    Reply
  3052. Beckie Curtis on

    My dream dahlias are all shapes and forms but with the lovely painterly blush of Kelgai Ann. And early bloomers, strong stems that don’t need staking, disease resistant, long vase life, good tuber production and storage, excellent seed and pollen producers….

    Reply
  3053. Edie Boyer on

    My dream flower patch is to turn my entire acre of land into a flower garden! Surrounded by dahilas of all colors! It’s hard to choose a favorite because I love so many! I think being surrounded by flowers is the most self love fulfilling project I have taken on. I would love any seedling in my garden patch. Anything that I can grow from seed amazes me! Like the quote from Disneys Ratotuille Movie “anyone can cook”. I believe “anyone can grow flowers to!! Happy growing can’t wait til spring!!

    Reply
  3054. Cherie on

    My dream dahlia would be pink with yellow center. As I’m retiring from teaching at the end of this school year, gardening will get more time and focus from me.

    Reply
  3055. Abril Slate on

    The perfect Dahlia a lavender color with a deep pink tone in the center. It would have long vase life, and be a hearty plant. But really all Dahlias are so beautiful and vibrant that anything that came out of my patch would give happiness.

    Reply
  3056. Sabrina Kahn on

    Oh My!!! Is there a blue Dahlia?? How whimsical would that be! One can dream!!

    Reply
  3057. Jenny Stites on

    This is the first year I’ve started seedlings. I am excited to see what treasures emerge, hoping there are many different shapes, sizes and colors that can be cut and shared with friends and neighbors. My dream dahlia? I’m not sure I even know, but I’m guessing I’ll know it when I see it!

    Reply
  3058. Kylie Parks on

    My dream dahlia would be a pinky orange color that makes you wonder is it pink? Or is it orange?

    Reply
  3059. Jen on

    My dream dahlia would be, one that is layered with a bright green button nose. Or even a green dahlia for that matter, like a green spider mum. That would be fun.

    Reply
  3060. Corrie on

    My dream dahlia would be unique in form and coloring, small enough to tuck in bouquets, and have an amazing vase life. This is the first year I’m growing dahlias from seed, and I can’t wait to see what happens!

    Reply
  3061. Casey Hansen on

    My dream Dahlia would be an ombré from yellow to pink to remind me of my grandmother. Every time I go into the garden I feel more connected to her. Dahlia’s in particular, where one of her favorites.

    Reply
  3062. Shirley Martin on

    My dream dahlia would be dinner plate size with pastel tones of soft pink, French vanilla and a butter yellow center.

    Reply
  3063. Alexandra Smith on

    My dream dahlia would would have a open, almost smiling face and layers of delicate petals begging you to reach out and touch them.

    Reply
  3064. Malissa Waterford on

    My dream dahlia is the large head that displays perfect cemetery in blush pink. There’s just something about the beauty of a dahlia’s in the world that invites you to smile, exhale, & believe with it’s all going to be alright.

    Reply
  3065. Jill Burrows Jones on

    Dahlias remind me of wedding dresses. I would like a beautiful ivory many-petaled bloom with tingest of pale pink or lavender at the tips of the petals.

    Reply
  3066. Kathy Fulton on

    I probably started my flower adventure backwards. I became a beekeeper first in Central TX, after living over half my life in sunny, great soil California. I never imagined being a beekeeper or starting a cut flower garden with the move. But I’ve jumped on this flower train of color, textures, and joy. So if I had to choose a dahlia, it would be… Wait. Let me start from the inside out. The center would be a deep, rich, furry yellow. And the petals would be a medium, deep variegated orange. The sunsets and sunrises this far south are stunning. So the pistil is for the bees, and the petals are for my current home, Central Texas.

    Hey y’all at Floret Farms, I need to give you all a shout out for helping us through the pandemic. Yes, it’s awful but some good things have come out of it. So thank you for getting folks back to simple pleasures of dirt, fresh air, and color. (virtual xoxo)

    Reply
  3067. Gloria on

    My dream dahlia would have tones of peach with extra-large blooms. I discovered dahlia’s just last year!

    Reply
  3068. Beth on

    My first year growing dahlias, I was attracted to the big, showy dinner plate varieties. I had bought tubers and on a whim, a packet of seeds. I was surprised how enamored I became of the smaller, more nuanced varieties the seeds produced. I’ve had some growing issues the past couple of years. My yard has changed and along with it, the light. Add in the challenge of black walnuts and it’s been a little disappointing.

    I’ve hit a pretty major speed bump, a terminal cancer diagnosis, so I’m learning to temper some of my hopes and dreams. Mostly, I greet every season with an eye to still being alive to see the next.

    So, what kind of dahlia would I like? Something with the shape of C33 only orange. Not a fancy orange,but the simple one that comes in the 8 pack of Crayola crayons with a bright yellow center. As it matures, the orange would go from bright to to a deep, burnished copper.

    Thanks for all you do.

    Reply
  3069. Anna Jackson on

    I would love a dahlia that looks like a sunset and is the right size to be a focal flower in mixed bouquets. I’m planning to grow my first dahlias this year, and I am SO excited! Thank you for sharing your joy and knowledge with the world.

    Reply
  3070. Carmina on

    I am in love with dahlias . I would like to grow them. I would like to see a dahlia color in ancient mustard yellow with pink blush flashes, so they have an antique look.

    Reply
  3071. Ellen Diamant on

    I would love to see a dahlia in ice blue, perfect for a new baby boy bouquet. I know it doesn’t exist so maybe from the seeds?

    Reply
  3072. ERIN DONOHUE-KOEHLER on

    I’m just dipping my tires in the world of dahlias, so this is fascinating! My ideal one would be dinner plate sized, informal creamy pink. I’m sure there are many out there like that!

    Reply
  3073. Dejan Kevresan on

    My dream Dahlia would be a Anemone Dahlia shaped like Cannes Anemone Dahlia, but dark read almost black velvety that flowers abundantly, and if possible resistant to Crown gall .

    Reply
  3074. Allie O'Connell on

    My dream dahlia would be puffy yellow in the center with fellow orange round petals around it. (Though I’m a big fan of pin, too!)

    Reply
  3075. Taylor Rothell on

    Oh those pictures!!! I’ve never been much of an orange person but those orangey -coral- light pink ones are so dreamy!! I’ve always been too nervous to grow dahlias from seed. You’ve inspired me to save and collect seeds from mine this year!

    Reply
  3076. Cassie on

    My perfect dahlia would be a creamy white or ivory with brushed strokes of apricot that has stems with lots of movement that can pop out of bouquets.

    Reply
  3077. Mary Beth Sassen on

    I just want to grow a dahlia or two someday. I’m only just now starting to grow flowers in my garden and I love it! I like the larger dahlias with lots of petals.

    Reply
  3078. Lizzie on

    I would say my dream dahlia already exists in the Café au Lait. Not sure how it can get any prettier than that. But I would love to have a 1″ pom pom in
    a deep raspberry color to put in bouquets with my Café au Lait Dahlias. Dahlias never cease to amaze me with their beauty.

    Reply
  3079. Isaac Porter on

    Each dahlia has something to love about it, but the dahlia of my dreams would have to be a BLUE dahlia. Like true blue with petals that mimic the ocean’s waves. Preferably ball shape or a manageable decorative form. All those brides-to-be hearts break when they find out blue dahlias don’t exist.

    Reply
  3080. Moira Cahill on

    My dream dahlia is a twist on the classic cafe au lait: a slightly peachier/yellowy version with the soft, warm colors that really pop in the garden–even, or especially (!), on rainy days.

    Reply
  3081. Sarah on

    I love all Dahlias and my favorites are always the white or light peach varieties. So maybe a large dinnerplate variety with white centers and light peachy petals around the edges. This is such a generous giveaway and I would be so delighted to add the seeds to my collection to grow in the garden. Thank you for the opportunity!

    Reply
  3082. Emily Davis on

    It sounds silly, but a deep, deep red with maroon highlights – the picture in my head is like holding fire. And if we are dreaming – a SCENTED one.

    Reply
  3083. Nicole Whelan on

    My dream dahlia would be a deep burgundy, with tiny delicate lines hidden here and there of bright pink. I think the contrast would be magical!

    Reply
  3084. Elin Thott on

    My dream dahlia would have an anemone center in soft apricot with hints of gold, surrounded by fimbriated, almost semi-cactus outer petals in the lilac-purple-bluish shade of the garden hydrangeas that are just the perfect blend of blue and pink…

    Reply
  3085. Peggy Baker on

    My husband and I are starting our farm life a bit later in life as we are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary this August. We bought our land in 2015, worked in cross fencing and coral building and got our first calves in 2019. Our home was built and we moved in on our anniversary in 2020. My husband has created and prepared the soil for our first flower garden and path that leads to the big pond. I ordered seeds from Floret in your last seed sale and have planted my first seeds in seedling trays (many thanks to your mini course) and now awaiting the emergence of our first little beauties. I so want to add some dahlias to the mix! I truly love all flowers but if I could have a “dream” dahlia I believe it would be bright yellow with small peachy-orange petals coming from the darker orange puffy center. Erin, you have been the inspiration for my new flower garden which I am dedicating in memory of my beautiful Mother and my Grandmother, who was a florist, both who loved flowers so very much.

    Reply
  3086. Kelly Bluman on

    My dream dahlia would be a variegated waterlily flower with cream petals and soft apricot edging.

    Reply
  3087. Jasmine on

    My dream Dahlia would have some peach tones of all different shades, thick clustered petals. Elegant but bold. One you would take a morning walk to see everyday for fear of cutting its life short if you kept it in a vase.

    Reply
  3088. Katie on

    My dream dahlia would willingly overwinter in my field! And probably be a beautiful rusty collarette with dark foliage, but I’m less picky about the color if it likes cold winters.

    Reply
  3089. Robin Proffitt on

    Shiloh Noelle is one of my favorite dahlias. I think a cross between her and Penhill Watermelon would be gorgeous. A second option would be Shiloh Noelle and Chimacum del Blomma. The size and petal formation of Shiloh with the deep purple of del Blomma. Stunning!

    Reply
  3090. Erica D. on

    We bought our first home last summer and the first thing I did was plant a dahlia patch in our field. I ordered tubers late in the season so was left with slim pickings but what a blessing it turned out to be! I fell in love with cactus and lacinated types like Henriette and Citron du Cap. I would have never thought of ordering these if I had the choice. So my dream dahlia would be the truly unusual. Maybe a puffy painterly bi-color in raspberry tones. She’d be tall with dark foliage. Stand out from the crowd and make passerbys change how they see things.

    Reply
  3091. Jaclyn on

    For me, it would be an apricot or smoky apricot waterlily! Waterlily styles are my favorite and apricot flowers are my fave! 😍 thanks for a chance to win!

    Reply
  3092. Nancy on

    I totally agree with you! Flowers also bring me great joy! Thank you for all your tips for becoming successful in gardening! I would love to see a big fluffy lime green dahlia with a hot pink center. Wouldn’t that look glorious in a bouquet?

    Reply
  3093. Marian on

    Love all the ball dahlia varieties in the soft colors of blush, pink, purple and peach. I love the color Teal and my dream dahlia would be a combination of soft teal and blush/pink 😃

    Reply
  3094. Aviva on

    Dream dahlia would have a yellow and orange tinted puffy center and a delicate ivory petal with a light lavender to sky blue outline on the petal. This dahlia would branch and attract butterflies and bees!

    Reply
  3095. Alesia Briggs on

    My dream Dahlia is a pink and peach one that I could incorporate into almost all of the colorful bouquets my two boys and I try to offer our neighbors and friends!

    Reply
  3096. Ann Somerset on

    I’d love to grow a large white dahlia, with lots of water Lilly shaped petals, on a plant that stayed relatively short, had great branching, and produced lots of blooms. Something that would look pretty in the garden as well as in a vase! Thanks!

    Reply
  3097. Maddison on

    My ultimate dream dahlia would be a small water lily variety around 3 inches with soft, muted pink cream colors! But really, all dahlias are dreamy

    Reply
  3098. Terry Moss on

    I have just discovered dahlias and am so excited to start growing them. I think my perfect dahlia would be a fireball with light blue in the center and gradually getting darker til Royal blue on the outside. Honestly, I love them all. Their beauty has inspired me to take up drawing so that I can capture it on paper.

    Reply
  3099. Christy on

    My dream dahlia is the luxury of Cafe au Lait with the richness of the colors of a sunset. Wonderful vaselife too of course! Thank you for your wonderful, inspirational work at floret – love following your work!

    Reply
  3100. Grant Brandsen on

    A dahlia that all white with swirls of lavender mixed throughout would be absolutely gorgeous!

    Reply
  3101. Lindsey Pearsey on

    A large ombré dahlia with petals that start at the center with a deep red and then fade to white. Or even the reverse…start white and fade to red or reddish pink. Shape would be almost like a Zinderella Dahlia. Love all Dahlia’s…they make me smile!

    Reply
  3102. April on

    I would love a golden collerette with hints of orange.

    Reply
  3103. Tammy Makoul on

    Erin! I love that you love unusual dahlias because I do too. My favorite being verrones obsidian and I saved seed this year, so we will see. I would love to find probably a white and single variety – maybe something like Honka or Star child but maybe with a little hint of blush…. Oh I don’t know! Something crazy fun! I love your floret variety – perfect for you and the name of your amazing business. Rock on friend!

    Reply
  3104. Linda Nunez on

    My dream dahlia would be a mystic black dahlia with shades of dark purples, reds and hits of blues. I would love to a variety of shapes and color in my seedling patch. For any flower is a gift of nature.

    Reply
  3105. Megan Zambito on

    Such a tough question. I think my dream dahlia would be a variety that has multiple colors or tones in one bloom, that seems to glow or shimmer in the sun, and lasts forever once cut. Bonus if it was a ball variety but the bees eventually loved too. I’ve seen some amazing dahlias coming from Australia and Europe that we don’t have here in US- something like Formby’s Pride but with a bit more variation in color.

    Reply
  3106. Vicky Thompson on

    Big, big informal type with mixed muted shades of softest yellow and pink on a non fading cream base! Looking forward to when your seedlings will be for sale and can’t wait for the growing season to begin!

    Reply
  3107. Patricia Swartzentruber on

    I’m growing dahlias from seed for the first time, and they just popped up in the seed tray this week. Can’t wait for summer blooms. I am hoping for a 3 to 4 inch ball type bloom with creamy peachy pink petals.

    Reply
  3108. Heather on

    I love the color of C74 with the shape of B62. They are all just beautiful and make me so happy!

    Reply
  3109. Lynn Kelly on

    Congrats on following your creative dreams! A Frida Kahlo red/orange fading to terracotta with chartreuse in the center would be my dream dahlia. But Frida recuperated in a narrow bed with a frame filled with mounted butterflies above her -a gift from Noguchi. A purple dahlia with butterfly wings that flutter and transport pain and suffering away leaving beauty and joy would be a tiny miracle.

    Reply
  3110. Allie Sonsthagen on

    Bright and sunny yellow with hints of pink! Or a really solid lavender.

    Reply
  3111. Cathy Bartolic on

    Not too big and not too small, just the perfect size for a bouquet. It would have to be in shades of fall because mine are always late and I don’t see much until the end of August. At that point, I am looking for the colours of dreamy sunsets, and maple leaves . But most importantly I would like a dahlia that lasts in water and is not fussing. I know you will find one like that with all the work you are doing. Good Luck!

    Reply
  3112. Geralyn Winters on

    Anything colorful (soft pinks and peaches to bold and bright) that I could grow in raised beds or grow bags. My home is built on rock under the sod. It’s a new home so a blank slate. I’m aiming to reduce the amount of grass by 50% by growing food, flowers, and natives. I dream of a cut flower garden, too. There’s nothing like flowers to ease the soul.

    Reply
  3113. Gtitz & Grace farm on

    A dream dahlia would be a single with pale green center and pale cream leading to a pale peach. Always hopeful.

    Reply
  3114. Sabrina S on

    A giant anemone variety with bright pink petals and light pink puff in the middle

    Reply
  3115. Denise McCurry on

    Dahlias from seed!!!!! That would be amazing. As for my dream dahlia-farm inspired would be a creamy buttermilk with a Granny Smith apple center!

