It was a case of a two-way split as far as weather conditions were concerned this year. Whilst those of us that live in the southern and midland counties had good growing conditions, those that live in the north and in Scotland had a very cold, wet season. After several years where northern and Scottish exhibitors have had great success at our London National show held in Westminster on the 1st September, it was no surprise that out of the twenty championship and trophy classes, there was only one Northern winner this year. Cohn Bailey from Yorkshire staged a cracking six vases of small decoratives to win the Charles Medlen Trophy.
On Friday, 17th September my wife and I, along with about 140 dahlia and chrysanthemum enthusiasts, flew out from various airports across Britian to be a part of the fourth International Chrysanthemum and Dahlia show held in Toronto, Canada.
Eleven dahlia societies flew blooms in specially constructed plywood boxes, free carriage for the boxes was arranged as part of the package with Air Canada.
The Prince Hotel in which the show was held is one of the plushest venues that I have had the pleasure to set up dahlia blooms.
Although the extreme heat that must have built up in the hold of the aircraft, took its toll on some of the blooms, it was still a clean sweep for English societies with the 6 medium semi-cactus dahlias going to North Somerset C & D Society with “Grenidor Pastelle”, 6 Medium decorative dahlias and 6 small cactus or semi-cactus dahlias to Kent Dahlia Society with B.J. Beauty” and Hillcrest Desire”. 6 small decorative dahlias to Bristol C & D Society with “Gateshead Festival” and the 3 bloom travellers class to Reading C & D Society with “Grenidor Pastelle’.
The bikini vase for best vase of dahlias in show went to Kent’s ‘B.J.Beauty”
After the show ended on Sunday evening, all the blooms were auctioned off, bunches of dahlias fetched between $17 - $35, which helped the Society recoup some of their vast outlay.
The festivities lasted a week and included such things as an National Dahlia Society judging exam, four dahlia lectures, shopping trips and visits to local dahlia growers’ gardens. Four organised coach excursions were laid on. Anyone who has not visited Niagara Falls are in for a treat. It is truly one of the most spectacular sights you will see.
On then to the new varieties for 1994.
GIANT DECORATIVE DAHLIAS Although there have been some
massive giants over the years, none have been bigger than “Creve
coeur”. This dusky red Bob Simon raising produced 17”
blooms when grown three blooms per plant. However, the form when
grown in this fashion was far too coarse and rough, with little
proportionate depth. Nevertheless, I did grow some plants for
tuber stock, 12” apart and about nine blooms per plant. The
resultant blooms had good form, depth and stems and measured 12”
across.
Another impressive red was the Peter Cleaver raised “Captain Kirk”. The well formed dark red flowers had good size and depth.
Canadian Earle Huston is raising some very good giant flowered varieties at the moment. However, it is doubtful if “Eugenia Huston” is one of his best, but it’s big and comes in a most unusual blend of verrnillion and gold. The formation is a little loose with very large petals, good plant habit and stems
Peter Cleaver’s second introduction in this section was the clear yellow “Glen Hoddle”, named after the famous England and Tottenham Hotspur footballer, the blooms had fine form and depth.
Champion seedling of the year our national show in London and winner of both Jaldec and Jescot trophies was Jemma Darling”. Plenty of depth, immaculate form and good plant habit guarantees a big future for Ernie Dillys pure white novelty. Best giant in show and one of the real finds at the Canadian International was the snow-white “Maisie Mooney” raised by John Mooney from Ontario and named after his mother. The 11” blooms had superb form, plenty of depth and dress back onto the strongest of stems in a globe of petals.
Possibly the best Huston variety so tar is the golden orange “Sam Huston”, superb formal blooms having plenty of depth, 4.5 foot plant habit and the strongest of stems.
GIANT SEMI-CACTUS DAHLIAS “David Huston” is a useful bright yellow introduction 12” blooms are held on strong stems with healthy 4 foot plants, plenty of depth and sharp form makes it a must for growers of this type. An unusual blend of pink and yellow makes “Jewell Huston” an attractive addition. The well-formed blooms have plenty of depth, good stems and plant habit.
LARGE SEMI-CACTUS DAHLIAS A serious challenger in this section for the future could well be the 3rd placed variety in the Jaldec trophy “Baret Joy”. Joe Joyce’s glistening white cultivar has fine form, reaches the 9.5” mark well and is an interesting prospect. The yellow sport from “Reginald Keene” now to be named “Starlight Keene” was a gold medal winner at the trials for new exhibition introductions held in Bradford. As with all members of this family, the form is superb, but you do get all the shades of colour from pure yellow to light bronze. Mr Basset’s sport has a 3.5 foot plant habit with good wiry stems.
LARGE DECORATIVES DAHLIAS The Bob Keesling raised “Campo’s Billy M” comes in a beautiful blend of tangerine and yellow. Sizeable formal blooms dress back onto strong stems, on a good healthy 4 foot plant. Could well end up a giant. One of the disappointing varieties this year was “Elma E”. This cerise formal Ed Redd introduction is obviously a first class variety, but is one of the latest flowering varieties that I have ever grown. As I look down the garden now in mid October with the rain teeming down, there are twenty plants in full flush. Bigger plants and an earlier stopping date will hopefully overcome this next year. What a weighty circular globe of petals is the formal “Spartacus”. Mick Senior’s novelty comes in a rich velvety red with a slight curl to each floret.
MEDIUM DECORATIVE DAHLIAS Hamari Trophy winner for best
medium seedling of the year was Les Jackson’s “Hillcrest
Trueform”. Well formed formal bronze blooms dress back onto
good stems. Brian Frost’s second placed variety in the Hamari
was “Briflit May”. Formal primrose yellow blooms dress
back onto good stems. I liked “Sandra
Dalton” a lot. Pure white formal blooms dress back well on
this Tom Mantle raising. The
form reminds me of a cross between two older varieties “White
Rustig” and ‘Dana
Louise”.
