
Stories and Photos about the Dell
A musical moment at the Dahlia Dell.

2024 ribbon cutting of our gorgeous new hillside garden at the Dahlia Dell
Irish Glow (Deborah Dietz) wins BEST IN SHOW 2022. Check out its perfect Fibonacci sequence. Click image to learn more about the Fibonacci sequence.
What happened here? Wolf petals. Click to find out more!


Sandia Sun Bonnet (Anemone)

Holly Hill Spider Woman (Novelty)

Jane - BB Incurved Cactus
Daddy's Girl

Poodle Skirt

Pam Howden
Red Velvet

Abby - BB Formal Decorative
Ball section of Head Table - 2022 DSC Show One of these is about to win Best in Show.....
Rachel Perls paints dahlias during 2022 show
Container full of freshly cut blooms arrives at the Hall of Flowers
Find the eye!
Arrangement by Tim Wong DSC Show 2022
Lou Paradise teaches how to divide tubers.
Just picked
One tuber turned into 14!

The old hillside garden before 2024 - unstable ground, rusty nails, gopher tunnels.
Another day in the Dell (SF Conservatory of Flowers in background)


Lots of work all year long!



An arrangement of five
Lucy's head is smaller than this bloom!
DSC 2022 Show
Lou Paradise

Lou's introduction: Eden Alice with its namesake.

Boutonnieres for a benefit for Parks Alliance
Lou teaches members at meeting.
Deborah Dietz's Irish Glow wins Best in Show - She grew it in the Dell. Tiny, but mighty.
Dividing a tuber clump.
Left: KA's Peppercorn B Informal Decorative Right: Rolf - B Semi-Cactus

"Best Photo" 2022 DSC Show

A bouquet of dahlias at an SF event.

Annual Tour of the Dell 2022
Michi, Deborah, and Sarah
Winter at the Dell


These are deadheads. Notice that the centers are open.
The ADS publishes a new handbook every year. Invaluable to dahlia growers! Click to get most recent edition.

Someone got creative.

Ladybugs eat aphids

The world's most beautiful compost pile. Deborah has been composting in her section for decades. Her soil is sublime.

Experts like Lou Paradise teach members at our DSC meetings.
Lou Paradise, right

Milk cartons are the perfect container for planting tubers.
The sign at the end front of the garden, faded but informative!

Firefighters visit the Dell

The cutting bench where much of the magic happens for the Tuber and Plant Sale

Pat busy labeling

Tinney at the cutting bench

Tinney and Lou at the cutting bench

Lou watering the tiny plants

These young volunteers started along the outside of the Dell under Deborah's supervision. Now they can work on the inside!






















Deborah's section May 24, 2023

Deborah's pickings for the 2023 DSC show
Best Junior Bloom grower Abby
Tara's hilarious arrangement.
Nancy Pelosi holding two dahlias from the Dell during the Cable Car celebration.
Jenna (right) made dahlias a huge part of the Cable Car celebration.
Dahlias festoon the cable car.

Jenna and her gorgeous dahlia corsages for the Parks Alliance fundraiser.

This woman borrowed a dahlia to balance on her nose!


As if on cue, this gopher posed for Dell Tour crowd. They are so smart and hungry for dahlias.

Do you have photos of the Dell?
If you have a photo or two to add to our gallery, please send them to Sarah at the link below and your photo might be chosen!