08/18/2026
A Saturday morning well spent.
I joined members of the a Portland Dahlia Society at Allen’s Dahlias for a hybridizing class, and it was such a great morning.
Split into two groups we spent part of our time with Jim Manuel learning about pollination, seed heads, harvesting seed, and the serious art of getting a seed head all the way to actual seed without it rotting first.
Then we walked the field with Allen Manuel, learning the art of selection and what makes a new dahlia worth “watching.” It was a fantastic class, and there is so much to look for in a great dahlia.
We talked about form, stems, plant habit, flaws, potential, timing, and all of the tiny things you don’t always think about or see until someone teaches you how to look for them. Several longtime growers, judges, and exhibitors added their own knowledge along the way, which made it even better.
I think that might have been my favorite part of the morning. There is something pretty special about standing in a flower field with people who have spent years growing dahlias and getting to listen while they explain what they see.
Beautiful weather, a really lovely group of people, lots of notes, so many photos, and three hours of taking about flowers like that is a completely normal way to spend a Saturday morning.
Which, to be fair, I’m lucky enough to say it is.
So grateful to Allen, Jim, and the Portland Dahlia Society members who were so generous with their time and knowledge.
I came home somehow even more fascinated by dahlias. You can grow them for years and still feel like you are only beginning to understand them.
