A Lockport florist and cut flower farmer’s business has now bloomed into a grower’s guide for dahlias.
Fran Parrish, owner of Heirloom Soul Florals, has shared her know-how in a 200-page book, “Growing Gorgeous Dahlias: The Regenerative Grower’s Guide.” Across various chapters, Parrish details best locations for growing dahlias, preparing soil, planting, natural pest management, growing in pots, harvesting, and storing dahlia tubers.
With blossoms up to dinner-plate size, and shapes like pom pom, cactus blossom, and anemone, dahlias are popular as cut flowers and in home growing.
“They are show stoppers. They’re very eye-catching,” said Carolyn Stanko, professor and coordinator of horticulture and biology at SUNY Niagara. “If you look at all the different styles of petal counts and arrangement, you can get a lot of variety in your garden.”
Like her floristry and dahlia tuber customers, Parrish is committed to supporting ecologically friendly production methods. Her flower farm is New York State Grown & Certified a designation that requires voluntary inspection for environmental stewardship. As a regenerative gardening guide, Parrish’s book addresses growing methods that restore soils and ecosystems, and do not involve using synthetic fertilizers or chemicals.
“The people who buy from us care about the sustainability,” she said. “When they buy from us, nothing is wrapped in plastic. They know the flowers are grown with sustainable practices.”
Dahlias are robust perennials grown from tubers that resemble potatoes. The tubers are placed under soil and take a number of weeks to grow until they provide fist-sized blossoms, or larger, in summer. The plants do not tolerate freezing, so they are typically pulled up in the fall and trimmed, with the tubers going into dry storage over the winter.
With pencil-thick stems, and a longer vase life than roses, dahlias are popular cut flowers, Stanko said. Dahlias come in every possible color, and combination of colors, with some going in and out of style.
“I think we’re getting into more vibrant colors — purples and raspberries,” Stanko said. “People are always going to be accenting with the vibrant yellows, mixing those in.”
As an architect with a background in designing edible landscapes, cut flower growing has allowed Parrish to combine all of her talents.
“Something just clicked in my mind,” she said. “I could farm and I could design. I got really jazzed up about starting my own business.”
On 10 acres in Burt, Parrish grows 80, 100-foot rows of ornamental plants for bulk cut-flower buckets and her own wedding designs. The farm includes 200 peonies, 100 dahlia varieties, hydrangeas, milkweed, zinnias, celosia, euphorbia, smokebush, shrubs for mixed greenery, and other unique annuals and perennials for cutting.
Parrish said flowers like zinnias and milkweed don’t ship well, creating a local demand for the varieties.
“The only way a florist is going to get them is if a local farm grows it,” she said.
With many cut flowers coming from countries now facing tariffs, Parrish said buying locally supports businesses and allows customers to save money.
“The money is going to the local community, not trucking, an importer, and labor,” she said. “We pick the morning of sale, so they’re fresher.”
For the home dahlia grower, Parrish offers these tips:
“You can’t keep reusing soil every year.” She recommends fresh potting soil from brands like Fox Farm or Happy Frog.
• “Don’t let the soil completely dry out. When soil has consistent water, it functions properly.”
Parrish’s book is available at the Heirloom Soul Florals website.