It is said that Spokane is the biggest small town you’ll ever live .
We have a reputation for looking after our communities and supporting one another.
Gardening communities are no exception. Just look at the annual garden event calendar for the area and you’ll see what I mean.
One such upcoming event will be the Rosarium Garden Center’s annual Dahlia Festival this weekend. While this is titled a festival of the glorious fall-blooming dahlias, it’s really a celebration of everything flower.
According to Amy Newcomb, organizer of the festival, the goal of the gathering is to celebrate all our local flower farmers and their beautiful crops as well as educate people about flowers and have one last garden gathering before the garden season ends.
The festival is expanding this year to two full days – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21-22, at the garden center, 9405 S. Williams Lane. The event is free, and families are welcome to come explore the offerings of 10 local flower farmers, more than 20 local artisans and a host of local food trucks.
Vendors include Tall Grass Farms, Snapdragon Farms, Sullivan Family Farms, Deep Creek Blooms and Blooming Hearts Dahlia Farm. Artisans include Wynd Metal Works, Vedalux Clothing & Jewelry, Greencastle Soaps, Happy Heart Designs Painted Signs and Kay Sneva Fine Art. I will be there with my Northwest Gardeners Handbook and opportunities for garden coaching.
“Education is a big part of the festival,” Newcomb said. “We will be offering four creative make-and-take classes and eight guest speakers during the two-day event.”
The free talks include keynotes on dahlia care with Nicki Ferrell of Tall Grass Farms and Brian Desautel at 10 a.m. Saturday, and on hybridizing dahlias with Dan Eagle from Eagle Dahlia Farm at 10 a.m. Sunday.
The creative classes include how to make a dahlia garland, a dye plant demonstration and a tour of the dye plant garden, creating a pink pumpkin arrangement and creating wearable florals. These classes require registration and have an additional cost. Registration for the classes and a complete list of vendors, activities and free talks can be found at the Rosarium’s website: rosariumgardencenter.com/pages/spokane-dahlia-festival-2024.
What would a dahlia festival be without lots of colorful dahlias and opportunities to order your tubers for next year? The Rosarium may focus on roses through the year, but it also has a lovely dahlia garden courtesy of Ferrell and Tall Grass Farms. The garden features nearly 50 varieties that show off the range of colors and shapes of dahlia flowers.
Dahlia vendors will be taking orders for tubers during the festival for delivery next spring. They will also have advice about growing, harvesting and storing the tubers.
Beyond the events and vendors of the festival, the Rosarium Garden Center will offer a wide selection of its own root roses and perennials to liven up your garden, all on sale as the garden season winds down. Be sure to walk through its rose display garden.
