Every late summer, when most perennial beds start to fade, Stephanie Vanamee’s dahlias hit their stride—bold, jewel-toned blooms that stop neighbors mid-walk. It’s exactly how she got hooked herself, watching a friend’s dahlia patch outshine everything else in the yard. What began as an experiment has grown into something deeper: a creative outlet, a study in patience, and, as she’s discovered while pursuing a graduate degree in therapy, an unexpected teacher in its own right. Below, Stephanie talks tuber storage, favorite growers, and why disagreeing well with your neighbors might matter more than ever.
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How did you get into growing dahlias at home?
It started when I fell in love with my neighbor’s dahlias. I would walk my dog past her garden every day, and she had a lovely little patch of dahlias next to her vegetable garden. I only had perennials in my garden at the time, and by late August/September, things would start looking kind of sad. But Katie’s dahlias were like little jewels! Then she invited us for dinner and—OMG—she had dahlias in vases all around the house. I decided then and there that I would try growing them myself.
What attracts you to the work of gardening?
Gardening started as a creative outlet. I was so inspired by so many friends and neighbors, and I wanted to create a more beautiful yard. And while I still love the creative aspect of it, gardening has now become a kind of meditation. The garden teaches me to keep my expectations in check, it reminds me constantly to be patient, and it challenges my perfectionism in really important ways. I guess you could say that it aligns with my career path now because I’m in graduate school studying to become a therapist. Maybe I’ll incorporate gardening into my sessions!
What has proven to be the trickiest part about growing dahlias?
Growing dahlias isn’t really hard, per se—anyone can do it. But it is one of the more labor intensive flowers to grow because in our zone, it’s an annual, meaning that the tubers cannot survive the winter and need to be dug up and stored each fall. So it’s definitely a choice. And for best results, they require staking (they are top heavy), pinching (for ideal flower size), good soil conditions, regular watering, and sometimes, pest control. But the payoff is worth it.
Besides gardening, what else do you do for fun?
I co-host the PB Book Club with Sara Davidson of Picture Book. I’m a big fiction reader and love that we host evenings of conversation and connection. It feels vital to be able to have discussions and even disagreements with other community members in a time of such division and disconnect in this country.
To try growing dahlias at home, what’s the first steps to doing so?
Do a bit of research to understand what you’ll need to do. There are tons of amazing resources out there, but I’d start with Floret, a flower farm with incredible online guides and a great book called Discovering Dahlias. I learned a lot from local flower farmers and experts, namely Muriel of Muriel Fleurs, Joyce at Fleurscape, and Katie at Seed-on-Hudson. I’ve never met a flower person who hasn’t been incredibly generous with their knowledge, and I believe all three of these wonderful women consult on gardens.
The most fun part is choosing the dahlias you want to grow! There are tons of amazing farms that sell their tubers, but some good places to start are Hudson Valley Seed Co, Sea Change Farm, and Triple Wren Farms.
What’s next for you, work-wise?
My friend Hannah Kaplan and I are bringing an exciting new workshop, Compassionate Mind Training, to the HudCo community. Hannah is a trained facilitator and I took her workshop last fall. It is a wonderful exploration of our “tricky” human brains, the importance of compassion in creating a sense of overall well-being, and guided meditation exercises that help us cultivate compassion. You can learn more by joining us in the Atrium for a free intro session on October 16. More info to come soon!
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HudCo is hosting a Homegrown Dahlias Contest on Friday, September 25, 2026. Find out more.