10/01/2026
🌼 October 1st, and here’s a little look at our “Dahlia field.” 😂
It’s a patch of about 165 dahlia plants in our yard, but these little rows have been part of my garden daydreams since last winter. I remember ordering those tubers months ago, knowing I’d have to wait through winter, spring, and an entire summer before I’d finally get to see what they would become. There’s something so sweet about watching that much time pass and then, almost overnight, finding yourself surrounded by blooms you’ve been imagining for months.
It was a slow start this summer. Dahlias are not exactly fans of intense Michigan heat, and ours stalled out for quite a while. But now that the weather is cooling down, they’ve finally decided to show off. And boy, are they showing off.
Every morning I take my coffee outside and walk these rows, checking to see what’s new and blooming. There’s something so satisfying about waiting months for a tiny underground promise to finally become something beautiful.
Of course, in our Zone 6b garden, the clock is ticking. Usually sometime around mid-October, a hard frost will come along and take them all down. Then it’ll be time to dig up the tubers, tuck them away for winter, and start dreaming about next year.
There’s such an ebb and flow to the garden season. I’m definitely feeling a little burnt out after everything this year has thrown at us, but I already know I’m going to be ridiculously sad when it’s time to put these babies to bed. 💛
For now, though, I’ll keep drinking my coffee and taking my morning walks through the dahlia field. 🌼
