A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE

By Lisa Derx

The first year I planted Dahlias, I grew just as many questions about them as flowers. How should I dig and divide my tubers in the fall? What was the best method to store them over winter? Looking for information and answers, I started Googling. One of the first pages that came up was that of the American Dahlia Society. When I investigated their website and realized there was a local chapter in my area, I joined at once. Curious whether similar societies existed for other flowers I grew, I started investigating – and soon found myself a member of groups focused on daffodils, peonies, and chrysanthemums, as well.

In the United States, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is recognized as the first official garden club. PHS’s mission when it was founded in 1827 was “to establish a Horticultural Society in the City of Philadelphia for the promotion of this interesting and highly influential branch of Science.” Today, PHS has adopted a mission “to advance the health and well-being of the Greater Philadelphia region.”

Readers who garden in the mid-Atlantic area likely know PHS because they annually stage the Philadelphia Flower Show – a weeklong event that attracts thousands of attendees to admire the stunning floral displays, floral demonstrations, and floral classes. This year’s show is Feb. 28 – March 8, 2026 at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Learn more about the show at https://phsonline.org/the-flower-show and read about PHS – and even join – https://phsonline.org/

Over time, as more garden clubs formed across the country, some enthusiasts wanted to focus on the propagation and growing of one particular flower. Additionally, as interest in gardens grew, commercial growers were marketing their cultivars under various names, making it difficult for the public to be sure they were getting what they requested. Order needed to be brought to the growing and breeding of flowers, names needed to be regulated, and standards set.  

So, as like-minded individuals met and shared their knowledge, they spread interest from state to state, and even internationally. Some, such as the American Peony Society, spent years rigorously evaluating thousands of plants so as to ensure proper nomenclature as well as the health of the commercial trade (americanpeonysociety.org). National and local societies held shows with strict rules for entries, and some began keeping registries of cultivars and establishing criteria before a particular bloom could be registered. Others planted trial gardens, inviting new cultivars to be planted and grown for a set number of years before they could be officially registered. Many of these trial gardens are still in operation today, such as the National Capital Dahlia Society Trial Garden at the Derwood Agricultural History Park in Derwood, Maryland.

Today, these societies are typically nonprofit organizations managed by volunteer boards. Their members have, collectively, decades and decades of experience with that particular flower, and, my experience has been that they are generous in sharing with newbies. While the internet has made it easy to find information on numerous websites about any flower you choose, one of the greatest benefits of these groups today is meeting in person with other growers who share your plant passion. While videos abound for how to divide dahlia tubers, for instance, attending a meeting and seeing up close someone demonstrating how to do it correctly makes it much easier to learn.

Every group I have joined has welcomed me. More experienced growers are eager to share their knowledge, whether at meetings and shows or through email, text, and phone calls. Regular newsletters are another rich source of information, both from the local chapter and the national organization. I can wholeheartedly encourage anyone to join, as the benefits in exchange for a modest annual fee – often $20 – $30 – are well worth it.

What follows is a list of flower societies that is by no means comprehensive. If your favorite flower isn’t represented below, I encourage you to check online. What you can learn from growers in your own area growing in your same weather conditions will benefit you and your garden.

• The American Rose Society, formed in 1892 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, was the first single-flower society in the nation. Headquartered now in Shreveport, Louisiana, their garden includes thousands of roses and an international trial garden.    https://rose.org/

• The American Daffodil Society bills itself as, “The United States Center for Daffodil Information.” Founded in 1954, they maintain an online database of varieties with photos at https://daffseek.org/. Their main website is available at https://daffodilusa.org/.

• The American Dahlia Society was founded in 1915, and today has 70 chapters around the nation. Their website has a wealth of information at https://www.dahlia.org/ including links to local societies and trial gardens across the nation.

• The American Peony Society, formed in 1903 in Detroit, Michigan, has members in 40 states and 24 countries. Their tireless work to ensure accuracy in naming led the International Society for Horticulture Science to deem them the worldwide registrar for the genus Paeonia in 1974. https://americanpeonysociety.org/

What flower societies have you joined? Tell me about it at [email protected].

Lisa Derx is a Board member for National Capital Dahlia Society, President of Chesapeake Flower Exchange, Local Flowers Liaison for the Independent Floral Designers Association, and a member of the Association of Specialty Cut Flowers and the Maryland Cut Flower Growers Association. Her home is in Dayton, Maryland, where she grows flowers with her husband, Dan, and cat, Sebastian.