Prefixes and Hybridizers

MIDahlias

Looking for information about the JL prefix and the hybridizer Graybill (US). There is only one JL listed in the ADS online classification guide.

Teddahlia

Graybill only introduced one dahlia in 1977. Probably long dead.

Teddahlia

Jim Lamson of Ontario, Oregon has introduced several varieties with "JL" prefix. He is commercial and I understand he nearly has his all dug and divided.

Juliarugula

Teddahlia Jim Lamson of Ontario, Oregon has introduced several varieties with "JL" prefix. He is commercial and I understand he nearly has his all dug and divided.

He is the owner of BJ’s Dahlias, correct? His online store is open already also - I ordered Windhaven Brûlée for next year.

(Oh, but I see the OP was really looking for a different JL - too quick with the response…)

MIDahlias

Am I understanding there are two JL prefixes?
Lamson and Graybill? I was looking at BJ's website and then went to the Classification guide for more information which is where I found Graybill.

Teddahlia

These are the JL dahlias according to the UK site:
Becky
Bob
Bushwacker
Destiny
Jack
Jaiden
Jimmy
JJ
Justin
Lightning
Mason
Mayra
Misty
Ruth
UW

MIDahlias

Anyone familiar with the US hybridizer(s) Larkin/Zydner? Where are they from and does anyone grow any of their dahlias. (82 cultivars are ADS classified)

Teddahlia

Kevin Larkin and Karen Zydner operated Corralitos Dahlias in Corralitos, California. That is about 12 miles away from Santa Cruz where KAs Dahlias is located. Kevin was for about a year the president of the American Dahlia Society. They no longer have a commercial operation and for many years they were the only nursery selling rooted cuttings. They bred many dahlias varieties.

calico20hill

Teddahlia They were very active when I first started growing dahlias and one of my top sources of new plants. I miss them.

Teddahlia

https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2014/09/14/kevin-larkin-santa-cruz-county-stories-lifelong-local-specializes-in-dahlias/

bloomhjelm

Hoping for help with a mystery or maybe a conspiracy. I purchased a tuber of "Carolyn Wegman" from here in Washington - a pink waterlily. The farm knows only that it is from around Skagit. There is no registered WL by this name. But there is a Carolina Wagemans, a very pretty pink Geerlings waterlily. I can't find many photos of the latter to compare, but am I crazy in believing there is a connection? Including a side by side with Carolyn left and Carolina right.

katyaker

bloomhjelm
I have the same issue. My brother gave me a couple of tubers of "Carolyn Wagner" (he sometimes gets creative with spelling). I thought it might really be Carolina Wagemans. Top photo of is my flower.

Bottom photo is of Carolina Wagemans on ADS classification Guide online - https://www.dahlia.org/guide/images/CAROLINA_WAGEMANS.jpg

Dahlia53

bloomhjelm I used to have Carolina Wagemans - the one on the right. I believe I got it from a grower up here in the Mount Vernon/Burlington area who had fields of dahlias just off Hwy 20 - his name escapes me but he was wonderful, and he bred dahlias with 'Fidalgo' in the name. (he didn't breed CW - but he carried it 30 yrs ago or so. Unfortunately, I tossed all my old paper dahlia order forms. I wish I hadn't done that now - probably tossed some important pieces of history and I like many of the older varieties.) Interesting article about Geerlings bred dahlias. There are so many knowledgeable people on this site who keep records.

Ted or Noni; would you please help jog my memory?

Loved CW but it was a weak tuber maker and I kept losing it every couple years and gave up. I'm so glad to see that it still exists someplace. In less clay soil with actual drainage, it probably does better.

Teddahlia

https://geerlings-dahlia.nl/products/carolina-wagemans
Carolina Wagemans WL Pk. 1992 Geerlings NL
NOT VERY PINK LOOKING TO ME.

Cosey

Carolina Wageman is in the orange family. The hue can range from lighter peach to a ripe cantaloupe. Cameras, especially at dusk, seem to capture a pinkish color. CW also hates heat and will bloom with split petals until the last weeks of fall when conditions match the more favorable United Kingdom conditions.

bloomhjelm

Cosey

In the Dahlia Growers group someone posted a 2001 news article about Cor Geerlings and Carolina Wagemans which misspells it Carolyn Wagemans. That makes me hopeful that the "Carolyn Wagner" I've seen from two different suppliers this spring is just an older import of Carolina Wagemans although neither supplier had a good photo of it. (Heron's Nest and Freestand Flowers, also saw it listed in Kitsap Dahlia Society.)

Krista

Cosey CW also hates heat and will bloom with split petals until the last weeks of fall when conditions match the more favorable United Kingdom conditions

This is so good to know — seeing the majority of photos posted showing split petals is something that’s preventing me from loving this one. I want to, just because of the hype (I get FOMO like the best of them!) but I’ve passed up trying to purchase this variety when shops post photos with those little splits. It’s nice to know what’s causing this effect - I’ll likely keep passing on this one, armed with this information.

Teddahlia

We have a waterlily seedling that is either watermelon red or or deep coral or some shade of smoky pink or in plain words, light red. Both Margaret and I really like this one and it did well in both 2022 and 2023.
Both Margaret and I really like this one and it did well in both 2022 and 2023.

Krista

Teddahlia Oh I just love those juicy watermelon, tutti-fruiti colors - they’re some of my favorites to have in the garden. And if this bloom is 8-10” too, I’m sold! Maybe? I can’t wait to see a giant WL someday and find out how big is “too big.”

bloomhjelm

Teddahlia The wide variety of names for red, light red and lightest red dahlias makes me want to pull out a lipstick shade chart.

I wish there were as many brownish pinks as we have in cosmetics shades, but I suppose there's no real advantage for the flowers to being brownish. But it is true I think of both dahlias and lipsticks as warm or cool.

Teddahlia

Mandy by Bob Chibante is the only big waterlily that I liked. Floppy blooms weak stems on others.

Teddahlia

Naming Dahlias

Prefixes: As much as we like clever good sounding prefixes for our seedling dahlias that need a name, there is something to be said for prefixes that have fewer letters. The ADS limits names to 22 letters including spaces and if you have a prefix for you introductions that has very few letters, you can use names with a higher letter count. What happens if the name has too many letters? They use the word "truncated' and they will shorten the name to fit. That is probably not a good thing. Hollyhill has too many letters. The alternative that was touted by someone else involved was "Tubertown". Clacks Dahlias is using "CDP" for Clack's Dahlia Patch and they can
use lots of longer names. HH Fireball that we no longer grow.

blown_dry

Teddahlia I wonder if this is part of why the Wynne folks truncated their name for the prefix?