Finally, a few blooms !!

After the worst Spring that I can imagine, the Dahlias are starting to bud and bloom. We had record rainfall so I didn't plant until mid-late June. A couple were even planted after the first week of July. I started off with about 65 tubers and have lost 15 or more when the rain recently returned ( over 4 inches yesterday ) along with the heat and cat "fertilizer". Ever wish you could wake up one morning and find out it was next Spring so you could start over again? LOL Oh well, enough complaining. Anyway this is Peach Delight.

This is a very under-achieving Duet without the white tips. This was my favorite Dahlia from last year and I'm very disappointed.

This is Embrace. It's showing a lot of buds.

Gallery "Rembrandt".

Gallery "Pablo".

Gallery "Art Noveau".

Beautiful blooms! I have often seen the first blooms on bicolors come out with mostly the one color. Happened to me with Contraste.

Dan
And Peach Delight it is. Beautiful.

They are gorgeous - only my short ones have been flowering so far. We have had the opposite problem that you have had. We have been having a drought until recently. I am hoping the recent rains will help the dahlias.

I plant mine in the garage in pots starting April 1 and they go outside, either in pots or in the ground, around June 1. Bishop of York, Bishop of Aukland, Rachel, Patches, Hockley Maroon have all bloomed. Maybe 10 or so to go, some new plants and some propagated and not sure which from last year they are. The new ones (bought from Corralito's Garden) are about 4' tall now. I have never had plants so big. Strange. but then I haven't planted the taller ones in the dirt before, just the dwarfs.

Great photos, Dan. They're a feast for the eyes.

Dan, you have such a wonderful variety. I am trying to expand my selections but it slow going. They are NOT cheap.

@mstella:

On that note, would people in this forum be interested in swapping tubers after the season's out? Is there already a forum or something of the like for that purpose? I would be happy to get something like that going.

sounds like a plan to me!

I would be late getting tubers in, but would be willing to try

If anyone wants, I'd be happy to make a shared google doc spreadsheet with each person's tubers. Post what you would be able to make available and I can put it all on a centralized list.

Works for me. I am assuming you are assuming that people will be sending viable tubers, e.g. with eyes and a part of the stem. I can't dig mine up til late September or early October so not sure how that will affect my offerings. Also, what condition? Ready for winter storage, or simply cleaned up? I am trying to find a supply of powdered fungicide to coat my tubers in. They stopped shipping it to Alaska and I have found that it really all but stops rot over the winter.

I typically dig mine in November.

GD - a spread sheet is a good idea.

I was figuring I would keep it as informal as possible. Compile what's available from whom into one place, give everyone access to said document via google docs, and let people who want to trade figure out the particulars between themselves (such as winter readied, etc). As for me, I'll be trying out the 'saran wrap' method this year. I'm a fan of the honor system, if something wants something from me, I'll assume I can go ahead and send something that I have available and that the kindness will be returned in kind at some point before the year is out. I'll probably dig mine in November.

I used the saran method two years ago and it worked great. but I was more careful about drying and put each tuber in a bag with powdered antifungal and shook like shake and bake. I only lost maybe one out of many. Last year I was a little more hurried and didn't use the powder. I lost a bunch.

You system will work for me. I am good with the 'honor' system. Let me know and I can add the ones I have mulltiples of. What about pictures? Most I have can be googled and found on the internet.

Mary

I am good with the honor system as well....

I'm good with the honor system but bad with dahlias and don't have anything worthy of an exchange, sorry.

Can't remember if I posted this or not. Don't see it. It was supposed to be blue and called Blue Star. Still holding at lavender. It is very pretty though

Great color!

Mary

that is gorgeous! I really love the color. How tall is it?

Well, it is in a big pot (30" across and probably 2' deep. The tubers were fairly small. It is about 18 - 20" tall (actually I had three tubers to start). I was a little bummed that it wasn't the blue in the picture, but I do like the color it turned out to be and I have nothing in that spectrum so it turned out okay. I have too much red, orange, yellow. From the dwarf dark foliage (yellow and reds) to 60" tall (yellow, orange). One is white with lavender tips but it hasn't bloomed yet. First year. Hope it makes it soon. We have been drenched with rain, some real gully washers, for the last weeks. Not good for the lilies.

Mrs. George le Boutillier

Mary

that is gorgeous too. How big across are the flowers?

A few more blooms this week. This is Alpen Bill.

This is Gloriosa.

Oh Dan that is gorgeous (the pink and white). It looks rather like Clearview Orca. I just got it this spring but hasn't bloomed yet And the other looks rather like Nonette that I ordered from Old House Gardens. Was described as a batik. Unfortunately they sent the red I posted in error. They will send Nonette next spring. . The red is about 6" and the advertisement said 6-10". Lots of blooms. I assume they would get bigger with time.

This message was edited Aug 23, 2011 9:55 AM

This message was edited Aug 23, 2011 9:56 AM

I have to admit that Hockley Maroon, 1935 (Rarest) Formal decorative

is my all time favorite. It opens a deep deep wine color, the it keeps that dark velvet look through maturity.

lol. I can't seem to take a picture of flowers that don't have rain drops on them. Tells you something about our weather.

This message was edited Aug 23, 2011 10:01 AM

Gorgeous color!

This is Gracie Face. I would be happy to participate in an exchange but Fall is a very busy time for me. I am usually bowhunting for deer in 3 or 4 states when it's time to dig and store the dahlias. I have family, friends and neighbors who are always happy to do that chore in exchange for the dahlias. I don't even have to ask twice! LOL Last year was the first time I had an opportunity to dig and store myself. I babied them all Winter long and was proud of the fact that I only lost three out of 40-45. The problem was that when the on-line catalogs came out in early Spring, I saw so many that I "had to have" that I ended up giving all but two of mine away anyway. If I am able to dig and store any this Fall I will be happy to list them on here.

Paul

Love the name 'Gracie Face'......

Please send your relatives this way. Perhaps they can help with the assorted dahlias, callas and whatever else needs to come in for the winter.

Carolyn, the trouble is they are like vultures (just kidding). They pick everything clean and leave nothing behind. lol I like new and different ones each year anyway so I have no problem giving them the tubers.

Paul

sounds like it is better than having a garage sale!

Loving this thread, please keep the pictures going. One of the few bright spots to my day so far.

Bishop of Aukland, Form: single Blooms - 3"

Dramatic dark red blooms and even darker foliage make this a garden standout. Strong erect stems make for good cut flowers, too., 3" blooms

Stunning!