TAKE A BOW

AS SUMMER PEAKS, THEN SLIDES INTO FALL, DAHLIAS BURST INTO BLOOM, THE ULTIMATE LATE-SEASON GARDEN REWARD.

- TERESA WOODARD

Years ago, a dahlia tuber caught Lori Bochner's eye while she shopped at a garden center. She was drawn to the striking flower pictured on the package and equally puzzled by the “potato thing” inside. Intrigued, she planted it in her central Iowa yard—and months later, fell in love with its spectacular blooms.

Today, Lori and her husband, Jim, grow about 1,500 dahlias (plus daylilies, zinnias, celosia, and more) at 50-acre Bochner Farms, a short drive south of Des Moines near the college town of Indianola. The couple became “accidental flower farmers,” as Lori puts it, when they transitioned to empty nestdom. They planted their first beds in 2019. Demand exploded during the pandemic and never slowed down, especially for dahlias.

You can visit Bochner Farms during special events like chef's dinners and Dahlia Bar Happy Hours.

FALLING FOR DAHLIAS