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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Megan Doherty

The [dahlia] show goes on at The Plot at Pialligo

Bison Glasshouse owner Brian Tunks is celebrating the dahlia, Pialligo and community at The Plot at Pialligo this weekend. Picture by James Croucher

The Pialligo Estate closure has affected not only the restaurant and function centre in Kallaroo Road, but also the popular meeting place The Plot at Pialligo on the busy Beltana Road strip.

Businesses run by Pialligo Estate at The Plot - the grocer's and the cafe - have closed, with their future as yet unknown.

But other tenants such as Pink Flamingo Interiors and the Bison Glasshouse are still open.

In the absence of any solid information about what comes next, following Pialligo Estate's financial collapse, Bison Glasshouse owner Brian Tunks is sad about how things have unfolded but determined to keep people wanting to visit Pialligo.

Have gumboots, will garden: Brian Tunks with some of the beautiful dahlias he will sell and help people to style at the Bison Glasshouse in Pialligo this weekend. Picture by James Croucher

He's organised a coffee van to come in this weekend, thanks to Nellie's Cafe and Bar, helping visitors who were looking in vain for their caffeine fix last weekend.

And he is also celebrating Dah-licious, a festival of dahlias, community and Pialligio, cutting bunches of dahlias from his seasonal flower garden and showing visitors to the Glasshouse how to style them in his array of glassware. The cut blooms will also be for sale.

"Until we get clarification on the site, which is looking potentially positive, we're concentrating on becoming even bigger and better this year," Mr Tunks said.

Nellie's Cafe and Bar will be providing the coffee at The Plot at Pialligo this weekend. Picture supplied

A tenant at The Plot, Mr Tunks is also waiting on information about his future and that of other businesses there.

But he has always been energised by time spent in his garden and the dahlias are providing a welcome distraction.

"Oh God, I've got my first pair of gumboots since I was a kid. I'm loving it," he said.

Mr Tunks said he hoped Dah-licious would become an annual event to "rival Floriade in how beautiful it is".

Bison Glasshouse owner Brian Tunks is celebrating the dahlia, Pialligo and community at The Plot at Pialligo this weekend. Picture by James Croucher

He wants to share his love of the nostalgic, architectural bloom that is the dahlia by showing people how to best display them. And then, in spring, he will talk about how to plant them.

"People come in and talk about their grandparents because they remember they had dahlias and that's what it's really all about, that sense of community," he said.

  • Dah-licious will be at the Bison Glasshouse at 12 Beltana Road, Pialligo from 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday.
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