As luscious as a slice of peach pie with vanilla ice cream, the “Peaches ‘n’ Cream” dahlia, shown here, reflects the very essence of late summer. Also reminiscent of a Lake Michigan orange-pink sunset beyond sugar-sand beaches, the flower is iconic summer. “It’s a unique flower,” says Michael Genovese, owner of Summer Dreams Farm in Oxford. “There are few others that come in as many shapes, sizes, and colors that dahlias do.” Bring the legendary bloom to your own backyard next summer by planting a few tubers from Genovese’s farm (available through his website, below). And when you plant them, “make sure they are in well-drained soil. Dahlia tubers can rot if they are planted in soil that holds too much water.” Also, plant when there is no longer any risk of frost. “The plants die back after they are hit by frost,” he says. Then wait a couple months, and the glorious blooms will appear, making summer more beautiful than ever. summerdreamsfarm.com
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