    Reply
  3116. Katie on

    Newspaper white. On the lines of earl gray amnesias.

    Reply
  3117. Lauren Thompson on

    I’d love a consistent soft yellow dahlia with a high petal count. Not neon/highlighter like many of them on the market. Similar to “creamy” but a larger flower head.

    Reply
  3118. Brenda Lord on

    I once read that the most restful color is skin tone. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to the glowing colors of Renoir’s women and children. I also love the simplicity of the collarette dahlias, so my pick would be one that combined the complex glowing colors of a Renoir painting in a collarette form.

    Reply
  3119. Kris Johnson on

    My favorite flower is a dahlia and I love all the different varieties. One of my favorites and first is my chocolate dahlia the beautiful hues of brown to burgundy. I love getting the compliments when people walk by all my dahlias and sharing bouquets with my friends. I’m intrigued by your new firefly variety and would like to see more in different hues. Thank you for sharing your passion.

    Reply
  3120. Carissa Elmstrand on

    This is going to be my first summer growing Dahlias from seed and from tubers – so I’m excited to learn! We had dahlias for our June 1st wedding ( a local grower grows his dahlias in 5-10 gallon pots in greenhouses). So my dream dahlia patch would be blushes and whites with some pink edging in there.

    Reply
  3121. Deb on

    Dream Dahlia…full blooms of coral and salmon!!

    Reply
  3122. Maureen McCarthy on

    I would love a blue dahlia with varying shades of blue and a yellow center. I dream of my vase stuffed with these colors surrounded in a veil of white lace flowers!

    Reply
  3123. Rachel Austin on

    Love this post!! I would LOVE to find something brown sugar like with gold vaeiegation. I love Cornel style blooms.

    Reply
  3124. Brenda Wood on

    My dream dahlia would have a warm center like the sun and soft iridescent petals that grab the moonlight. It would stand tall and firm but move freely with the breeze. My dream dahlia would be able to be enjoyed day and night.

    Reply
  3125. Susan Carroll on

    This is like asking, “…which one is your favorite child?” I love the apricot family but in the end the deep reds are my favorite, in part I believe it is because I do not see those intense colors in the other annual that I grow. You are inspired that is for sure.

    Reply
  3126. Cody N on

    I love mixes of soft and vivid colors that catch your eye from a mile away. I’d love to Discover Dahlias growing in my backyard in shades of pastel blue with brushstrokes of ultraviolet, the overlapping scale patterned petals edged with a thin line of scarlet. Phenomenal!

    Reply
  3127. Lorraine Hochhalter on

    My idea of the perfect dahlia is a tall moody red single with dark foliage, with a yellow center. I always plant a dark red dahlia beside a yellow, hoping to get this result, so far unsuccessful, but I won’t quit trying. I really enjoy your blog. Now in my late seventies I know I will soon be leaving my country acreage for a smaller place, but in the meantime, will be planting as many dahlias as I can fit in. Thank you for the inspiration.

    Reply
  3128. Nora Priestly on

    My dream dahlia would be a wispy, large petal flower is a raspberry color. Truth is, any color would be just fine with me. I thoroughly enjoyed the magic of planting dahlia seeds last year and waited to see what color grew. My bees loved them as much as I did.

    Reply
  3129. Gary W Bailey on

    I would love to walk out and see a 4-6 inch lemonade to lime Dahlia with moderate petals but full form. It would really be great to see it earlier in the year as apposed to later. Bringing a flower in of that brilliance earlier than normal would really start the season off great. Maybe if I lived closer to the equator that would be possible! Thanks

    Reply
  3130. Meghan on

    My dream dahlia would be fluffy, ID, tons of petals with a center that holds, and about 8″ in diameter. I just love how massive dahlia flowers can get; it’s truly amazing to me! I love anything in the salmon/coral/blush family, but I think a real stunner would be a dark red that large that doesn’t fade!

    Reply
  3131. Kristen Ann Holvoet on

    I would love to see an anemone Dahlia that is white and black in the center. Dahlia breeding has come such a long way that I genuinely think this color is possible. Or even more multicolored purple cats variety dahlias.

    Reply
  3132. Tiffany on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate sized bloom of white with hints of coffee colors and pinks.

    Reply
  3133. Tracy on

    I’ve really grown to love the anemone type dahlias. I would love to find a large, wonderfully white beauty with the fluffiest center ever growing in my dahlia garden.

    Reply
  3134. Kay Mcintyre on

    My favorite dahlia would be the one I could see from my kitchen window when I am sipping my coffee. The yellows and bright pinks sway in the wind and greet me in the morning. I started growing dahlias before I knew much about gardening 20 years ago. I planted them and neglected them but Mother Nature did her thing and they bloomed profusely all fall. I would cut a flower and send it to school with my daughter who was in kindergarten. That daughter is getting married this fall and dahlias will be in her bouquet that I am making. How the years go by so quickly !

    Reply
  3135. Crystal Bailey on

    The Dream…
    My dream dahlia would be the lightest peach with a pale pink veining. The center would be a creamy pearl . A girl can dream♡♡♡

    Reply
  3136. Nicole on

    I would love to find a really full fluffy bloom with the yellows and pale orange and coral colors. Like a sunset. I love the varieties with a mix of colors and surprises. Then it would be a real treat to find in the fall that they produced lots of tubers for me to expand more in the spring!

    Just starting some of my Floret seeds and loving the two Floret books I have! Discovering Dahlias is next on my list ;)

    Reply
  3137. Eileen Curinga on

    My dream dahlia would be one that my husband, kids and I all “created” together, with characteristics, colors from each of us.

    Reply
  3138. Aimee on

    Unique, whimsical with a little flare of color. Something that would catch your eye & make you forget about everything else.

    Reply
  3139. Cheryl McKay on

    I am beyond fascinated with this entire adventure. It feels like a hidden entryway into new piece of the universe we never new existed. The absolute wonder in joining the journey as nature recreates herself in blooming magic is almost taking my breath away. There is no question that I am totally in. I’m new to growing dahlias – only a couple of years in. I find joy in sharing my flowers with local kids who walk our neighborhood – who ask me their names and who make the world a better place, especially when they beam real light holding a beautiful dahlia as big as their head, or small as a button, or of their favorite color. I am so in. Something peachy/apricot with a deep pink center would be beautiful. I’m so excited to begin. Thank you for being such a generous mentor!

    Reply
  3140. Megan Wisener on

    My dream dahlia would probably be different on any different day but today she would be a decorative peachy pink with a maroon picot and the fluffiest yellow center!

    Reply
  3141. Courtney Morris on

    I don’t know what my exact favorite is because there are so many that I love, but right now I think I am drawn to the stellar, informal decorative, and collarette varieties in blush and pink. I am excited about the potential to grow dahlias from seeds and discover all of the different varieties in my garden.

    Reply
  3142. Florence A Schell on

    Hello. How I wished I lived in your neighborhood! I have been attracted to dahlias for their bright colors for years. Your images capture their beauty perfectly. While I liked reading about the C33/Floret, my favorite dahlia would be bright orange, with curly pink florets on the inner edges and a bright red center. This would surely cheer me on the most difficult of days. Thank you and Love.

    Reply
  3143. Heather D on

    “my signature color is pink” would be the name, unless of course there is already one named that. LOL. A large lovely pink hug. Different hues of pink

    Reply
  3144. Amy on

    What would my dream dahlia look like? Do you realize what you’ve asked?! First I thought, layered soft colors of pinks and yellows in a water lily style Then I thought oh, how I love the yellows, big blooms that make a statement. Then I thought of the different whites that I love, with hints of pinks to give them an antique look. I guess what it comes down to is I have the Dahlia addiction, I’ve only been growing them for a couple of years and apparently love all the styles and colors. Thank you for sharing your love of them!

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  3145. Nikki on

    My dream dahlia would be an off white with soft petals on the outside and sea urchin like petals on the inside. It would be something that would make you want to hold the bouquet up close for a better look so you could investigate. I love flowers that surprise but are still elegant. Thanks for doing what you do, I know it brings you joy but can you imagine how many others you are sharing that joy with? I promise you, it’s a lot.

    Reply
  3146. Danielle Wright on

    My dream dahlia would be one that has a robust yellow center with thick creamy and light pink overlapping petals.

    Reply
  3147. Margaret on

    I would love to find a dahlia with the colors of a quahog clam shell in my garden.

    Reply
  3148. Rebekah B on

    I feel so new to this- but the dahlias I have grown the past few years are so incredible! I love purple but honestly my dream dahlia could be so of many different colors and varieties! Each flower variety makes me so excited to grow more. I can’t wait for the flowering season this year! Bring on the dahlias 💜

    Reply
  3149. Rachel VanRinsum on

    My five year goal is to breed a purple with white rims or white with purple rims, not lavender, deep rich royal purple, lily dahlia. Five petals with a non-yellow center.

    Reply
  3150. Amy Weis on

    My dream dahlia is what I imagine would be called “Sunset” and would become more brilliant in color as the day waned, like a confederate rose or other color-shifting flower. It would unfurl a vintage portrait of pale pink and coral but fully open to a glowing ember of orange and bright magenta. I would love to have a dahlia patch in the garden like the one I visited at Angelsey Abbey in Cambridgeshire England a decade ago. Still have the most beautiful photos from that visit that your post reminds me I wanted to turn into wall art in my home. Thank you for stirring the memory.

    Reply
  3151. Samantha on

    I would dream of finding a soft dusty lavender dahlia with a large fluffy, soft, creamy yellow center. The outer petals would be whispy and slightly curled. The open center would be a haven for all of the pollinators to find substance. 💜💛

    Reply
  3152. Misti Rival on

    A pom pom shaped dahlia that is pink on the outer edges and fades to white in the center.

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  3153. Anne on

    I love the little Pom poms! Hot lipstick pink!

    Reply
  3154. Lori Lee on

    My dream dahlia would be a bright, bright, dinner plate sized pink cactus dahlia. One which would not need to be dug up each year and once you cut it, it instantly multiples and creates 100 more dahlias in different colors, sizes and shapes.

    Reply
  3155. Isobel on

    I absolutely love the Brown Sugar dahlia and I would like to see more dahlias with that beautiful deep orange colour! My dream dahlia would be a larger decorative dahlia with that colour :)

    Reply
  3156. Tony on

    My dream dahlia patch would be a field of rainbow with plenty of the “cannot live without” varieties like Cafe au Lait, Peaches N Cream and Linda’s Baby! Growing along a slope would also be magnificent!

    Reply
  3157. Lori Jordan on

    Mine would have soft peach, water lily and around 4 inches.

    Reply
  3158. Disa Norlander on

    Sitting on my porch early in the morning with my breakfast. Embracing the wonders of the garden. Then sticking my nose into the flowers, wether they smell or not. Look closely, hold them in my hand and just feel the happiness through mu whole body

    Reply
  3159. Elizabeth on

    My dream Dahlia would have pink tones with a fluffy shape. It would have an open centre for pollinators. It would also be prolific and produce lots of tubers so that I could divide it and make many more plants to share with others each year.

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  3160. Viktoria on

    Ahhh the photos you shared are incredible!!! I am in love with the ruffly large ones (especially the cream color Cafe Lait & lithe pinks) but this year I would love to plant the little ones with the more formed petals. I’ve never grown those!! Honestly, growing any dahlias is a dream and always so rewarding and joyous and I can totally see how you got so wrapped up in it!! It’s addicting!

    Reply
  3161. Kristin on

    I grew my first dahlias from tubers last year, it was a dream just to see them sprout and flower! As silly as it may sound, they were my dream dahlias because they grew in my garden and I had the joy of watching it from start to finish! I love the look of the Floret, it’s just so fun, whimsical, and cheery!

    Reply
  3162. Nanette Thompson on

    My favorite dahlias are pinks and anything that is a bit unusual. I love a tightly clustered center and ones that retain their shape well. In the garden, I prefer a taller flower with a strong stem that can hold the weight of their beauty. However, any dahlia is simply the best. ♥️♥️♥️ They are a true gift of the garden.

    Reply
  3163. Gary Grogan on

    This year, I will be growing my very first Dahlia patch. My dream dahlia would be dark pink on the outside edges and lighten to yellow in the center….like an ombre look. I want to find that my dahlia patch has become a home for bees to live theit lifespan in and be a haven of happiness and protection for them. Just buzz around….pollinate…and bee happy.

    Reply
  3164. Gwen Mullin on

    Hi I live in Ontario Canada and our growing season is short.
    My dream dahlia would have a flower 8 inch across with a white center. The pedals would be a varigated pink in colour and be fringed at the ends.
    This amazing flower would bloom earlier than all the other dahlias and host a strong stem.

    Reply
  3165. Dakota on

    I would love a bright fluffy white dahlia, maybe with a pop of some variegation. Thanks for such a lovely post today!

    Reply
  3166. Barbara Porter on

    My dream dahlia is a colorful one. I just love looking at all those colors in your field.

    Reply
  3167. Robin Corwin on

    To pick a dream dahlia would be so hard! There are so many beautiful varieties! But I’d you twisted my arm to pick one I would go with a lavender and plum mix medium Pom type variety.

    Reply
  3168. Sharon Calatayud on

    My dream dahlia would definitely have to be one that shows two soft tones combined-maybe like a mustard mauve color like the rose honey Dijon. That would make it terrific to use as a blending flower in arrangements. One that can vary in shade when you pair it with different blooms. Also, when you tip the flower from side to side you can see the variation at certain angles. I have one seedling that the backside is a maroon color and the front a cream white but if the petals twist you can get a glimpse of the underside. So precious.

    Reply
  3169. Jordan on

    My dream dahlia would probably be a light pinkish beige full variety. Something like a cafe au lait. I just bought a few new tubers to try this year and am hoping to get seeds for next year!!

    Reply
  3170. Deb on

    I’m a 1 year newbie to dahlias. Cannot believe the beauty of them all. I love the pinks and yellows, but then again the burgundy and orange are beautiful. Maybe a multicolour one of all my,favourites. Totally unrealistic I know. Anyway, can’t wait til we lose our snow and get out in the garden again.

    Reply
  3171. Melanie corey on

    My dream dahlia would be a light green, Almost lime color. It would be ball like with twisted petals!

    Reply
  3172. Amber on

    A fun dahlia would be not too perfectly round and cream and yellow!

    Reply
  3173. Liz H on

    I’d like to learn how to do magic and grow the first actual blue dahlia! In reality, I love the large ball varieties the best, with subtle color variations (such as Jowey Winnie or Orange Globe). I also love the large formal decorative ones that catch your eye when you’re far away from the garden, calling you to come and get a closer look.

    Reply
  3174. Wendy on

    My dream dahlia is a huge, deep dark red/almost black dinner plate that has a smattering of random petals that have a very faint stripe. I have a family of tiny frogs who like to hang out and surprise me in my dahlias. I think they’d appreciate lounging and posing on those classy blooms!

    Reply
  3175. Lisa Williams on

    I am also new to growing dahlias. I would love to find a dahlia in my patch that was more star shaped with spiky petals. Maybe some thing unique and bright perhaps striated on the inner petals and the softer tones on the outside. I love the ones that are just big enough to use in arrangements. Honestly, I will just enjoy the process of growing something beautiful and new.

    Reply
  3176. jennifer on

    This will be my first year growing dahlias! I would love to have a patch full of vintage hues – salmon, copper. creamy white and soft pinks. All sizes and shapes : )

    Reply
  3177. Bianca on

    This is my first year growing dahlias from seed and I’m so excited to see how they turn out!
    My ideal dahlia would be double layers of petals that have a daisy-like shape with a muted blush tone fading into white!

    Reply
  3178. Jan trent on

    Cafe au lait is already pretty dreamy, so if I had to create a new dreamy variety it would be shaped like cafe at lait, and the new colors would be an ombré mix of a vivid coral and the pinks in your C33. The flowers would fade to the Soft C33 colors and white.

