家族起源与三代传承
Connell 家族的大丽花事业起步于 1960 年代末期,创始人 Les Connell 当时还是一名退休学校教师,业余时间开始在地里种植花卉。他很快被大丽花吸引,从此把全部精力投入到培育新品种的工作里,前后坚持了五十多年,直到 2020 年离世,这段漫长经历让他成为美国大丽花育种史上最具代表性的人物之一。美国大丽花协会还专门设立了以他命名的 Les Connell 奖章,用于表彰在大丽花培育领域有突出贡献的人。
农场规模与品种数量
农场位于华盛顿州塔科马市外围,目前由家族第三代 Shea Connell 打理,主力田块约 5 英亩,加上 Puyallup 山谷 7.5 英亩的兄弟地块,合计约 12 英亩,被当地人称作「Connell 大丽花田」。田间常年轮作的大丽花品种约 325 个,涵盖小型、中型与大型三类花型,既是切花和盆栽的来源,也支撑着一年一度的春季球根邮购业务。
自育品种与命名传统
农场每年都会培育并推出新的自育品种,这是 Les Connell 留下的传统之一。新品种的名字大多来自家族里的晚辈,比如 Kellie Ann、Rebecca Lynn、Andy D. 这些名字,沿用至今,带着鲜明的家族印记。这些自育品种在 ADS 数据库里有正式登记,部分品种如 Gloriosa 等也通过切花和球根渠道进入全球花友的收藏,常被海外园艺爱好者在社交媒体上提及。
销售渠道与产品线
现在 Connell 家的产品基本都通过自营的在线商店销售,主站采用 Shopify 平台搭建,主要品类包括大丽花球根(tubers)、切花和盆栽植物。每年春季开放预订,按订单排队发货,库存每隔一天更新一次;同时在 Puyallup 集市(Puyallup Fair)上做现场展售,这个传统已经延续了 28 年。每周固定营业时间内也支持到店自提,本地顾客可以从现场挑选当下长势最好的植株。
营业时间与访客须知
农场面向公众开放自提,营业时间为周二至周五上午 9 点到下午 4 点半,周六上午 9 点到下午 4 点,周日与周一休息。由于场地是家族生产用地,来访前请通过首页的联系页面确认当日开放情况,以及当前是否仍有可售球根或盆栽。农场对外联系一律以首页公布的渠道为准,不接受电话之外的预约形式。
Family Origins and Three Generations
The Connell family’s dahlia business dates to the late 1960s, when founder Les Connell — a retired schoolteacher — first started growing flowers in his spare time. He quickly fell for dahlias and devoted himself to hybridising new varieties for more than fifty years, until his passing in July 2020. His long career made him one of the most influential figures in American dahlia breeding, and the American Dahlia Society named its Les Connell Medal in his honour.
Farm Scale and Cultivar Range
The farm sits just outside Tacoma, Washington, and is now run by third-generation grower Shea Connell. The main field covers about 5 acres, with an additional 7.5-acre plot in the Puyallup Valley run by a brother, bringing the total operation to roughly 12 acres. Local growers simply call the place “Connell’s Dahlias.” Around 325 dahlia varieties are grown in rotation each year, spanning small, medium and large bloom sizes for cut flowers, potted plants and the spring tuber mail-order business.
Originations and Family Naming Tradition
Each year the farm introduces a handful of new home-originated varieties, a tradition that goes back to Les Connell’s time. New cultivar names typically honour younger members of the family — Kellie Ann, Rebecca Lynn, Andy D., and similar — so every release carries a clear family signature. Several of these, including Gloriosa (B FD V), have entered wider circulation through both the cut-flower and tuber trade, and are now grown by hobbyists well beyond the Pacific Northwest.
Sales Channels and Product Lines
Today almost all Connell’s sales run through the family’s own online store, which is built on the Shopify platform. The main product lines are dahlia tubers, cut flowers and potted plants. Spring orders open each year and ship in sequence, with inventory counts refreshed every other day. The farm also maintains a long-running display at the Puyallup Fair, a 28-year family tradition, and welcomes local customers for on-site pickup during regular business hours.
Hours and Visitor Information
The farm is open to the public for order pickup, with hours running Tuesday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; the farm is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Because the property is a working family operation, visitors should confirm same-day opening and current availability of tubers or potted plants through the contact page on the home site before making the trip. All official correspondence goes through the channels listed on the home site.
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