Linda got involved with dahlias as a

teen back in the early 80's (1980's not 1880's)

when her employer, Eric

of Rossers Nurseries, encouraged

her to grow a few tubers at home.

Impressed with the variety

of colour and form, she started a small

collection within the constraints of a

tiny garden area and sympathetic

parents.

A visit to the Auckland Dahlia

Show in Eden Gardens led her into a

circle of very experienced growers and

the start of local exhibitions and competitions. With mountains of enthusiasm, encouragement and a friendly push from the late Trixie, Grace and Cliff Rushton, Linda started down the path of National Exhibitions. As the competitions developed, so did the camaraderie and friendships, and the shows became one of the annual must-dos.

Marrying the ruggedly handsome Robert (that's me), they lived for a few years in Whangaparaoa using a small paddock in Waitoki to grow "just a few" dahlias and veges. For 3 years the vege garden got smaller and the dahlia numbers increased. Local pressure to come and see the display saw the first open days start.

Eventually in the early 1990's after moving to their own 9ha block in Dairy Flat (left), the "hobby" developed to the point where Linda gave up her fulltime nursery work and worked in the garden while still maintaining some off-season horticultural contracting.

Now in the 2024 season and after over 34 years of commercial growing, Dahlia Haven has become a gardening icon with Auckland's Northern Motorway on the front fence and the flight path of Dairy Flat Airport above. Few would have missed

the 8-metre-high sign mown into the paddock. Sadly with Auckland's growth, and transport network expansion we will need to relocate inthe near future, with a roundabout planned right in the middle of thedahlia garden and our pond

and driveway being needed to make the motorway wider.

Grown for the first 22 years primarily for Mail Order tuber sales,

flowers were promoted to florists through the Auckland Flower

markets and are still keenly sought for their brightness,

colour, variety and forms. Over the last 18 years or

so gardeners and florists have seen a revival of this

once forgotten flower. New varieties come online every

year and the long flowering season - December to

April/May in Auckland - provides colour all the way

from Summer to Early Autumn, a feat other

flowers can only aspire too.

"Grandma only used to grow orange Dahlias" is

a common comment from our Open Day visitors, and

when you check out the catalogue and see for yourself you too

will be as amazed and captivated by the variety of colours

as Linda was over 38 years ago.

Linda's Mother when she was a child in England (probably about 250 BC) with a bunch of Dahlias. She regularly cycled (probably a penny farthing bike too!) down to the village to buy them with her pocket money.

Dahlia Haven - 2013 photo by Wendy Whifield

Linda ( circa 1996) with some freshly cut Dahlias

Where it all began...

It appears that Robert too, also has a past that includes Dahlias. In this rarely seen photo of him, shown with his (late) Mum, Dad and younger brother, it appears Robert (crouched centre) is studiously observing the growing habits of a dark orange decorative variety at their family home in Glen Eden about 1964.

                His two older brothers (not shown) had obviously either been misbehaving and were cut from the photo or perhaps they just wern't that photogenic.....