I'd say if that is the only rut and 'aholic' you are, that is a pretty nice place to be. I too am a dahliaholic, Welcome to the club Framk from Clinton, Michigan.
Actually, my addiction starts way before May. In fact, I dabble in it all year round. Those beckoning websites, magazines and forums anyway.

This is the kind of place that codependency thrives.

Welcome back Frank.

Welcome back also Frank. I would say our level of addiction (from all prior evidence) means your a goner for sure. I am fighting myself daily not to go to the crawlspace and start pulling up bags of tubers to lay in soil. The car has been banished to the cold out doors and one rolling light rack has been fired up. That is all it takes to throw will power to the winds and revel in dahliadom

Well, I am in full force since now I have my small (10' x 12') greenhouse ready and a little heater in it. I bought some dahlia tubers from Walmart and got them planted in pots in the greenhouse, I just coiuldn't resist them. I put all my boxes of dahlias tubers in the greenhouse also. I am afraid that I have lost some, but most are absolutely beautiful. I am going to pot them up in the next week. Now, if it is raining, I can work in the greenhouse

Designer Donna checking in, also dubbed The Duchess of Dahlias by a Master Gardener buddy. I've been growing dahlias for 30-plus years. I have a small property with lots going on from fruit trees to vegetables to tree peonies, Japanese maples, hostas, daffodils, perennials, 40+ containers, a growing collection of succulents, a large pond with koi and goldfish, many coleus and, of course, my beloved dahlias -- about 130 of them. It's probably a good thing that I don't have more space because I don't think I could possibly fit another dahlia into my plan, although I try every year My aging bones are also telling me I can't do what I used to, but I refuse to listen. I yearn for a greenhouse but know that's not in the cards, so I make do with the 10x10 area in the basement that my deceased husband built for me (fluorescent lights, shelves, etc.).

I belong to two dahlia societies; have been an active member and have held several offices for the Rhode Island Society (there was no society in Massachusetts when I joined) and the newly formed New England Dahlia Society of which I am president. Because I'm so involved with the hort community (including 2 garden clubs, hosta and rock garden societies) and I still work, I don't have a lot of time to spend in the garden but all of my free time is spent there.

I start all of my vegetables from seed and all of my dahlias inside. I'm going to try my hand at propagating cuttings this year to try to build my stock, since I had no tubers to sell or give away this year (poor growing season last year).

A storm is predicted this weekend, so it will be a good time to start propagating my dahlias.

It sure sounds like you stay busy!

I don't belong to any clubs/societies. Except for ATP and another Dahlia chat group, I'm on my own. And honestly, pretty happy with that. A 2 hour drive to the nearest meeting just isn't appealing.

I have had about 50 new tubers arrive this week from trades, and I shipped out about 140 on Thursday, some trades, some sales.

Everything is out of cold storage and warming up. In fact, I need to go out and check for eyes/sprouts right now.

Good lord Donna. I am exhausted just reading about all you have and are involved in. And I am retired. Amazing when you retire how your day fills with stuff. I often wonder how I ever did anything outside of work. Hmmmm. Guess that would be nothing as the days were long and quite often extended into weekends.

Busy! Busy!

So, what do you do in your spare time, Donna? lol

Those dahlias are beauties!

Dan, have you taken your tubers out of winter storage yet. I may have missed that. I swear tomorrow I will do so. Final class in a concealed carry series. Then it is practice practice practice.

Got a late shipment of hepatica roots that need potting up then vegies seeds to plant then poppy seeds to WS (well spring sow.)

We were dumped on today with about 5-6" of light snow that will turn sodden very quickly. Guess spring just sprinted on by

I'm not sure when I'll take mine out of storage. I'm planning a trip to Virginia early next month. The tubers might be better off staying in the dark attic until I get back. Or I might put them in a room with just a bit of light. After being in storage for months, I can't imagine that too much could go wrong in the week I'm gone. Hopefully, they'll have enough time to sprout before I start them in planters in mid/late April. I've waited until after the first of June to plant the past two years. I used to plant the third week of May. Now, I don't feel like I gained much by doing that since there's not a lot of growth until the soil warms. I also think I've avoided some damp soil and potential rot by waiting later, too.

I took the c/c class a few years ago. It was 12 hours on Saturday and four hours on Sunday. That's a long time to sit. I wished it had been drawn out over two weekends.

Somehow - gardeners and "concealed carry" - just doesn't mix in my mind - I am imagining you two out in the dahlia patch wearing shoulder holsters.

Darn those Japanese Beetles!!!!!

