Dahlia Tips & Techniques from a Pro Exhibitor for Waking, Dividing, Taking Cuttings & Sowing Dahlia Seeds

It's another glorious week of sunshine and dry weather and the shed doors are finally on!

Today it's Tuesday 8 April 2025 and I'm pleased to update you on what's been going on since my last episode. I've been busy planting out foxgloves, peonies and raspberries, plus I made a new access path for the plot (and hung a new gate that I made myself, which I'm very proud of!).

I talk about storing water, even if you're on the mains. You can't really store enough water and I'm a big fan of water butts, IBCs, guttering on all buildings/sheds, reusing grey water, and then covering any exposed water sources so that birds can't fall in and drown.

I had to buy more Orlaya seeds and while I was ordering I ended up buying some Helichrysum (strawflowers), Limonium (statice), Matthiola (stocks) and Cosmos. I've sown these already and I can't wait to see the flowers. I'm monitoring my dahlia tubers very closely for dahlia gall and if you have tubers it's important that you check yours carefully and take action, if necessary.

In the second part of the episode I share with you my honest thoughts about managing my fears and having imposter syndrome. Even though it sounds like things are going great for me, I'd like you to know that behind the scenes I'm quite stressed and pretty overwhelmed with many fears which I worry about all the time, including fear of failure, desperate lack of funds, imposter syndrome, concerns that I can't deliver what's needed when it's required, weddings being cancelled (totally out of my hands but a huge worry if my flowers aren't required) plus a whole load more. It's exhausting trying to stay positive and doing so much work without any income coming in. If you're in a similar situation, you might relate to this.

In this episode, join me for a frank conversation about managing fear.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How and why you need to store as much water as possible

✅ The new seeds I've ordered this week (I know.... more seeds)

✅ Why dahlia gall is a serious problem that can have costly implications

✅ How fear and imposter syndrome is so debilitating

✅ How I try to overcome my fear of failure

✅ Why it's so important to back yourself and believe in yourself

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Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers. I'm going to give you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.