Field Trip: Triple Wren Farms in Ferndale, Washington

In a previous blog post, I shared my journey toward becoming a novice dahlia hybridizer. A journey spanning several years, during which my love for working with dahlias has grown.  I never thought I would have the chance to share one of my dahlias with gardeners across North America. Still, when I was selected to participate in the Novice Hybridizer Program through Triple Wren Farms back in 2023, I was given that exact opportunity.

Triple Wren Farms is a 20-acre dahlia farm in Ferndale, Washington, owned and operated by Sarah and Steve Pabody since 2012. The farm grows and sells dahlia tubers and plants online, supports novice and legacy dahlia hybridizers, and offers educational events and workshops. In 2025, they began cultivating a new farm in Abbotsford, British Columbia, to share dahlias with growers across the U.S. and Canada.

In April of 2024, I sent four of our dahlia tubers to their farm for the Novice Hybridizer Program.  The team at Triple Wren Farms grew out and assessed our dahlia seedlings, sending us detailed reports throughout the 2024 growing season. After careful evaluation, I was thrilled when the team at Triple Wren Farms told me that they wanted to grow out and distribute Whistling Bee’s Dawn’s Early Light by selling its tubers and rooted cuttings in both the U.S. and Canada.  This meant growers across North America can grow our dahlia in their gardens and on their farms in 2026! I never dreamed that a seed I planted five years ago would lead to this incredible opportunity.

In September of 2025, we were invited to visit Triple Wren Farms to see our dahlias growing in their fields and meet other novice hybridizers in the program. Thrilled for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (and for the distraction from the recent emotional upheaval from becoming empty-nesters), my husband and I boarded a plane and flew across the country. We had never been to the West Coast before, and so it was especially exciting. A new adventure for this new chapter in our lives! Jet-lagged and exhausted, we trudged through layovers, three flights, and a short car ride to arrive in Washington. We had made it, and we were so excited!

We had three amazing opportunities during our trip to visit the farm. The first was an evening meet-and-greet with Sarah, Steve, and other novice and legacy hybridizers. After everyone had arrived, Sarah made the introductions, and, besides all of us novice hybridizers, I was gobsmacked to see some of my dahlia hybridizer heroes in attendance: Kristine Albrecht of Santa Cruz Dahlias (prefix KA’s), Steve and Sandy Boley of Birch Bay Dahlias (prefix Sandia, Irish, MS, or SB’s), and Glen Gitts (prefix GG’s), to name a few! While I was starstruck, I found they were incredibly kind and eager to share their knowledge, and it was an absolute pleasure chatting with them all.  These legacy hybridizers are responsible for well over 100 dahlia introductions, and it was an honor to meet and learn from them. I also loved getting to know all my fellow novice hybridizers in attendance and forming a wonderful hybridizer family.

After introductions and conversations, we were given time to wander the farm at Golden Hour. When I stepped foot on the property for the first time, I had to pick my jaw up off the ground. Never before had I seen such beauty! Tens of thousands of dahlias blooming in tandem over acres of fields. A field of planted rainbows. It was a sight to behold! For the 2025 growing season, Sarah and Steve had planted all their dahlias by form: collarettes, orchids, novelties, cacti, stellars, formal-decorative, etc., which was a wonderful way to compare different varieties within the form. Beauty abounded at every turn as we soaked in all of these gorgeous dahlias, resplendent in the sun’s Golden Hour glow. I must’ve taken a thousand photographs to try and capture every single second of the experience. That night, I truly felt as if I were in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

The most memorable moment was when they led each novice hybridizer to see their dahlias growing in the field. Until 2024, my dahlia had only existed and grown on our farm, and when I saw Whistling Bee’s Dawn’s Early Light growing there, thousands of miles across the country, tears filled my eyes. It was an indescribable feeling. They had included a sign with a beautiful write-up about Whistling Bee Farm, me, and Dawn’s Early Light that brought more happy tears. And, while standing there in awe of this accomplishment, I watched dozens of happy, whistling bees feed among the blooms of my dahlia. One of my goals is to hybridize dahlias that support pollinators while also lasting in the vase, and the biggest compliment I received from Sarah while trialing Dawn’s Early Light was that it attracted pollinators she didn’t even know they had on the farm. So, seeing my dahlia supporting their local pollinator population made all of the years of effort worth every minute.

They had created bouquets for each of us novice hybridizers, which included our dahlias, and we took many photographs in the field, holding our bouquets against thousands of dahlias introduced before us as a backdrop. It is a moment and photos I will always cherish.

When the evening was over and the sun had set, I didn’t want to leave this magical place. But luckily, we returned early the next morning for a farm walk and a talk with Sarah and Steve at sunrise. Our gracious hosts gave us a tour of the farm, including the back fields that held many dahlia seedlings not yet introduced. They explained their growing methods and farm operations while we walked, and we gleaned so much valuable information from their years of experience growing dahlias. I don’t think I’ve met two kinder people so generous with their knowledge and expertise. After our tour, we were once again given time to wander the field and soak in all the floral beauty. I think I took another thousand photographs.

That evening was Triple Wren Farms’ annual Dahlia Festival, where they open their farm to the public.  The novice hybridizers were invited and encouraged to interact with guests and answer questions about our dahlias during the festival. I loved speaking with festival attendees about Dawn’s Early Light, and it was humbling to hear how much they loved her.

The highlight of the festival, besides the incredible field of dahlias, was an amazing dahlia wall erected for photo ops. It took hundreds of dahlias to fill and hours to create, but the impact was well worth the effort. As you strolled down the rows of dahlias growing in the beds, the dahlia wall beckoned to you from the other side of the field. It was impossible to resist a visit and a photo before leaving the festival—one last memento from a trip of a lifetime. If you ever have a chance to attend Triple Wren Farms’ Dahlia Festival, it is an experience you will never forget.

Since our visit, I have often thought about those magic moments in Triple Wren Farms’ dahlia fields. Honestly, it took me several weeks to process all of my emotions, thoughts, and feelings surrounding the trip. But, one thing stood out loud and clear: I need to continue hybridizing dahlias.

Triple Wren Farms has held several dahlia tuber sales in both the U.S. and Canada since our trip, during which Whistling Bee’s Dawn’s Early Light was made available. I’m thrilled to report that our dahlia has sold out within 24 hours at every sale. I am completely overwhelmed by gratitude and so excited that other growers love her as much as we do. It means the world to me that our dahlia, growing in gardens and on farms across North America, will support pollinator populations and bring joy to those who grow it. Hopefully, other Whistling Bee dahlias will one day grow beside her. It’s time to get to work.