Minnesota Dahlia Society

by Karen Hauwiller

The North Central Trial Garden received a new addition this season with a beautiful sign that was donated in memory of Rudolph and Hulda Gustafson. The sign has illustrations of the different forms of dahlias along with information about dahlias and the trial garden.

Rudolph and Hulda were very active with the original trial garden as well as the Minnesota Dahlia Society. Rudolph grew up on a farm and moved to Minneapolis to become a professional portrait photographer. He started growing dahlias in the 1940s and dug up his entire back yard to plant his favorite flower. Hulda did flower arranging and Rudolph did hybridizing. He named his originations after his grandchildren and the neighborhood children-Lisa G, Julie K and Lynn Ann. Rudolph was fascinated with plant disease and insect problems and read all the books that he could get on the subject . He was known as the “Dahlia Doctor” due to his knowledge of plant diseases. Rudy had an honorary life membership with the Minnesota Dahlia Society and died in 1982.

Every Saturday a work team from the Minnesota Dahlia Society tends the trial garden. New dahlia society members are encouraged to join a work team to learn how to grow beautiful dahlias from the “experts”. The trial garden benefits by having many hands helping and the new members are learning about our favorite flower from experienced growers.