MEDIUM SEMI-CACTUS DAHLIAS New champion of this type at our national show, Welshman Graham Carey used a stunning vase of the butter-yellow overlaid dark orange “Golden Symbol”. Eric Payne’s introduction has the usual healthy, 4.5 foot plant growth and well formed flowers that you would expect from a ‘Symbol” sport. Les Jackson’s heavy petaled “Hillcrest Ruby” comes in a non-fading deep ruby red as the name suggests. Blooms dress back well on healthy strong growing plants. May be useful for colour classes. A most unusual addition is “Jobbi Springdale”. Raised by Mr Billings, the dark pink blooms are most decidedly small cactus in form but are medium in size. This 3rd placed variety in the Hamari looks rather like a larger version of “Athalie”.
SMALL DECORATIVE DAHLIAS A cracking vase of the dark lavender Barry Davies raising “Barbarry Epic” was used in new small decorative champion Cohn Bailey’s winning six vase exhibit at the National. Immaculately formed globular shaped formal blooms, dress back well on healthy short growing compact plants. Will be much sought after when released in 1995. The early and free flowering “Barbarry Leader” produced well formed clear pink blooms. A few came clock faced, but the majority are fine. As with all the Barbarry varieties, strong healthy plant habit and stems.
It is the first time in several years that Barry Davies has not won the Luckhurst Trophy. The best he could manage this year in the small or miniature decorative or ball seedling class was third place with the reflexing “Barbarry Token”. If there is a fault with Barry’s raisings, it is that they are all very similar. “Token” is another excellent dark pink formal with good form habit and stems. A variety that really did take my fancy whilst in Toronto was Glen Hamilton’s bright yellow “Hamilton Amanda” Beautifully symmetrical form without a petal out of place. Good centres and plenty of depth, make it one for the notebooks.
SMALL CACTUS OR SEMI-CACTUS DAHLIAS Second place in the Crowley Cup for best small cactus or semi-cactus of the year went to Bill Mark’s dark red “Andrew Magson” named after his grandson. This very sizeable early flowering semi-cactus would be best grown with no feeding and a double stop to encourage plenty of blooms to develop. Just minimal disbudding should be carried out on this classy variety or oversize will occur. “Hillcrest Blaze” may not be the greatest straight cactus ever raised from a showbench point of view, but this bright yellow overlaid with warm orange bi-coloured Les Jackson release is a superb early free flowering cut flower and garden display variety. Strong stems, clean plant habit and the first flush of blooms were showable too.
As yet unnamed, Roy Howes Crowley Cup winner will be much sought after when released in 1995. This pale cream straight cactus is a most impressive new cultivar, has plenty of depth and that touch of class for which exhibitors are always searching. Another brightly coloured newcomer was Stan Pennington’s yellow overlaid with pale pink “Ruskin Camille”. Free flowering with fair form. Cor Geerling’s vivid yellow seedling from a ‘Lemon Elegans” cross “Superfine” is something very special. This Bradford trials gold medalist has immaculate straight cactus form with not a petal out of place, excellent depth, plant habit and stems. A showman’s flower of the highest order. Overseas variety of the year was the sole entry “Virginia”. Yellow-based, overlaid in warm bronze. The petals of the blooms did seem to swirl about a bit which worried me from an exhibition point of view. Plenty of depth and good stems.
BALL DAHLIAS It’s been a while since we have had a new variety from master raiser Pi Ensum. Pi only releases a novelty if it reaches his very high standards. “Hamari Rose” is a very classy addition. Blooms dress back in an absolute globe of petals and come in pale pink with lighter centre. It is one of those miniatures which will push oversize if restricted or disbudded too much. Second place in the Luckhurst Trophy. The only useful small ball this year was the pale yellow Stan Pennington raising “Ruskin Buttercup”. Tightly formed blooms have a good size, depth, stems and plant habit, but the centres did seem to be slightly sunken. Another release from the same raiser is the bright orange miniature “Ruskin Tangerine”. It’s interesting to note that this tightly formed beauty has been around Stan’s plot for many years, but is finally being released to the public in 1994.
MINIATURE DECORATIVE DAHLIAS The last raising from the late Norman Lewis is the deep violet 1992 champion novelty of the Bradford trials “Anglian Water”. A typically classy well formed showbench performer. Strong healthy grower with good stems. “Barbarry Coast” is a free flowering bright orange of fine form. A good dual purpose dahlia that will be useful for cut flower, garden or exhibition use. A free flowerer, this time in clear yellow, was “Barbarry Star”. Early to bloom with full size formal flowers held on good stems. Yet another from the same raiser was “Barbarry Bobbin”. Tightly shaped brick red blooms have sharp formal flowers and are held on robust strong plants. Luckhurst winning novelty of the year was the Mr Billing’s raised “Jobbi Peggy”. Most definitely a variety with showbench potential is this classy dark red formal. Fine cob-nut centres and plenty of depth makes this one to remember.
MINIATURE SEMI-CACTUS DAHLIAS Only the one variety in this section. Gordon Leroux’s “Kenora Petite” is a free flowering dark pink which comes to size easily with fine form.
WATERLILY DAHLIAS One of the best in this section for a while is the R. Snelgar raised “Malham Portia”. Well formed bright poppy-red blooms are held high above the plant on strong wiry stems.
Editors Note. The Crowley Cup winner referred to has now been named Cream Delight and is being released by Halls of Heddon.