Floret Farm's Discovering Dahlias: A Guide to Growing and Arranging Magnificent Blooms

by Erin Benzakein, Chris Benzakein (Photographer)

A stunning guide to growing, harvesting, and arranging gorgeous dahlia blooms from celebrated farmer-florist and New York Times bestselling author Erin Benzakein, founder of Floret Flower Farm.

World-renowned flower farmer and floral designer Erin Benzakein reveals all the secrets to growing, cultivating, and arranging gorgeous dahlias. These coveted floral treasures come in a dazzling range of colors, sizes, and forms, with enough variety for virtually every garden space and personal preference, making them one of the most beloved flowers for arrangements.

In these pages, readers will
 

EXPERT Erin Benzakein's gorgeous flowers are celebrated throughout the world. Her first book, Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden , won the American Horticultural Society Book Award. The follow-up Floret Farm's A Year in Flowers is a New York Times bestseller.

LANGUAGE OF Overflowing with hundreds of lush photographs and invaluable advice, Discovering Dahlias is an essential resource for gardeners and a must-have for flower lovers, avid and novice gardeners, floral designers, florists, small farmers, stylists, and designers.

BEAUTIFUL GIFT A beautiful present for Mother's Day and a thoughtful gift for nature lovers, flower enthusiasts, and gardeners, this colorful, flower-forward package pairs perfectly with a bouquet of flowers, seeds, or a vase.

Perfect

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Reference, Horticulture, How To, Adult, Coffee Table Books

224 pages, Hardcover

Published March 9, 2021

About the author

Celebrated flower farmer Erin Benzakein is known for her lush, romantic floral designs. She is the author of Floret Farm’s A Year in Flowers, a New York Times bestseller, and Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden, winner of the American Horticultural Society Book Award. Her work has been featured across notable publications, including Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Sunset Magazine, The New York Times, Magnolia Journal, and Country Living. She lives in Mount Vernon, Washington, with her husband, Chris, and their two children.

Reviews

[Luca Suede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dahlia’s are a girls best friend

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to love, my latest garden obsession and sadly she has hundreds of photos to spurn on my garden lust!

[Ruhika · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most extensive of Floret’s books. Bought for my mom who loves to garden. I really appreciate the shout out given to Santa Cruz Dahlias in this book since the woman who runs it does some amazing work and is really helpful as well. Floret’s book is a wealth of knowledge. I hope she writes a book about each of the flowers she grows!!!

[Lily Akins · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my flower farmer era- fr tho I love Erin and her team at Floret! I’ve learned so much from this book and her other resources

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deeply disappointing. This is my first Floret book and most likely the last. With a title of Discovering Dahlias I was expecting an in-depth guide to growing dahlias. Little attention is given to fertilizing or pest control while almost half the book is a picture index of the dahlias she grows on her farm. It’s a physically well constructed book maybe better suited as a coffee table book instead of a growing guide. The pictures are nice yet repetitive-sunset, a woman from the chin down with her head turned to the side holding a bouquet of dahlia blooms. I suppose one could argue it’s best to find what works and go with it but geez a different view or angle or light would add some nice variety.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

GUSHING!!! This book is so beautiful!!! I absolutely love it! It’s basically eye candy, if you love flowers. I pre-ordered this book, so I got a pack of seeds from her breeding patch. I can’t wait to see the blooms I’ll get. I feel so blessed to have seeds from Floret!

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lushly illustrated guide to dahlias that provides detailed information about how to grow, propagate, store and cut them, with lots of beautiful pictures. There is a sort of high end floral catalog feel to the second half of it with varieties pictured by color if you want to order specific looks, colors, sizes, etc. The photos are gorgeous but they're taken from the author's beautiful dahlia farm. I would have loved to see photos of dahlias being used well in gardens as well. This will be a valuable book for anybody who'd like to start growing dahlias, learn more about them, or find some new varieties.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

[Caroline Hurdt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful and informative. Good pictures and illustrations to go along with the information. I will go back to reference this again.

[Lauren Kraemer Bevilacqua · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 I'm a big fan of Erin's. I love dahlias and I'm ready to grow some this year. 😍

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very effective. My plant wish list is longer now.

[Joanne Timmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great info!

[Mystical Enchantress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly motivational book that makes you want to be out in your garden planting dahlias. Filled with gorgeous pages of so many varieties of dahlias.

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful coffee-table type book with some very valuable information inside. The layout of flowers by color palate is useful for designing or arranging, and the photography truly beautiful. Some downsides: while the pictures are well shot, the composition (arms of flowers, neck down, shot in same lighting etc.) becomes very repetitive. Even the flowers simply arranged in a vase might have been better, as then the form/angle of the varieties could be seen more instead of just the heads straight on. The writing is fine, and the print layout and quality of printing and binding are great. The information on splitting and storing tubers I found the most helpful section of the book. Plus sides: beautiful flowers, even if they are within a certain range (she explains why because of the clientele). Recommended, more for beginners than for someone who has grown for a few years. Makes a nice gift and came with a free bookmark!