    Reply
  3179. JESSICA PETRUCCI on

    First can I just say that reading this post filled with lovely flowers was the best way to start my morning!! After seeing these Dahlia examples, I now realize that it was a small patch of Dahlias that would catch my eye every time I walked past the neighbor’s house last summer. My boyfriend and I would literally stop and look at them, trying not to be creepy… lol. I think my dream Dahlia would be mostly white, but towards the center would have a little bit of peach, and would be very fluffy with tons of petals! This year I bought several packets of seeds from Floret and and I’d love to include a magic patch of Dahlias in the backyard too! My own little patch to gaze at :). Thank you for adding joy to the world, and to my morning!

    Reply
  3180. Annabelle on

    My dream dahlia would be a big, luscious flower that’s a little lighter then bubble gum pink.

    Reply
  3181. Jody Arnold on

    A beautiful creamy Pom Pom type with raspberry edges and a blush pink center that was also very prolific with long stems for cutting.

    Reply
  3182. Johanna George on

    I’d love a pale lime green in a cactus type but just a tad fuller. Oh! and hardy to zone 4! Ha!

    Reply
  3183. Stephanie Roehrman on

    Inspired by your series Growning Floret, I purchased all your books. I have read and made notes. I have planted a few seeds in past and they were my favorite flowers in my garden. I knew we were looking to purchase a house with land and move from the city so I have held off planting more due to space. We have purchased our forever home and will be moving soon. I dont have a favorite yet I just love them all. I am so excited to have plenty of space to plant moving forward to enjoy and share with friends.

    Reply
  3184. Kim Putnam on

    As a visual artist, my dream Dahlia would not be one variety but a minim of three, so that my flower arrangement which would be in a vase I threw on the wheel myself would have variation in texture and shape that came from the different structures of the flower heads and a full range of values from light to dark. The colors could be that of a single hue, so monochromatic but in a full value scale or it could be that of an analogous color palette of warm colors such as yellows, oranges and reds. My favorite Dahlia flower palette though might be that of a discordant one with hot pinks, intense bright oranges and equally vibrant yellows as can be seen in our beautiful Colorado sunsets of which I paint often!

    Reply
  3185. Jessica on

    I don’t know if it’s even possible, but a purple-ish variety would be lovely!

    Reply
  3186. Brittany Roehl on

    I would love to see a dahlia that had am ombre effect, going from a dark violet red to a fuschia to a bright lavender.

    Reply
  3187. Joy Pinkerton on

    I would love a large deep raspberry pink with tight petals!! What a dream!!

    Reply
  3188. Alicia Barger on

    I absolutely love all of your salmon & cafe au lait colors. If there were a way to have a dahlia that was domed & lush with slightly pointed petals that started at the center like cafe au lait & slowly ombré-ed out to a beautiful salmon color…. That would be a dream!!!

    Reply
  3189. Von on

    My dream dahlia would be off white with a touch of caramel color on the edges, like my faithful dog that has spent many days with me in the garden. I would call it Piper and it would make me smile and think of her every year after she’s gone.

    Reply
  3190. Jessica Nichols on

    My dream dahlia is the one that pollinators take delight in. In addition to the Disco Dahlias, I grew the Floret Bees Choice, and they truly lived up to their name! It was magical to watch the bumble bees nestle into each flower- sometimes 3 or 4 per blossom!

    Reply
  3191. Laura Davidson on

    The photos of all the treasures you have already discovered, make my heart flutter! They are amazing!
    I am growing dahlia seeds for the first time this year, in my small back yard. I am afraid that I will fall in love with them all! My dream is to find a dahlia similar to my favorite iris, Thornbird! Dusky light yellow with burgundy undertones and purple highlights!

    Reply
  3192. Wendy C on

    Your firefly dahlia is the most amazing one I have ever seen. A new dahlia to discover? Something with green and white and a unique shape. Or apricot with a fluffy button center. Or a blue dahlia?? You new dahlia babies are all incredible, you should be extremely proud. I love them all.

    Reply
  3193. Amy G on

    Ummmm new to dahlias, but in love! My dream dahlia this year would be any dahlia that successfully grows in my garden!! Fingers crossed! Wish me luck!

    Reply
  3194. Terri on

    My dream dahlia would be a champagne color- ivory with red tops on the petals. It would be full and Roy d but petite.

    Reply
  3195. Laura Chandler on

    I myself saved seed from last years dahlias and can’t wait to see what they produce! The perfect dahlia would be a prolific bloomer, open center, and a dark moody color of some sort. Although I already have your book discovering dahlias I would pass the new along to my daughter who just bought a house and shares my love of gardening. In addition I do follow Kristen at Sandra Cruz dahlias and would love her book!

    Reply
  3196. Anna on

    If I could breed one dream dahlia, it would be a medium-sized collarette with salmon-pink tips working toward a bright tangerine center. Long, strong stems, and a good tuber maker of course!

    Reply
  3197. Pegi Miller on

    My dream dahlia would be a large to dinner plate size flamboyant smile maker! It would have soft twisted dark lavender outer petals that would slowly blend to a rich raspberry center with apricot undertones and fuzzy orange spikes peeking out at the center.

    Reply
  3198. Trisha Czyz on

    Is there a bad color for a dahlia? I think not… however a favorite would have a sunset hue, pink, peachy, orange.

    Reply
  3199. Kelly E Ryan on

    While I would want my dream dahlia to be beautiful (likely someone peachy/pink) it’s other attributes would more important. Long stems with good bloom attachment, prolific bloomer with strong growth, super fast grower, lots of tubers, undesirable to bugs, and honestly tubers that wouldn’t rot, shrivel, or freeze. So many people struggle with the storage of dahlias. This dahlia would change that. It would be bomb proof.

    Reply
  3200. Susan Lucek on

    A deep color that really stands out. The compact fluffy looking ones are nice.

    Reply
  3201. Stephanie Reed on

    I would love to see some dahlia’s in blue ( it is my granddaughter Claire’s favorite color 💙) I would love to have any of the star like ones in my seedling bunch.
    I love that you are doing this, and your excitement comes out in your writing.
    I want to come visit the farm someday ( you are a long way from Virginia 😊)

    Reply
  3202. Laura on

    My very first year growing dahlias and am excited to receive mine from you all.
    My dream one would a very frilly, elegant, white dahlia.

    Reply
  3203. Rebecca Sapolsky on

    My ideal would be something like the “ tsuki yori no shisha” – lacinated, big, like fireworks in the sky but in the dark / more vibrant tones I adore like magenta or deep red. *swoon*

    Reply
  3204. Kacey on

    I’ve never grown dahlias before, but I’m eager to start this year! My dream dahlia would be pompom shaped and ombré — coral in the center out to a raspberry red on the edges.

    Reply
  3205. Lisa on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate deep purple with a soft yellow eye. Must be able to handle Georgia heat! Keep doing what brings you so much joy.

    Reply
  3206. Sue Randolph on

    My dream dahlia would be tall and willowy, pale yellow with orange high lights. I would call it Erin. 😜 shameless hyperbole

    Reply
  3207. Cathy Groulx on

    I would love to see a Cafe Au Lait coloured variety in a ball shape, or with more singular twisted petals. I feel the colour of this variety reproduced in any form would likely be a top seller though.

    Reply
  3208. Lindsey Capello on

    Oh, how to pick a favorite!? I love the bright cheerful dahlia colors in the garden (pink, purple, yellows) but gravitate towards the more moody colors for arrangements. And love something that is a little different in shape, not just a ball. So if I could make my own, I’d have a dramatic deep garnet with single layer twisted pedals. How exciting to create something new! I’m glad you are finding such joy in your flowers after so many years of growing, after all isn’t that the point! ❤️

    Reply
  3209. Lorri Ruckman on

    My dream dahlia would be able to overwinter in the ground in zone 6B. I’m actually testing that myself in my small patch. It would be ball shaped and long stemmed, in a variety of salmon shades.

    Reply
  3210. Carrie on

    Love most dahlias but coral pink with a purple center really love that combo, but then ones with the petal color striping are crazy pretty too!

    Reply
  3211. Victoria on

    I would love to find a seedling with the unique curled/pointy petals of Valley Porcupine but less pink/cream and more apricot/peach. It would be so great for design work!

    Reply
  3212. Jessica Sulfridge on

    My dream dahlia would probably be something in the sunset colors range but honestly I’m pretty open minded when it comes to flowers and would probably fall in love with all of them if I grew from seed! The way you describe it as a treasure hunt sounds so magical to me and that comment alone encourages me to start growing dahlias from seed!

    Reply
  3213. Tarah on

    What beauties these are 😍 My dream dahlia would be a muted, pale purple decorative type that (obviously) produces an abundance of blooms! I can’t wait for our weather to warm up to get my hands dirty and start growing 💜

    Reply
  3214. Jordan on

    My dream dahlia would be a big Pom Pom style with vibrant, deep, purple colors. It would be tall, and last long in a vase! I would love to discover these in my seedlings patch this year.

    Reply
  3215. Lea Kelly on

    One of the things I LOVE about the story you have shared here is that the work you are doing gives you “so much freaking JOY”! Just yesterday when I saw the first tulips peeking out I was so incredibly encouraged and hopeful that life and beauty are still unfolding on this needy planet. When I imagine my “dream dahlia” it would be a royal deep purple with streaks of deep red along the petal tips. I am so hopeful about continuing to learn about planting dahlia’s here at our home, Beacon Hall. Thank you for investing in beauty and creation!

    Reply
  3216. Ana on

    My dream dahlia would be an apricot colored dark leafed mignon variety!

    Reply
  3217. Lisa on

    My dream dahlia would have large poofy blooms and be a romantic peach color. I’ve only recently started gardening, and this spring is the first year I’m growing tubers. I can’t wait to try them from seed next year.

    Reply
  3218. Megan Hines on

    Something I’ve never seen before! I tend to gravitate towards pastel colors but a dahlia that has many color tones to it – maybe bluish purples/pinks would be my favorite.

    Reply
  3219. Charlene Burnside on

    My fav dahlia needs to be an early flowering type as my growing season is short. It’s a terrible feeling when that first frost hits :( She’d have to be pink- a tone deeper than baby pink with undertones of warm honey. And petals! Give me all the petals with a tight symmetry and smooth rounded edges. Ideally I don’t want the centre to blow open. She has to last in a vase for a good 5 days before she departs.And if we are going to dream big a clump that forms lots of tubers that store beautifully overwinter. That’s not too much to ask is it?

    Reply
  3220. Mary Eisele on

    My dream patch of dahlias would be a red through dark pink patch with beautiful blooms through end of fall. I love all the varieties but am a little scared to dip my toe in the water. I have a beautiful English cutting garden and hundreds of tulips but dahlias are not a part of the garden. I do get several bouquets at the farmer’s markets would like to take the plunge!

    Reply
  3221. Melissa Suire on

    When I think of my dream dahlia, I immediately think of Cafe au Lait. It never fails to surprise me every time I look at it. I am relatively new to flower gardening, but since finding your blog, I am determined to cultivate more beauty in my backyard. While I love color, I have started a white garden with all of my blooming flowers a shade of white or cream or even pale and muted tones of pink and yellow. Thank you for inspiring so many to grow something beautiful and lasting.

    Reply
  3222. Lauren Sutherland on

    I have just started growing dahlias! My dream type would be a blush pink ball type. I love the soft tones. Ooo maybe even a mint color. I’m not even sure that is possible but it would be pretty! This season I would love to just have a few dahlias grow into beautiful cut flowers.

    Reply
  3223. Anna Leek on

    My dream dahlia would be not too big but not too small. It would be a soft, creamy pink with full, ruffled petals and it would fade to a dusty pink.

    Reply
  3224. Christie on

    I’m just now starting my journey and love for dahlias. I ordered tubers for this year and I’m so excited to give growing them a try. I would also live to grow from seed! My dream dahlia would be a darker maybe center and petals of powder pink. But I just love the look of every dahlia I see. They are beautiful!

    Reply
  3225. Brenda Spears on

    My dream dahlia would be a beautiful mauve color, it would be called Beverly in honor of my mother who passed away when I was in my early 20’s. It would have a strong stem and a long vase life. Although my mom was gone to soon this dahlia would represent with its stem the fact that her beliefs were strong enough to guide me in life after her passing. The mauve color would represent the last color I remember my mom decorating her home with.
    My dream seedling patch would just be full of blooms!

    Reply
  3226. Danielle Hult on

    Honestly, my dream dahlia would be any new variety! Seeing them grow and burst into these beautiful, fleeting flowers is a joy, and a new variety in my garden would feel like a magical secret (that I’d just have to share). My small kids loveeee the whispy ones that look like kites and pinwheels that look as if they could float away on their own. I’d love to see a Suessical shape like an exploding cupcake with pointed twirly edges too!

    Reply
  3227. Donna Shultz on

    My dream Dahlia would be the color of a celestial night rose graduating into a pinkish purple with a yellow raised center. I get so much joy reading about your projects! Dahlia’s are similar to roses in that there is so much variety. Who knew?!

    Reply
  3228. Rachel on

    I dream of a white ball dahlia!

    Reply
  3229. Päivi on

    I am just starting my dahliajourney :) but I love the colors pink, apricot and peach.

    Reply
  3230. Ashley Voelz on

    My ideal dahlia would be a peachy mauve color and be a hybrid of water lily and ball type. I have no idea what that exactly looks like but I think I’ll know when I see it 🤣 last year was my first planting dahlias from seed and I got 3 really stunning, prolific blooming beauties! Thank you for opening our eyes to this exciting new venture! I’d be honored to be chosen; thank you!

    Reply
  3231. Andrea Z. on

    This will be my first year growing from seed! I would be most excited to see a new form/shape in my garden – like Serenade Farm’s seedling 121, which has an extra, ruffled petal tucked inside each curved petal of a formal decorative dahlia.

    Reply
  3232. Donna Jeanne on

    My ideal dahlia would be one that reminds me of my Grandmother, Ethel. She loved the pale violet color of lilacs. Seeing the color today brings me happy memories and feelings of love and laughter. To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The earth laughs in flowers.” We have to enjoy beauty when we have it.

    Reply
  3233. Sarah Brooks on

    I love the blush, corals, and soft yellows – I am drawn to the star shaped blooms and the ones with flat wavy petals – they are magical

    Reply
  3234. Audrey Sengsouvanh on

    My dream dahlia would have the same shale as an appleblossom breed. The petals would be juste like the cafe au lait but with some white fading at the edges of the petals.

    Reply
  3235. Carolyn Folk on

    Looking across my entry garden in the early morning light, my eye catches the the creamy apricot colors bouncing through the twisted petals of the ‘Country Wedding’ dahlia. Often hard to describe its color, this particular dahlia is a blend of muted pinks, oranges and silvery cream. Perfect for large flower arrangements with a long cut life, some say up to ten days, it blends with a multitude of color palettes. Brides are crazy smitten with this variety. Limited stock available

    Reply
  3236. Meghan on

    My dream dahlia would be a muted muddy pink with a frilly center.

    Reply
  3237. Jennifer Curtis on

    This will be my 3rd season since I “discovered” dahlias. I love them. The dinner plate varieties were my first obsession and I have come to appreciate the beauty of having a mix of shapes and textures. Planting a few 10 ft rows each with a specific color theme and a variety of shapes is very dreamy to me.

    Reply
  3238. Ashley Marie Laabs on

    I remember reading a story when I was young about a boy who dug up and discovered a new color. In my mind it was a silvery sort of color and thats what my dahlia would be. I’ve got a soft spot for grey – I’m not sure that it would be possible in the dahlia world but I’d sure be happy with a beautiful stellar lavender! Thank you again, as always, for the wonderful inspiration! Now I’m going shopping for my future dahlia variety parents!

    Reply
  3239. Barbara Lassen on

    My dream dahlia would be a black anemone type in my seedlings . Making flower bouquets with that color would be so elegant .

    Reply
  3240. Vicki Fisher on

    My dream dahlia would remind me of what my father and I grew when I was a kid in the early ‘60s. There would be big, dinner plate size flower heads that have slightly incurved dark raspberry colored petals. The plants would be long stemmed, covered in flowers all season long that pollinators love. It only took a few in a vase to make a beautiful display.

