I made up some $5 bouquets for market with one dahlia and enough supporting flowers and greens to make a nice little bouquet. I wasn't going to make $5 ones anymore but it was the perfect size for the first few bb dahlias. I also made up a $20 with those "Sunshine" single dahlias,(Golden yellow with a red circle around the center, black leaves) and a few bright red, gold and orange other things. Its pretty striking! I have it in the "Vendor" crate , since I figure singles are "single event" flowers . I am hoping for another half dozen venders to buy my big bouquets to pep up their booths again. I'll try to take my camera with me tomorrow and get a photo of it. Not much sunlight on the back porch tonight.
mandolls Jul 9, 2016 6:05 PM PDT
Name: Geof WI
I have quite a few more opening up. Windhaven Blush, which is my first large dahlia, Mardi Gras, Westerton Folly, a NOID B sized yellow cactus, Kite Runner, and Fancy pants, which is the only one I have a decent picture of right now.
Your Fancy Pants is lovely! I just got my two plants into the ground...I hope they are as pretty as yours!
Benny101 Jul 9, 2016 8:14 PM PDT
Greenville MI - zone 5b
Nice Geof
I liked Westerton Folly last year but my tubers shriveled up to toothpicks for some reason so I do not have it this year but we do have a few seedlings growing from it , Very sharp looking blooms in the garden and produced all Summer for us
Benny101 Jul 9, 2016 8:24 PM PDT
Greenville MI - zone 5b
I believe this is the first time we have seen Ruthie G in person , I could get used to having this one around !
DahliaGardener Jul 9, 2016 8:44 PM PDT
Name: Cynthia BG, KY USDA Zone 6b Sanity = Dirt under your nails...
That's so pretty, Benny!! Mine close to the right colors, but awfully messed up otherwise!
She is gorgeous! Droolworthy!! Another reminder of why I want to grow her!!
I took my first "Sweetness" flower to market, having picked it before it was quite in full bloom. It was AMAZING when it opened out more at Market! I wanted to take a photo of it but I couldn't find the camera I had brought with me...So I get packed up to go home and reach in my pocket for my car keys and there is my camera
DahliaGardener Jul 9, 2016 10:58 PM PDT
Name: Cynthia BG, KY USDA Zone 6b Sanity = Dirt under your nails...
I hate when that happens!
C DG
teddahlia Jul 10, 2016 7:03 AM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Ruthie G. was named after Ruth Girt of the Portland Dahlia Society. She died just before I joined up. The originators were a small dahlia nursery called Bateman's Dahlias and it was Lucy? Bateman who bred it. They closed down the nursery the year I joined but had been in business many years. It is known for being a cool weather flower and to have just a touch too many rows of florets. We know that PNWGal uses it for breeding as do the Boleys. We have tried it with less success. As a show flower, it wins some prizes and when the waterlily entry is weak, it has won best waterlily several times. It is a fairly good tuber maker and it grows tall and healthy for a waterlily. It is one of those dahlias that has been around for decades but not real popular and it took off in popularity recently. Here in Portland, we would not show it much but the people who lived on the Oregon Coast would bring real nice examples to our show.
