Belinda's Bloomers

You're probably wondering why a flower enterprise is on the TenForward page - for the last few years I have been teaching young people entrepreneurship, and Belinda's Bloomers is an emerging business project I embarked on for myself. It's exploded so excitingly that it's been absorbed into my TenForward business.

I’m turning my house in Meadowbank into a mini flower farm! In 2024 I planted over 200 dahlia tubers - and for the 2025 season, I've dug up all my lawn and have created four flower fields so I can plant over 600 tubers, and also seedlings that I'm experimentally breeding myself! 

My main field is organised into the colour gradient plan you can see above, which I'm hoping will be a beautiful destination for garden tours and photographs. This is the Gradient Flower Field.

I also have a field dedicated to pom pom ball dahlias - I'm calling this The Ball Pit.

And I have a 21 metre long driveway garden called The DNF Zone - for all the tubers that 'Did Not Flower' last year - they get a second chance to prove themselves to me, and maybe make their way into the Gradient Flower Field next year! In this zone I also have a large section of Cafe au Lait's and my collection of nearly black dahlias. So if you love these, I will have plenty!

My fourth area is the Experimental Flower Field, where I am growing dahlias that I cross pollinated last season, and now I get to see what grows. Every flower in this field is a brand new type of dahlia that has never existed before! Depending on the genetic output, some flowers might be very plain, while others might be super gorgeous. I can't wait!

I am planning to be overwhelmed with flowers all summer, so you’ll be able to book a tour of my Flower Fields, buy buckets of cost-effective flowers for decorating your own events, and shop at my flower cart. Florists can schedule buckets of colours that will be harvested on the day I deliver. Flower fun!

WHAT'S GROWING IN MY FLOWER FARM?

Here are three galleries of all the dahlias that have bloomed in the 2024/25 season, divided into colour themes - Moody Dark, Brights and Pastels. Photos are of the actual flowers in my garden. I will be adding to this collection daily when the 2025/2026 blooming season begins!

Here's my 2025/26 season planting list of the varieties I know, organised roughly into colour groups. All the mystery bloomers will be added once they show themselves!

MOODY DARK DAHLIAS 
Dark Spirit, La Recoleta, Arabian Night, Tartan, Spartacus, Red Fubuki, Copper Boy

BRIGHT DAHLIAS 
Purple - Franz Kafka, Heather, Smokey, Creme de Cassis, Ryan C, Edinburgh, Caitlin's Joy
Pink - Art Nouveau, Elma Elizabeth, Rocco, Cornwallis Island, GH Lammerse, Mediterrannee, Rosella, XXL Berry Cheesecake, Burlesca
Peach - Mr Optimist, Snoho Jojo, Cameo Peach, Sebastian, Salmon Runner, Feline Yvonne
Orange - Jowey Linda, Double Jill, Orange Breeze, American Sunset

PASTEL DAHLIAS 
Pink - Wizard of Oz, Colorado, Cafe au Lait Royale, Cafe Twist, Wine Eyed Jill, Coralie
Purple - Arbatax, Genova
Orange - Penhill Watermelon, Antique Copper
Yellow - Pure Happiness, Amorous Lava, Canary Fubuki
Cream - Cafe au Lait
White - White Aster, Boom Boom White, Ryecroft Ice, Snowflake