Our Dahlia Story

For the past eight years, we've been diving deep into the world of dahlias. Growing from seed, flagging our favourites, digging and dividing tubers, storing them through the winter, and replanting them year after year. We've watched them grow, studied their characteristics, taken endless notes and photos, culled the ones that didn't make the cut, and made cuttings of the ones we couldn't get enough of.

It's been a labour of love, full of highs, lows, and plenty of learning along the way. Today, we're incredibly excited to share our Roam Flora (RF) varieties we've selected and developed right here on the farm — dahlias we believe are something special. We're proud of what we've created and even prouder that every dahlia growing on our farm is a Roam Flora dahlia.

When we started Roam Flora in 2019, we were equal parts excited, hopeful, and probably a little naive. We leaned heavily on our passion, learned everything we could, and figured things out one problem at a time. Honestly, without a little hopeful ignorance and a whole lot of enthusiasm, we might never have jumped in with both feet.

Over the years, we've learned an unbelievable amount. We've experienced some pretty intense hardships, some incredibly joyful wins, and everything in between. Farming has a way of keeping you humble. Things will go wrong — often — and you learn to take what you can from the failures, pick yourself up, and keep going. It's not always pretty, but it's a big part of how we've grown.

As we began growing dahlias on a larger scale, we also came to understand just how vulnerable these beautiful plants can be to disease. We invested in new and exciting varieties, only to discover that some came with unwanted baggage, including gall. It was frustrating, disheartening, and a turning point for us.

We wanted to create new and exciting dahlias without continually introducing outside plant material to our farm. So, we started breeding our own.

Today, we grow only Roam Flora dahlias, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Each year, we plant between 2,500 and 4,000 dahlias from seed. From that sea of seedlings, we flag just 30 to 80 that catch our eye. The following year, only about half may earn a place in the next round of selection. And the process continues. We look for something special, but beauty alone isn't enough. We're observing, evaluating, and selecting with care, always working towards dahlias we're proud to grow and confident sharing with you.

We know how much time, care, and anticipation go into growing dahlias, and we don't take your trust lightly. After years of learning how to grow, care for, store, and ship tubers, we're committed to providing you with the best quality we can. Your satisfaction matters to us, and if you ever have a question or concern, please reach out. We'll always do our best to help and address any issues promptly.

Thank you for being here, for growing with us, and for supporting the little farm and the big dream behind it. Every season brings something new, and we're so grateful to share a little piece of it with you.

Laura & Dawson