No worries Pooch I have decided that Miss Elsie must live with me so I will report on her. hmmmmmm now who shall get bumped for Miss Elsie... not a yellow... I NEED yellows.... perhaps I should retire the NOID I named "Sun Saviour"? Very prettiful but late and not many blooms but very cheerfull. I think 'cheerfull' is an important characteristic... hmmm back to chewing my pencil.. hmmmm
QQ - Bahama Mama was out by our lamp post and so many neighbors commented on how gorgeous it was! Penhill Dark Monarch was another winner here. It didn't survive storage last year so I ordered it again - I loved it that much.
Sun Saviour is too pretty to get bumped, DN!
I'm up to the letter B on Accent and have two to order: 24 letters remain.
Can't go wrong with Hillcrest Kismet, edewitt. It's still my all time favorite. Hy Patti looks to be equally beautiful.
quee- You've got quite a list going there and sent me running to see if I got AC Garfield on my list as I fell for that one big time too! Who indeed did post that wonder blossom? Hope I didn't forget to replace Taratahi Ruby either..... I feel a 'clean up the list' order coming on........
Dnut- this photo of "Not Hamari Gold" (as labelled at the big hardware store) really reminds me of your Sun Savior. My photo is washed out. Flowers are really intense orange and bright yellow like yours, only mine bloomed early and had pretty many blooms in the 6" size on a 3' plant. Do you think they could be the same NOID? Sorry if we discussed this before. I think I've thrown my packaging away by now, but maybe we could sleuth out a source and a name. I know it's not Hamari Gold, for sure.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=6928435
Morning, Pirl. Are you singing "Twenty four letters to go on the screen; twenty four letters to go. I'll pick some out and never relent, twenty four letters to go at Accent?" :)
Actually I have three screens going - lilies, clematis and dahlias. Decisions, decisions!
I think I'm going to have to call it quits on looking at dahlia tuber vendors websites after I order from Swan Island this can't be good for my sanity or my budget.
Probably going to put another order in with Accent next month as well. There's some standard ones I've been meaning to get like Spartucus, Alloway Candy, Hillcrest Kismet, and some others.
I'd probably order more from Clack's Dahlia Garden if it weren't for the fact half of the links to the pictures of dahlias don't work so I have no clue what I'm trying to look at. If I knew more about website design I'd offer my services up for taking photographs of all the dahlias they have an giving the website an overhaul in exchange for some tubers.
Thank heavens (and Dave) that we have Plant Files to verify colors.
Ya what Pirl said about PF. Methinks Sun Saviour does look alot like Not Hamari Gold. Here's my list so far:
Dan's Dahlias (ordered last fall)
Christmas Star
Tasagore
Gay Princess
Ferncliff Gardens
Edna C
Parkland Glory
Wine & Roses
Miss Elsie
Ferncliff Purity
Terra Cotta
Now the most exciting news is that upon reviewing my 2009 orders I realized that I have an additional $32.97 in free money from 2009 savings according to the Free Money Budget Theory ^_^ hmmmm ....
Under the Dahlia By-Laws, being that it's 2010, you can move the decimal point right by one place giving you $329.70.
Boggingly Brilliant dear pirl!
My favorite place to order dahlias from is dahlianut.
Last year, she stuffed my car with more dahlias than I could ever hope to have room for and then chased me down the street screaming, "No, wait, you've got to take more!!!: True story. Okay, maybe just the part where she stuffed the car with dahlias.
Joanne Ü
I hope you bought a bigger car for this year ^_^
Well if you're filling up cars I'll give you a heads up if me and the wife make it to Calgary this year.
I always pot up many for the Gifting of the Dahlias time so come hither edewitt and bring a big car.
Thanks! I really dislike that I don't really have anything to offer for gifting this year. Next year may be a different story though.
No worries. We all had to start the same way. Soon you will be celebrating the Gifting of the Tubers and the Gifting of the Dahlias ^_^
"I always pot up many for the Gifting of the Dahlias time so come hither edewitt and bring a big car."
Note that "many" in the sentence above = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000+
Most of what I read are excellent choices.
Last year David Jack of Ferncliff Gardens asked me to grow a new seedling on my dahlia farm. He asked me to evaluate it as a garden dahlia. I was truly impressed with this beauty. Long blooming season--easy to manage bush--lots of blooms all the time (not just in Flushes)--outstanding color. A beautiful purple with hints of dark red also nice strong stems for cutting. What's not to like? David askes me to grow here on Long Island to ensure his new intros can grow in all parts of the country. This beauty is one of the BEST garden dahlias I have ever grown!
Oh, you want the name? This new intro is FERNCLIFF MIDNIGHT. The name says it all. I know it's pricey but it makes a ton of tubers and well worth the price.
Steve_D
WHOOO HOOO! That is so exciting Steve D! Guess whose coming to live with me? ^_^
Anyone order any tubers from Homestead Dahlias or at least hear anything about them? There's absolutely nothing about them on Garden Watchdog except a spot to leave feedback.
http://www.homestead.grimloc.net/
I placed a nice sized order with Homestead this year, they have an amazing selection of eclectic choices. Took all my Googling skills to find pictures of some varieties though. They seem to be related in some way to Red Hawk, at least they have a lot of overlapping merchandise. I had great results from Red Hawk last year.
Well at $4 a pop for a tuber you can't beat the price especially from their huge selection.
