Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Williams.
Hi Julie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My husband, Ryan, and I were both high school teachers who loved growing dahlias. We started Stonehouse Dahlias in 2015. At that time, there were just a handful of companies in the United States that sold dahlia tubers to gardeners and dahlia enthusiasts. Our business was different from any of these because rather than selling tubers, we propagated dahlias by taking cuttings from growing plants, then rooting them and selling small growing plant starts.
Eventually, we attracted well-known dahlia propagators Kristine Albrecht from Santa Cruz Dahlias and Hailey Sly from River Merle Farm, and began exclusively propagating some of their new introductions. This coincided with the fast-growing flower farming industry, and by 2022 Ryan and I were able to leave our jobs and work full-time at Stonehouse Dahlias.
Today we offer some of the most prized varieties of dahlias. Our dahlias have all been bred for their excellent cut-flower qualities: long, straight stems; floriferousness; high petal counts; appealing colors; and more. Best of all, we test rigorously for virus, and we believe we have the healthiest plants available.
We take online orders only and ship to every state in the country. Because our dahlias are in high demand, our online store is only available for ordering at specific times in the spring. This year, we’ll have five sales at 11:00 am Mountain Time on the following dates: March 21, April 4, April 18, May 2, May 16.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While we certainly have a routine down, agriculture is never predictable and keeps us on our toes with new challenges every year.
One large hurdle we faced early on was that nearly all (an estimated 87%) of dahlias in the United States are infected with one or more viruses, and we struggled to find and keep healthy varieties. Dahlias can coexist with virus well, and usually grow and bloom nicely despite it, but since we were propagating and selling, we felt we had a responsibility to make sure that we did not spread disease.
We decided we would only take cuttings from plants that had gone through a battery of virus tests. We culled any infected stock and started fresh with clean healthy plants. Today, our customers know that when they purchase from Stonehouse Dahlias, they are getting healthy, vigorous plants.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Stonehouse Dahlias?
Pretty much covered this in the previous questions.
One more thing though:
Dahlias are one of the longest-blooming plants. In Utah, they usually begin blooming around the first of August and continue to bloom until frost, which is often three months or more. One plant can produce hundreds of blossoms and send out new flowers when old ones are kept deadheaded. The more you cut, the more they bloom!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Neither of us had a strong business background when we started out, but we’ve learned along the way. We always try to do what is right and honest, even if we know it’s not shrewd or savvy, and it has earned us a lot of loyal customers over the years.
Pricing:
- $28-$35 for most dahlia varieties
- $35-$40 for new introductions
- These prices are for a single plant.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stonehousedahlias.com
- Instagram: stonehousedahlias
