Workshops at Perseverance Farm
Each season, I offer workshops geared towards beginning dahlia enthusiasts, or those just wanting to brush up on their skills. Whether you want to learn how to plant and stake tubers, how to care for the dahlia plants mid-season, or how to harvest and store tubers in the Fall, there’s a workshop tailor-made for you.
This year, I’m very excited to offer a Dahlia Summit for commercial growers! The Dahlia Summit will be held at Tripping Gnome Farm in Freeport on Saturday, May 11.
Education Philosophy
An educated customer is my best customer. That’s why I offer workshops, site visits, and online consultations. I also post a lot of educational content on Instagram and Facebook, and am happy to answer quick questions on social media when I can.
Sometimes people ask why would I offer education when someone could come in, take a workshop, and build their own competing dahlia business. I wholeheartedly welcome that! Maine is a popular destination for weddings, so dahlia demand will always outstrip supply. Sharing knowledge helps build best practices that elevate all local flower farmers.
I know it may seem counterintuitive, but if I can support the next generation of flower farmers, and rely on them for sourcing stems when I’m short for an event, everybody wins. We all have our specialties—some people do farmers markets, some do wedding bouquets, and some do vases for local restaurants. The list is endless, and no one person can do it all. There’s more than enough work to go around.
Whether I’m teaching beginning farmers or educating my customer base, it’s time well spent. And it’s fun!
“I attended the Dahlia Tuber Planting workshop at Freeport Dahlias. When I signed up I didn’t even know what a tuber was. At the end of the session I had so much more knowledge, and left with tubers of my own! I planted seven from these weird little fresh ginger-looking pod things, and I actually grew my own beautiful dahilas. I couldn’t believe it!!!! I even reached out to Callie to buy more to plant! I can’t wait to start planting this season. Onward and upward!!! ”
Sometimes We Just Need Encouragement!
Especially if you’re a beginning dahlia grower, you will have a lot of questions. Mistakes are inevitable, and it’s honestly how I learned a lot about growing dahlias! It may take you a few seasons to get the hang of things, which can be tricky if you’re someone who’s used to being good at everything right from the start.
I have a theory about dahlia purchases when they don’t work out. I often see people complain about prices in Facebook groups. They bought tubers, planted them, and for some reason they didn’t thrive. They feel disappointed, discouraged, maybe even ripped off. Sure, it’s about the money invested, but I think what is more disheartening for these folks is that they were let down. They dreamed, they shopped, they bought tubers based on beautiful images, and then never saw a single bloom. Or were sent the wrong cultivar.
There are so many factors that go into a successful growing season—is the seller new and meant well but perhaps shipped blind tubers? Did the buyer plant in shade? Or did heavy rains rot the tubers before roots could establish? It doesn’t matter the reason, you are massively disappointed! You had planned and waited for beauty to arrive, and you got nothing. It’s understandable that people would complain about the price, but I suspect that it’s the disappointment that is worse.
So I offer education and encouragement, and do my very best to send you tubers I am confident in. I also offer customers information on planting and harvesting, in addition to offering workshops and consultations.
I was an apartment kid and never had a garden, though I always longed for one. If I can figure this out, so can you! I always want to make sure my business model includes time for people who stop by with questions.