Dahlia 2 for 2003

this is Dahlia 'Dark Desire' which may only be available from Avon Bulbs http://www.avonbulbs.com/ here in the UK. I dont know if they do mail order outside of Europe.

Very interesting. Amazing how they continue to develop such an enormous variety.

We bought Dark Desire from Avon Bulbs this year and what a nightmare!

First off we ordered in February and was promised them by mid April. April came and went so in May we began to send emails with no avail. We then called and were fobbed off with the usual excuses of too many shows, too many orders etc, promise after promise of a delivery date. Eventually we received the package in June, both Dahlias were black and mushy. I called that morning and it was claimed that it wasn't their fault it was to do with the supplier blah blah blah. We received another 2 Dahlias 18 days later, both tiny and wilting. We cancelled the rest of the order we had for autumn bulbs.

With a lot of attention the last two Dahlias did survive although they never grew above 8 inches, the flowers were about the size of a 50p coin and also few and far between.

I'll tell you I'm not impressed although we've kept them to see how they do next year. £5.00/plant with very little to show for it, it's a wonder this cultivar even got through the trials or is it like so many nurseries today where they throw new cultivars without running the usual trials and hoping the public will pay for the new plants and also run the trials for them?

Is this the photo you took at Church Hill Cottage nursery Mark? What were the other ones we ordered? Royal Blood?

They had them growing in containers there and they'd made good plants. Hope yours do better next year Debbie, that sounds a really sorry saga. I've only ever bought from Avon at the RHS shows in London, not mailorder. So we'll wait and see what comes - that'll be interesting eh Mark?

I get from Avon most years with no problem.

Is this the photo you took at Church Hill Cottage nursery Mark? What were the other ones we ordered? Royal Blood?

Dark Desire
Royal Blood
Ragged Robin
Arabian Knight? not sure about this one

Think we only ordered the 3 that were growing there, so not Arabian Knight

Oh well, fingers crossed - when do you expect them?

can I have 50/50?

Thought that's what we agreed and I don't remember paying for my half yet
Thought you ordered double of everything. Is that what you meant?

no 50/50 like Who Wants to be a ....

I ordered 2 of each.

Couldn't see 4 alternatives there, so didn't think you could mean that LOL
:)

I have no experience with Dahlias. I would like to try some. Of course they are not hardy here. I can start them indoors in pots under lights, and perhaps even leave them in pots when I put them outside (actually, this is a probabillity).

Any recommendations for a first time grower?

Adam.

plant them a few weeks before the last frosts are due. by this time they will have formed roots and shoots will soon be breaking the soil surface. these can be cut for cuttings when they are a few inches high or left to grow on.

make sure you plant them into a large enough container to get the best show.

Aotearoa

Dahlias are very easy to grow. If you are growing in containers you might be better finding a dwarf cultivar or even growing the dwarfs from seed in March. These will flower well without much in the way of disbudding and various food mixes.

We grow several varieties each year, 'Sneezy' was one of the best we grew this summer and it flowered for ages, it's in the Plants Database if your interested in seeing it but there are tons of great named dwarf cultivars on the market.

Baaaaaaaaa ~~~

Thanks. ;~)

Adam.

And to you too, Mark.

My Pleasure!