Rob Bischops, Growing a Better Dahlia

Rob Bischops

Dutch Gardens has long been known for its superior-quality dahlias. Credit for this reputation lies with the knowledgeable and exacting Dutch farmers who produce the outstanding dahlia plants that we offer in our catalogs.

Rob Bischops is one of the best dahlia growers we know. He began working in the bulb business at the age of 18, growing daffodils and botanical tulip varieties. With a degree in horticulture and many years of experience in the bulb growing fields, Rob was well qualified to also take on the challenge of breeding and propagating top-quality dahlias.

Producing dahlias is a costly and time-consuming process. These lovely flowers, which bring so much beauty to the late-summer garden, are extremely susceptible to a range of viruses. To ensure disease-free plant material, top dahlia growers like Rob Bischops always start with new, tissue-cultured planting stock that is certified virus-free. The crop must be closely monitored throughout the growing season and harvested tubers must be handled with special care. Daily, in-the-field attention is the only way to guarantee a high-quality dahlia tuber, and Rob is justifiably proud of his success as one of Holland's top growers.

Today, Rob devotes 15 acres on his 22-acre farm to growing dahlias, and produces about 1,300,000 dahlia plants each season. Some of the dahlia varieties that Rob currently grows for Dutch Gardens include Otto's Thrill, Thomas Edison and Breakout.

Thomas Edison Dahlia

In addition to growing dahlias, the family also produces more than 2 million daffodil bulbs each year, including the variety Gold Medal, which is known to be one of the most difficult daffodils to cultivate. With horticultural knowledge and skill to spare, it seems Rob Bischops takes special pleasure in conquering a challenge. His pursuit of excellence and passion for plants means we get to enjoy bigger, healthier, more beautiful flowers in our gardens each summer. Thanks, Rob!