Before it's over: a few last offerings

Large flowered, on a tall and wide plant, is Alva's Supreme. It's more fully opened than this but got hailed and rained on, so this is the best I can get from a couple days ago

Unknown white- not White Nettie, not Brookside Snowball but good enough for me. Flowers are 3 inches across, maybe 4 if it would have bloomed earlier like last year.

I don't think this looks very coral at all, but it's supposed to be Coral Gypsy. I might rename it Mistaken Identity.

Tempest. This one I really like- unique red/orange and one I'll grow again in multiples.

Raspberry Punch got shortchanged on sun behind towering dahlias, but it grew anyway. More sun for this one next year should brighten it up.

Dot Com, another little pom in a rich medium purple. This was planted very late and took a while to grow. The blooms have been on short stems, so one more try next year and then this one goes out. It's a nice color.

Winnie, another pom, another on short stems though. White and purple mixed petals.

Leota Mace, a hot pink waterlily. Last year I was very disappointed by the plant, but this is why you give them a second try. Much more vivid color, more blooms this year in a little different location.

My Love, a pure white semi-cactus and very nice. Thanks Al. I still think this is Karras 150 though!

Not new, but I want to see Smoots again LOL! I never get tired of this frilly soul showing itself in the garden.

Ditto, not new, but a funny thing happened on the way to Mingus Erica. She was among the first to bloom a few years running now. Thanks to Grannymarsh for introducing it to me. It has historically been a monstrous, robust bush requiring two or three stakes, but this year it was slow, a bit skinny, and sluggish to bloom.

Aha: it was struggling behind Kasasagi blocking its light, so I finally decided to cut off half of the sun-blocking offender who has given me no less than 100 bright yellow and red poms this year. So I bit the bullet, pulled out the pruners and began lopping off Kasasagi. And then after happily hacking away for half the plant, I realized it was Puget Sparkle I had just amputated! Oh well. More of those nice reds of Puget Sparkle next year, more of Mingus Erica this year.

That's it until my last 3 hold outs show up, if they show up. There was snow just a couple miles from us briefly today as a quick front passed through.

Poochella,
Just beautiful and so many showing up this late!
It was only 53 degrees here today with lots of wind, but we had sun from 11:00 until it went down. I saw on the news you all down south had hail, did it cause much damage to the plants?

Thanks Carla, and no, it was a very light, brief hail but with real thunder about 3 times- oooh a rare treat here. It is cold enough to see one's breath though. I'm ready for the flowers to be over any time now, even though it was a short summer, my sights are set forward to 08 already.

I like Tempest Pooch, along with Mingus Erica. You know Carol's not here to root on her dahlias and my Rasberry Punch and Smarty Pants have quite a ways to go to flower yet. You'll have to let me know how Leota Mace shakes out for you.
My Love looks nice - I like that flower. You know - I have Coral Gypsy but can't recall what it looks like - only a few flowers from it at work - I posted it way back.

Over! see my thread for wav :)

found my Coral Gypsy
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3833895

Love that wav Al, perfect for this time of year on the dahlia calendar.

Good heavens, that doesn't look like Coral Gypsy either!
This tuber came from Swan Island and here's their pic-
http://www.dahlias.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=57

This is a bad comparison, but allowing for stages of development, don't you think these are very similar if not the same?

or maybe not....

I have to post a couple more things: Al's Mystery Pink and yellow splendid huge bloom just stole the show recently. It is hypnotizing to study the colors on each petal. I managed to kill off all tubers but this one and another that did perish, so this is a real treasure even though IT IS NOT GERRY HOEK, the demure pink waterlily! LOL Who needs Gerry Hoek? This flower was about 9 wide x 8" deep.

Close up to follow

CLose up of the big fluffy ID No ID

pooch : Here you are wondered where you went have missed you so :) Just signed onto DG today
all these years & I just became a new member today :) On my Gm's Birthday so should be easy to remember
when I signed up :) .