    Reply
  3241. sarah on

    I LOVE the big fluffy blooms and the blushy pink of the cafe au lait. So I think that would have to be my dream dahlia!

    Reply
  3242. Catherine Ervin on

    My dream would be a salmon to blush decorative bloom of moderate size (3-4″ bloom) and a workhorse in the garden providing tubers that are robust, plentiful, and easy to split. Is that asking too much?

    Reply
  3243. Megan Clark on

    My dream dahlia would be…..

    A cross between a Dinnerplate Dahlia and the Floret C33! I love the softness of the C33 with the large golden “puff” center. I am a sucker for pink and would love to see an ombré of colors including pale pink, dusty rose and magenta. The golden, daisy-like center, would add a feminine touch and would really set this dahlia apart!

    Reply
  3244. Kate Huelsman on

    I would love pinks with hints of orange and a little green. I love the idea of planting seeds and not knowing what they will be when they unfold. Sorta like not finding out the gender of the baby before birth :)

    Reply
  3245. Ellen Pierno on

    Each and every dahlia being exudes joy, but the single blooms I see in your breeding pictures are what I would like to grow. Their simplicity is exquisite; oranges and yellows are my favorites.

    Reply
  3246. Stacy Lamountain on

    My dream dahlia would be one that points more upright – like a rose. It would have an outer color of salmon and the center would ombre into something more cream. It’s hard to decide if the flirty star shaped with rounded petals would be my choice or something with a more lotus form. Like you – it’s a challenge to choose a favorite as the one in front of you that’s blooming is my favorite!

    Reply
  3247. Gina S Dewitt on

    I would love to see ball variety dahlias in pastel colors all over my garden! Amazing work you’re doing Floret.

    Reply
  3248. Alicia Castro on

    My dream dahlia would have frilly outer petals in shades of pink with a puffy golden center. But really I love them all. A rainbow patch of dahlias would be a dream!

    Reply
  3249. AuraLee Pitt on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate size where the petals would be ombré of blues and purples or greens and fuschias. It would also have a pearlescent sheen to the petals to glisten in the sun or even add a sparkle on an overcast day. ☺️

    Reply
  3250. Joni Porter on

    I’m dreaming of a dahlia that is a big fluffy ball of pinky red. The heads are large, weighing the stems slightly so it bobs in the breeze.

    Reply
  3251. Joanne Hirt on

    My dream Dahlia would be the shape of 144 with pumpkin orange petals and a slight streak of red on them. The center would be a brilliant yellow.

    Reply
  3252. Amalia Olson on

    My dream dahlia is a muted blush color that is stellar in form with slightly curved petals.

    Reply
  3253. Lauren Seiler on

    My dream dahlia is a light peach almost pinkish color with big puffy pedals all curling ever so slightly each almost making their own tubes toward the center of the flower. While that is my favorite kind of dahlia, the beauty of the flower is what you pointed out in this blog post. You never know what you are going to get. I think that is what draw so many people to dahlias. Each variety is beautiful and keeps you coming back for more!

    Reply
  3254. Kaitlin Baker on

    My sister and I have “sister” tattoos and the focal point is a dahlia that we took off the computer years ago in our young twenties (and of course, we never looked at the name!). My dream dahlia would be large magenta blooms (dinner plate size) with some fuschia coloring mixed in, to match our sister tattoos!

    Reply
  3255. Rachelle Boswell on

    My dream dahlia would be white ball dahlia speckled with all the colors of a sunset. Orange, red, peach, yellow, and pale pink. This will be my first year growing flowers in my garden and I would be thrilled to see just a few different varieties of flowers do well!

    Reply
  3256. Jo on

    My dream dahlia would be a cheerful deep orange tight-headed pompom. Every time I saw it swaying in the breeze it would remind me of my watching my Grandad tending to his little patch of dahlias when I was little.

    Reply
  3257. Sharon Thompson on

    Thank you for all the inspiration. I always look forward to getting your emails. I’ve only had a few dahlias and fell held over heel for them. I love the giant ball or Pom Pom style dahlias with lots of bright colors the most but all are beautiful. I don’t know if there are any blue dahlias but my garden this year will be with many colors of blue and yellow in support of Ukraine.
    Hope weather is on our side and the beautiful flowers follow.
    Good luck to all in your plantings.

    Reply
  3258. Lynne Peer on

    My dream dahlia would be pale lemon yellow with coral tips. Love those colors together and think they’d be striking in a flower.

    Reply
  3259. Kim on

    My dream dahlia would look similar to firefly, but with pale lavender petals.

    Reply
  3260. Lindsey B on

    I’d like to see a mauvy centered anemone dahlia with a deep orange petal that would get more moody when it became older. Will be trying some dahlia seeds that I collected from my patch last year. Great and inspiring post! Pilot Mountain, NC

    Reply
  3261. Mary Larkin on

    I would love to see a dahlia in the (light blue) family! .. and a chartreusey green color.!! Why should dahlias only come in the warm white/cream/yellow/orange/pink family.? I love delphiniums and blue/lavender hydrangeas.. there are so few blue flowers.. it would really really be exciting . Dream big❤️

    Reply
  3262. Olga on

    Could you have asked a simpler question? Haha. To me, the perfect dahlia is unknown to me. I have no idea what it will look like, but I know how it will make me feel. When I see a dahlia that makes me heart ache with happiness and I get a surge of that obsessive emotion of wanting a million more of them, I know that’s the one. I’m always surprised by the dahlias that I’m attracted to, I think that the beauty of growing them – it’s based on feeling. Thanks for sharing your beautiful story and continuing to be an open book in this space. Hope you’re all keeping well :)

    Reply
  3263. Rhonda on

    I’m looking for dahlias that have pedals that resemble a rose. A big white bloom with loose pedals and inside the center more of a velvet or pink color.

    Reply
  3264. Jessica on

    Experiencing never-seen-before varieties emerging in my seedling patch is thrill enough; however, my excitement would be uncontainable if my dream dahlia bloomed! It would be the size of a pom pon but with a shape similar to Firefly. It would be edged with a bright yellow that becomes more muted on the leaves – bright and cheery while also soothing. Long wiry stem would allow it to pop out of bouquets, dancing playfully and able to bring a smile to anyone’s face.

    Reply
  3265. Heather Moore on

    I am brand new to dahlias and dahlia breeding. I discovered the beauty of these plants by reading your blog and learning about the adventure of Dahlias. This year will be my first year trying to start some from seed, and I am beyond excited to see what may come of that. To pick just one I’d love to see? I think that would have to be something with a unique shape and multiple vibrant colors. But I’m all honesty I would be thrilled to see anything that comes from this tiny packet of seeds I found. The fact that dahlia seeds bring true surprises on what you get is fascinating and exhilarating!! Especially since are few surprises left in this world anymore!

    Reply
  3266. Aryanna A on

    My dream dahlia would have white, peachy, pink or yellow ombres

    Reply
  3267. Austin on

    While I live cutting flowers, I really enjoy a show stopper in the garden. My favorites are balancesnof flower size and high production. I enjoy ball Dahlias, and love a variety that sends up variable flower colorations on the autumn palette. Oranger version of Zundert mystery fox

    Reply
  3268. Judy on

    My dream dahlia would be full of petals, rounded rather than flat, and a muted pink color. It would be easy to grow, not need staking, and have a long vase life but also last well in the garden. It would look as stunning as a single blossom as it does in a bouquet. If it did not need to be dug up in the fall, it would be ideal!!! Having said all that, I love all colors and styles of flowers and look forward to growing dahlias for the first time.

    Reply
  3269. Karen m Palaitis on

    Sarah Vowel once said pink is a sarcastic color and that description always stuck with me. Orange and pink then when the season change it fades to yellow and pink . Last Year I grew one of your Dahlia seeds and grew the most beautiful dinner plate Orichetti that literally looked like it was painted with glitter . I have the tuber wrapped in a special place so its not lost . It’s by far the most exciting dahlia I am going to grow this year . Happy to share a photo separately.

    Reply
  3270. Dawn on

    I had lunch today with a friend who is following your book to produce tubers. She is so excited and she inspired me to follow in her footsteps. My dream dahlia is a starburst with a fluffy center. I love the buttercream colors with a tinge of light fading coral. Possibly a brighter coral center. Thank you for sharing your love of flowers.

    Reply
  3271. Krystyna on

    As a first time farmer, I cant wait to see ANY and ALL the seedlings growing. I am really looking forward to purple and white flowers this season.

    Reply
  3272. Lorelei Fischer on

    My dream dahlia is one with lots of long spindly stems of peachy pink medium size pillowy blooms. Something that both stands alone nicely or makes for a delightful addition in design A bonus would be a nice long vase life.

    Reply
  3273. Diane Wellman on

    My dream dahlia would have tones of peach with extra-large blooms making it a showstopper in my garden. As a newbie to all things dahlia, I would be thrilled with every bloom in my seedling patch. Thank you for inspiring me to grow beautiful things in my backyard.

    Reply
  3274. Kacie Langley on

    My dream dahlia would be a sherbet-y shade a lot like one of yours that you’re breeding. It looks so delicious. I don’t know how to really pick just one though. I planted several of your discovering dahlia seeds last year and saved some of the tubers for this year. My favorite out of that bunch was an all white one. It was so perfect. I can’t wait to see what it does this season.

    Reply
  3275. Sarah on

    My dream dahlia would be yellow with orange and red edges. It would be the sunshine that brightens my day. It would bring warmth that brings calm. It would put a smile on the faces of those who see it.

    Reply
  3276. Melissa on

    My dream dahlia is a fluffy white with undertones of lavender, yellow or pink at the center. Yellow/gold tips would put it over the top! I may even love an anemone version of this color scheme even more 😍

    Reply
  3277. Amanda on

    My dream Dahlia would be a full and vibrant auburn flower!

    Reply
  3278. Janet Nimiroski on

    Honestly my dream Dahlia is any Dahlia I am able to grow myself. I had tubers for the first time last year and was in absolute heaven for months surrounded by all my beauties. I don’t think I did the best job dividing them (I had a time finding the eyes) but I’m hopeful I will be able to get some to come back. In the meantime I bought more this year to to try again and grow even more varieties, along with a ton of zinnia seeds because they are just so gorgeous with the dahlias! I told hubby we just need to expand my tiny garden “just a little” to make room.

    Reply
  3279. Katy Levesque on

    My dream dahlia would be the size and shape of Cafe Au Lait, but more the colors of either Verone‘a Obsidian or Black Cat, with maybe a hint of plum or pink.

    Reply
  3280. Sally Poppema on

    Color is not as important to me as long stems and long vase life. Often the dahlia is the first to show age. Also a plant that isn’t 4 or 5 feet tall. More compact to fit in a home garden. Congratulations on your success so far!

    Reply
  3281. Beth on

    I would be thrilled to find beautiful pink or Burgundy dahlias in my flower garden this year.
    I’m trying to grow a small flower garden.. and with being very much of a beginner I’d be more thrilled if I could keep my growing plants alive! 😄

    Reply
  3282. Mary May Haerer on

    A dream dahlia for me would be one that my three small children (5,3,1) found together walking the rows in our very own treasure hunt, one that made us all yell LOOK! For me that would be a salmon colored monster, my son would love anything bright pink, my daughter would choose them all and my littlest would giggle at our happiness. Thank you for sharing your joy with us, it’s infectious and makes me want to do the very same thing here at my house, with my family.

    Reply
  3283. Tara Connelly on

    Love the zap of lime green or white with a green center. Something to act as both a focal point and a substitute for foliage. An unexpected punch.

    Reply
  3284. Beth Carlson on

    My dream dahlia would Have a dark red center and then fade to light pink on the petals with trimmed and dark edges. Pink and red were my two grandmothers favorite colors and I would love a dahlia that would combine both of them in remembrance of my grandmothers. I would be thrilled to find anything new and different in my ceiling patch just the sheer surprise of seeing something new & the joy it would bring would make it so special!

    Reply
  3285. Monika Mazur on

    I love the ones that look like you’ve painted the petals with watercolors! I’d love to discover a dahlia that has a dreamy, watercolor painting-like quality.

    Reply
  3286. Meghan on

    Hot pink with yellow highlights!

    Reply
  3287. Sam S on

    My dream dahlia would be a very light creamy pink on the front side of the petals with a dark mauve/burgundy on the backsides!

    Reply
  3288. Dianne on

    My dream dahlia would be lavender/blue in color, pom pom style, with more of a focus on the petals than on the yellow center. Maybe 3” bloom diameter, a long, strong stem and long vase life.

    Reply
  3289. Rachel on

    My dream dahlia is a dusty mauve that fades to blush. I would love a similar form to Cafe Au Lait, but a smaller head on a plant that is a true garden workhorse. Extra points for prolific tuber production!

    Reply
  3290. Kristin on

    My dream dahlia would be a true coral lacy looking flower with a soft golden center that as it aged it became a deeper orange throughout. I love the idea of flowers changing over days as they do when they grow.

    Reply
  3291. Keena Hadash on

    Being new to growing a cut garden..my whole life being told never to pick flowers to just enjoy them outside…my daughter and I look forward to planting , nurturing, growing and finally cutting dahlias this year. We love antique rose colors and bright fushias so for us to find such a variety would be incredibly fun. Thank you for all of the priceless information your books and blog have provided. We are so looking forward to our venture because of your resources.

    Reply
  3292. Jean K. on

    I would love to have a greater color variety of taller dahlias to enjoy in bouquets and also for my photography. Some of the quirky little petal swirls make the most interesting images!

    Reply
  3293. lael on

    My dream dahlia would be magenta edges to white and would be kind of like a star shape with a double bloom. Dahlias are the ultimate sign of summer to me and playing around with breeding on a tiny scale seems like loads of fun. I love watching your dahlia project evolve over the years.

    Reply
  3294. Beth on

    I’m new to cut flower growing–putting in a couple rows this year to give away to nursing home residents. I’d love to see a pure white dahlia tipped with a pink blush…or maybe a green blush. I love the simplicity of white and green in a bouquet.

    Reply
  3295. Meghan on

    I would love something flame-reminiscent, orange and yellow.

    Reply
  3296. Deb on

    I didn’t know what a dahlia was this time last year. Now I’m obsessed. Living in zone 5b, I’ll have to wait a little while longer before I can get my soil ready for seedlings. My dream dahlia would be a combo of petals and fluff in orange shades. Thank you for inspiring me to grow flowers off my own for the 1st time.

    Reply
  3297. Kate Stephens on

    Over the past few months of Dahlia Mania, I think my eye and my heart have changed four or five times. Each new tuber sale has me drawn to something different. Maybe it’s also because it’s still so cold here but doesn’t a bright peach puffy center with single petals ringing it sound like summer? Or maybe a ball type that was a true blush that would feel elegant and fresh? This post has inspired me to save a few seeds this year to experiment, just for the surprise of it.

    Reply
  3298. Nancy wynne on

    I would love a large dinner plate apricot with a fluffy yellow center! I understand that would be miraculous but here’s hoping🌸 This year I am growing twice as many dahlias from seed. The surprise of each blossom is so much fun!

    Reply
  3299. Millie S on

    Ohhhh I love any that have color transitions. My dream one would be a lavender that transitions to a deep jewel toned purple. Thanks for the chance!

    Reply
  3300. Chris Bailey on

    My dream dahlia would be robust in flowering all season, have decent stem length for centerpiece of
    Arranging and be variegated in colors including anything in the array of colors from pale yellow to apricot to peach to bright pink. The bloom would be tight petals in the middle with looser larger petals surrounding. But honestly, every dahlia is a gift. I actually love the mystery of what I find. Thanks for this post. I love reading of other with such excitement for the unknown of dahlias.

    Reply
  3301. Brenda Kerton on

    I love dahlias. On our small flower farm we have limited space to devote to them but they do get a couple of 50×4’ rows. So my perfect dahlia stands up well in a very windy field and has a good vase life because both of those are necessities. But ultimately my perfect dahlia gives me a colour and/or form that I can’t get from the hundreds of kinds of other flowers that we grow. Something that makes you stop in your tracks and just appreciate the beauty. For me personally that is usually something with one or more colours that blend well where one fades into the other or becomes a darker shade. I’m drawn to cream and would love to see it paired with a bronze hue. For form I’m drawn to something with bigger, rounder petals that are semi-double. That all said I haven’t met many dahlias I dislike!

