Everything Grows

In 1964, our family moved to the Wenatchee Valley. My dad, Tony DeRooy, had just been hired as the first Landcape Supervisor at Rocky Reach Dam. Prior to that, he had worked for the Great Northern Railroad as the third of only three (ever) Superintendents of Parks. He had followed in the footsteps of my grandfather, Arie DeRooy, who had the position from 1934 until his death at Many Glacier Lodge on August 8, 1951. Growing plants, flowers and children was their life work. Anyone who knew these men, as well as the women who have stood faithfully by (thanks, Mom!) recognized their passion. This blog will be concerned mainly with dahlia and garden thoughts, but will also discuss things that are happening in the beautiful valleys, plains and mountains that we know as North Central Washington.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

SUCH SWEET ANTICIPATION

Anyone seriously affected by the dahlia bug knows the feeling that we get as a new year dawns. I'm here to tell you that, in most cases, it doesn't ever go away. People like my dad have grown, cultivated and hybridized dahlias for decades, only to discover the anticipation associated with pulling tubers out of winter storage intensifies as the years go by. It never seems to become a "chore", as so many activities can, and personally, I never realized how much I would look forward to crawling around in dirt, rich with animal matter, experimenting with different planting methods or tuber placement, or figuring out how best to protect my babies against extreme elements.

It seems as though I have been busy with something "dahlia" almost every day since the beginning of 2013. I've placed several orders and have contacted several friends to see if we can trade favorites, or followed up on offers by growers from other clubs who have tubers to share with me, or with our club for our tuber auction in April. At our latest dahlia society meeting last Thursday, we decided that we need to get our spring workshop planned and presenters contacted. We agreed that we all had a lot more to learn about soil amendments, additives and the best organic methods for controlling garden pests and weeds. We are always looking for the perfect combination of nutrients and chemicals, in order to improve on last year's outcomes. I better get on the phone and start contacting people who might be willing to travel across the Cascades to help us with this type of presentation!

And....the best thing of all....After several meetings with Steve Robinson, Executive Director of the Pybus Public Market, we have agreed to hold our September 21-22, 2013 show at the beautiful new facility just a few feet from our gorgeous Columbia River banks. We believe that this show will be memorable for so many reason, not the least of which is the wonderful group of people we will be working with: the Pybus Market staff, the judges and clerks who come over to choose the best blooms and to mentor growers, as well as the stalwart members of our club who work so hard to make sure that no detail is overlooked as we plan for a high-quality event guaranteed to delight those from our community, whether as exhibitors or visitors.

This is a dream come true for us, and I've pinched myself enough times to know that it is for real. If you have been anticipating being part of our show in September, we guarantee that you will not be disappointed!



Posted by at

3 comments:

  1. Harry RissettoJanuary 19, 2013 at 5:52 PM

    We in the East think of the Northwest as the promised land of dahlias.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Terry SchroederJanuary 19, 2013 at 6:01 PM

    Bob and I look forward to coming over and seeing the new show site; looks like it will be a wonderful venue!! The North Central Washington Dahlia Show is a fantastic way to end the season ~ now if we can have no wild fires, that would be great!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. North Central Washington DahliasJanuary 19, 2013 at 6:21 PM

    Hi Harry, Bob & Terry.....indeed - this part of the country has had a lot of success with dahlias! NCW has some challenges that our colleagues from west of the Cascades (that includes you, Schroeders!) Have helped us to mitigate.....our spirits are never dampened, with such great support and encouragement!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)