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  • 2024 - Dahlia Blooms

Two wins this morning: almost good centers on 2 varieties I really like but always have green centers for me.
Verkist Cosmic
Chewy

Also here's that 20th Ave Pink Cloud more mature

Green centers can be environmental and named varieties that have good centers for some people exhibit green centers in other gardens. Cause? Too cold at night? Too warm at night? Too much humidity? Short day length when it finally cools down enough to have dahlia blooms? Not enough fertilizer or water? Someone may know but harsh conditions of any kind seem to be a factor.

As breeders, we just cull the green center ones and do not ever assume that "they will get better". Yesterday, I evaluated numerous first year seedlings and step one is to spot a nice flower from about 10 feet away(or closer) and then look at the center. Open center and slightly open center flowers and green center flowers may well be the majority of the smaller formal decorative and ID types. We like to believe that after hundreds of years of breeding that dahlias would consistently have good centers but they do not.

If it stays miniature it is a needed flower in that class; first year seedling and my first action was to look at the center. Grows 6 feet tall and I like that. Solid red is really hard to breed for us.

I like that red one especially if it's miniature Ted!

My Mom sent me a photo of Alpen Bill at the Montana Dahlia Society show. This was after it was displayed for a few days but still looks pretty good.

I was tickled to take this pic of Sandia Isa with a little Sandia Barbie photobomber (far left) in front of the Sandia Mountains today.

We are visiting the dahlia today and it’s nice to see some blooms!

Ferncliff Illusion is coming along — this is one of the first varieties I grew and it holds a special place in my garden. The tubers are miserably skinny and hard to store but I seem to manage one viable tuber by spring each year:

20th Ave Delicada opened its first bloom which is a bit wonky, but I’m happy to see this one’s showing up:

Fawn

Hollyhill PDX Sunset was #1 on my wishlist after seeing it in-the-flesh at Hollyhill during the 2023 ADS National show, and it has been super floriferous. Without proper care, the blooms are on the smaller side but I see its potential and can’t wait to be on-site next year to properly disbud!

Alpen Sprinkles — it’s so cute, I don’t know anything about it other than it’s possibly a Bill McClaren intro from 2013?

Grew 2 plants of Sandia Cancan and one appears to have sported into becoming Sandia Clare:

    Bessie Thank you, it’s nice to finally be seeing some blooms to photograph. I’ve been thankful for this thread and’ve been lliiiving off of everyone else’s blooms!

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