    Reply
  3302. Elizabeth Hickman on

    My favorite dahlia’s (at least for the last couple of seasons) are in the apricot color range. I would love to see more options in the collarette type dahlia with an apricot/pink tone. Appleblossom is beautiful, but it is more yellow/pink. I would like to see something with that style that wouldn’t clash with Peaches N’ Cream.

    Reply
  3303. Ashley Hix on

    When I think of the perfect dahlia, I envision a row of ball shaped sunset colored blooms. Soft hues of orange with bursts of pink or yellow. I grew up planting a variety of flowers with my mother, sometimes working in the garden until the sun began to set. I hope to share those memories with my own children. Any dahlia I can nurture and share with them would be special and perfect to us.

    Reply
  3304. Mary on

    My dahlia would be big and bold commanding attention for all passers by. Large round showy heads of magenta petals tipped in a beautiful blush. Ahhh. One can dream

    Reply
  3305. Odette on

    My dream dahlia would be a cross of apple blossom and cafe au lait with a creamy center that ombrés to a dark apricot edging.

    Reply
  3306. Jenna Stoll on

    Love this. I grew a few from seed last year and LOVED watching them all come to life. My favorites are definitely similar to yours – more muted colors. I would love to discover another creamy blush dahlia with a great vase life! Thanks you for continually sharing your wisdom.

    Reply
  3307. Suzi Ketterer on

    My dream dahlia would be a soft yellow with blush tones in there somewhere. My favorite shape is the lotus because of its balance. I started a cutting garden just last year in honor of my son and inspired by your book! Seeding sounds like a lot of fun as well. Thanks for all the tips and tricks!

    Reply
  3308. Susan Thompson on

    I’d love to have a five or 6 inch blossom in a vivid pink with peach undertones.

    Reply
  3309. David on

    May dream dahlia would be a water lily type of dahlia which will have a creamy mauve cast with a either cranberry or raspberry edges. I have a goal of having at least one named variety with the American Dahlia Society. I started last year saving seeds from my own plants, but did not have the best of luck with seed viability. I only have 6 dahlia seedlings now but they are growing well.

    Reply
  3310. Alaine on

    My dream dahlia would have a big puffy domed yellow center and a pale, pink petals and a dark stem. I can’t wait to see what my dahlia seeds produce this year!

    Reply
  3311. Jessica Chadwick on

    I think I would love a Dahlia with stronger, more bold colors rather than the pastels you see most often. Deep purple with white, and petals like the C144/firefly above.

    Reply
  3312. Anastasia Benaszeski on

    Like many of those who are commenting we all share a love for Dahlias. Dahlias are close to my heart and will forever be my favorite flower. Their flower type is like no other. It’s crazy the beauty God has placed on this earth, and the ability he has given us humans to create works of art ourselves. With that being said, if I could create the perfect Dahlia it would be a large mauve colored dahlia, long lasting flower life with strong sturdy stems. The underneath of the mauve petals would be a darker tone to offset and contrast. I would name the flower ‘Roseanne’ after my great aunt who has passed on. Thank you Erin for all you do. You are so informative and a mentor in the flower world 💕

    Reply
  3313. Alicia Suarez on

    My ideal dahlia would be a decorative similar to Evelyn only with pink accents on the white instead of lavender/purple.

    Reply
  3314. Amanda on

    My dream dahlia is a lavender version of peaches n cream!

    Reply
  3315. Abie Hrupsa on

    While every single dahlia is my idea of a ‘dream dahlia’ I am most drawn to more single petal varieties. I think it’s their more simplistic nature and whimsy that draws me in. There’s nothing more beautiful than a stand of them in the garden waiting to be cut and enjoyed inside.

    Reply
  3316. Angela Walle on

    My dream Dahlia would be named Kauai Sunrise after my favorite place on earth. It would be a ball dahlia with varying shades of reds, peaches, coral an a splash of yellow. It would remind me of the place my body feels at rest.

    Thank you for introducing me to the wonderful world of Dahlia’s

    Reply
  3317. Nina on

    Big yellow center with pale lavender petals!

    Reply
  3318. Jody Frey on

    Dream Dahlia: dark foliage, bold colored 3 to 4” full pompon blossoms, height at least 4’ , for reliable landscape interest in zone 4a where “hardy” hibiscus struggle and straggle.

    Reply
  3319. Sara Jurand on

    My dream dahlia would be a waterlily form in a shade of taupe similar to Quicksand roses. The color would be similar to Cafe Au Lait but darker, still muted. Petals more rounded and lush, perfect for bridal work.

    Reply
  3320. Irene on

    A luxurious shade of pink that would remind me of a lipstick I would admire, but be too shy to wear.

    Reply
  3321. Kate on

    The dreamiest dahlia would capture all the beauty of our foggy farm mornings – soft glowing gold center that seamlessly transitions to peach and coral. It would be quite the accomplishment here in 9B, but so worthwhile!

    Reply
  3322. Katie on

    My ideals are blushes and peaches. They’re soft and whimsical and remind me of summer days spent in the garden with my toddler. Memories. <3

    Reply
  3323. Jennifer Salvaggio on

    My dream dahlia … would be BLUE! Any shade from deep navy to soft wedgewood.

    Reply
  3324. Patricia Schmoutz on

    The dahlias that I most fall in love with are a peachy transition to the lighter pinks, and look soft and fluffy to the touch. I keep reading your lovely post and planning toward how to grow when our home location on the backside of our property, currently going up, is complete. Thank you for the inspiration!

    Reply
  3325. Samantha Macuzzi on

    My dream Dahlia would fit on a cupcake (they are edible!!) But I have a hard time thinking of just one shape or colour! Lol, but I really love the waterlily shape or ones with the poofy centers. And always always seem to be drawn to the peach colours first, especially ones that have ombre or look painted with deeper tones. I have some of your bees choice seeds this year and I am so excited to not know what to expect! Lol

    Reply
  3326. Renata Rea on

    My dream dahlia would be a Coral shimmer. You’d see varying shades of corals & pinks depending how the light shines and looking at the flower from different angles….. oh my gosh are you imagining it ?? Super cool 🐝

    Reply
  3327. Nina Lo on

    Oh I’d love to find a bright violet anemone with a speckled white and pink collar ❤️❤️❤️

    Reply
  3328. Caroline on

    Oh I love the pale honeycomb dahlias! My mom just told me recently about how her Uncle Ed used to go dahlias and go to dahlia shows. She was always impressed by his dinner plate dahlias. It made me want to grow dahlias this year to feel closer to family that has passed and continue things on that they once did. Thanks for sharing your joy with others!

    Reply
  3329. Lisa Anderson on

    My dream Dahlia would be mustard yellow (like a billy button) with the size and shape of the Small World dahlia’s. It would be so pretty!!

    Reply
  3330. Celeste on

    Though I love all the pink and orange-hued dahlias with soft, blush colors, my dream dahlia would be a big, bold dinner-plate dahlia in shades of deep red and purple.

    Reply
  3331. Natalie Fuller on

    My dream dahlia is a peaches n cream in Pom pom form, I love the sweetness of the tiny size and the soft colors of peaches n cream. I’d love a wide variety of color in my seedling patch ❤️

    Reply
  3332. Erin Zagadailov on

    Multi colored anemone dahlias. They are stunning! Also, is a bluish colored dahlia a naïve request? Asking for a friend 👯‍♀️

    Reply
  3333. Ashley A Everett on

    This is my very first season growing dahlias and I am impatiently waiting for the weather to warm! My dahlias tubers haven’t been delivered yet but I have had plenty of time to dream and plan. My dream dahlia would be a peachy color that blends to white, big and beautiful! But really I would be excited to see them all!

    Reply
  3334. Susana on

    My dream dahlia would be a pompon type that changes colour over the season from pale pink to mauve. Ideally also being very productive (both in terms of flowers and tubers) and having good vase life.

    Reply
  3335. Diana Lott on

    I would love to find a coral and pink variety with the double row of petals. But, if I am able to grow any from seeds this year, I will be thrilled! :)

    Reply
  3336. Tracy on

    I would love to see the first chartreuse Dahlia!

    Reply
  3337. Kristi S on

    I collected seeds last year and can’t wait to see what grows from them! I’d love a light pink color with yellow brushings and long stems. And long vase life of course 😂. In reality, I’d be thrilled with anything that happens!

    Reply
  3338. Autumn Olson-Gallagher on

    *swooning over all these beauties!*

    I adore both D23 and B47 – but if there were a combination of both, I’d be a goner.

    Reply
  3339. Bonny Dutton on

    New to dahlias & it sure gets me fired up to imagine such possibilities of growing them from seed! Perfect dahlia? Sheesh, how to choose? Tall, strong, long vase life, variegated petals in pinks with many blooms.

    Reply
  3340. Savannah on

    I would love to find a large stellar type dahlia with a lilac center fading to a soft cream outer edge. I love big fluffy petals on dahlias so really anything fluffy I’m sure I would be thrilled!

    Reply
  3341. Kimberly Jeltema on

    I had no idea that Dahlias could be grown from seed and that they could be bred. This made my heart kind of flutter..haha. I just discovered Dahlias in 2019 and planted about 60 tubers in my first ever cut flower garden. My garden was planted nearly all from seed and it was the hardest but most rewarding and amazing thing I’ve ever experienced and so excited to be beginning again. I would love to try breeding Dahlias, Iwould love to find romantic, soft pinks, peaches, cream. Victorian wedding like in my seedlings, not huge but different sizes and textures. Thank you so much for sharing this and for the opportunity to win such a treasure!

    Reply
  3342. Debora Cox on

    In my 3rd year growing dahlias. I love the variety of colors and shapes. Dark and light.
    Dream variety would be 2 inch half ball with varigated shades of purples. Slightly
    longer outer petals almost like a fringe. Darkest outside to light.

    Thank you for sharing your process.

    Reply
  3343. Charlene Skalmusky on

    I would be thrilled to see many different types and colors of dahlias in my dahlia patch! Last year I had orange and purple dinner plant varieties! This year I would like to see pink and peach color ball type dahlias.

    Reply
  3344. Jordan on

    My dream dahlia is a bright pink cactus variety. Or maybe a deep red with double petals.

    Reply
  3345. Emma Willich on

    My dream dahlia is basically a giant white echinacea, with a giant anemone puff on top and beautiful long white petals falling away. She would be apricot at bloom, turn yellow, and then to a pale pink/white.

    Reply
  3346. Ellie on

    Oh my goodness, my dream Dahlia? I actually love the little single petaled ones, too, but I guess my dream Dahlia would be one of those silky soft, lush ones you just want to crawl inside, with that indescribable transition of cream to buttery yellow to peach to salmoney pink. The kind that you struggle to say exactly what color it is. And NOT dinner plate size. Strong stems perfect for arranging a whole bunch together. And they would also smell amazing, of course.

    Reply
  3347. Pete on

    Large, symmetrical, bicolor flowers, yellow in the front and orange in the back.

    Reply
  3348. Bret Waisner on

    My dream dahlia would be a peachy hue, edged in red/burgundy good fading quality. Good vase life and long flexible stem.

    Reply
  3349. Michele on

    My dream dahlia would have shades of both orange and pink. I’m drawn to the ball form the most. I can’t wait to see where your breeding treasures end up!

    Reply
  3350. Candice Best on

    My dream dahlia would be ombré coral with a deep pink/raspberry mix. Truly, any dahlia is a dream. I love the Café Au Lait too!

    Reply
  3351. irene on

    Just reading this story gives me the feeling of hope and excitement. My dream dahlia would be bright orange and yellow to remind of sunshine and a new day. We all need a little sunshine. Thank you.

    Reply
  3352. Ellen Berkeley on

    I would love to see a deep pink and red stripped dahlia. Pink and red look so good together but often the combination invokes a ‘Marmite/Vegemite’ response of love or deep dislike . It would balance many flower arrangements.

    Reply
  3353. Summer Voelker on

    My dream dahlia would be a decorative variety and look like a sunset with muted colors like lilac, rose, and apricot. Basically, it would look like you are in a Heart video from the 80s surrounded by rainbow sherbert. So good!

    Reply
  3354. Amanda Postle on

    My dream dahlia would be huge with curly petals and a blush champagne color. I love the dinner plate dahlias, they look so pretty cut in my old bottle collection.

    Reply
  3355. June on

    My dream Dahlia would be many shades of rose and pink with an abundance of frilly petals surrounding a golden yellow center and about 4 inches diameter.
    Thank you for bringing so much flowering beauty into the worldl

    Reply
  3356. Becky on

    My dream dahlia would be deep pink in color or yellow. My dream is to have a variety of these beauties to share with family and friends to brighten their day. When things seem lost or alone there is no better way to brighten the day than with beautiful flowers a cup of tea and the presence of good friends.

    Reply
  3357. Chelsea on

    My dream dahlia would be an open form to attract all the pollinators with petals ranging from cream to blush.

    Reply
  3358. Jennifer on

    A dream dahlia for me would be a hardy poof-ball stature with lavender petals kissed with golden tips.

    Reply
  3359. Julia on

    Dreaming of them!
    Can you make them light blue?

    Reply
  3360. Andrea Duda on

    Beautiful hybrid dahlia dinner plate of pink & orange

    Reply
  3361. Ruby Lloyd on

    Hi Floret Team,
    My dream dahlia is called ‘passionsfruit on ice cream’. It is has soft creamy white petals and a zingy bright green centre. Best of all it smells like passion fruit and just like the wallpaper in Charlie and the chocolate factory- you can taste it! Okay too far… but one can dream <3
    Ps. I grew my first patch of dahlias this year. It’s been so thrilling- I didn’t think I could be responsible for something so beautiful.

    Reply
  3362. Brandy on

    How fun! So many flowers ♥️ I don’t know if I could barrow it down to one dreamy dahlia! I love all flowers, and dahlias are one of my favorites. I love shades of apricot, maybe a little yellow mixed in. I love shades of deep red or bright pinks. I just love them all!

    Reply
  3363. Dee on

    I envision the darkest of purple with tiny dots of pale yellow like stars in the night sky.

    Reply
  3364. Carol on

    My dream dahlia would be one with a large center area for pollinators and beautiful orange petals with dark pink edges that curl up slightly to delight all. Need strong stems of course.

    Reply
  3365. Jess Houff on

    My dream dahlia is one like firefly that is burgundy with white streaking through and a dark, almost black center.

    Reply
  3366. Olivia Veronesi on

    My dream dahlia is something with a super unique shape. I really love the anemone shaped ones and the orchid shaped ones. It’s color will be bold and beautiful! I love ones with two tones.

    Reply
  3367. Anna May on

    I would love a cross between Daisy Duke and Askwith Minnie but with the glamorous gold tipped petals of Polventon Kristobel, now that would be a showstopper.

    Reply
  3368. Rae on

    I am such a sucker for all of the orange and warm blushy pink hues. Though my dream dahlia, if I could design one, would be a mauve or maybe even a taupe version of B47. 🤍

    Reply
  3369. Kristin Smock on

    My dream dahlia has petals on petals on petals. I had some last year that the inside petals curled and twisted and the outside petals were huge and straight. The combination of curly and straight petals is so interesting! I would like to say, my favorite coloring would be peach but honestly, I’ve never seen a dahlia color I didn’t like. Every color is amazing.

    Reply
  3370. Robin Guy on

    I love yellow dahlias! My dream dahlia is a big dahlia with rounded petals in shades of yellow and white. I’ve recently retired and have started a long stem flower garden in our front yard. I look forward to walking out to beautiful flowers that I can share with family and friends.

    Reply
  3371. Rachelle Vergie on

    Happy Anniversary of Discovering Dahlias! Honestly I would be grateful to receive anything. I do have a strong appreciation for what you do and I love dahlias. My first exposure was when my mom gave me 3 tubers in a box and told me to plant them in my garden. She did not tell me what they were so it was an amazing surprise! The detail of these ridiculously beautiful flowers blows me away. I would love to someday have Cafe au Lait dahlias. Thank you for opening up this world of colour and hope!

