September at Flaming Acres: Worth the Wait
September 20th, 2026
There is something especially beautiful about the gardens at Flaming Acres right now.
Maybe it is because we have waited so long for them this year.
Our dahlias have been running behind schedule, and for much of the summer we have been watching, waiting and wondering when the fields would finally begin putting on the show we knew was coming.
Well...they are getting there!
And suddenly there is color everywhere.
The gardens are filling with blooms, new buds are opening every day, and some of the dahlias we have been patiently watching all summer are finally showing us what they can do.
If you are wondering what we have been doing around Flaming Acres lately, the answer is pretty simple:
Weeding, weeding, weeding—with the hoe, hoe, hoe!
There is never really an end to weeds on a farm, but this time of year we are especially determined to keep them from taking over. We want our dahlias putting their energy into growing and blooming rather than competing with weeds for water and nutrients.
So we hoe. And pull. And hoe some more.
And, of course, we water.
It may not be the glamorous side of growing thousands of dahlias, but it is part of what makes all those beautiful flowers possible.
A Welcome Change in the Weather
One of the nicest surprises lately has been our weather.
After the heat of summer, we have been enjoying some wonderfully cool days here in Idaho. The cooler temperatures have been such a welcome change—for us and for the dahlias.
Walking through the gardens in the evening has become one of my favorite things to do. The light gets softer, the temperatures are comfortable, and everywhere you look there seems to be another flower asking you to stop for a photograph.
And I usually do.
Giving Our Late Bloomers a Little Encouragement
Because our dahlias are so late this year, we have also given them some fertilizer formulated to encourage blooming.
At this point in the season, we aren't trying to encourage a lot more leafy green growth. We want the plants to direct their energy toward those buds and flowers.
There are still so many buds waiting to open that we know the show isn't over yet.
In fact, some of the best may still be ahead of us.
A Few Beauties from the Garden & Flaming Acres Dahlias Originals...
The Garden Doesn't Follow Our Calendar
This growing season has been a good reminder that the garden doesn't always follow the calendar we have planned for it.
We plant.
We water.
We weed.
We fertilize.
We watch the weather.
And then we wait.
Some years the dahlias seem eager to get started. Other years, like this one, they make us practice a little more patience.
Perhaps that makes these September blooms even sweeter.
There are still plenty of buds in the fields, and as long as we have a little more time before our first hard frost, we are going to enjoy every single one of them.
For now, we'll keep watering.
We'll keep tending the plants.
We'll keep taking far too many photographs.
And yes...
we'll keep weeding, weeding, weeding—with the hoe, hoe, hoe.
Because this is September at Flaming Acres Dahlias.
And right now, it is beautiful.
Keeping on…
Debra Flaming
