It has been a HUGE highlight of the past year for Steve and me to work with our first class of Novice Hybridizers—a group of growers who have been experimenting with dahlia breeding but haven’t yet introduced their own named varieties.
We are so delighted to introduce you to the new dahlias that will be available next winter and to the beautiful people that created them. Six of these dahlias are from our Novice Hybridizer Class of 2024, and one of them is coming all the way from Sweden!
We are partnering with these hybridizers to introduce their dahlias by
- growing out larger quantities of their new dahlia so that it can be offered widely,
- offering them an existing marketplace to tell about their dahlias, and
- providing an already established customer support team, shipping team, marketing team, etc. to support their dahlia sales.
By supporting hybridizers—both seasoned experts and new creators—we get to help bring those first tiny sprouts of possibility into full bloom, and in turn, share them with gardeners who are eager to grow something extraordinary.
This work is at the heart of what we do. We don’t just grow flowers; we grow connections.
Introducing…
Alexandra Finch and Finch’s Cornman
Alexandra is a farmer-florist and small business owner of Finch Florals, an event floral studio based in Dexter, MI. She hybridized the lovely Cornman’s Finch. You can find more information about Alexandra and her dahlia here.
Dawn Hubbell and Whistling Bee’s Dawn’s Early Light
Ever since she was a little girl picking dandelion bouquets for her grandmother, Dawn has had an affinity for flowers. But it wasn’t until later in life that she embraced this passion by starting Whistling Bee Farm. Dawn is the creator of the wonderful Whistling Bee’s Dawn’s Early Light. You can find out all about Dawn and her dahlia here.
Jessica Dell and PK Bloodshot
Jessica focuses her dahlia hybridizing efforts on collarette dahlias in the Hudson Valley of NY. Jessica is also a lawyer and lives with her two kids in a 100-year-old house surrounded by tall trees, with a steady parade of deer, foxes, and groundhogs—all frequent interlopers in the garden. Jessica is the hybridizer of the stunning new PK Bloodshot, which she often features on Instagram. Find out more about Jessica and her dahlia here.
Beckie Curtis and Carpe Dahlia Summer Blush, Carpe Dahlia Harvest, and Carpe Dahlia Sangria
Beckie, of Carpe Dahlia, is a passionate dahlia hybridizer. Now in her fifth year of breeding and growing, she’s all about creating unique, virus-resistant varieties of these stunning flowers. With a science-driven approach, Beckie uses a virus testing process to make sure her breeding patch is packed with only healthy, virus-free dahlias. Beckie has hybridized three amazing dahlias that we have the privilege of introducing next winter–CD Summer Blush, CD Harvest, and CD Sangria–which you can see more of here.
Sara Ljunngren and Svartnäsets Nougat
Sara Ljunggren is a Swedish musical theatre artist who sang and danced on the finest stages in Sweden… and then discovered the beauty of dahlias! Now, Sara has one dancing foot on stage and the other one steadily rooted in the soil.
Her varieties have quickly gained recognition in the dahlia world for their exceptional beauty and resilience to the coastal climate where Sara grows. She is introducing Svartnäsets Nougat this year in Sweden and has entrusted us to introduce it here in the U.S. You can find Sara on Instagram @fruperennand learn more about her and her incredible dahlia over on our blog.
Do you or someone you love have a dahlia that you grew from seed and wish you could share with the world? Our Novice Hybridizer Program might be a good fit for you. And if you’ve never tried growing dahlias from seed, you should try! Almost all of the dahlias you know and love were grown from a seed in a hopeful gardener’s flower patch.