    Reply
  3372. Christie on

    Thank you for sharing this, Erin! I would love to grow a dahlia with green in the petals, as it’s my favorite color & I adore greenery arrangements, but tend to miss the focus of a flower. Can’t wait to start growing here in New Hampshire!

    Reply
  3373. Erika Mullis on

    I love ball dahlias, so naturally my dream dahlia would be a super soft pink mini ball dahlia, ultra prolific with strong long stems to add fun to any arrangement or garden bed. I would call it E’s confetti 🎉

    Reply
  3374. Michelle on

    My favourite colour – pink! I’d love one in the middle between hot pink and light with a full flower 💖 may be something like that already exists! Reading your updates gives me so much motivation and inspiration . I’m yet to grow things from seeds I collected so Thankyou for teaching me how 💗

    Reply
  3375. Shannon Glassley on

    Only my second year of growing dahlias so I am still learning! I think my dream dahlia would be a ball or pompon shape, nice and tidy. Maybe a creamy white that fades to a blushy pink, but I am also torn because I dig (pun intended!) the super saturated deep magenta colors too!!! So much drama! Keep up doing what brings you joy!!!!

    Reply
  3376. Olivia moradi on

    My dream dahlia would be a long stem with a full flower making it perfect as the focal point in bouquets. I’d love to see a few colors through out this bloom, maybe peach tones into a deeper red shade.

    Reply
  3377. Lisa Johnson on

    My dream dahlia would be a dainty yellow dahlia. She would have layers of petals the color of lemon meringue. The center would be a lovely pillowy like landing spot for bumble bees and other pollinators.

    Reply
  3378. Mak on

    While I live the big bloom such as cafe au lait there is something about firefly c144

    Reply
  3379. Lisa Chance on

    My dream dahlia is one that is super large in size really beautifully proportioned with its leaves but with pedals that create a pattern that is obvious but not necessarily predictable. It should be strong and sturdy with vibrant verigating colour. I love a dahlia that stands tall and lets its face see the sun and one that enhances the beauty in the blossoms around it.
    Although I love to describe “my” dalia, the truth is I have never met a dahlia I didn’t feel passionate about. ♥️

    Reply
  3380. Jennifer A Guyor-Jowett on

    My dream dahlia would be anything/everything in the rose shades, but I’ve loved all of the unique varieties you are working with (Firefly might be my fav).

    Reply
  3381. Bobbie on

    I have a weakness for green or chartreuse flowers. They seem to add a punch to a bouquet, no matter the color scheme.

    Reply
  3382. Kody on

    Oh goodness, I think my dream dahlia would be a mini version of Cafe Au Lait that aged to an Americano color brown.

    I’m so glad you’ve found something within your career that brings you so much joy!

    Reply
  3383. Leslie Patrick on

    My dream dahlia would be one that has several colors as it matures, so maybe a yellow, coral, orange mixed. The daisy type petals are attractive to me and I’m impressed with the yellow Little Miss Sunshine and Firefly that Floret has developed. Thanks for all the hard work!

    Reply
  3384. Gabrielle on

    We are in the process of moving from Sedona, Arizona to Olympia, Washington. I recently dug up all my tubers and carried them on a flight north. I wasn’t too surprised when TSA pulled me aside to search my bags. They said they’ve never seen bags full of tubers before!

    Anyway, my dream dahlia will probably always just be a dream…

    I’d LOVE a rainbow dahlia!!!

    Reply
  3385. Jennifer Long on

    My dream dahlia would be somewhere between pink and a deep purple. With hints of a buttery yellow center. Something I know my 5 year old daughter would love.

    Reply
  3386. Jean M James on

    my dream dahlia would be a mixture of a an apricot color and chartreuse. It is my favorite combination in nature and it woudl be amazing to have on one flower stem….thank you!

    Reply
  3387. Suzanne Cerron on

    My dream dahlia would be the shape and size of Labyrinth but in colors of a creamy yellow-orange-pink sunset. I love the wild look and maybe my flowers last year were a bit weaker than other years, but they moved and floated in my designs. I really enjoy when dahlias/flowers dance!

    Reply
  3388. Heather Andrews on

    My dream dahila is one that could be able to survive cold. Its a lot of work to dig the tubers up and store them properly/successfully.

    Reply
  3389. Michelle Ullrich on

    Dahlias are beautiful flowers am going to try growing them in my yard this year from tubers. Didn’t know they could be grown from seed. My favorite is orange/yellow like little balls of sunshine.
    Thanks for your interesting articles.

    Reply
  3390. Jess on

    There is something so dreamy to me about the pink dahlias! I dream about a giant one that’s light pink and brushed with darker pinks and purples. Something almost out of wonderland <3

    Reply
  3391. Lindsay Nedella on

    My dream dahlia would be sunny and a bit unusual. This is my first year giving a cutting garden a shot, so I’d be elated to just have blooms and small successes this year!

    Reply
  3392. Kimberly on

    My dream dahlia would decidedly be ball type. I love the color range of the elusive Castle Drive, Linda’s Baby and similar but if I were to find my dream dahlia (honestly, though, aren’t they all dream dahlias?!), it would be one that doesn’t currently exist; something on the cooler side of the mid-range shades of blue-purple/lavender with just a hint of raspberry. I haven’t seen it yet but I know that I will one day.

    Reply
  3393. Penny Hommeyer on

    I have two dahlias I have been growing from tubers for over 50 years. My Dad and Mom used to grow them in their vegetable garden in Connecticut when I was a child. I don’t know the names but one is a beautiful peach pink with a little touch of yellow on the inner petals that I call “Dad’s Pink” and the other is a deep burgundy red with a bright yellow center that I call “Big Red”. My ideal would be a a combo – somehow – of these two special plants.

    Reply
  3394. Anne Baetzel on

    My ideal dahlia would be a creamy orange pom pom with a hint of pink in the middle. Loads of long stems that bloom again and again all season so I can share them with friends and co-workers :)

    Reply
  3395. Molly Mazanec on

    This is my first year of growing dahlias and I am over the moon excited. I have been planning all winter and have 50 feet I am dedicating to dahlia’s (thank goodness for a large backyard) My dream Dahlia is coral…or pink…or yellow! I can’t pick a favorite. I am just so excited for the journey. To see what I can grow, to have my four children be outside with me. When I ask my daughter, Elliott, her favorite color she always says “RAINBOW! Mom you know I can’t pick a favorite, they are ALL too good” So in the words of Elliott, my favorite dahlia will be part of the rainbow, my imagination comes up with TOO many good choices. Thank you for sharing your passion with us! And happy ALMOST SPRING!!! Eeeeeeeeekkk!

    Reply
  3396. Julia on

    I would love to find something in the coral color range with a high petal count.

    Reply
  3397. Jenny L on

    That firefly dahlia with either a magenta or burnt orange would be my ideal dahlia! It’s gorgeous!

    Reply
  3398. Haley Franklin on

    I could not imagine beimg anything less than mesmerized by a large patch of dahlia seedlings. Just the waiting and watching it all come to life….I would love to see a bloom with a slight double layer of lavender petals with a small poofy yellow center. Honestly though, I am certain I would spend all of my time just looking at them all.

    Reply
  3399. Heather on

    My dream dahlia is a deep peach color that fades to cream at the edges with large fluffy petals.

    Reply
  3400. Brandy O'Connell on

    My dream dahlia would be a giant perfect shade of corally orange pink that fades to a perfect sherbert. But honestly, they’re all amazing!! Your dahlias give me so much inspo. I’m moving the ones I bought last year to a better area this year and hoping for amazing results 😍

    Reply
  3401. Judith Thompson on

    Last year was my second year growing dahlias and the first growing some from seed. I kept wondering how I had never been introduced to this flower before! My favorites were any that were a soft, peachy-pink color and especially if the petals were long and twisted.

    Reply
  3402. Beth on

    My dream dahlia would look like dragonfly wings.

    Reply
  3403. Sarah on

    My dream dahlia would be something about two inches across with a beautiful mixture of pink/peach tones, water lily. What an amazing giveaway!

    Reply
  3404. Jan on

    My favorite color is blue, but that is very uncommon in flowers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a blue dahlia so that would be my dream. :)

    Reply
  3405. Laura on

    My dream dahlia would be a larger ball – around 4-5 inch bloom size. As for color, I would love it to be the faintest pink with a darker pink in the center, fading out as the bloom matures. Great stems of a darker green, and a tall plant would be amazing!

    Reply
  3406. Hannah on

    My dream dahlia would change year after year to reflect my own growth. It might start out as a unique bi-color dahlia in a fun shape, but, like myself, might turn into something I never expected.

    Reply
  3407. Heather Lowe on

    I think your Firefly might be my dream dahlia! I’d also love something like that in a pale lavender with a center that coordinated. Fun to dream…I see why you’re addicted!

    Reply
  3408. Raquel on

    My dream dahlia would be one that doesn’t mind a little shade. Sunset colours are my favorite. Pink, orange, yellow.

    Reply
  3409. Patricia Nesbitt on

    My dream dahlia has all the colours of a summer sunrise, medium size and lots of slightly curving petals.

    Reply
  3410. Melissa Gardner on

    My dream dahlia is much like yours! A little odd. The current color I’m obsessed with is peachy orange so a dahlia in that color family, with qualities of a Cafe and swirls like an heirloom mum!

    Reply
  3411. Joanna on

    I’ve only been growing dahlias in my tiny garden for a couple of seasons now. This year I will try to let them go to seed out of curiosity. I’d love to see a pom pom style dahlia with a periwinkle color. I have yet to see a dahlia I didn’t love.

    Reply
  3412. Whitnee on

    I’m a backyard cut flower gardener that grows really just because flowers bring me so much joy and solace. I love making bouquets and give them to friends and family. This year my daughters (11 & 13) and I have decided that we will make a project out of bringing bouquets to our local hospice centers. This has inspired me to take on way more types and flowers than I normally do.

    For me, the dahlias that blow me away are those that have depth and intricacy in the petals. I love when a dahlia has a vibrant color and veining or patterning in another hue. The big dinner plates are what brought me into loving dahlias but now I find the small ones just as thrilling.

    Thanks for your work, Erin and Floret crew!

    It was so nice to watch and rewatch Growing Floret during our cold Idaho winter to remember that spring is not too far away.

    Much love!

    Reply
  3413. Stephanie Acker on

    My dream dahlia would have shades of yellow, apricot, and coral; it would be medium in size, but shaped like the Cafe au lait. I would be thrilled to find a rich raspberry pink dahlia!
    Thanks so much for sharing all that you do!

    Reply
  3414. Camille Smenge on

    I would like a simple small terracotta coloured Dahlia which is dark in the center.

    Thank You

    Reply
  3415. Kate on

    Your project is so exciting! I really love collarette dahlias, and have been partial to peachy oranges and purples…though the mystery part of it is the fun part to me!

    Reply
  3416. Kaycee english on

    My dream dahlia would have pink on the outside, orange in the middle and yellow at the middle with white fluffs over the yellow. So an ombré rainbow

    Reply
  3417. Lisa Riley on

    There seem to be so few miniature varieties available – and those that do exist are hard to come by. I’d love to see some additions in this area, as they are so wonderful to work with and add such beautiful pops of color and detail when tucked into arrangements. How about a beautiful mini pom in that ‘to die for’ peach/pale apricot range? Next level: add a kiss of raspberry in the center, or on the edges of the petals. SWOON…

    Reply
  3418. Amber Rhodes on

    My dream dahlia would have a good strong stem for bouquets and last well once cut. I’d love a soft pink with splashes of burgundy red, perhaps with a slightly darker pink on the back of the petals which you can see as they gently curl around.

    Reply
  3419. Ginger Defriese on

    This will be my first year growing dahlias. I love the soft pink color and the form that looks like cone flowers with the center dome. Maybe a purple petal with a soft pink center would be my dream.

    Reply
  3420. Sarah wilcox on

    I love the messy, curly petal varieties! They always get lots of attention in arrangements.

    Reply
  3421. Amy Roberts on

    I’m in love with the pale, dusty pink colors. About an 6” flower head. Long stems and pointed flower petals. It would be like a smaller version of cafe au late. You would have, color and form in a dahlia that would also give you some flexibility in arrangements and not be so delicate:)

    Reply
  3422. Nadine on

    Oh la la! I like your new dahlias! It makes me want to try starting them from seed this year. My dream dahlia would be soft pink fading in grey/taupe with a little purple touch. Thank tou so much for all these shared beauties. ❤️

    Reply
  3423. Jules Paice on

    My dream dahlia would be like sunshine – big, bold, bright and guaranteed to just bring a smile! It would look like a cross between a bit blousey “dinner plate” dahlia and a sunflower – lots of fluffy petals but a nice bright yellow. I would plant it with other yellows and blues so that spring could just carry on through summer.

    Reply
  3424. Far Momin on

    Dahlia’s are the gem of cut flowers. My dream dahlia would have hints of peach and large petals, which reminds me of my childhood summer’s spent alongside orange popsicles in the heat of NYC. I’m excited to expand my garden this Spring to make room for a cut flower garden. So it would be perfect timing to be able to find a dahlia emerging with all of it’s exquisite qualities. The feeling would be both delightful and thrilling.

    Reply
  3425. Xing on

    I really like dahlia small world so something similar to that, but maybe instead of the slight pink of it have it slightly violet in the centre instead.

    Reply
  3426. Bev. Ferguson on

    my favorite colour is red and purple so I would have to have two kinds of dahlia’s , the purple would be the colour of lavender and the red ones would have streaks of white in with to show my love for Canada. Thanks so much for the chance to win some seeds and your book.

    Reply
  3427. Meg on

    My dream dahlia would produce massive blooms that were darker pink near the center and then lightened to a sweet blush at the edges. Love variation in color on my dahlias!

    Reply
  3428. Peggy Riccio on

    My dream dahlia would have dark foliage or at least foliage with interesting color and large red flowers, not gaudy large like dinner plate size but a few inches with perfect symmetry. It would be able to be cut for a vase and would combine with other flowers. And last forever.

    Reply
  3429. Andrea Burdick on

    My dream dahlias would be a soft yellow to raspberry colored edges.

    After watching your show I completely changed my idea of what I wanted for my wedding bouquet. I became so in love with flowers in a way I never had before, especially dahlias!

    Reply
  3430. Meghan Stoltzfus on

    I love hearing more about your Dahlia breeding goals! I did plant some seeds last year and enjoyed the results, though I wasn’t sure what I was looking for (besides unusual flowers that did well being cut). Having those measurable goals in mind (vase life, strong stem, flower life) is helpful, and makes me excited to try some more Dahlia seeds!

    Reply
  3431. Melanie Miller on

    I’m really drawn to warm, muted colors and love when the petal tips have a little frosting of contrasting color. I find myself always saving orchid and waterlily forms so secondary to color I’d choose one of those. Delicate, profuse blooms with interesting shapes to tuck into a cottage garden.

    Reply
  3432. Tracy Xiong on

    My dream dahlia would be a long stemmed white/cream centered lily type fading to peachy apricot with gold on the backs (like Creme de Cassis). I would be thrilled with anything I get as I am trying my hand at growing dahlia from seeds for the first time this year and am so excited to see all the new dahlias.

    Reply
  3433. Joan Kessler on

    My dream dahlia would be be a dinnerplate that delivers large, colorful blooms but on a shorter, more manageably-sized plant stalk for my backyard garden. And it would be a deep red and white or a pink and purple.

    Reply
  3434. Jo Ellen Lengacher on

    My dream dahlia would have a rich magenta center that blends into apricots and pink tones but the shape-who knows? The surprise is part of the beauty!

    Reply
  3435. Amy on

    My dream dahlia would be similar to the firefly one pictured in this post, with multicolor petals and lots of production on the stems. This will be my first year saving tubers to replant – we will see what happens in the garden this year! Thanks for all the inspiration.

