Announcing Kaylee Jade Dahlia Day — May 9, 2026, 10 am- 2 pm. There are some flowers that become more than blooms. They become symbols of love.Of remembrance.Of lives that continue to leave beauty behind long after they are gone.

There’s something hopeful about choosing where your dahlias will grow…like picking the stage where their beauty will unfold. And the good news? You don’t need the perfect garden to grow something beautiful. You just need a good spot.

There’s something tender and hopeful about this stage of the journey…You haven’t planted yet.Your hands may still be clean.Your garden beds are waiting. And yet—this moment matters more than you might think. Because before a single tuber touches the soil, you’re already setting the stage for success. Starting something new can feel overwhelming… but this part? It’s gentler than it seems. A few simple understandings will carry you forward with confidence.

There is something sacred about the beginning of a garden season. Not the full bloom.Not the harvest.But this quiet, in-between moment…when the soil is still waking up and your hands are just beginning to dream again. If you’re new to dahlias—or even trying again after a season that didn’t go quite as planned—you’re not alone.

Jodi Frederick set out to create something that could hold both beauty and meaning. Inspired by the Kaylee Jade dahlia—a flower named in Kaylee’s honor by Rosie Cooper-Vert—the quilt mirrors the bloom’s vibrant colors and layered elegance. Each block tells a story.

A gathering of local artisans and contributors came together at Quilt Crossing to view the Kaylee Jade Quilt, now on public display. This heartfelt piece will remain available for visitors to experience before it is formally presented to the Goncalves family at the Kaylee Jade remembrance event hosted at Franz Witte on May 9th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

On April 10th at 2:50 PM Mountain Time, we carried the final packages of our dahlia tubers into our little post office—marking the official close of our very first full shipping season here at Flaming Acres Dahlias.

We are so excited to begin with a moment of celebration…Our March Giveaway Winner has been selected! The “Sips of Spring” Dahlia Trio—featuring Mai Tai, Ice Tea, and Giggles—is heading to a beautiful garden in the South.

There are certain weeks that feel like a gentle turning of the page—and this week has been one of them. Here in Idaho, we’ve been soaking in the kind of weather that lifts your spirit the moment you step outside. Blue skies stretch wide overhead, the sun lingers just a little longer, and the air carries that unmistakable promise… spring is waking up.

A Week of Dahlias, Gratitude, and Birthday Blessings Today, March 14th, I celebrate 65 years young. Birthdays have a way of inviting reflection, and this one feels especially meaningful because it arrives at the end of an incredibly full and joyful week here at Flaming Acres Dahlias. Earlier this week, on March 9th, something very special began — the first shipments of our dahlia tubers started making their way across the country. Packages headed out to California and Florida

This morning I’ll be spending a few joyful hours surrounded by fellow gardeners at the Seed Swap & Social Gathering at Franz Witte Garden Center in Nampa, trading dahlia tubers and celebrating the beginning of another growing season.

Understanding the 60° Soil Rule. Every spring, gardeners begin to feel it. The sun lingers a little longer in the evening. The soil softens. Garden centers begin filling with flowers, seeds, and hopeful anticipation. It becomes almost impossible not to want to start planting everything at once.

Early spring is an honest season. The garden beds reveal what winter has left behind — brittle stems, matted leaves, hidden debris. Before dahlias can flourish, we clear the ground. We prepare it. We make room. Peace works the same way.

There is something especially sweet about announcing a giveaway winner at the turn of a new season. It feels a bit like watching one bloom close while another begins to unfurl. Our February Love in Bloom Dahlia Trio winner is from Whitewood, South Dakota!

When the earth begins to whisper “wake up.” There is a subtle shift that happens before spring ever officially arrives. It isn’t loud.It isn’t dramatic. It doesn’t ask permission. It simply begins. And if you’re paying attention — you see it.

February has been unusually quiet here on the blog. But quiet on the page does not mean quiet on the farm. Winter is never idle at Flaming Acres. It is the season of clearing, sorting, planning, hauling, and preparing — the unseen work that makes spring possible. Behind the scenes, there has been a steady rhythm of decluttering. Old materials moved out. Equipment reorganized. Decisions made about what stays and what no longer serves the future we are building.

We are delighted to announce our January Dreaming in White Dahlia Trio Giveaway Winner, who hails from Anchorage, Alaska. The Dreaming in White Dahlia Trio—featuring Brookside Snowball, Gitts Attention, and White Nettie—was chosen for its elegance, balance, and peaceful presence in the garden.

This last Sunday we celebrated 91 years of my dad’s life—and there are not enough words to express the gratitude I feel. My dad has always been my hero. He was the best father—steady, attentive, and deeply present. All my life, he made me feel important, safe, and profoundly cared for. His love was never loud, but it was constant. He showed up. He noticed. He protected. And in doing so, he shaped who I am more than he will ever know.

If you’ve noticed a bit of quiet here on the blog lately, there’s a good reason. For the past few weeks, my hands—and my heart—have been fully immersed in the unseen winter work of Flaming Acres.

This time of year, we hear a lot about resolutions. Goals. Ambitions. Bucket lists filled with things to conquer, fix, or finally accomplish. While there is nothing wrong with dreaming or planning, I’ve found that lasting, meaningful change rarely comes from pressure alone. From a Christian perspective, true growth begins somewhere deeper.