Local dahlia grower Jason Fairchild wheels his blooms into the Union County YMCA prior to a recent Greater Columbus Dahlia Society annual show. Though the show was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will return this weekend, featuring many of the area’s top competitors. (Photo submitted)
Throughout the uncertainty and chaos in 2020, there was one thing missing that community members may have overlooked until now – the Greater Columbus Dahlia Society’s annual show.
Although the pandemic put a halt to the actual show last year, it couldn’t stop the flowers from growing.
“It’s really a special plant,” said Dick Westfall, GCDS President. “They bloom and they just keep on blooming.”
A group of local growers banded together last year to deliver their blooms to local nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
While a small group was still able to experience the flowers, Westfall said “the whole dahlia community throughout the country” is excited to return to shows, as most were canceled last year.
He said the local group is particularly looking forward to welcoming the community back to the show.
GCDS’s 54th annual show will be held at the Marysville YMCA, 1150 Charles Lane from 1-5 p.m. Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free to the public.
Westfall said the show will feature approximately 400 dahlia blooms from some of the region’s top growers.
Central Ohio’s competitors are not only the strongest in the state, Westfall said, but some of the most competitive throughout the nation.
“I’m a little biased, but we have some of the best anywhere east of the Mississippi,” he said. “Everywhere they go, they seem to win.”
The blooms themselves will be judged Saturday morning, before the show opens to the public.
Westfall said the judging process is extremely intensive. Judges have years of training in the American Dahlia Society criteria and will take between three and four hours to evaluate the flowers.
The blooms will be judged based on their size, form, color, angle and stage of development, among other factors. Even their stems and foliage are included in the criteria.
Hundreds of flowers will be whittled down and divided into category winners until one top bloom is decided upon, Westfall said.
While some individuals may not be as invested in the technical aspects of showing flowers, Westfall said the show draws between 200 and 300 members of the public each year.
He said GCDS moved the show to Marysville about five years ago and it has been “very well received” by the public.
Westfall said many people are drawn to the beauty and diversity of the dahlia plant.
He said the variation in size is particularly interesting.
Westfall said some blooms are only the size of the circle made when a person puts their thumb and pointer finger together. Others would require the person to outstretch their arms and hands.
The colors of the blooms offer just as much variety.
“There’s no blue or green, but we have just about every other color,” Westfall said.
Even though the weather conditions were not ideal this season – “It’s been one of the more challenging years I’ve ever had,” Westfall said – there will still be impressive blooms at this year’s show.
“It’s kind of amazing,” Westfall said. “Some look like they didn’t suffer at all.”
At the conclusion of the show, Westfall said volunteers from the Union County Master Gardeners will collect each of the flowers – including every winner – to be donated to local nursing homes.
“About 400 flowers disappear in about 15 minutes,” he said. “It helps us and it helps them. It’s just something we can do to help the community.”