Annual Pruning Party
Jul
13
1:00 PM13:00

Annual Pruning Party

  • The Hamilton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Here is the event everyone has been anticipating. Come to our President’s home for a Party.

There will be demonstrations about how to prune those beauties. Dahlias respond beautifully to pruning. It makes for better flowers and more manageable plants. Ever had a plant fall over and split in two just as it blooms ? These demonstrations will help you prevent that type of disaster.

There will be plenty of food so bring an apetite.

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Garden Tour
Aug
24
1:00 PM13:00

Garden Tour

  • The Hamilton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Today three members will open their gardens open for touring. The locations to be sent by email later. All gardens are close to each other for easy access. Bring friends or come with other dahlia addict buddies. This day is for you.

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Growing dahlias in opposite corners of the World
Feb
12
7:00 PM19:00

Growing dahlias in opposite corners of the World

  • The Hamilton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join Erika Wolter of Alaska as she explains how she grows dahlias so far north.

Join Warren Vigor as he explains how he grows dahlia in Australia. Warren is the President of the Australian Dahlia Society, however he has moved to Michigan USA so we might actually be seeing alot more of him soon.

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Staging and Judging Seminar
Sep
9
1:00 PM13:00

Staging and Judging Seminar

  • The Hamilton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Come and learn from Mike how to set up your blooms for the big show.

This is a practical demonstration. Please bring blooms from your garden so you can stage the blooms and learn how it is done.

Please park at the parking lot on Botanical Drive. Enter through the staff entrance.

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Garden Tours
Aug
26
12:00 PM12:00

Garden Tours

  • The Hamilton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Today you can visit several members’ gardens to see what your fellow dahlia addicts do with their space. Locations to be sent in an email. Please feel free to bring friends and family.

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Pruning your dahllias
Jul
8
1:00 PM13:00

Pruning your dahllias

  • The Hamilton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Meet us at a member’s garden to see how pruning dahlias results in a better stronger plant with better flowers. The demonstration will be at our president’s home in Dundas. Refreshments will be available. Please join us and see how pruning can change a plant into a strong viable maker of gorgeous blooms.

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Gearing up for spring
Mar
20
7:00 PM19:00

Gearing up for spring

  • The Hamilton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Tonight Irene Travale will show us the gardening tools useful to dahlia growers.

Mike Parrish will update us with the latest Cream of the Crop show. This lists all the best dahlias that consistently win prizes at shows because the flowers are superb and the flowers tend to be well formed.

The tuber sale and how it will work this year will be reviewed.

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Checking tubers and a review of the photo repository and website.
Jan
9
7:00 PM19:00

Checking tubers and a review of the photo repository and website.

  • The Hamilton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join Bernie Hine as he explains what to look for when checking your tubers for soundness during storage.

Join Irene Travale as she explains the photo repository and why we need your photos.

Join Gail Luckhart as she explains what content can be valuable to you on the website.

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Staging Session
Aug
17
6:00 PM18:00

Staging Session

  • Royal Botanical Gardens, Cafe Annex room (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

This is the evening to learn how to present your dahlias for our fun Show in September.

Mike et al will show you what the judges are looking for and how to place the flower in the vase.

Come just for the fun of it. Put flowers in the show just for the fun of it. The public comes to our show and is totally impressed. Each year many dahlia growers participate in the show with no visions of ribbons or awards. They do it because it is fun to be together and see all the beautiful dahlias and chrysamthemums.

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Pruning your dahlia demonstration
Jul
9
1:00 PM13:00

Pruning your dahlia demonstration

  • The Hamilton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Correct pruning of your dahlia will result in a smaller plant but better blooms. Come see first hand at a member’s garden how to stop, debranch and debud. It is easy but always a hard sell to new members. However, once you have seen the results you will never go back to your old ways.

Location sent via email in June’s newsletter.

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Waking up your tubers and The Best Dahlias to Grown Reviewed
Mar
21
7:00 PM19:00

Waking up your tubers and The Best Dahlias to Grown Reviewed

  • The Hamilton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

We will review the wonderful world of cultivatars.

Mike Parrish will review the Cream of the Crop which are the dahlias that bloom consistently and beautifully.

Gail Luckhart and Irene Travale will review some of the Canadian cultivar introductions with an emphasis on our own contributions.

