annieb123
Written on Feb 23, 2021
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.