I'm having the same situation with Irish Gem. I suspected my" mostly variegated but sometimes solid purple" last year was Irish Gem but bought a new one to make sure. And the first bloom was half varigated. Oh well, they are nice too.
Benny101 Aug 6, 2016 6:55 AM PDT
Greenville MI - zone 5b
Vassio Meggos
Taratahi Ruby ( loving this one !! )
NoH2O Aug 6, 2016 12:18 PM PDT
Name: Candy Everson, Wa
So many beautiful dahlias; so little time...energy...space...moisture...money...
I bought Sheer Heaven for the first time this year. Out of 19 tubers from that vendor, SH was the only one with no visible eye. It never sprouted. I dug it up about a week ago and the tuber is still firm and still blind. The vendor will replace it next year. Based on the pictures here, I am looking forward to it, it is beautiful. Too bad I won't have it this year for my neighbor's daughter's wedding but oh well.
Jon, what an honor to have your bouquets in a local magazine! I agree with Ted - they should have sharpened the focus on the dahlias and blurred the people, especially the one wearing that blue plaid sport coat. I like the French Bulldog though.
mandolls Aug 6, 2016 2:08 PM PDT
Name: Geof WI
Nice Vassio M - My first 3 blooms have been badly chewed up.
Interesting, Candy, that you can't grow Sheer Heaven either. Maybe it doesn't want to grow in Washington state? Over maybe 5 or 6 years and probably 4 o5 5 tries I might have gotten as many as 3 flowers...beautiful flowers but who needs one that doesn't want to grow for them?
NoH2O Aug 6, 2016 4:09 PM PDT
Name: Candy Everson, Wa
Never mind few flowers, mine won't break dormancy! Since I will receive a replacement next year, I will give it one more chance. After that, it's outta here. There are too many other beautiful dahlias to try.
ClearCreekDahlias Aug 6, 2016 4:25 PM PDT
Western New York State Dahlias! Dahlias! Dahlias!
Nick Sr
Knee Deep
AC Loomis
I will be picking the AC Loomis, Nick Sr, Knee Deep, and others and bringing them indoors where it's cooler and darker.
The Erie County Fair flower show entries open Monday. Fortunately, most of these have a long vase life, and any extras go for display on the tables at the judge's luncheon.
FLflowerboy Aug 6, 2016 7:06 PM PDT
Name: Jon George Gainesville, FL ...crazy enough to grow dahlias in
Thanks, Candy!
I planted this dahlia with the name tag 'Survivor' because last year I had thrown the tuber into a pile of leftover pots and it bloomed without any soil! This year with a little extra TLC, it has bloomed nicely.
Woodlands Wild Thing or Dr. John E. Kaiser? Any ideas?
honnat Aug 6, 2016 8:25 PM PDT
St. Paul, MN
Looks like Wildthing to me. One of my top 10 favorites for sure.
mandolls Aug 6, 2016 8:30 PM PDT
Name: Geof WI
Not Dr. John - for sure
FLflowerboy Aug 6, 2016 9:13 PM PDT
Name: Jon George Gainesville, FL ...crazy enough to grow dahlias in
Awesome, thanks!! I was betting on Woodlands Wild Thing. I am super impressed with this dahlia.
New for me this year..." Hy Darcy" bought from Tall Grass Dahlias. Talk about your "Smoky" colors! Plant is probably viruses but I am glad I got to see one flower.
These flowers were on their way to decorate a barn for a wedding on Saturday. So glad I had enough dahlias in bloom now to send all the "Sunset colors" to the wedding and still have enough flowers left for market. Happily, the wine, lavender and pink bouquets sold well at market
Some shots of the flower order for Saturday's "Sunset Colors" wedding
teddahlia Aug 7, 2016 10:58 AM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Especially love the first and the the second one is fabulous.
NoH2O Aug 7, 2016 10:58 AM PDT
Name: Candy Everson, Wa
Luscious! How could anyone resist those colors? Are those Madame Butterfly snaps? How do you grow snaps without rust?
blown_dry Aug 7, 2016 11:06 AM PDT
Name: Amanda CA Redwood Coast - Zone 9b DahliaAddict.com
Just breathtaking. I would say their married life is off to a spectacular start. Are those magenta clusters some sort of long stemmed dianthus?
Candy, they are either Madame Butterflies or Chantilly snaps. And I find the secret to non-rust is to not grow them in the same soil as last year. I used to only grow them in raised beds with clean purchased soil, but so far no rust this year on regular soil. I will rotate the site for them next year. The rust on snaps is specific to snapdragons...it does not affect other kinds of flowers. It happensw when the spores get splashed up on their leaves from the soil.
NoH2O Aug 7, 2016 12:13 PM PDT
Name: Candy Everson, Wa
Oh, that is good information. So the hollyhocks-with-rust growing near the snaps-with-rust in my garden are just coincidental! It is like my experience with computers: one problem occurs close upon the heels of another problem and seem to be logically (at least to me) related but in fact have nothing to do with one another, apparently residing in separate perhaps parallel universes.
Now I am wondering if, when I plant snaps, I immediately mulch with newspaper topped with straw, thus minimizing soil splash, I might avoid rust altogether. Wouldn't that be wonderful?!
Do you start your snaps from seed or do you buy starter plants?
(As I am previewing this post, I am imagining red marks all over it, the inevitable results of an English teacher's wrath. It is probably time to walk away from the computer.)
FLflowerboy Aug 7, 2016 12:32 PM PDT
Name: Jon George Gainesville, FL ...crazy enough to grow dahlias in
Noni, what an impressive ensemble!! I am sure they will love these vibrant colors.
Candy, I think the mulch immediately is probably a great idea. Mine tend to go along until about now before suddenly rust descends. Its good to start a second patch that comes on later and I have NOT done that. I probably should if I could find a spot for them. Lets see, we have about 11 weeks left in our growing season...
