I've wanted to grow Jennie for a long time. Tod gave me a tuber this year and its finally in bloom, I love it!
Benny101 Sep 30, 2017 4:50 AM PDT
Greenville MI - zone 5b
I really like that one Noni
blown_dry Sep 30, 2017 7:39 AM PDT
Name: Amanda CA Redwood Coast - Zone 9b DahliaAddict.com
That's really lovely, Noni. The coloring reminds me of Granny Norman.
teddahlia Sep 30, 2017 7:43 AM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Jennie was best in show at the National Show in Vancouver, B.C. in the early 90s. I am told that that show was the biggest dahlia show in modern times and that there were about 7,0000 flowers there. The person who entered it was a novice grower, however he was wealthy enough to have a personal gardener. Jennie was originated by the late Phil Traff who was a legend in the PNW before he died of HIV at a young age. He named the flower after his mother who was still alive a couple of years ago, a very nice lady who clerked at shows. The genetics of Jennie are all from varieties and seeds of laciniated dahlias obtained from Cyril Higgo of South Africa. Phil used those plants to produce the seed that produced it. Jennie is very prone to acquiring virus and is not a very vigorous plant even when very healthy. It is not a very tall grower either and does not do well in heat. There was a project to distribute some healthy stock a couple of years ago in the PNW and some nice flowers were grown by several people. I grew it once and got a very nice flower. I was very lucky to see the flower at the Vancouver show and that show was one of the first we ever attended. Our young children were not nearly as enthusiastic about looking at all the flowers.
I haven't seen a photo yet of Mak's Lori Jean that showed anything like its beauty in my garden! I planted it at the last minute right by my garden gate after acquiring it at a club auction. It is a soft candlelight yellow with a warm peachy glow but in no ways would be called "Orange". Most photos seem to show it more of a chrome yellow..well, not in my garden at any time this summer! It is a nice size, probably between 4.5 and 5', and always has half a dozen b sized blooms going on it. They hold up well in bouquets. Its a sleeper that has become a clear favorite for me, both in the garden and in the bouquets for the house.
blown_dry Oct 4, 2017 11:42 AM PDT
Name: Amanda CA Redwood Coast - Zone 9b DahliaAddict.com
What a lovely, glowing color.
teddahlia Oct 4, 2017 12:02 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
I find it ironic that Margaret declared just today that she was tired of those tan and tannish yellow seedlings. Our seedlings of late have had way too many of them she says, yet she marked this WL type to keep a day or two ago.
Benny101 Oct 6, 2017 6:58 PM PDT
Greenville MI - zone 5b
Rule #1 Do as I say not as I do
Watch as in 3 years from now “ tan and tannish yellow “ will be all the rage in color
I would bet that one combined with purple would suit all my UW Husky fans to a tee! How many other schools have gold and_____ for school colors?...I had a lady who wanted a purple and gold bouquet before every Husky football game or she felt her team would loose. I didn't hear from her last year..I suspect she is in the loony bin, LOL
DillyDahlia Oct 7, 2017 8:01 AM PDT
Name: Tina NY Zone 5b/6a Flower Power!
I love gold with burgundy, wine or deep purple. At the same time, I do not care for bright yellow with the those dark tones. Ted, your seedling color is one that I would really like.
teddahlia Oct 12, 2017 1:14 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Jessica: One of my all time great flowers that we cannot/will not grow.
Cannot: very difficult to keep the tubers and difficult to get good stock. Some stock is virused. Some stock has sported to an incorrect color pattern.
Will not: It's seedlings have had horrible tuber keeping qualities but have been spectacular otherwise.
DillyDahlia Oct 12, 2017 3:10 PM PDT
Name: Tina NY Zone 5b/6a Flower Power!
After saying that I don't care for bright yellow with dark tones....i have to take it back because Jessica is stunning!
Picking for Market today. With the thought of a major storm coming in next week I treasure each bloom as I pick it and also see the bush relax a bit once the weight of that bloom is off it. I have 2 big super size garden wagons full...and still picking various colors...I alrea\ady have more then I can sell but the rest of the picking is just garden maintainance. Plus I will have a really beautiful garage for a week
At least for now the sky is blue and it is 50 degrees..comfortable sweatshirt weather.
addicted Oct 14, 2017 6:21 PM PDT
Name: Em NY
As I'm preparing to cut the plants down, I take the last nice bloom from each variety and add it to a large vase. I enjoy these for about a week as I continue cutting and dividing. It's a nice way to end the season.
DillyDahlia Oct 15, 2017 9:04 AM PDT
Name: Tina NY Zone 5b/6a Flower Power!
beautiful Em, a lovely way to end the season.
mandolls Oct 15, 2017 1:01 PM PDT
Name: Geof WI
Ditto - we have several big vases around the house like that too. A frost is bound to hit sometime in the near future, I don't think my partner would let me cut them down before mother nature takes them. He is having to much fun gifting big bouquets to everyone.
teddahlia Oct 18, 2017 12:26 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Bouquet on our kitchen table as picked by Margaret. Variegated is HH Dragonfire that will go to trial gardens next year. Tomatoes are from our garden and the red houseplant was transferred from the greenhouse to the table recently. Wilted light version of HH Pink Tigress is on the left and HH Masquerade is on the bottom. The eyeglasses are my magnifying glasses for shucking seeds.
DillyDahlia Oct 18, 2017 1:52 PM PDT
Name: Tina NY Zone 5b/6a Flower Power!
The last Karmas and Divas...
teddahlia Oct 18, 2017 4:18 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Diva may well be the best Swan Island variety and Nick told me it is one of ,if not the best, seller of all. It makes lots of easy keeping tubers and that is rare for a purple. As good as it is, the florists complain that it is not purple enough.
Remember Karmas are patented and are illegal to sell unless you pay a royalty to Aad Verwer. I know of a person who ordered "liners" of some Karma varieties to sell as plants at Farmers Markets. That is legal because the seller of the plants paid the royalty money.
Technically, it is illegal to keep more than one tuber from a Karma plant. You bought only one and increasing your stock would mean you owe money to the patent holder. But in reality that is pretty much B.S. as there is no one to enforce the law. A commercial cut flower seller got permission to increase his own stock without paying a royalty as long as he did not sell any tubers. He grows that variety for cut flowers and I cannot remember the name. Pink and yellow blends?
It is a soft candlelight yellow with a warm peachy glow but in no ways would be called "Orange". Most photos seem to show it more of a chrome yellow..well, not in my garden at any time this summer! It is a nice size, probably between 4.5 and 5', and always has half a dozen b sized blooms going on it. They hold up well in bouquets. Its a sleeper that has become a clear favorite for me, both in the garden and in the bouquets for the house.
