And... again Clearview Claret
This one is fantastic. There are currently 8 giant blooms on the bush with about 15 more buds - 6 will open within days. It's tolerating the heat without any signs of stress. These flowers have been blooming for the last 7 days and aren't fading or wilting. The plant is healthy. And, for you bouquet people, the stems are about 8 - 10 inches long. WOW!
Benny101 Aug 7, 2016 4:36 PM PDT
Greenville MI - zone 5b
AC Kahuna
FLflowerboy Aug 7, 2016 5:15 PM PDT
Name: Jon George Gainesville, FL ...crazy enough to grow dahlias in
I'm loving Clearview Claret! Thanks for the recommendation...fits all the criteria I'm looking for...now to see if it will hold up to a tropical storm.
Which one is the big Kahuna? â‰ï¸ðŸ˜Ž
Benny101 Aug 7, 2016 5:44 PM PDT
Greenville MI - zone 5b
Haha , I picked it for mom as she was in need of some table flowers again , I try to keep her in a fairly fresh boquet so that she does not go looking for cuts on her own .
AC Kahuna
Vassio Meggos
Snoho Storm
Hamilton Lilian
HH Starburst
mandolls Aug 7, 2016 5:55 PM PDT
Name: Geof WI
Smart move Benny - that looks like a great red!
Noni you pics of the barn wedding flowers are breath taking.
Sylvia - Is Puff & Stuff an Anemone? or a novelty - it's kind of cool
Thanks Geof! They sure took on a glow when they were massed together!
mandolls Aug 7, 2016 6:16 PM PDT
Name: Geof WI
This is my ugly ducking of the year so far - Pinelands Princess, which I have had for years and has always been dependable - this is the 2nd bloom like this.
But to make me feel better I got my first bloom form Citron Du Cap - which is new for me this year
HH Starburst & Goldrush have really been putting out the blooms for me this year. (having two plants of each does make a difference)
sylviap Aug 7, 2016 7:06 PM PDT
Name: Sylvia West Sacramento, CA Zone 9b
mandolls wrote:
Sylvia - Is Puff & Stuff an Anemone? or a novelty - it's kind of cool
It's a novelty fully double. NIce pink with yellow rim on the petals.
honnat Aug 8, 2016 7:11 PM PDT
St. Paul, MN
And why has it taken me so long to grow Hollyhill Electra? Actually I think I tried it once before and it grew a couple feet and didn't bloom. I had better luck this time. I bought from a few sources. I believe the AC stock is doing the best (no surprise).
I bought it a few years ago and it was so badly virused I had to rip it out. I am glad you got a good one!
addicted Aug 9, 2016 12:22 PM PDT
Name: Em NY
Benny, how did you propagate Purple Zelda? I've always taken my cuttings from the tuber in the spring, but if I ever got a sport I liked, I'd want to keep it going. What's the best way to do that in the middle of the summer?
Benny101 Aug 9, 2016 1:08 PM PDT
Greenville MI - zone 5b
One could get cuttings going most any time if they have a light set up indoors . With this particular sport I was lucky in that the whole plant sported last year so I dug and marked the clump seperatey . Last fall I took a cutting of a first year seedling I really liked just before digging , once the cutting rooted I kept taking cuttings from it until I had several then discarded the original as it is difficult to keep one plant alive all winter unless you are ultra dedicated , to me it is almost better to grow a few , start new cuttings , throw out the others , instead of trying to keep one or two alive all winter ,
teddahlia Aug 9, 2016 3:16 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
We have kept rooted cuttings alive all winter by putting them on the window sill in the kitchen that is a South facing window. They just barely make it to Spring as the light and conditions are not all that good. Powdery mildew was our biggest problem and spraying fungicide in the kitchen was not allowed by Margaret. I was able take the plants and place them under florescent lights in the early Spring and get some cuttings. Unfortunately, the powdery mildew was not all gone and the cuttings were infected. When I planted the cuttings in the garden they infected the other plants in that row and I did have to spray fungicide to stop the spread. I have never had powdery mildew in June.
blown_dry Aug 10, 2016 12:32 PM PDT
Name: Amanda CA Redwood Coast - Zone 9b DahliaAddict.com
Below: AC Ring of Fire, Holland's Festival
Below: Mary P (lovely flowers, not very vigorous), Banshu No Mori
Below: Steve Meggos, Holland's Festival
In other news, Connie Thompson is the same color scheme and equally as difficult to capture as Hollyhill Margarita. I'm thrilled with it.
NoH2O Aug 10, 2016 1:20 PM PDT
Name: Candy Everson, Wa
Beautiful. I really like Holland's Festival but then again I really like all of them. It is hard to pick one over the other but....okay, Holland's Festival by a hair.
OH, beautiful! I was just thinking about whether I want to try Ring of Fire next year. I didn't used to be able to grow these with the bright tips when my garden was shaded all afternoon but now I think it might really pop!
I grew Steve Meggos one year but decided I like the little peppermint flecks in JS Butterscotch even better.
mandolls Aug 10, 2016 3:26 PM PDT
Name: Geof WI
I love the fact that even though I am familiar with hundreds of dahlias - someone here can post a whole slew that I have never heard of - beautiful Amanda.
FLflowerboy Aug 10, 2016 5:20 PM PDT
Name: Jon George Gainesville, FL ...crazy enough to grow dahlias in
Again, your colors are twice as saturated as anything blooming here! Gorgeous!
honnat Aug 10, 2016 7:03 PM PDT
St. Paul, MN
Love the Steve Meggos. Mary P is the opposite here. 6 ft plant with buds just starting to open. I think the heat is doing a number on the buds though. Looks like they're a bit mis-shapen.
teddahlia Aug 11, 2016 12:19 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Teresa Bergman of Cowlitz River Dahlias sent me a tuber of the light colored sport of Hollyhill Bewitched. She will be selling it this year? I do not think Margaret would allow me to sell any tubers as she loves Bewitched and this sport too much and we have very little stock of either one.