Well you still Have all those beauties :)) & I hope that one day we will be able to do a swap :)))
still trying to find my way around the forums here . & I have to learn how to post my trade list yet .
hope to chat soon .

susie

Forgot to add I would Like one of each :))) I have Not One Dahlia But I do have 20 named Irises & 150/+ named daylilies . can send you a list . let me know ok .

susie

Your 2 white SC's look the same - I don't have either right now. I can get My Love locally next year again. I like my big mystery pink, it's not like that supplier to have large flowers offered. Nice pic.

some cheering up pictures here! :) I placed an order with Swan Island Dahlia's i'm very content that Tempest is among them...seeing your photo and reading the comment ..

I like Tempest, Dot Com, and Winnie best. I must start a ball dahlia section next year, thinking of calling it the ball court! :) What? Come on, that's funny...

Susie! Welcome to Daves Garden or DG, for short! Long time no see, and glad to have you here. Take the tour of Dave's, get familiar with Dmail and I'll send you a note in the next couple days. Meanwhile, enjoy the dahlia photos and discussion on any of the threads here. And jump on in to the fine waters of DG. There is so much offered here.
Annie

Al, Leota Mace is an incredible hot pink-tough to capture as the camera focuses on the central white instead of the blinding hot pink of 90% of the petals. I got it on Sudhira's wise counsel for 06, but it was shaded behind a taller neighbor (isn't that a recurrent theme here? Does anyone else have this problem?) and didn't do so well in terms of quantity and color. This year- a whole different story. I will grow at least two plants in 08.

JJonathan, you will not be disappointed in Tempest- a very nice flower/plant. It made part of the anchoring corner of a huge framed display for a big Seattle fundraising function supplied by one local florist. I was tickled pink to see what they do with my flowers. Orange colors in all ranges have been very favored this year. Tempest is between red and orange- a very unique color.

Tod- get on the ball would you? They are amazing flowers, if not for sturdiness, then for sheer petal formation. The good ones are just amazing.

Here's the entire Lime green frame for the decor of a dinner/auction with the hugest tropical split philodendron leaf I've ever seen. It was about 2.5 ft long x 2 ft wide, shipped in from Hawaii.

Hi Pooch,

A beautiful display as always. We've been enjoying our Alva's Supreme this year as well, with big, fluffy, yellow blooms one after another.

pooch Ty for the welcome :) It has Been along time & I'm Glad I found this site :) there are many forums to read
& so many wounderful plants I think I will have to move more south one day so i can enjoy all of them :)
Just a Dream :)
I do hope I can put in for a few trades in the spring for a few beauties Have already started my personal trading Book for Here :)) .

Have a quession about storing dahlias or elephant ears over the winter months can sawdust or pine chips be used ??
what is best to use ??

susie

poochella,
your Mingus Erica is awesome. wonder if my mom has any of that one left. the Tempest looks so purfect.i love your little poms. where to begin,so many to choose from.

erika

Bdale, I'm glad someone is enjoying Alva's Supreme. It is on my chopping block for slowness- two years running now, so I won't grow it again. But it is a wonderful full bloom on a very sturdy plant, that's for sure. I have enjoyed the first bloom of it over the weekend as it opened fully in the vase. A good one to start early, perhaps?

Susie, I don't know about elephant ears, but I think Daisyruffles who might pop in at intervals, has successfully used sawdust for tuber storage. If you use the 'search' function- (upper right of page,) you should be able to search for storage of both those plants/roots on appropriate forums and find some info. And don't forget www.dahlias.net for great basics on dahlia resources/growing and storage tips.

Erica, you should begin with your favorite colors and then branch out from there into different forms and sizes :)

Pooch, yes Alva's Supreme is the proverbial late-bloomer but it has been the subject of many compliments by those who have seen the blooms. We are planning to keep it, but your suggestion about trying to start it early makes sense.

My gosh, we went through all of June and July without a bloom and now the cotton pickin things (all varieties) are just pumping out the flowers like nobody's business for the past two months. Amazing flowers, these dahlias.