Kristine Albrecht of Santa Cruz Dahlias with 'KA's Khaleesi'
Of course you've heard me talk about my road trip to California in late June for the 4th Slow Flowers Summit. A few days before the Summit took place, I was treated to a morning visit at Santa Cruz Dahlias, the micro- flower farm owned by award-winning dahlia breeder Kristine Albrecht, a Slow Flowers member. I'd been wanting to learn more about Kristine's work as a flower farmer whose curiosity about breeding has led to incredibly unique - new - named cultivars, a devoted following among cut flower farmers, and now, a new book, published in 2020: Dahlia Breeding for the Farmer-Florist and the Home Gardener, with Brion Sprinsock, Kristine's spouse, as co-author.
I ordered my copy and asked Kristine if she would sit down with me when I was in the area late last month. She kindly invited me for a tour and I enjoyed a deeply informative lesson on her work and her passion.
In the foreword to Dahlia Breeding, Kristine writes:"I am fortunate that I have the opportunity to talk and write to people about dahlias almost every day. While familiar with growing dahlias from tubers, many growers simply have no idea that unique varieties of dahlias can be generated from seed. The more I thought about that, the more I was inspired to write this short book and share my hybridizing knowledge."
Jan Palia (left) and Kristine Albrecht (right) - met me in June and treated me to a beautiful morning
She continues: "I'm not a typical dahlia hybridizer who breeds mainly show dahlias. I have as much interest in breeding varieties loved by florists and designers as I do in breeding dahlias for show. I don't have a scientific background: the advice in this book comes from practical experience at my farm. I currently grow on a quarter-acre suburban farm in the California Central Coast. I generate hundreds of dahlia blooms every week, and when they are not being cut for shows, I sell them to designers and florists. These floral designers give me wonderful feedback on what colors and forms are the most commercially viable. Their input helps me set my hybridizing goals."
'KA's Cloud'
In 2014, after years of learning and experimentation, Kristine hand-crossed pollen parent Kenora Jubilee with seed parent Elma Elizabeth for a new variety called 'KA's Cloud'. She excitedly sent it off to the American Dahlia Society trial gardens across the U.S. and the blooms won the Derrill W. Hart and the Lynn B. Dudley medals, the two top awards in the country.
A bucket of just-harvested Santa Cruz Dahlia blooms, including dahlia companion plants (c) Debra Prinzing
Blue ribbons aside, she was hooked. And that experienced ignited what has become one woman's amazing journey with dahlias, one she generously shares with you today. I know you'll enjoy the rest of the story, as I introduce Kristine Albrecht in today's episode.
'KA's Bella Luna' - a delicious Kristine Albrecht introduction
'KA's Mocha Katie'
A detail shot of the storage tub that Santa Cruz Dahlias uses for deliveries and transportation
Follow Santa Cruz Dahlias on Instagram
Thanks so much for joining us today as you learned more about dahlias specifically bred for floral design. Enjoy photos of my visit to Santa Cruz Dahlias and some of the gorgeous dahlia introductions that Kristine has bred!
More about the Slow Flowers Podcast
Interviewing Meg McGuire at Red Daisy Farm
This podcast is a vehicle for storytelling and for sharing the stories of our Slow Flowers Members. Several years ago, I made the conscious decision to put a priority on featuring Slow Flowers members as Podcast guests.
There may be an occasional episodes with a floral celebrity or book author, but the majority of our weekly guest slots are devoted to our members' stories. We strive for inclusion, representation and diversity among our guests. We also mix things up when it comes to geographical location and different fa...