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Discovering Dahlias, the flowers jump off the page and make you long for planting season. Rich and descriptive writing covers everything from planting and propagating to harvesting and enjoying in your home. This is the ultimate how-to guide on incorporating dahlias into your garden. Discovering Dahlias is a visual delight!

Thank you to Chronicle Books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat unsatisfying fluff, wish I’d learned more actual helpful information from reading this. More info on fertilizer and pests and less stylized, shallow depth of field, and backlit photos of the author would have been nice, however the photographer was taking pictures of his wife so I shouldn’t be surprised. Postage stamp sized variety photos in the back were fun to flip through (though catchlight makes it hard to see the real color and form of the blooms) and the flat lays of bouquet components were very pretty. I will be experimenting with cuttings and growing dahlias from seed and those sections were great.

[Joyce Edmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Floret Flower Farm is out with its third book on the growing and cultivation of dahlias, and it’s a magnificent gift to one of the most beautiful cut flowers. Painted with a rainbow of colors, dahlias are often found in wedding bouquets and in gardens providing glorious blooms to be enjoyed during the summer and fall. For those interested in growing and designing with dahlias, Benzakein offers the ultimate guide with glorious photos of fields of dahlias, bouquets by the armful, and photos worth purchasing the book if you want to create beauty in your life. If you want to try growing dahlias, there’s detailed information on propagating, dividing, labeling and storing the dahlia tuber for the beginner and advanced gardener. Serious dahlia gardeners may want to try hybridizing their own variety by collecting seeds to create more colors and varieties, which is described in detail.

A second section of the book is dedicated to designing with dahlias. With a directory of over 360 varieties, these stunning flowers are grouped by color, form and the wow factor. Dahlias come in a multitude of sizes and shapes, and details of these criteria make it easy for the reader to pick their favorite color or form. Each style is shown in a bouquet to visualize the effect of each variety and its beauty.

Author, farmer and grower Erin Benzakein is generous in her praise and sharing of dahlias and offers this quote: “But the best part of all is having the opportunity at the end of each season to pass this magic on to others.” This book is the definitive guide for casual and serious dahlia gardeners or for anyone who wants to enjoy and cherish the beauty of flowers year-round.

My sincere thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Floret Farm's Discovering Dahlias is a tutorial and style guide to growing and using dahlias presented by Erin Benzakein. Due out 9th March 2021 from Chronicle Books, it's 224 pages (print edition) and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Dahlias are wonderful flowers in the garden from old fashioned cottage gardens, to formal stately homes (and everything in between). This is a solid guide to selecting, using, propagating, and succeeding with dahlias. The book is laid out logically and information is easy to find (there's a solid index to contents in the appendices). The chapters on storing and cold-weather care and propagating tubers are useful and botanically correct. There's a good chapter on designing with dahlias with lushly gorgeous cut flower arrangements with very specific varietal info. The last 40% of the book is given over to the best dahlia variety selector arranged by colors which I've ever seen. The book is gorgeously photographed clearly in full color throughout. The author/editors have also included a resource guide for sourcing materials.

This would make a superlative selection for library or gardening group acquisition, gifting, or for the home gardener's (or gardening professional's) library. Gorgeous and inspiring.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Becky McGregor]

Last year I bought my first Dahlia and I fell in love. I knew very little about the flower. I ran across Floret Farm's on Instagram and it immediately peaked my interest in dahlias more then it had been. Then enters this book. If you enjoy dahlias I really feel you need to purchases this book. Everything is covered that you might ever need to know. The organization of this book if amazing, the writing is on point, the photos are to die for, and the information is everything you need to know. I can not wait until spring to try what I have learned. My mother is also a dahlia fan and I plan on getting her this book. There are so many tidbits that will help you along the way. I am just your average gardener and I feel this book is a must have. I will be buying multiple copies for gifts. This book is the complete package, loaded with great information, on growing, color choice, varieties, storage and dividing. and the pictures are amazing.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous in-depth guide to this beautiful and diverse flower, suitable for professional growers as well as inspirational for home gardeners like me.

I learned about the different styles and size classes of dahlias, and was blown away by the color coded index of varieties at the back. This includes instructions with useful photos showing how to dig up, separate dahlias, and store them, as well as growing instructions. I've only tried growing dahlias once but am inspired to give it another try!

Also included are sample flower arrangements for inspiration of how to combine dahlias with other varieties and types of foliage and filler. They overbrim with the same exuberance as the individual flowers have. The color palettes are simple but they are rich with texture and subtle tones.

The photography is absolutely beautiful, both the arrangements and organized spreads as well as the flavor shots of the farm and Erin working in the flower beds.

[Johanna Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...,, wow.... and wow. What a gorgeous book! Grow some dahlia’s they look beautiful! This book is so picturesque that it completely blew my mind!

What did I like! I was completely gobsmacked by the amazing photography and schematic color of the gorgeous flowers. Such a devastating array of color! Makes you want to grow your own variety! The book is eye pleasing and gives detailed instructions on how to grow these gorgeous stems. I will definitely be trying to grow some!

