BackyardBouquets_17 First bloom of the year is from a second year seedling. We were supposed to get a bunch of rain today so I took the pic last night in case it gets ruined. This morning miss 3 yr old used the clippers on it ( not supposed to be in that section with her clippers) so I guess a vase life test it will be an we will wait to see the next bloom fully open. Did not have the green in the center last yr but it did only bloom way late in the season.
bloomhjelm I feel like I've waited nine months for this first bouquet photo. From top center clockwise are Elfin (pom), Lee's Chloe, an unnamed Levi's, Levi's Dreamwalk, HH Honeygold, Lee's Kewpie, Coorabell Astrid.
Bessie @BackyardBouquets_17 #p17084 I'm still learning about green centers, and when and how they appear and disappear. If I remember correctly... @SteveM has described green centers as many immature petals, and how he is able to get a longer season out of some varieties that throw green centers early in the season.
Teddahlia A very few show flowers have green centers before they mature. Show people tend to avoid these varieties as they are always worried that the green center will not go away for the show. An old Barbarry variety(Barbarry Gem?) was one and if you saw it in the garden , you would walk right past it as all you saw was green centers. But the flower was near perfect when ripe. Dick Parshall(Clearview Irene) bred this one with the trait and he could show it to higher awards. However, others in slightly different climates never saw a good flower. So, in the show dahlia world, green centers are not well tolerated.
Bessie I wish all the Hollyhill Serenity blooms looked like this one! Spectacular, large, and gorgeous color. Plant is blooming freely. I'm sure if I gave it better care I could get more nice blooms.
Bessie I'm not a big fan of cactus blooms, but the first bloom of Hollyhill Ambiance is looking pretty.
Bessie A few more blooming dahlias I was able to salvage a cutting from Dave's Glacier plant I thought the gopher had devoured. It's beautiful.
Bessie I ordered Caitlin's Joy from two different suppliers. This supplier mislabeled the tuber. Google says it's Totally Tangerine... Any other suggestions?
Teddahlia I will not (maybe I will) tell Margaret you have HH Buttermilk as we do not have it and she would want to trade most anything for a tuber or two. She won a big arrangement prize using it.
Teddahlia Bessie: HH Ambiance is half British and makes almost no seeds. I got the parent of it back and will try to have Margaret hand cross it back with it . The Brits breed better miniature cactus flowers than us.
Bessie SteveM I'm growing 20th Ave Memory this year too. It's growing in a bit of afternoon shade, in a 1 gallon pot sunk in the ground. So far the plant is not very tall, at almost 22".
SteveM @"Bessie"#p17130On My first bloom didn't show the pink color and was more cream color. My recent blooms look like yours and are much smaller than the first bloom. My plant is also very short, grown in a 3 gal. nursery container. I think this one is more suited for show use and I think it would make an impressive, massive display in the garden. I doubt I will use it as a commercial cut variety even though I bet the color would be very popular for wedding work..
Bessie KA's Cinder Rose is blooming. It's a very pretty muted color, and the plant is healthy, growing in a 2 gallon plastic tub from the dollar store. I've had it under an organza bag to keep the bugs off. It's been a cool summer so far. I just noticed that the color is really similar to Sweet Nathalie that's been blooming for a month or so. Sweet Nathalie
SteveM Bessie noticed that the color is really similar to Sweet Nathalie That is very good information. My first KA's Cinder Rose bloom is opening and, though I think the color will sell well, the plant is short and the bloom is extremely shallow and has hard green centers. If it was a seedling (or if I only paid $10 for it) I would cull it. Maybe it will improve. Edit: Correction - The dahlia I was referring to was KA's Mocha Jo and not KA's Cinder Rose. My Cinder Rose is just about ready to open.
Bessie Bessie here's updated photos of KA's Cinder Rose. I appreciate this forum for the ability to see what a Dahlia variety really looks like growing in someone's garden. I'm not interested in the prettiest photo a variety can take, but what does it really look like growing. The photos below are of the first blooms on July 25th in a pot grown plant. The plant is currently 3' tall with 3-4" flowers. I live in a climate very similar to where this variety was hybridized.
