Our first bloom of the year!

This is from our row of mystery tubers. It’s not fully open yet, but my guess is Baron Katie.

Photo: Baron Katie???

There's something special about the very first dahlia bloom of the season.

After months of planning, planting, watering, pinching, staking, and patiently waiting, that first flower is a reminder that summer has truly arrived. It marks the beginning of one of our favourite times of the year, when the field slowly transforms into a sea of colour.

This year's first bloom comes from one of our mystery tubers—a row of dahlias that lost their labels the previous year. The crows just love to pull the tags and scatter them to the wind, and occasionally make off with a shiny colourful one. Every summer, we wait in anticipation and they surprise us all over again as each plant begins to bloom. It's like opening little gifts one flower at a time.

This bloom isn't fully open just yet, but if I had to make an early guess, I'd say it's Baron Katie. We'll know for sure once all the petals have unfurled, but we're already loving the rich colour and beautiful form.

One of the joys of growing dahlias is that every day brings something new. The first bloom quickly becomes ten, then a hundred, and before long the field is overflowing with flowers waiting to be picked.

The countdown to U-Pick season is officially on, and we can't wait to welcome you to Dead Horse Creek Estate to experience the blooms for yourself.