Tilly's Farms

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Tilly's Farms Tilly's Farms is a small husband and wife operation that grows and sells a variety of dahlia's and garlic.

RM Hannah Jo was a pretty good seed producer for us last year. These are four of the seedlings we are keeping. The fir...
08/23/2026

RM Hannah Jo was a pretty good seed producer for us last year. These are four of the seedlings we are keeping. The first one with the golden tips and the lavender one are my two favorites. The lavender one is especially nice. It is tall with long strong stems, high petal count and a nice form

These three first-year seedlings have a similar two-tone color pattern. They are all from different seed parents, but th...
08/23/2026

These three first-year seedlings have a similar two-tone color pattern. They are all from different seed parents, but the pollen parents are unknown. The photo in the upper right corner is from seed parent Bloomquist Firecracker, while the other two are from two different first-year seedlings that are not yet named. I'm loving each of them for different reasons. The one on the bottom right has uniform three-pointed petals with picotee edging and a really nice round form. The flower in the first picture fades to a pretty pastel as it ages. The Bloomquist Firecracker seedling holds its bright color and is eye-catching in the garden. Hopefully, they will all be good tuber producers and store well so we can welcome them back next year!

These three dahlias are first year seedlings that I will be growing again next year. The first two are from the seed pa...
08/10/2026

These three dahlias are first year seedlings that I will be growing again next year. The first two are from the seed parent RM Baby Girl. The third picture is from an unknown seed parent. I like the red color on the inner portion of the petal on the third flower. It seems unique and adds interest.

Maybe some day I will find the time to make some intentional hand pollination crosses. For now, my method has been sele...
08/09/2026

Maybe some day I will find the time to make some intentional hand pollination crosses. For now, my method has been selective placement of plants. I plant varieties that I think might make a good cross near to each other and let the bees do the work.
Here I have Rhubarb and Custard, Strawberry Bonbon, PK Bloodshot and Orange Hype. They are planted well away from any other dahlias. I am hoping for some fun seedlings next year!
I recently read a book called Cultivating Curiosity by Rebecca McConnell. In that book, the author suggests placing an open bloom with exposed pollen in a vase near a plant that you want to cross it with. I intend to try this with my Bloomquist Simple dahlia that is planted in a different garden. Just for fun!

Dahlia genetics are complex and fascinating!These four first year seedlings are from the seed parent Bloomquist Firecrac...
08/09/2026

Dahlia genetics are complex and fascinating!

These four first year seedlings are from the seed parent Bloomquist Firecracker. The pollen parents are a mystery and were "bee's choice".

Even though the greater majority of seedlings are not keepers, I am finding my hybridizing efforts to be a favorite part of growing dahlias!

Every morning when I go to the garden to visit the dahlias, I stop by the seedlings first to see what new surprises there might be!

Every ten to fourteen days, we mix together liquid horticultural molasses and liquid fertilizer. We inject this into ou...
08/09/2026

Every ten to fourteen days, we mix together liquid horticultural molasses and liquid fertilizer. We inject this into our irrigation system via a homemade fertigator. The fertilizer we chose this year is called Superthrive Bloom.

We have some dahlias planted in separate gardens on the farm that do not have fertigation available to them. These dahlias get the same solution applied as a foliar spray.

Molasses serves to raise the sugar content in plants making them less appetizing to insects that would otherwise feed on them. Another important benefit to adding molasses is that is feeds the microorganisms that live in the soil. This leads to improved soil structure and improved nutrient cycling.

I have read that there is no scientific backing to the theory that a higher brix in plants actually deters insects from feeding on them. We have been feeding our plants and soil molasses for a few years and feel that it makes a difference and is well worth the effort!

KA's ™ Linen is a new one on the farm this year. It's very pretty!
08/09/2026

KA's ™ Linen is a new one on the farm this year. It's very pretty!

These are some second-year seedlings that will be sticking around🙂
08/09/2026

These are some second-year seedlings that will be sticking around🙂

A few more first-year seedlings🙂
08/09/2026

A few more first-year seedlings🙂

This first year seedling has a unique and fun color pattern. The petals curve back to the stem nicely! I will be keepi...
08/07/2026

This first year seedling has a unique and fun color pattern. The petals curve back to the stem nicely! I will be keeping this one around and growing it again next year.

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52031 Eagle View Lane
Ford, WA
99013

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