Rarities - ISO and Sources

AKWindWatcher · 2023-03-03T01:54:25+00:00

I thought I'd start a discussion dedicated to the hunt for, and the finding of, rare ones. I know there are some that have been part of other discussions (H...

edewitt

Every year I go searching around different vendors for Jewel Huston, Mingus Ida, or Mingus Nicole but to no avail. I'm still hoping someone will meet a 90 year old lady that has them all growing in her backyard one of these days.

AKWindWatcher

edewitt Mingus Nicole is still available. It's not common but it's out there. I haven't seen Jewel Huston or Mingus Ida. I'll keep my eye open for them.

Teddahlia

MIngus Ida was our favorite flower when it was introduced. We were somewhat beginners and one of our favorite activities was visiting dahlia gardens of commercial sellers. We visited Madelyn Giesert and Jack Adams garden in Coos Bay, She had recently bred Zorro and was famous for many introductions including Aloha and one of the first with dark pigment on the reverse(Versa?). Jack and Madelyn got some Higgo seeds from South Africa and were growing the '"Tioga" laciniated introductions at this time. Madelyn had an acerbic personality and when we said we loved Mingus Ida, she scoffed and just about threw up. Then she said the dahlias are over there and you may look at them but stay out of our seedlings and turned her back never to be seen again. Jack was not there or if he was he stayed with her. In later years, I made friends with Jack who was a certified USA and UK judge(the only one I know of) and learned a lot from him. Mingus Ida is a poor tuber maker/keeper. It later on was in an arrangement that Gordon Jackman entered that won best in show at a National show in Seattle.

edewitt

I believe I had Mingus Ida one year and it looked great growing right next to Aitara Rufus. Neither one really produced any tubers though and aside from seeing it once but sold out I haven't seen it since then. I can't imagine getting that upset over a particular variety (the fawning over a couple very popular ones annoy me but I'll just keep that to myself 😇).

.

bloomhjelm

edewitt A seller I ordered from in Europe this year had Mingus Ida in her catalog, but it is sold out now. I wonder how many US varieties are primarily found in the EU. (She also had Bloomquist Cream and I was very tickled to get a variety created 100 miles away from a farm 8000 miles away.)

AKWindWatcher

bloomhjelm As I've been hunting for Alpens, I've found a couple listed by European sellers that I can't find here. I think there might be quite a few US varieties that our friends there have kept going.

JillAnne

Laia I adore Lakeview Peachfuzz. I’m surprised more people aren’t talking about it. It really ticks all the boxes, great producer, great in bouquets and made a lot of easy tubers

LoriDee

BackyardBouquets_17 I got RJR from Dreamland last year but the tubers are just eyeing up now so not sure how many I'll end up with if you are still looking for it in May....

BackyardBouquets_17

LoriDee

I can’t plant out here till May or the middle of may anyway so if you got extras by that time send me a message and I will gladly pay you for some.

AKWindWatcher

todgor I've managed to find Lovesong, Chantilly, and Autumn but I've yet to find anyone with Maiden or Dawn. Do you happen to still grow these? Or know anyone with whom I should check?

bloomhjelm

Some wonderful finds from a roadside stand today. She's been growing flowers since the 1960s, and was the source of the Fidalgo Bounce, Cendrillon and Apollo tubers I bought earlier this winter.

Korb Impeccable Dream
Fidalgo Nugget
Ruth Elaine
Goya's Venus
Mark Lockwood
Keewatin Gold
Rothesay Superb
Bellefleur

joepa60

bloomhjelm I have been looking for any of the Keewatin varieties (specifically Pioneer and Special) all over the place!! would you feel comfortable maybe sharing a way to potentially contact them? I am in Washington if you need to know that as well.

joepa60

katyaker That is so unfortunate to hear. I am sorry you are having to witness your friend going through that. it is never easy. I stumbled across this comment because I was on the hunt for Keewatin Pioneer and Jan's was listed as the ONLY place that had it. I'm sorry I never got to see her gardens in person because I visit the Sequim area a couple of times a year; I just started to get into the Dahlia world before the pandemic in 2020 and only dove back in this spring once I moved into a place with a big backyard.

bloomhjelm

joepa60 I will send you a direct message.

joepa60

bloomhjelm sent you a reply! 🙂

Teddahlia

Gordie Leroux of Kenora dahlias fame named his introductions that were not intended to be show flowers , Keewatin. after an area in Canada. He was from Kenora, Canada.

Juliarugula

Not an ISO post, but I’m wondering if anyone has grown Mingus Roger K? I picked up a tuber at the Elkhart Dahlia Society sale yesterday, but can’t find much of anything online except this one photo. I found the person who had brought it, but she said she planted it late, in a pot, and so it only had a few blooms.

katyaker

Juliarugula In all seriousness, I would pay you any amount of money, or trade any dahlia I have, for a tuber of this next year. 40 years ago, Phil Mingus taught me how to grow dahlias, when I lived near him. He was the nicest man and would spend hours talking to me about growing, storing, dividing. I wish I could remember everything he told me, especially regarding hybridizing. I am now trying to grow as many of his varieties as I can find. I have 21 Mingus varieties. Still have a long ways to go.

Teddahlia

Phil Mingus introduced very many dahlias. As I have stated, he mentored Margaret and I and we learned a lot about growing dahlias as he grew them for 70 years. I will write a short piece on how he bred dahlias in the hybridizing section.

bloomhjelm

katyaker If you want to share Mingus varieties you do or don't have I am happy to keep my eyes open. Dahlia hunting is about my favorite thing.

The Mingus dahlias I see the most of are Phillip Sr, Randy, Joshua, Paula, Leroy T, Toni, Alex, Gregory, and Wesley.

Juliarugula

katyaker I will try to remember in the fall/spring! I’m happy to share - feel free to send me a reminder if I forget.

I picked up a few other Mingus varieties that I don’t see often this year. Mingus Anita, Heather, and Harry (L? I think?). Let me know if you’re looking for any of those also and I’ll try to keep them mentally tagged for you!

Teddahlia

Phil Mingus : "He was the nicest man." Phil had two personalities and for most people he was the gruff , no nonsense person who grew dahlias. He worked at the aluminum plant and fishing and hunting was important to him. The first couple of times we met Phil he was in his "gruff" mode. When he found out we were members of the Portland Dahlia Society, he switched to his "nice mode" and every time we visited with him after that we got the personal tour and at least once he fed us at the picnic table. He was the "Shell Answer Man" (most of you are too old to know what that means) for all dahli questions at the club meetings. A typical presentation would be Phil on the stage answering questions, one after the other.

« Previous Page Next Page »