Dan, 12 hours in one day is ridiculous. After two or three hours of intense dry firing and one on one holstering issues, I am exhausted. I have taken four or five courses (from basic 101 up to the final CC [today is the second part of the final CC class out at the range]). I am still undecided on the issue for myself but at least I have all I need to make an informed decision.

I may take my tubers out and simply open the bags to the air and light in the garage and see what happens.

I was gardening in my fenced in (6' high non-see through fence) when a large (dare I say) black man came scurrying through the gate and ran up to me. He was very agitated and babbling about someone taking his girlfriend and he needed help. I calmly told him to call 911 and was somewhat skeptical. But I went ahead and hauled him into my house (I know, I know - stupid) and forced him to call 911 which he did. I know he dialed it and spoke with someone because they called right back and asked if the call had come from my house; when I said yes they said I should leave the house immediately. The man was an parolee being currently chased by the police and was carrying a gun. I never saw the gun. Anyway, it played out and I was never in danger. He only wanted to get away. But it could have turned out very different. Course had I been carrying, and a fight over the gun took place? Interesting. At least now I know what to do but in that case I was practically bossing this guy around. Looking back it was hysterically funny. He truly must have thought I was nuts.

Keep your composure, Mary! lol I have never carried in public. But I fish, hunt and metal detect in a lot of out-of-the-way places. In the past few years there have been three bodies found in two of these places and I have stumbled upon two abandoned outdoor meth labs. I now avoid those places and I guess I'm stubborn but I refuse to be cowed or scared by lowlifes into giving up things I enjoy doing outdoors. Now, back to the gardening. lol

I have contacted Alpen Gardens three times this year. I still haven't received a reply. Exact same thing a year ago and when I finally received my order late in the spring they sent 25 tubers instead of the six I ordered. But with no communication, I think it's time to move on. Such a shame since I always received nice tubers with many extras.

psudan said:Darn those Japanese Beetles!!!!!

Ha! Probably too busy. Hmmm - no probablies about it. I'm still taking down my 14-foot Christmas tree. All the ornaments are down and packed away, and the bottom quarter lights are off and rolled up. I should have accepted a friend's offer to help with the tree, but ... Also, I work from home and the work is mostly seasonal, so I'm fortunate that I can make my own schedule which certainly helps to accomplish gardening tasks.

Geoff, I would not drive 2 hours to go to a meeting either. The best thing about belonging to these groups -- to me, anyway -- is the people I have met. They are what keep me going to the meetings. Absolutely nothing else!

A friend with whom I've shared dahlias with over the years gave me at least one of most all of what she had last Sunday. I'm behind on the tree because of course I had to divide and clean up all of the tubers she gave me. They are sitting in the plant room warming. I potted up two that had really pronounced eyes. Now I need to check what I put into storage and see if anything is viable. I'm sure there are a few, but not a lot. Juggling all of my projects does get tricky this time of year. And, of course, I haven't done my taxes yet.

To all who celebrate, Happy Easter. Here are a few of my favorite dahlias. I'll check back again next week sometime.

Hollyhill Black Widow, Myrtle's Folly and Maxime

All three of those are knockouts. I have the HH Black Widow this year (I think) and while I have been wary of lacinated dahlias (they get so raggy looking when they are past their prime) that Myrtles Folly is making me drool. Maxime I had for a couple of years then it went badly open centered, and I haven't tried it again.

I don't really care about how they look when 'past their prime'. I am so desperate for flowers after our long winter I (almost) and I deadhead frequently to keep them blooming. Maxime is beautiful. I love the edging. I only had one, Taylor Swift, like that. Valleyview Porcupine is similar. It didn't survive the winter. Others like Kaarma Martin Zwan produced tubers to beat the band as did Ice Berg. Well, I did have multiple plants so that helped. I suppose I should update my list here on potential plants I would swap. Some of the many I have potted are iffy but I will give them a chance. But most have eyes. I have tried something new this year. I nipped ends off tubers to get them to fit into reasonably sized pots. I am sure I should have let them a dry before planting but I simply didn't have time or space and they were drying so fast. I even watered them twice when they first came out, just a little, to try to reconstitute them. Now we wait to see who grows. Off the get my plywood for another table today.

Myrtle's Folly is the most incredibly unique looking flower I think I've ever seen! Saw a pic of that one at the end of last season and started my searches for lacinated dahlias , found several more that I added to various orders. Pinland's Princess and Pam, Kogana Fubuki, Citron de Cap and Tsuki Yori No Shisha made the list. Of course I came across other non-lacinated ones that were even more beautiful! Looking forward to finding an overwintering process that will work for me here in CO so I can trade with the group next spring!