Locally Farmed Dahlias Make for Colorful Bouquets All Summer Long

Kevin Larkin first fell in love with dahlias in 1974. He had just graduated high school and was working at the Brown Bulb Ranch in Capitola, which at the time sold primarily begonias.

"I met a man there who was hybridizing dahlias, and that was really the first time I saw them," said Larkin.

Today, Larkin grows around 400 different varieties with his wife Karen Zydner, and he's Chairman of the research committee for the American Dahlia Society. The couple started Corralitos Gardens about ten years ago, and their company now ships tens of thousands of dahlias across the country between October and March.

In 2002, when the business began, it was more of a challenge selling dahlias on a local level, and although 90% of their business remains mail order, local orders have started to pick up.

"Back 20 years ago, when we first got to where we had enough flowers that we thought we might sell some, we went around to florist shops, and they really didn't want them," said Larkin.

"They thought they had a poor vase life, it was hard to convince the florists that this is a great flower. And now they are very popular, and florists want them like crazy," said Larkin. 

A Dahlia is nothing like its popular older sister, the rose, which can be harvested while still unopened, shipped 3,000 miles away and then kept in a vase for three weeks. Dahlias are equally gorgeous but much more shy. They are delicate flowers which last about a week in a vase, and should be cut just before they become fully developed.

Strikingly beautiful in vases, if only for a few days, dahlias are a quintessential cut flower:

"Dahlias love to be cut," said Larkin. "If you were to just leave your dahlias alone and not cut the flowers off they'd basically set seed and that would send a message down to the root system that we're done for the season so let's just quit." 

Recently featured in The 50 Mile Bouquet, a book by Debra Prinzing that embraces the same values as the local food movement—only with flowers, Corralitos Gardens has enjoyed a budding connection with local weddings and events. After a few years of helping brides pick out flowers, they've honed their tactics.

"Sometimes they [the brides] can struggle figuring out just the ones they want," said Larkin, who has streamlined the selection process so that brides are not overwhelmed by the possibilities. (Check out Corralitos Gardens' Wedding and Events webpage here!)

In just a few weeks, Corralitos Gardens will also have enough blooms to set up their farm stand which sells colorful bouquets for just $5 on the scenic road outside their farm in Corralitos.

In the meantime, Larkin and Zydner are continuing to grow and experiment with hybridizing dahlias—something man has been doing since they discovered them in their native Mexico 250 years ago, says Larkin.

"We're striving to develop black in dahlia, but we really don't have it yet," said Larkin, holding up a deep red and almost-black bloom.

Perfect symmetrical half-spheres, water lily-like cups, intricate sea anemone shaped blooms with tubular florets sprouting from the center; the shapes and sizes are so varied that Larkin's greenhouse is already a feast for the eyes. (He says come back in August to see the real fireworks.)

Their colors light up the whole spectrum, from pure white, to peach, oranges, reds, magentas, yellows, and the elusive almost-black.

Larkin's latest projects include creating a shorter dahlia plant with a beautiful water lily-like bloom, a series he calls the "Munchkins" which are easier to transport locally and look great in beds alongside taller varieties.

By mid August, the farm will be bursting with dahlia blooms, and it's a perfect time for the public to come peruse the blossoms, take home some plants, and make their wish lists for next year's wedding or back yard garden.

"We would grow dahlias anyway, just to fulfill our desire to have dahlias in the ground. We love doing it," said Larkin.

A few tips for optimal dahlias:

Invest in a few bamboo stakes—dahlias like support, especially the very tall ones, which can grow up to six feet!

After transplanting into the ground, water generously every day for two weeks.

Feed your dahlias with high-nitrogen fertilizers.

Dahlias can grow in pots, but they prefer to be planted where they can stretch their legs, so if you do pot them, make sure you use a large pot that is at least 1/3 of the height of the mature plant.

The first flowers are a little rough, but once the plant starts producing blossoms regularly you'll have gorgeous blooms!

More growing tips HERE!

Corralitos Gardens is located at 296 Browns Valley Road, Corralitos. Check out their self service farm stand by the end of June! If you're planning a visit to peruse the blossoms, call the office at (831) 722-9952.