Bernie Hines will review how to wake up your tubers from their beauty sleep.

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Inspiration for the Winter Months
Jan
10
7:00 PM19:00

Inspiration for the Winter Months

  • The Hamilton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join us on Zoom for an informative session.

We have a guest from Australia!! Warren Vigor is President of the Australian Dahlia Society.

In January Australians are enjoying summer and Warren has gardens in bloom to show us.

If you are not a member please consider becoming a member and joining us.

If you are not a member and would like to join us for this zoom meeting send us your contact information and we will be happy to have you join us for this introduction to our fun loving group.

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How to prune those dahlias
Jul
10
1:00 PM13:00

How to prune those dahlias

Dahlias are native to Mexico where they have a lovely long 8 months to grow and bloom. Here in Canada we need to hurry them along to get blooms. We do this by limiting the growth and altering the growth patterns. In other words we stop, disbud and debranch to make a smaller plant that blooms earlier and with better blooms. Join us via zoom to learn how to apply these pruning techniques.

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The Big Dig via Zoom
Oct
5
7:00 PM19:00

The Big Dig via Zoom

Tonight we will exchange information about:

  • digging and storage of dahlia tubers over winter

  • our successes

  • our failures

Finally we will see some virtual garden tours. This will depend on lots of members sending videos of their garden to Mike at michaelparrish2013@gmail.com.

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Our virtual zoom show is now all about having fun.
Sep
29
7:00 PM19:00

Our virtual zoom show is now all about having fun.

We have decided to have a virtual show just for fun.. There will be no prizes. All members may submit still photos of their dahlias and chrysanthemums by September 13 at midnight to michaelparrish2013@gmail.com. You may need to send multiple emails. You may put your data on a memory stick and send to Mike. Members may submit 1 entry per class. Rules for dahlias are:

  • cut dahlias in your own vase - at lease one set of leaves - no green or blown centers

  • cultivar name on physical label or added electronically - disbudded bloom

  • include all the bloom’s petals - this growing season blooms only

The classes are:

  • Class 1: Best single dahlia bloom

  • Class 2: Vase of 3 dahlia blooms which may be all the same or different cultivar

  • Class 3: Vase of 5 dahlia blooms which may be all the same of different cultivar

  • Class 4: Vase of 6-10 dahlia blooms which may be all the same of different cultivar

  • Class 5: dahlia of the year Colleen Mooney presented in own vase

  • Class 6: Biggest dahlia bloom with a measuring tape in background showing diameter of bloom

  • Class 7: dahlias with critters - any critter acceptable from insect to animal

  • Class 8: Photograph of dahlia garden or part of the garden

  • Class 9: Best single chrysanthemum bloom in own vase

  • Class 10: Vase of 3 mum blooms which may be all the same or different cultivar

  • Class 11: Vase of 5 mum bloom which may be all the same or different cultivar

    Please send us a 2-3 minute video with or without narration of your garden. We will show Sep 29 or Oct 5.

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A lesson in staging and judging- cancelled due to social distancing requirements
Aug
29
3:00 AM03:00

A lesson in staging and judging- cancelled due to social distancing requirements

Have you ever wondered how to position a dahlia in a vase and make it look perfect?

Have you ever wondered what a judge looks for at a flower show?

This afternoon you will be taught the answers to both these questions.

We may be able to do something via zoom, keep checking your newsletters and email for updates.

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Garden tour and potluck is cancelled
Aug
15
4:00 PM16:00

Garden tour and potluck is cancelled

Alas we will not be able to meet this year because of COVID-19.

However your executive is planning some fabulous alternatives in order for us to have some fun in September 2020.

Keep gardening and keep up your spirits.

As that great Canadian Red Green (aka Steve Smith) says, “We are all in this together.”

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Pruning demonstration - essential skills
Jul
11
2:00 PM14:00

Pruning demonstration - essential skills

Pruning makes all the difference in the flower production of dahlias. It may seem counterintuitive but the plants bloom better with disbudding. The plants stay upright and get strong stems when branches are taken away.

Unfortunately we cannot meet in person. Once again we will ZOOM our meeting. We will show some videos of disbudding, disbranching and stopping.

The positive aspect of zooming is that people far away may join in.

A link will be sent to all members. If you do not receive the link by July 8 please contact the club with your email address.

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