With the earliest spring ever; and isolation for weeks, our bodies and minds have turned to the gardens in preparation for summer and fall weddings, events, and the return of farmer’s markets.

This summer, the Blue Door will have nearly 450 linear feet of Dahlia beds. In all colors, shapes and sizes. Spring preparation involves clearing away winter weeds, fertilizing, and protecting young growth from slugs.

Wolf Farm Natural Elements in Abingdon, VA, has created a specialized organic fertilizer for us that we call Blue Door Flower Food. This great mix provides a 4-10-7 NPK ratio this is ideal for bud and blooms. Dogs love this stuff, so after applying 3/4 cup per plant, we hoe it into the compost and leaf mulch that was applied last fall. Grass clippings will seal the surface so dogs won’t be AS interested, and will help prevent weeds and retain moisture as things dry up. We use Sluggo to combat early slugs populations that can devastate the crop.

Drip irrigation is next. Hard to think about providing water sources when our fields are still sloppy wet but Dahlias like water, especially when it gets hot and dry.

Horizontal netting for support is next on the list. Dahlias can get big. Again, it’s hard to look at little green sprouts and imagine the jungle of stems and leaves that will overtake the garden rows; but experience has taught us time and time again to get the netting up early.