Please put Homestead in Watch Dog if you are happy with their supply Tod (ya, ya, nag, nag cuz you would do that anyway for sure). I have been monitoring Abloom Gardens site but nothing yet for 2010. I think they might have folded :( For those who are new, Aboom lost all their tubers in 2009 due to a severe freeze. I will email them in March if their website doesn't change.
I wanted to order some from Hilltop Gardens, but they don't seem to be open yet either. I am 15 plants over my quota now too, I will have to get creative as it is to get them all in. :) Someone has to be last to open, I guess. Sadly, Crazy Dahlia Lady could not dig all of hers this season, what she has she'll sell over Ebay. :(
I've been thinking of some way of fastening balloons to large pots and floating them above my yard since I am running out of space.
How bout suspension bridges with a network of catwalks shaped like a spiderweb with treehouses at the corners and hammocks for viewing?
Poochella, I'm a bit concerned and I feel a bit dumb. I got a catalog today from Farmer Seed. I decided to look through it and the prices for some of the things they have just seem too good to be true. I decided to take a gander at them on Garden Watchdog and it looks pretty grim. 7 positive reviews, 11 neutrals, and 80 negative. Yikes. I've got my fingers crossed I'll actually get all the correct tubers I ordered, marked and in tuber form rather than seed. :-(
You have no reason to feel dumb and, looking on the sunny side, maybe you'll get some good dahlias for a steal of a price. I am the one who should have looked at Watchdog before even posting the link, but I was in a rush and eager to share the rock bottom prices. Cross your fingers: you could be lucky number 8 with a positive experience.
Anyone have feedback on Skagit Heights? There's none on DG. They have nice-looking inventory and really inexpensive prices. Found them on The Big List, but have sent 2 emails regarding early shipping with no response in 2 weeks. Maybe it's for the best-I can't stop ordering! Got few more from Clacks and Alpen Gardens...I think it's time for an intervention.
Trouble's a brewin'. I found out how much I'm getting on my tax returns. Oh man, I gotta make more room in the yard for sure. Next order is going to be through Swan Island and I'm going all out. "Nick Sr". & "El Sol", come to papa!
It all starts so innocently.
LOL "come to Papa!"
Trouble is brewin' here as well: Chocolatemoose is in town for the NW Flower and Garden Show and I'm going in to meet her tomorrow. For lunch. I will not go to the show. I will not go to the show.. I cannot go to the show. I must not go to the show where dahlia vendors, plants, and garden stuff galore are in full splendorous display. It smells and sounds so awesome in there! I could send a little wish list with Moose though ;) if, perchance, she ran into Dan's Dahlia booth.
Somehow I thought it was your duty to go since you are the Queen of the Dahlias.
Go, Poochella, go!
HAHA-edewitt-funny you mention this. I have intentionally put off filing our return so I don't order 50 more!
Pooch-just tell yourself you are merely going to report back to all of us, who don't get to partake. It took me a minute to figure out Chocolatemoose wasn't the name of a dahlia. Doh!
Oh-it was HART who got me dying to have AC Garfield!!! There were a few threads with lots of pictures that had me running to look for them because of harts photos. I saved a few on my puter in a "need to order for '10 folder" that I just found! Whew-that's been bugging me for days.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=6923141
ooooooo the PNW show oooooo When I lived in Vancouver BC I went every year. Of course I swooned alot so I can't recall much. Pooch I do believe under Article 9, Clause 3(b)(i) of the Dahliaholic Anonymouse Charter that you are required to go to the PNW show as a resident of the said state where said show is showing so as to report back to other members on the wonderous event. Clause 3(b)(ii) requires pictification of said show as well.
Well, shamefully, I did not follow the Charter rules and attend the show, but I had a wonderful afternoon meeting Chocolatemoose and learning about North Pole, Alaska living/gardening AND got the scoop on the NW Flower and Garden Show from a true trooper who attended two days in a row. Way to make use of your time, Moose! How cool it is to meet another fellow gardener in person, let alone from the North Pole area.
Added bonus: I had my own Mystery Moose Shopper calling me from in front of dahlia vendors at the show asking me if there is anything in particular I want. Now, how cool is that? It was wonderful to meet and get the inside scoop on the show, even though there's nothing like smelling the hundreds of cubic yards of soil and seeing real things from small to large growing in a forced setting. Had a great time at lunch on yet another wonderful winter day in Seattle. Even though it was more like Spring. Moose timed her trip really well and I enjoyed meeting her immensely. Maybe next time, we can plan a NW mini round up centered around the Flower and Garden Show.
And the Moose is wore out...It's pretty bad when Bill of B & D Dahlias sees you at 7:00 p.m in a part of the show way far away from his booth, recognizes you and says 'You're STILL here???. I saw you yesterday and again this morning when we first opened!" I replied, 'yes, but moving considerabley slower". He said I also had this glassy-eyed look that wasn't there that morning...LOL
But I DID have the most wonderful break when Pooch so kindly literally "picked me up off the street corner" and took me to a really cool place for lunch....Pooch, stop reading now...
For those (and that's 99.9% of you) who have never had the pleasure of meeting Pooch, she is just as nice, personable and generous in person, as she is online. Just a fun, sweet lady!
Okay, Pooch, you can come back now.
And a NW mini round-up around the time of the Flower Show would be incredible!
Pooch is a very sweet and very generous person. I wish I could meet her some day.