    Reply
  3436. Norma on

    I love dahlias in sunset/sunrise colors

    Reply
  3437. Joan Chao on

    My dream dahlia would be anemone type in a creamy muted pink.

    Reply
  3438. Jen Vit on

    My favorite color is purple, but sometimes that’s a hard color to find striking in a flower patch. I’d love to find a beautiful deep purple with gold veining that has a metallic shimmer. This will be my first season planting my own harvested dahlia seeds – let the experiment begin!

    Reply
  3439. Susanne on

    My favourite dahlia would be like Appleblossom- er don’t her this variety here in Germany and for years I’ve tried to hunt it down abroad….no luck so far….

    Reply
  3440. Joanna on

    My dream dahlia would be a super cheery yellow. I’ve gotten some seedlings from dahlia Jo from someone else’s patch so I’m hoping she gives me some fun yellow blooms. 🤞

    Reply
  3441. Pat on

    Waterlily with some twisted petals, subtle marling, 3″-4″ blooms, Labyrinth colors but with a little more soft apricot.

    Reply
  3442. Morgan on

    My dream dahlia is basically the Floret dahlia! It’s so perfect, I’ve been on the hunt for one like that for several years. That and its orange counterpart. Love it!

    Reply
  3443. Lisa on

    I love pinks, so I would love one with lots of petals, medium size, in a pink with some dark and light variations throughout the flower—maybe fading from dark on the edges to light in the center or with some darker outlines on the edges like one of the examples you showed or even with salmon to pink variation. I mean, how many things can I dream into a single flower? 😂 Anyway, good luck with your experiments, and thanks for the chance to win some goodies!

    Reply
  3444. Cecilia Lawrence on

    I don’t have a specific flower that would be my dream dahlia. I love them all, they are so beautiful. What would be amazing is if there was a breed that was cold weather tolerant that did not have to be dug up every year. Living in Maine, this has been something that has prevented me from growing them the past few years, however, I’m gearing up to plant them again this year. I can’t wait to see what beauties I may grow. I’d love to eventually grow from seed but I think I need to get growing from tubers, digging and storing down before I attempt growing from seed. Thanks for all the information you put out into the world! It is so helpful for those of us who are just looking to grow beautiful flowers in our yards!!

    Reply
  3445. Page on

    My dream dahlia would be a ball type with red undertones almost like a peaches n cream color version but in reds. I think ball styles are gorgeous in bouquets and the reds would be perfect in many bouquets all summer and fall. This will be my very first year planting dahlias so I just hope to see dahlia sprouts in my garden! I’ve had so much fun shopping the tuber sales and being online in a rush with everyone shopping! My goal is to expand my garden this year and hope to see sprouts or my own dahlias. Dreaming of fresh bouquets in my house all summer long!

    Reply
  3446. Theresa Cassidy on

    I love seeing any dahlia pop up in my garden, because they really are the most beautiful surprise. I’d love a light peach-pink one in a cactus style, with a bit of a star shape—my daughters love starfish and how amazing would it be for one to “appear” in the garden?!

    Reply
  3447. Heather Brunelle on

    Wow! I am so impressed with your organizational skills! My dream dahlia would be a rich, dark merlot colored decorative. The dark merlot would contrast nicely with lighter blooms and foliage of a diverse pallette.

    Reply
  3448. Christy Muck on

    Mustard yellow ball dahlia! I have been trying to find the perfect yellow for like 10 years now. One that isn’t too bright, big or basically resembles the sun lol. People love the pinks, peaches, burgundy and muted orange, but maybe because mustard yellow slightly resembles vomit people don’t love it??? Lol Idk, but that would be a dream to have a hadful.

    Reply
  3449. Lacey Poff on

    My dream dahlia would be a mixture of a plum and yellow dinner plate dahlia. I love that color combination.

    Reply
  3450. Leslie B. on

    Since purple has been my favorite color as long as I can remember I would love a soft lilac in the same form as your lovely Floret seedlings. The double petals mixed with soft yellow would make my inner child so happy!

    Congrats on the project and doing something that brings you so much joy!

    Reply
  3451. Amanda on

    Dahlias have quickly become my favorite flower it would be my dream to actually be able to grow them well so I can enjoy them even more!!

    Reply
  3452. Kristine Cabanban on

    My dream dahlia would be a decorative variety with a dark pink center turning into an ombre of lighter pinks and then a creamy white on the outer petals! Dahlia stems always smell like green mango to me when I cut them, so perhaps the dream dahlia blossom could have this fragrance as well.

    So excited for Team Floret and this wonderful project!

    Reply
  3453. Debbie on

    MY perfect Dahlia would be a huge cream colored blossom with a blush of pink coming from the center.

    Reply
  3454. Christina Koether on

    A decorative dahlia that produces a variety of colored blooms that look like they belong together- like your C-189, but in muted apricot tones to pale yellow-no pink. Is that even possible!?! I love that one plant can produce surprises with each bloom, but they work together so as a designer it’s a little collection in itself. Last year I had three from seed, this year 48… who knows what the future holds! The anticipation is the most exciting part of growing I’ve experienced yet!

    Reply
  3455. Katherine on

    My first dahlias were “rescued” from the grocery store at the end of the season and labeled as annuals! Can you believe it! I would love to discover an apricot colored dahlia. I also love flowers that change hue as they age.

    Reply
  3456. Lori-Ann on

    Thank you for inspiring me to grow dahlias. I really love so many for their unique colors and petal styles. Hard to pick a favourite. My dream dahlia would be easy to grow with hardy tubers that easily overwinter. Still working on this part of growing dahlias. My dream dahlia would be pink with blue undertones – I think a pom pom style.

    Reply
  3457. Zoe on

    Unlikely, but I would love to see a mocha hue Dahlia someday. With some fun line details in the petals.

    Reply
  3458. Kathryn Carlson on

    A peach and yellow colored ombré sunset decorative ball dahlia is my dream dahlia!

    Reply
  3459. Lena Puryear on

    My dream dahlia would be bright pink with lighter pink petals mixed in. I can’t wait to try growing dahlias from seed this year!

    Reply
  3460. mtmanor on

    I love that you find joy in this! I won’t be breeding any dahlias at this stage, so if I get picked please pay it forward to another grower. Now if you were giving away any organizational tips it would be a different story. Thanks for all you do!

    Reply
  3461. Caroline Burch on

    I love a good deep neon pink/orange and anything fluffy or “sugar puff-y”, my dream would be to have a dahlia that produced so many flowers that I could bring someone a new bouquet each day. And as someone else mentioned, one that could survive in the harsh Northeast Ohio winter

    Reply
  3462. Kimberly Tarrant-Dugan on

    I am retiring this year and finally will have time to devote to gardening. I bought your first book and also your Discovering Dahlias. My garden might be small but it will be mighty with flowers I can share with my neighbors. I have always loved all multi petaled plants however you have given me a new appreciation for the single petaled ones. We will be in our new home with a large backyard by summer and I will be ready with my notebook to start MY journey!

    Reply
  3463. Amy Sapola on

    I am just learning about dahlias thanks to you! The perfect dahlia to me would be a pinkish- peach that’s the shape of a Pom-Pom. Unless rainbow is an option! ;) I dream of having a rainbow of dahlias for the kids to enjoy and to share with our friends and neighbors. Thank you so much for the beauty you bring into the world.

    Reply
  3464. Andrew on

    My dream dahlia would be a pale yellow with purple markings!

    Reply
  3465. Victoria L on

    I love dahlias and this sounds like such a fun experiment to try! I’ll have to try to collect some seeds next year. My dream dahlia would be something creamy or peachy with a bright center.

    Reply
  3466. Kathleen Schwartz on

    Oh , How I love my Erin floral folder. !!! I have learned so much about

    Dahlis since logging on to your beautiful mini courses and keep everything in my Erin Flower folder. My favorite is Cafe O Lait. I had the mot beautiful ones in my garden. I also do terrace pots as there is not a big garden space. I get rave reviews !!!! I cant imagine anything more beautiful than all I already have to choose from !!!! Such a gift !

    Reply
  3467. Anne on

    I am forever and always a fan of muted and autumnal colors, and I would be thrilled to discover a dahlia in the same shades as some of my favorite antique brown transferware. But my years as1 a vegetable gardener have also taught me that the bees and the universe have much bigger imaginations than I, and I am always happy with any unusual bloom or fruit that comes my way

    Reply
  3468. Carla DePriest on

    My dream dahlia would be huge, perfectly white with a sturdy stem and a long vase life.

    Reply
  3469. Susanna on

    I will have a considerably larger dahlia patch this year and not only am I looking forward to the rainbow of colors, I will certainly be saving some seeds.
    It is my first summer with starting a small flower business, it is perfect as my job gives me most of the summer off.
    Last year I grew 20+ dahlias and noticed how I was drawn to the softer colors, but the shape of the flower wasn’t that important. Although I did love the open faced ones. I do believe this is a rabbit hole I would be happy to down…

    Reply
  3470. Margaret Owens on

    I have loved dahlias for a very long time. I would love a blush-pink dinner plate dahlia in my garden. I have moved further north, and have my tubers ready to plant this spring. Hoping for the best. Seeds would be a new adventure!

    Reply
  3471. Betsy Sammarco on

    My dream dahlia would be light and airy with baby pink single petals. It’s fun to dream! Thank you for all the inspiration!

    Reply
  3472. Sue on

    My dream dahlia would be a collarette with red, white , and yellows in a combination that would catch my eye when I looked at my garden .

    Reply
  3473. Kaylyn on

    Discovering dahlias was how I found Floret! ❤️
    My dream dahlia would be orange/yellow in color, more deep yellow than orange. It would remind me of the sun and be very full of petals. It would be 3-4inches in diameter with a strong stem.

    Reply
  3474. Victoria on

    My dream dahlia color would be a dark dark purple with orange center maybe electric orange! I’d also love to see a gray/pale purple one with soft petals. But really, anything is magical. I’ve never grown them from seeds and would love to try that. Thank you for inspiring my daughter and I to garden!!

    Reply
  3475. Jess Monaghan on

    My dream dahlia.. so difficult to narrow that down to one flower. I imagine finding a large, fluffy, pale rose/apricot colored dahlia with a yellow center. I plan on growing my own dahlia seeds soon and can’t wait for the excitement of seeing these flowers emerge!

    Reply
  3476. Maura on

    As a new gardener, I will be happy with simply growing a single beautiful flower this summer. However, my dream dahlia would be a ball dahlia with rounded petals the color of a vibrant sunrise – with pink, peach, orange, yellow, and even a touch of purple mixed in. It is an ambitious dream but why not go big?

    Reply
  3477. Mandy Ferrell on

    I’m a sucker for the unusual, so something variegated hot pink, orange and large.

    Reply
  3478. Iva on

    My dream dahlia would be one that is almost gray….a light lavender so soft that it appears gray, long stems & petals that curl with a hint on white on the edges.

    Reply
  3479. R Price on

    My dream dahlia would have all the glory of a sunset. As it’s a ‘dream dahlia’ it would have the most wonderful lilic scent.

    Reply
  3480. Kathlea Carrasco on

    I’ve never grown dahlias from seed, but fortunate enough to try it this year with florets bees choice. I am so excited to what it will bring me! As much as I love the dinner plate (informal decorative) dahlias, I am starting to become obsessed with collarettes! My dream dahlia would be a collarrette with a creamy center that gradually turn to a rich purple, I would name her Roisin (since my daughter’s favorite color is purple and loves to garden and help me in the garden)!

    Reply
  3481. Anna Benedict on

    I love reds and yellows together so my dream patch would be filled with colors of sunshine!! Cheery flowers that would delight the senses🌼🌺

    Reply
  3482. Sarah on

    My dream dahlia would be an anemone with purple ruffled center and pink petals surrounding. I’m sure it’s out there but I only need to find where it is hidden!

    Reply
  3483. Polly on

    My dream dahlia would be a waterlily dahlia with a deep pink bud that would open up to reveal soft orange petals, like a beautiful sunset. It would have long stems so when on the plant the flowers would dance above the foliage and when in a vase it can be admired from any angle.

    I’m excited to plant some seed I saved from cafe au lait last year!

    Reply
  3484. Ariel Krolick on

    I’d have to name my dream Dahlia Bee Peaceful it would produce the most amazing dark yellow flower with the tips a beautiful burgundy red. It would flower over & over again, bringing sweet peace to the gardens pollinators & gardner who cared for it.

    Reply
  3485. Jaylea LeVeque on

    Excellent blog post, thank you! My dream Dahlia would look a lot like the Firefly. I love the petal spacing and how they curve inward. That’s beautiful and really unique. Perhaps if it were a rich red with a touch of orange, like a sunset 😍 It would be really great to win your book, but if not I’m buying it anyway. And I took your seed starting course too. You present information in a way that really sits well with me. Thank you for all your hard work!

    Reply
  3486. Christine A. on

    The unnamed ‘Bh7’ white dahlia you have pictured would be my dream dahlia along with the darkest, deepest reddish black in a similar shape!
    Gorgeous flowers and images.. ♥

    Reply
  3487. Ashleigh on

    My dream dahlia would be a dinner plate size of an inky bluish purple color with petals that curl like tendrils radiating out from a similar inky colored center. Maybe some fine white striation in the petals. Fun!

    Reply
  3488. Lyla Thomas on

    My dream dahlia would be a a peachy/pink/butter yellow mix with serrated petals and a 4″ bloom on upright steams that never fell over and lasted two weeks in the vase. Also, if it tasted bad to voles that would be great 😁

    Reply
  3489. Wendy on

    I absolutely adore growing dahlias from seed!!! It truly is like getting a present every time a new one blooms for the first time. My dream dahlia is something I have never seen before and sparks joy the moment I see it!

    Reply
  3490. Chris Krantz on

    Café au lait is by far one of my favorites. If I could ever dream of the perfect dahlia it would be a café au lait that is veragated with darker pinks. The café au lait rose is beautiful, but it’s just too much pink. I would love to see a café au lait, that has the color of Apple Blossom in the petals, with the pink veragation.

    Reply
  3491. Cyndi on

    My daughter loves dahlias! From the first one I ever planted for her and the joy it brought, I was hooked! While I am simply a back yard gardener, I love to be surrounded by the beauty that unfolds and get giddy every spring as things begin to emerge. I now include my grandson in the process with his own tiny set of garden tools and he loves it, too. If I could imagine a favorite dahlia, it would be a bit untamed and open and a beautiful shade of pink.

    Reply
  3492. Sue W on

    My dream dahlia would be a mix of soft cream and pale pink. Although purple is my favorite color, I tend to gravitate toward dahlias that are any and all shades of pink. I also have a tendency of ordering dahlia tubers based solely on their fun and creative names!!!

    Reply
  3493. Justine Hull on

    My ideal would be a dahlia with the color and sparkle of Otto’s Thrill, the form and size of Sweet Nathalie- I love to work with the mid size dahlias, but find that “Dahlia sparkle” to be the most captivating and unexpected trait of any flower I have ever seen. Just magical

    Reply
  3494. Tessa on

    My dream Dahlias would be a lavender purple! I would grow row and rows of it <3 I haven't grown dahlias before but hoping to be able to this year in my small backyard garden.

    Reply
  3495. Carolyn Bristowe on

    My dream dahlia would be a bright but creamy yellow that reminds me of our first house, where our boys were born and had all their first day pictures.

    I would be thrilled to see more tiny dahlias in my patch, as I start my secret garden in our new home.

    Reply
  3496. ann Walker on

    My dream Dahlia would be a deep deep blue-

    Reply
  3497. Jessa Madosky on

    My dream dahlia would be dinnerplate sized with deep purple undersides of curly petals with topside of the petals that are lavender fading to pure white in the center…and of course easy for a beginner, long lasting in a vase, and a prolific bloomer all season long :)

    Reply
  3498. Beth Schulman on

    Dream Dahlia- Apple Blossom, but in a yellow form. Or a unicorn zinnia type dahlia. Long stem with a full graduated head.

    Thank your for sharing your passion and beauty!!

    Reply
  3499. Jennifer Dorion on

    I’m dreaming of that tantalizing mixture of coral, peach and a hint of salmon thats glows in the late-day sun. Thanks for all the inspiration and encouragement to grow and love the process.