Would I recommend or buy? If this isn’t a coffee table beauty I don’t know what is! This was a delightful find I recommend to anyone. Anyone! Such beauty should be shared! Gorgeous book! Five stars! I would cherish a copy!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review! Gorgeous book and high praise!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous book about dahlias, featuring an array of beautiful varieties suited for cut flower production. While I learned some bits about growing dahlias (how to divide tubers - which is not a technique home gardeners are usually familiar with; breed dahlias), I wish the book would cover fertilizing and pest prevention and management in depth and feature more content in the arrangement section (such as: more and bolder colour combinations, pairing dahlias with other flowers, different styles for arrangements - posies, centerpieces, arches -, plus the practical side of actually putting them together and using different materials such as foam and wire). I found the variety finder to be extremely helpful (and inspiring, my poor wallet). Overall, an informative and aesthetically pleasing read.

[Elizabeth McNair Demolat · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden several years ago, I was delighted to see this newest book. As expected, the photos in this book are stunning. Even just looking through the visual alone would be a delight. What makes this book stand out besides the beauty of the photos is how packed with information it is. From growing, dividing, and even arranging dahlias, there is so much detail. Since I have no interest in having a flower farm, I thought that I was just going to enjoy flipping through the pages, but after learning more about dahlias, I think that some varieties would work well in a home garden. Definitely a beautiful, informative book!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Misti · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a drool worthy book! I knew next to nothing about dahlias because I live in a climate that is typically not great for growing them, SE Texas. In recent years I've seen several Texas gardeners give dahlias a whirl and have decent success, which has made me want to dip my toes in.

This book from Floret Farm is a great primer to getting to know more about dahlias and their cultivation needs as well as learning some of the beautiful cultivars that are currently being grown. Paired with phenomenal photography, this is an excellent reference or coffee table book for any gardener!

*I received a digital ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my review*

[Ashley McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been searching for a book like this ever since I planted my first dahlias five years ago. This is a required textbook for anyone looking to make the most out of their dahlias, whether on a large scale to sell or just for their own personal pleasure in their flower beds. This book addressed everything I had hoped it would: staking, storing and separating tubers, insect issues (earwigs!), and even propagating from cuttings.

Floret Farm outdid themselves with this book, and I am so excited to now have it in my arsenal for planting this year. Let my best years of planting and harvesting dahlias be now upon me!

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Floret Farm's Discovering Dahlias: A Guide to Growing and Arranging Magnificent Blooms by Erin Benzakein (Chronicle Books 2021) (635.933983) (3539).

Here is the greatest book about dahlias that I have ever found. Proper care of the tubers is clearly explained from germination through harvesting.

Where this book shines is in its gallery of dahlia forms and the range of colors available. The choices are magnificent and overwhelming.

Kudos to the author and her photographer-husband Chris Benzakein for an exceptionally well-conceived and well-executed project.

My rating: 7.25/10, finished 5/11/21 (3539).

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful book!

There's lots of information on growing dahlias. It's a thorough guide that covers sizes, shapes, how to grow and trim them, maintaining tubers, and even information on putting together beautiful bouquets! The pictures are stunning and there is a lot of useful information. It's a helpful look at all the work that goes into growing dahlias. The bouquets are really nice too because the book breaks down each piece.

This is a great and beautiful book!

[Kate Sokley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*kindly given an ARC through NetGalley and Chronicle Books* I am, like many others, trapped in a small space for the past year because of the pandemic. Reading this book was like slipping away to a distant land where I have the space to grow some of the most beautiful flowers imaginable. I have honestly been enamoured with dahlias for years and the simple but thorough approach this book brings really helped solidify my dream of having a huge flower garden one day. Great as a coffee table book but better as one I’ll find myself flipping and annotating through for years to come.

[Andrea Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excited to get the chance to review this book. I follow Floret Farms on Facebook and have heard about and seen some of the photos during the creation of this book so it was wonderful to see it all together! Now I want to own my own copy because she tells how to take care of dahlias in such great detail. Tons of information, incredibly stunning photography of flowers, and easy to read and follow tips.

Thank you so very much NetGalley for the chance to read Floret Farm's Discovering Dahlias by Erin Benzakein with Jill Jorgensen and Julie Chai. #DiscoveringDahlias #NetGalley

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well structured and useful for every gardener who likes dahlias, this book is a keeper. Information, tips, and advice- are all presented visually as well as in the usual text form. It is easy to read, and a good reference book for dahlia lovers.
I grow dahlias for several years, and I found that the mistakes described by the author were the most valuable part of the book for me. If I had had this book when I started growing dahlias I would avoid many failures, and enjoy more flowers in my garden!

[Suphatra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the other Floret Farm books a couple years ago and learned so much from Erin Benzakein. Her farm is just a few hours away from where I live in Washington so her tips are especially helpful since we're in the same gardening zone. This book was perhaps my favorite of her three books, because dahlias are so special to our area and grow so wonderfully and bountifully with minimal support. I recommend this book for anyone interested in getting into flower farming or starting a cut flower garden.