Most memorable

bloomhjelm

I just thought, while we embark on that long silence between digging and distribution, it would be fun to ask some questions.

What is the most memorable dahlia you have ever seen? Gut answers only, no quibbling.
What is the most memorable piece of dahlia growing advice you have ever received?
What do you think is one quality of a top dahlia which some people don't commonly appreciate?

SteveM

bloomhjelm My most memorable dahlia is/was Florence Winship. She was a large, pink, sort-of-a-waterlily type. I doubt if she ever saw the head table of a dahlia show and her petals dropped the day after picking so she never was a good cut variety. I grew her for about 20 years because she was a stunning color and a unique form. She sported to a pink/white bicolor that came and went through the years. I finally lost my stock of Florence Winship about 5 years ago.

MissyWeitzel

Most memorable for me is Kenora Lisa. Last year was the first season I grew it and somehow I didn't know it could have gold streaks and somehow I didn't notice the first bloom opening up at all until it was fully open on a sunny day glistening in all it's gold streaked glory like it was a gift sent from above. I actually cried because it just caught me so off guard.
Nothing specific sticks out. Rather just a general feeling of how every dahlia person I meet via dahlia society, shows, local swap groups, etc. is so curious and open minded and free with sharing what they've learned. Sometimes I feel embarrassed to ask questions that in my mind seem like newbie questions, but I've not had anyone treat me like it was. It's refreshing. This summer I was on a panel for a meeting with like 60 or 70 other growers, most of whom have been growing dahlias longer than I've been alive, and they asked me questions and were genuinely interested in my answers, which is cool. Online dahlia groups have a few curmudgeons and rude people, but overall the dahlia community is pretty awesome.
The dahlia shimmer. An otherwise unremarkable variety goes up about 10 points in my book if it sparkles in the sunshine.

Teddahlia

What is the most memorable dahlia you have ever seen? When were dahlia beginners we went to the ADS National show in Vancouver. This is the time of your dahlia journey when you have been captivated by dahlias but the kids want to go to an amusement park. I will always remember three or four of the flowers there but the bright florescent pink flower called Normandy Promise was our favorite. There has never been a brighter pink(exaggeration probably) dahlia flower and we were able to actually grow it in our garden the next year. As dahlia old timers you will never be as excited about a nice flower as you were in the beginning but you never stop looking.
Crappy picture but this was the early days of digital cameras.

MIDahlias

My most memorable is definitely Kelvin Floodlight. It was the first one I grew. People walking by would stop and ask "what is that". I have a very small immediate family, but extended family members fell in love too.
The dahlias I have grown since, I love all collarettes because I love to watch the bees buzz, sleep and hide under the petaloids. I love she shade of pink of River's Pink Bubble Gum and I look forward to one day growing an amazing AA.

Teddahlia

Florence Winship WL pink 1975 by Winship of the UK. Our best 2024 seedling is a waterlily in the brightest pink color. I have always liked our three little pigs variety re-named HH Pink Parfait but it is not a very good tuber maker and only grows 4 feet tall. This new one was over 6 feet tall and had 11 flowers at one time on the single plant and I had to put on sun glasses as the color was so bright(total advertising exaggeration; actually, I was able to squint). Then I dug the tuber clump and although I have not yet divided it, I predict lots of tubers per clump and they are of average size. When evaluating first year seedlings , the breeders wear rose colored glasses. This is no exception but it was by mutual agreement, the best seedling in 2024. Margaret has banned the posting of pictures of first year seedlings so you will only be able to picture the flower in your minds eye based upon my written description. 🌺

bloomhjelm

Teddahlia Could you name a flower, fruit, or RGB value like that pink? 😉 I would like to imagine it better.

Teddahlia

Sampled a floret in a picture taken by Margaret and no adjustment to the picture was done. Cell phone picture.

Flowernut

Most memorable was Juul's Amber. I saw it growing in Roland Verrone's garden and ordered it for the following season.
Most memorable piece of advice was also from Roland and he was going through the garden disbudding. Of course, as a fairly new grower I was appalled. Very sound advice!
I agree with Missy that the shimmer on a dahlia is an added bonus.

Teddahlia

What is the most memorable piece of dahlia growing advice you have ever received? For years, we had heard that dahlias do not want or need lots of nitrogen fertilizer. I read that one of the trial garden directors had a soil test done and the sample came back with too way much phosphorus and lots of potassium but hardly any nitrogen. The director used only nitrogen(urea) on the garden and had a banner year of plants and continued for several years doing the same. It turns out I had poisoned(dahlias grew two feet tall or died) portions of my gardens by the over application of phosphorus (more bloom products) . I switched to the nitrogen only fertilizer and in the areas where the garden was not poisoned the plants did extremely well . The poison rows took two years to recover to below average plants and after about 4 years have almost fully recovered. I may be able to add some phosphorus next year as none has been added in three years now. The first year dahlia clumps are bigger than ever now that the excess phosphorus is better. The myths about nitrogen and dahlias are still out there and are repeated all the time. ☹

Juliarugula

My most memorable dahlia was Allen’s Cascadia at the Midwest trial garden last year. It was stunning, and a heavy and early bloomer. I was so excited to grow it this year, but I didn’t get a single bloom and it only made one tuber. Oh well. I’ll try it again next year if that one tuber overwinters.

I haven’t seen anybody post photos of it this year. I wonder if it turned out to be a difficult one.

blown_dry

It seems overly obvious, but I remember seeing Blown Dry in a banner featuring buckets of many different dahlias at the Corralitos Gardens website. I clipped out the bit with that variety, ti was pretty blurry, and emailed them to ask the name. I love the tri-color effect in the older blooms and the wavy petals.
I have to agree on the tuber storing feature. Unicorns that all rot are kind of a bane for everyone concerned. lol I also love petaloids on pretty much anything.