Rarities - ISO and Sources
We grow Margarita and sell it once in awhile. A Sandrine is tuber is probably worth about $40.00 and I wonder if anyone has one.
No, I have Margarita. I was just wondering if Sandrine is still showing up here and there. I would pay more than that for it.
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todgor HOE had it, but only for previous customers, and only a few. I asked. Been asking others. Will keep asking everyone who grows dahlias who might have it, until I am reunited with it. If I ever get it back I am going to grow several of them as insurance - and make sure tubers go to people who are serious about keeping it going.
So I've got another one. A grower posted an "In Search of List" on Facebook and one of the varieties was Alicia Kan. I couldn't find anything about this one online and the person who posted the list said it's one she saw a picture of a long time ago but didn't know where. Anybody recognize the name?
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Had to post in the "rarities" thread that I'd love to hear stories about finding older cultivars in unlikely places. Was just chatting with a lady from Facebook marketplace with three varieties hybridized before 1980 which I haven't seen for sale before. And she's a couple of miles from me by chance.
The dahlias were Apollo (WL W), Fidalgo Bounce (FD LB I think), and Cendrillon (IC PK Y).
bloomhjelm Holy cow!! Great find! I’ll have to see if I can’t find her on FB Marketplace.
I actually found Alpen Rhicky hiding in a garden up here. That was a big, and exciting, surprise for me as I’m actively hunting for Bill McClaren varieties. Plus, never would have expected to find it hiding in Alaska. Same grower has Jacques Bongaerts.
Of course I have no idea how genetics hold up from what the original looked like because I can't find any original photos.
Alas, I can’t seem to find her on Marketplace. Think she might be open to a direct contact?
She isn't shipping and I don't want to give out her personal profile but I can let you know if I get tubers and grow them.
bloomhjelm Zero expectations but if that works out, I'll gladly take you up on that offer! 
Had the chance to chat with Philip Mingus today. So, new one on the ISO list is for him. Mingus Loren P. It sounds like Connie might have it but, just in case, I thought I'd add it to this thread. In case it's hiding in someone's garden.
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AKWindWatcher I saw on Facebook something about this. It sounds like people have been hunting for it since at least 2022. I hope he finds it.
I did run across Mingus Millie B this year which I hadn't found before.
Also, Janet Riley at the farm which was previously Mike Iler's (Riley Blossoms) had some unknown variegated collarettes listed in the 2023 catalog. Very possibly not a lead at all, since they are probably just his own seedlings, but you never know.
bloomhjelm Thanks! I'd forgotten that I'd seen those in her catalog. I know she was working on identifying everything. I'll shoot her a note. Thanks for the reminder!
There was a post in the ISO FB group today from someone looking for Mrs. Mary Martin. I could find very little about it. Has anyone actually seen this variety? If so, what did you think of it?
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Really old dahlias are generally extinct. The National Collection in the UK was a repository for old ones and was supposedly supported by sales of the rare tubers. It was run at one time by David Brown who has more recently become a collector of dahlia photos. The National garden was not open for sales to the USA but it was nice to know that they were preserving many of them. I cannot believe that all varieties are not kept in liquid nitrogen somewhere.
Blyton Ermine picture by Dave Spencer
Continuing my hoarding of Australian dahlia photos. I'd love to grow a US dahlia with this kind of milky apricot yellow.
bloomhjelm the petals on that remind me of Netherton Cindy, which appears with more lavender in hotter weather. Roque Starburst has a creamy yellow blush. And Creamy has the creamy yellow part covered. That's as close as I've grown. 
Color is different things to different people. Buttermilk, au lait, cream, light yellow, off white, chalk, and hundred others are words for colors that appeal to a lot of people. Sour milk or milk curds or perhaps "mud puddle white" may be used by people who are not captivated by this class of colors. Color is "better" when evenly distributed and I cannot stand petals that look transparent as they are not attractive and burn in the bright sunlight. I should stop here and say that breeding a nice off white or cream flower is difficult. There have been many "almost nice" ones and MM Butter Cream was a really nice one except it always had slightly open center.
