American Dahlia Society’s 51st National Dahlia Show

Every year, the American Dahlia Society, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2015, sponsors its National Dahlia Show. One of the ADS’s more than 70 independent local societies in the United States and Canada is selected to host the National Show. The Central States Dahlia Society will be the proud host of the 2017 National Dahlia Show from September 7 through September 11, 2017. The primary venue for the show will be the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The Garden is located in Glencoe, Illinois, about 20 miles north of downtown Chicago. The CBG is generally considered to be among the Top 10 botanic gardens in the United States. The garden is a 385-acre living-plant museum and is one of the most-visited attractions in the Chicago area. Last year, the garden welcomed more than one million visitors.

As always, the highlight of the show will be the dahlias themselves. We expect there will be well over one thousand blooms on display ranging from 12-inch “dinner-plate” size to pompons that are less than 2 inches in diameter. For the first time, there will be a section of “micro dahlias.” These come in various forms, but all are less than 2 inches in diameter. The blooms will be on display in the Garden’s Nichols Hall, Burnstein Hall, and the Greenhouse Gallery. The exhibition will be open to the public on Saturday, September 9, from noon to 5 PM and on Sunday, September 10, from 10 AM to 5 PM. Visitors to the Garden on those dates are welcome to attend. There is no additional cost to enter the exhibition area.

In addition to a dazzling display of dahlias, many other diverse events are scheduled for those who formally register for the show, including, lectures related to dahlia cultivating and display, coach tours of the Chicago area, and enjoyable social events. Some of these events are included in the show’s registration fee; others will be available on an a la carte basis. A special rate is available at the Renaissance Hotel in Northbrook, Illinois. The hotel, a ten-time winner of the AAA 4-Star rating, is close to the Garden. Shuttle service between the hotel and the Garden will be provided.

The complete schedule of events and registration information can be found by visiting the CSDS website, centralstatesdahliasociety.com, and choosing the appropriate button.

June Members’ Meeting

The Colorado Dahlia Society meets monthly on the 2nd Sunday of most months from February thru September. Our next potluck/meeting for members will be held on June 12th, 12:30pm, at the Wolf residence.

February 2016 Meeting

The February 2016 meeting of the Colorado Dahlia Society will be held on Sunday February 28th, 2016 at 1:30PM in the meeting room at the Longmont Public Library, 409 4th Ave, Longmont, CO 80501. A potluck lunch will be held immediately prior to the meeting at 1PM. Please bring some food to share.

This will be the 2016 kickoff meeting for the CDS with topics to include:

  • Date selection for monthly meetings later in the year
  • Date selection for the Annual Tuber Sale
  • Date selection for the tuber sort meeting in advance of the Annual Tuber Sale
  • Discussion of the Summer and Fall flower shows
  • Any other club business