By Kerri Williams
WESTPORT–For Paul Rossi, growing dahlias is not just a hobby, it’s a passion.
It’s going out early on a summer’s morning to check on the flowers, and it’s paging through catalogs in the winter to look for new varieties of tubers.
Rows of dahlias at Wakeman Town Farm – Photo Paul Rossi
In the fall, it’s digging up tubers to reuse the following year, and each spring it means preparing them to plant for the season.
“Some people have golf. This is my hobby and my therapy,” Paul said recently at his Westport home where he has lived for the past 29 years. Paul is a UConn master gardener who began learning about the flowers in his childhood.
There are many varieties of dahlias, which come in shades both bright and subtle. Small ones can resemble a button while the largest ones are called dinner-plate dahlias because of their large size. And they are just beginning to come into bloom now.
“It’s such a beautiful flower in so many ways,” Paul said. “They come in all shapes and sizes. They make beautiful bouquets.”
For Paul, a big part of the fun of growing dahlias is sharing the flowers and tips on growing them with others.
Paul does this through his involvement in Wakeman Town Farm, where he is on the committee and is involved with education. There are dahlias growing at the farm, and they are included in mixed bouquets that are sold to the public.
Paul said his green thumb began when he was a child working with his father and grandfather in their gardens. His grandfather, Gennarino “John” Rossi, was an Italian immigrant who got a job working on the Long Island estate of Sir Ashley Sparks, who ran the Cunard shipping lines. In addition to becoming the caretaker of the property, Paul’s grandfather had a garden of his own nearby where he grew vegetables and flowers.
Nowadays Paul loves passing on his knowledge of dahlias to other gardeners and competing in flower shows with his prize blooms.
While Paul said that dahlias are relatively easy to grow, they also can be challenging. Paul has led seminars at Wakeman Town Farm to teach people about their care.
A dahlia growing at Paul’s home in Westport – Photo Paul Rossi
Dahlias grow from tubers that are planted in the spring. In colder climates with freezing temperatures in the winter, such as in Westport, the tubers will freeze and not come up the following year. However, gardeners can dig up the tubers in the fall and store them in a cool area such as a garage, which does not freeze. Then they can be re-planted and enjoyed for another year. Paul’s garage is so filled with tubers in the winter that he often can’t fit the cars.
Dahlias can be planted in the ground but also grow nicely in containers, according to Paul. Paul has so many tubers that he plants them in both, as long as the location gets at least six hours of sun a day. Dahlias can get tall, with the largest growing to about 5 feet, so the size is also a consideration when planting.
Paul obtains many of his new tubers through mail order and often tries out new cultivars based on their beauty and even their names. He has ordered ones called “Nick Sr.” and “Nicholas” in honor of his father and son. He also tried cultivar “Charlotte May” for his daughter and another called “Bride to Be” on the year of his daughter Caroline’s wedding. Caroline even carried a flower by that name in her wedding bouquet.
One of his favorite dahlias has the name of “Café Au Lait,” which he likes for its subtle hue. The tubers can be pricey, with some of this variety selling for $30 each. So, that gives growers a good incentive to dig them up each year and reuse them.
In addition, a single tuber can have as many as 10-15 babies that can all be re-planted. “It’s a gift that keeps on giving,” Paul said.
If you want to learn more about dahlias, head over to Wakeman Town Farm, at 134 Cross Highway, where you can see them growing and even purchase some in your own bouquet. You might even wind up with a new favorite flower.
Note: the image featured on the home page is Dahlia Jennifer Mary Ellen – Photo Dennis Lamczak (Dennczak).
Have ideas or photos to share about gardening or nature? Contact Kerri at cultivatingwithkerri@gmail.com.
Wakeman Town Farm
134 Cross Highway
Westport
203-557-6914