I think single dahlias are sadly under-rated. Visitors to my garden go wild for the single seedlings. They brighten up the garden so much, they attract polinaters, and they are prettier then most daisies....They bloom all summer. I find that if I pick them before they are pollinated they will last as long as most daisy type flowers in bouquet. I want to design a border using seasonal flowers and single type dahlias...delphinium and foxglove and snapdragons, poppies and lupins and daisies, zinnias and asters and gladioli, all mixed into a wonderful tapestry of shapes and colors. I would bet you get the longest seaon of bloom from the single dahlias if you keep picking the spent ones.
Calico Rebecca Calico Catherine Jane Calico Emilie
Calico Night Mare
Calico Anna Naomi
drewtheflorist Apr 20, 2019 5:54 PM PDT
Name: Drew the Florist 14 miles S E of Pittsburgh
Happy Easter !
blown_dry Apr 20, 2019 8:56 PM PDT
Name: Amanda CA Redwood Coast - Zone 9b DahliaAddict.com
Very cool!
edewitt Apr 21, 2019 12:12 PM PDT
Name: Eric DeWitt Mountainair, NM
Crazy 4 Jessie back in 2012.
teddahlia Apr 21, 2019 12:28 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Crazy 4 Jessie was originated by John Spangenburg of the Washington DC area. It is known for it's good form but needs to be shaded for the shows. In dahlias it was observed in the 1930s by a researcher named Lawrence, that there were two forms of the anthocyanin pigment, one that is more red and does not fade and another that is a deep pinkish (with just a hint of blue) red that is actually brighter than the other but fades very quickly in the sun. This flower has the fading pigment. Most people like the color of the fading pigment before it fades and like it better than the non fading version. However, having pigments that fade so easily is not very practical. for cut flowers and most gardeners. I bet that there are other versions of the red pigments but one needs to be biochemist to identify them.
teddahlia Apr 30, 2019 9:27 AM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Red and white bicolors always look good to me.
teddahlia May 23, 2019 10:06 AM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Bumblebee enjoying Hollyhill Sophia close up. Planting waterlilies today.
So beautiful, Ted! I think I am planting mine today too, but she goes in the color row with other golds through oranges.
DillyDahlia May 23, 2019 1:17 PM PDT
Name: Tina NY Zone 5b/6a Flower Power!
I love those yellow dahlias!
teddahlia May 26, 2019 7:47 AM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Picture of HH Starburst taken as a seedling in 2007. Margaret's friend named the flower. I noticed that it is now the top BB sized cactus flower in the shows. We sold too much of it and lost it. Noni gave us some good stock and we are growing it again.
teddahlia May 28, 2019 7:33 AM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Liatris and Big Red in 2011.
DarcyD May 28, 2019 10:32 AM PDT
Name: Darcy D Green Oaks, Illinois
Beautiful, Ted! I love dahlias combined with non-dahlias. I'm working on doing more of that this year. I did one bed out front next to my house with my collarettes, lavender, foxglove and hollyhocks. The three perennials were all winter sown. I hope they make it. I winter sowed three different types of lavender this year and amazingly all sprouted well.
teddahlia May 28, 2019 10:37 AM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
I do not know why we do not grow liatris anymore as it was fairly easy and made some bulbs. It comes in white also. Perhaps Margaret did not think it would grow in pots.
teddahlia Jun 1, 2019 9:11 AM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
No reason to post this picture except I like Pink Tigress.
I like it too and don't think I ended up with any planted so thanks for the photo shot. That reminds me to check the remaining plants and see if I still have one. It is definitely a day brightener!
teddahlia Jun 1, 2019 4:04 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Pink Tigress makes lots of easy keeping tubers HOWEVER they are not very big or good looking. I end up planting the sorriest looking tubers each year as I would be embarrassed to sell them. I am always amazed how the size and shape of dahlia tubers has very little to do with the looks of the flower. Yes, some giant dahlias make giant tubers(Nick Sr) but other giants may have small tubers. One fairly sure thing, if it is Swan Island variety, it will have fairly large and easy keeping tubers. That was one of the first things I learned from talking to Nick Gitts Sr. He was ruthless about culling poor tuber makers.
teddahlia Jun 22, 2019 7:55 AM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
This is the time of the year when the newbies post pictures of their first dahlia flower on the internet forums. It is visually a difficult time of the year for me. Picture of Hollyhill Margarita as a first year seedling.
blown_dry Jun 22, 2019 5:54 PM PDT
Name: Amanda CA Redwood Coast - Zone 9b DahliaAddict.com
We are with you in this difficult time, Ted.
Why newbies? I wouldn't think they would be better at getting early blooms. Or is it newbie hybridizers...
Anyway! Must have been very cool to find that in your seedling bed. I am growing it this year and looking forward to my first blooms.
So, do you mean all the newbies oohing and ahhhing over open centered flowers with poor form, Ted? I've noticed that trend
melissamaeday Jun 22, 2019 8:05 PM PDT
Name: Melissa Omaha,NE
I am right there with you, Ted!
The ones that make me cringe the most are when they ask what the name of it is, then also say that they bought it from a big box store and threw away the package...
Calico Catherine Jane
Calico Emilie
