How the Love Dahlias Festival Was Born
I’ve been growing dahlias for four years now, and if there’s one thing I didn’t expect, it’s how often people would ask the same question:
“Can we come visit your farm?”
At first it was one message here and there. Then it became a steady stream kind, curious, excited messages from people who’ve been following along online:
It must be beautiful.
Can we see your dahlias in real life?
What do you do with all your stems?
And that last question is where the real story starts.
The truth about my dahlia stems
I live in Douglas, Northern Cape, a small town right in the middle of the country. The kind of place you choose when you want wide skies, space, and a life that’s not constantly interrupted by traffic.
So most of what I cut in the dahlia season doesn’t end up travelling anywhere. It becomes what I jokingly call… dahlia “porn.” The photos. The close-ups. The color explosions. The content I share on my social media - the kind of dahlia images that make you stop scrolling and stare.
And the rest? A lot of stems get cut and dropped onto the ground, in other words become compost.
I know that can sound brutal if you’re imagining bouquets and vases and grand arrangements. But here’s the honest reality: dahlias don’t travel well. I tried supplying to areas far from me, and I learned the hard way that it’s not a road I want to keep going down. By the time the flowers arrive, they’ve lost the magic that made them special in the first place.
So I did what flower farmers often have to do: I chose what makes sense for the flowers, and what makes sense for my farm.
The funny part: I started flower farming to get away from people
Here’s another honest truth.
Before the flower farm, I worked in the wedding industry for 15 years. After COVID, something in me shifted. I realised I didn’t want a life built around managing the public all the time. I wanted nature. Quiet. Work that feels grounded, not frantic. I wanted to grow something beautiful without being “on” every day.
That’s how Love Dahlias started: as a way back to calm.
Which is why, for a long time, opening the farm to visitors felt like the opposite of the whole point.
Then came the moment I couldn’t ignore
But last season, I had a realization while standing in the field:
"This is a sight...a proper sight"
When dahlias are in full flower, it’s not just “pretty.” It’s overwhelming. It’s joyful. It’s the kind of beauty that makes you quiet for a second.
And I thought… what if I don’t open my farm all year?
What if I do it once a year - properly - with intention?
One week. All-out. Full attention. Everything planned. Everything ready. A moment where visitors can come, experience the fields, learn, take photos, soak it in, and feel the magic for themselves.
And then for the rest of the year? I can go back to what I love most: growing in peace, doing the work, and letting nature lead.
That’s the heart of why the Love Dahlias Festival exists.
It became bigger than me, in the best way
Once the idea landed, it kept growing.
I started speaking to other small scale (mostly female) flower farmers in South Africa, the ones who understand the work, the seasons, the failures, the wins, the obsession with what’s happening in the beds this week.
And I realised: this is a perfect chance for the floral community to gather and do something extraordinary. Not just a visit. Not just a workshop. A proper, once-a-year moment where flower people come together - to learn, to share, to create, to celebrate.
That’s when the collaborator team started forming and the festival became a shared project, not a solo dream.
Love Dahlias Festival Homepage
Why Douglas?
Because Douglas is in the middle of South Africa — it’s surprisingly accessible from many directions, and it’s exactly the kind of place that deserves to be discovered.
Also… Douglas is home.
I was born here 51 years ago, and I still live here. I love this small town fiercely, and I truly believe this festival can be a beautiful injection for Douglas, for the local businesses, guesthouses, and everyone who benefits when visitors arrive and fall in love with a place.
It’s not just about dahlias. It’s about letting my small town shine.
Save the dates
The Love Dahlias Festival is happening in Douglas, Northern Cape from 18–21 March 2026.
We’re releasing details and tickets in stages. If you want first access (and the best options), join the email updates list.
From my field to your garden,
This festival is my once-a-year open love letter — to flowers, to the people who understand why a bloom can stop you in your tracks, and to the small town that raised me. I can’t wait to welcome you to Douglas, and to show you what I’ve been seeing from the inside of the field all these years.
She who loves dahlias,
Mareli