    Reply
  3500. Mary Markley on

    Over the past two years, I’ve discovered dahlias and am totally smitten. I even dream about them. Having just growing them from tubers the idea of growing dahlias from seeds will keep me awake at night!

    My ideal dahlia would be a dinner plate with a coral center and whisper of coral on the edges.

    Reply
  3501. Parrish on

    I just love all dahlias really. My dream one I suppose would he a perfect ball dahlia in a perfect shade of rosy peach! Hope I win! :)

    Reply
  3502. Susan Palatucci on

    My dream dahlia would be a pom-pom variety of bright red, so round that it looks like a lollipop! A field of these to attract all the beautiful hummingbirds to my garden.

    Reply
  3503. Catherine on

    My dream dahlia would be able to survive our PA winters so I don’t have to dig them out each year.

    Reply
  3504. Dana on

    Oooh, vibrant hot pink and feathery!

    Reply
  3505. Teresa on

    My dream dahlia would be salmon in color and ball shaped. I’m new this year to growing dahlias. I’d love to see C33 emerge from my seeds but really I haven’t seen a dahlia that I wouldn’t love.

    Reply
  3506. Bonnie on

    My dream dahlia would be easy to start from seed and okay to leave in the ground over the winter. That way, I could give/plant them as gifts for loved ones who aren’t as mobile as I am lucky to be, but they could still enjoy these beautiful blooms fresh from their home as well. Thanks for sharing your joy and knowledge once more!

    Reply
  3507. lisa on

    Oh my, love them all. I think I prefer the “pom pom” type and then I see the your favorites listed above that kinda resemble a daisy to me and I think, “I like those best”. I feel with dahlias, they’re all so pretty. I tend to favor the yellows and whites.

    Reply
  3508. LeeAnn Ostia on

    Dream dahlia… I’d say the glob style with two tones. Maybe a peachish creamish with some different colored undertones. Great job on all you do.

    Reply
  3509. Jordan on

    I’d like to think that my dream dahlia is one that I accidentally stumble upon in my own breeding patch, that is slowly but surely taking shape. I’m sure it would be unique and not quite up to the dahlia standards but incredibly beautiful, standing out in the crowd of other flowers in its patch. Maybe it will have a pastel sunset hue to its petals or maybe a cream brushed with a darker hue of magenta.

    Reply
  3510. Ashley on

    My dream dahlia patch would be filled with thousands of cream and light pink colored dahlias. Perfectly staked and contained with rebar and an excellent irrigation system. On the outskirts of the dahlia patch, there would be a hedge of lavender.

    Reply
  3511. Melissa Wheeler on

    My dream dahlia would be pink and aqua or purple an aqua. I guess my 8 year old daughter has me in visioning everything Mermaid. LOL

    Reply
  3512. Sherry Clark on

    I am trying my hand at replanting tubers (after watching your mini course) and planting the seeds I’ve collected for the first time this year. I will be thrilled if anything comes up but my favorite would be a coral color Dahlia that has the big pom pom look.

    Reply
  3513. Belinda Pronkewich on

    Well I didn’t see it coming, but I have been bitten by the dahlia bug! I started with 3 plants that I let rot in the ground – I had no idea how to care for and have grown a collection 3 years in to over 250. This is my first year successfully storing and I am on the cutting train now! This year my plan is to start some breeding after reading your book and Santa Cruz as well as studying done Australian breeders. So excited to see where this goes – I thought digging the tubers was Christmas morning, now it’s the anticipation of the dahlia flowering!

    Reply
  3514. Mackenzie Miller on

    Dahlias from seed felt like tiny Christmas mornings! I completely understand the thrill you’re talking about. I’m My dream dahlia would be big and a little wild with distant drums style ombré.

    Reply
  3515. Susan B on

    My Dream Dahlia would look like a Sunrise- bright red orange outer edges slowing fading into pink with a tinge of purple in the center. After planting dahlias last year- they have become one of my favorite flowers to grow and cut. I really love how your share your Knowlege and Passion with us!!

    Reply
  3516. Violeta Riera on

    A peach and coral dahlia with a bright yellow center.

    Reply
  3517. Justine on

    Gimme the darkest dark dahlia with a silver white center. I dream of being able to do a black and white bouquet

    Reply
  3518. Chandler on

    Even though my dream dahlia is probably a lovely, vibrant coral, I think what would be most thrilling to find in my seedling patch is an incredible array of shapes, sizes and colors. It’s the contrast between each variety that drives home how uniquely gorgeous each one is!

    Reply
  3519. Ute Jacob on

    A dream dahlia, what a tough question, each and everyone is a beauty, the ones I have grown from the Discovering Dahlia Book have a metallic apricot shine to them, and are just stunning, after a tough winter I can’t wait to see them in the evening sun again….so a new my dream dahlia would be one with a metallic shine in a more raspberry shade. Thank you team Floret for making me dahlia addict and for all the inspiration and color you bring to the world!

    Reply
  3520. Preya Culmer on

    Thank you for sharing this wealth of knowledge…it’s wonderful to have a look behind-the-scenes and see your meticulous process! My dream dahlia would have the loose, blousy form of Labyrinth with a dark pink center that fades out to a soft salmony peach…dreamy :)

    Reply
  3521. Danielle Vanone on

    This is my second year trying to grow dahlias. All the tubers I put in last year seam to have been eaten by pests. My dream dahlia would be have a soft yellow going out to a peachy pink. Can wait to see all you new varieties!

    Reply
  3522. Sara Addy on

    My dream dahlia can brighten any day, creating a feeling of joy and delight, as the centrepiece of any display, large or small and in a container of any age or type. The dreamy bloom will light up a room, causing a gasp of delight and a talking point at any event or on a kitchen table or sideboard. It is a timeless bloom , of infinite use and an inspirational colour palette. Seeing a cutting patch of Cafe Au Lait, Penhill Watermelon or any dahlia makes you glad to be alive.

    Reply
  3523. Christina Garcia on

    My dream dahlia would be whatever could surprise me and remind me of the warmth of my granddaughter’s pink lips and rosy cheeks topped by her caramel/honey colored pig tails. My dream dahlia would surprise me by how tall it would grow and wouldn’t even care what it looked like because I would love it just looking at it.

    Reply
  3524. JoAnn Preen on

    This will be my first year starting dahlias from seeds. I didn’t grow dahlias last year, but I did do tubers in pots 2020. I have been working on my garden for a couple years now since I moved back to PA from MA. My garden is my therapy since I retired and the pandemic hit. I am looking forward to adding dahlias to my garden mingled in with my roses and hydrangeas.

    Reply
  3525. Shell We on

    My dream dahlia would come in shades of blue!

    Reply
  3526. Andrea Steele on

    I dream of a dahlia like Apple Blossom in a coral color. This will be my first year growing dahlias. I found your site and fell in love. I’m also doing a true cut flower garden for the first time. Lots of seeds started already. A wonderful project for my retirement years.

    Reply
  3527. Robin on

    My dream Dahlia? That’s a tough question! I have to say that I am in love w soft shades of pink & peach w outer curved petals and inner smaller petals that curve randomly. Nice long stems would be a bonus!
    Your work is inspiring, and your passion is contagious!
    Working in nature is intoxicating, and your sharing all of this with us through your words ( and photos) is a gift! Thank you!!

    Reply
  3528. Julianne on

    My dream dahlia would be coral/peach on the ends that faded into a light yellow in the middle. I dug out my tubers last year for the first time and I am excited to see how they do this year. Dahlias are by far my favorite flower!

    Also- I was given a signed copy of the discovering dahlias book in September but did not receive a packet of seeds with it.

    Reply
  3529. Tiana on

    I would be incredibly pleased with any dahlia because I find them all to be so beautiful. But my dreams consisted of a massive dinner plate dahlia with hues of pinks and oranges to create the most beautiful peach goddess.

    Reply
  3530. Candy Horton on

    I just purchased your book on Dahlias last night. I love the soft peachy color ones that have a touch of a deeper color in the middle of the flower. They are so beautiful.

    Reply
  3531. Alina T on

    I love the pompom varieties! Either a soft pink or a dark deep orange. This year will be the first time I am trying growing dahlias from seed. I am excited to see what treasures will come up!

    Reply
  3532. Amy on

    My dream dahlia is a soft pink base with rainbow ribbon qualities of the sunrise; mauve pink, amber yellow center and red orange variation.

    Reply
  3533. Katherine Vo Brooks on

    I’ve loved all your books and enjoy taking the qmini courses throughout the year. My favorite dahlias are the collarettes. I also love the petals that are edged with a different color and petals that have a different color underneath.

    Reply
  3534. Donna A. on

    I would be so excited to find a muted color anemone type dahlia growing in my garden. Something that is not typical, but when you look at it, your heart jumps in excitement. With a soft changing of colors whites or soft pinks, apricots or golden. Something that would make someone visiting my garden say “what’s that??!” In awe. Love your favorites from your patch!

    Reply
  3535. Stevie Storck on

    I grew dahlias from your Bee’s Mix seeds last year and now I’m hooked! There was a beautiful coral-peach variety that I’m hoping I successfully overwintered in our basement. My dream dahlia would be a soft ivory with an open center. I love all the unique varieties you’ve discovered! 🌸

    Reply
  3536. Amy Plew on

    My dream dahlia would be a ombré coral, peach, and cream! I am trying dahlia seeds for the first time this year, and I can’t wait to see what grows!

    Reply
  3537. Mariah Danielsen on

    I dreamy of peachy pink cafe au lait dahlias but have yet to grow my own, maybe this is the year! We just purchased 4 acres and plan on lining out a wildflower flower field with all of the Floret seeds we snagged earlier this year. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

    Reply
  3538. Mary on

    My dream dahlia would be a single or double petal layer with an open center for my pollinator friends! I wouldn’t mind what colors, but I can never say no to apricot/ peach hues and burnt orange colors. I would be thrilled to find a variety of new dahlias in my seed patch – pincushion and ball types, lotus, anything to keep me in awe of dahlias.

    Reply
  3539. Heather Morehouse on

    I freaking love your firefly dahlia! My dream dahlia would have to be and unusual multi color bloom with a fantastic vase life and a huge tuber producer. My opportunity to expand the farm has come sooner than expected and will have room for a dahlia breeding patch soon! So excited! I never liked Dahlias until I grew my first bloom last year. I’m now addicted to them!

    Reply
  3540. Dee on

    This will be my 2nd year growing Dahlia’s and I’m hoping to grow some deep burgundy/purple colors! Last year I had some beautiful light colors (yellow, soft orange and pink)! Need some deep colors to add for depth to my bouquets. Currently I’m gifting all flowers to neighbors and friends, hoping to expand this year to allow for some to be available for my community! ❤️

    Reply
  3541. Lizzie Moss on

    My dream dahlia would be a rich mahogany red. I love how matte the petals are, and the deep-colored dahlias always look like velvet to me.

    Reply
  3542. Lindsey on

    Your dahlias are beautiful! My dream dahlia is a peachy/yellow one. I really like when they have a defined center. I’d be thrilled to find any ball varieties in my seedling patch!

    Reply
  3543. Jillian Y Higgins on

    My family started our vegetable garden several years ago, but didn’t make plans for flowers, so sadly haven’t had many in our yard. Wanting to remedy this, I purchased “Discovering Dahlias” in the fall of last year and fell in love with them. My husband caught the flower bug and ordered French Carnations because they are his favorite flower as the smell reminds him of his Grandfather who always had them in his garden. My dream dahlia would have a large tight ball head, be long lasting, and contain a vibrant orange that transitions to either yellow or pink around the edge of the petal.

    Reply
  3544. Becky Kimmons on

    Dream dahlia – that’s a hard one because I love so many. Mine would be a muted sunset ranging from pale peach in the center to mauve back petals tipped in burgundy.

    Reply
  3545. Lisa on

    My dream dahlia would be an anemone form dahlia that boasted a peachy blush center that faded to a creamy white edged petals with sparkling yellow center florets . I would be thrilled to find any dahlias in my breeding patch that demonstrated unique forms of colors. I am especially loving feisty orchids, small & sweet pompous, and pastel variegated cactus style dahlias.

    Reply
  3546. Alexandra Davies on

    My dream dahlia would be cafe au lait- except very soft peach in color.

    Reply
  3547. Jessica on

    I love really ruffly petals in a peachy pink color.

    Reply
  3548. Daniel Chapman on

    My dream dahlia is an anenome type with colour hughes close to that of cafe au lait, something that has texture and shape but is also visually delightful.

    Reply
  3549. Sarah on

    This is the second spring that I’m putting flower seeds into the ground… my dream dahlia is one that grows in my partly shaded yard!! But I love the medium sized blooms in a peachy pink.

    Reply
  3550. Erin on

    I just started growing dahlias from seed this year! I am especially drawn to the apricot colors and would love if one of those popped up. Since it’s my first year growing them, I mostly just can’t wait to see what happens.

    Reply
  3551. Virginia Webster on

    Hi. I’ve been the master gardener at prospect heights community farm garden ( visit our website! Phcfarm.com) a community garden specializing in community outreach for twenty years now. I’ve become the Johnny Appleseed of dahlias: I had 17 gardeners that I gave tubers to last year ( thanks to your excellent seminars!!) and had the most fun as they realized what a tremendous plant it is! Every dahlia is a dream dahlia as their prolific beauty can be shared. Erin opened a world of possibilities with her infectious love of dahlias. Dream on!! You simply can’t have a favorite.

    Reply
  3552. Jen on

    I too am embarking on my first summer of growing cut flowers. I would love to find an interesting bloom of eye-catching color combos.

    Reply
  3553. Kathleen Carney on

    My dream dahlia would be a vibrant blue … I have tried to find a blue tuner to no avail … this will be my fourth year growing dahlias and my first propagating from cuttings thanks to your great tutorials in Discovering Dahlias… thank you so much Erin!

    This year I will help my daughter grow her first dahlias … I could not be more excited!

    Reply
  3554. Rochelle on

    My dream dahlias would be a reversal of Creme De Cassis with a deep plum outer petals flowing into a gorgeous peachy-pink center.

    Reply
  3555. Amber on

    This will be my first year growing dahlias. My dream dahlia would be a soft apricot. I love the one you described as a child’s drawing of a sun, so fun, yet sweet!

    Reply
  3556. Ava on

    This is my first year growing cut flowers I’m so excited to pick bouquets out of my own garden this year. My dream dahlia would look like a sun set of light yellow and light orange fading into pink.

    Reply
  3557. Heather Dorsey on

    I would love one like Firefly with the slightly incurved petals, but crimson with yellow highlights!

    Reply
  3558. Lou on

    This is my first year with Dahlias, so excited! My dream dahlia would have beautiful but subtle colors. Look good on their own but can also work well with other ingredients. I will be thrilled to find flowers with wild colors or shapes in my seedling patch.

    Reply
  3559. Sarah on

    I would love a soft pink dahlia! I love soft colored flowers. I’m new to planting and I’m so excited!

    Reply
  3560. Mariah on

    I actually bought my first packet of seeds this year after attempting (unsuccessfully) to save seeds last year. I’m really looking forward to seeing all sorts of variety coming from the mix.

    In the future, I’d really like to try to select for anenome types in peach tones. Looking at all the beauty you produced though I’m thinking I’ll quickly be expanding out from that.

    Reply
  3561. E. Cutler on

    I would want a dahlia that would look good in wedding work. Something soft and pink or creamy.

    Reply
  3562. Hannah on

    I am growing dahlias for the first time this year. I am so excited but also have butterflies over it. I’ve checked a dozen times to see if the tubers shipped yet. After reading this, I am going to try and save seed for next year.
    My dream dahlia would be a mignon or single variety, have muted/antique like coloring, and be either a pink or yellow/white.

    Reply
  3563. Amber on

    I’m not sure what my dream dahlia would be but I’d definitely know it when I saw it!

    Reply
  3564. Melissa on

    I love ones that are speckled with an accent color! It would be fun to see a single that is speckled.

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Floret Farm's Small Plot: Big Impact

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