I suppose it is part of the fascination and uncertainty of a dahlia exhibitor that no two growing seasons are alike. Alter last years gentle mix of sun and rain, those of us that live in the southern counties were hoping for a little more of the same. Unfortunately it was not to be, the hottest and driest July for nearly fifty years put paid to any hopes of repeating the outstanding quality exhibited last year.
After an almost annihilation of northern and Scottish growers last year at the London National Show, they proceeded to reverse the roles this year in no uncertain terms with no less than fourteen trophies travelling northwards. What is most pleasing is that whatever region of the country has the luck with the prevailing weather conditions our two national shows in London and Harrogate continue to flourish.
It is becoming increasingly more difficult for our National Executive to book the normal end of August/early September date. With the private sector prepared to offer large sums of money to hire the Royal Horticultural Halls for non-horticultural events. Incidentally, the halls are situated right in the heart of London, just a stones throw from Westminster Abbey. It is beginning to look highly likely that we will have to adapt the timing of our blooms to a consistently later date.
Of the various countries that I have travelled and met fellow dahlia enthusiasts there is probably not a show anywhere else in the world that would rival the standard of our National Show as regards sheer dedicated fanaticism. The leading exhibitors at these shows really are an intense bunch. With this in mind, imagine me arriving in Harrogate around midnight after a six hour three hundred mile drive with the rain teeming down and most of my blooms spotting and damping off, to be informed all the staging tables were in use. After making a fruitless search of the area my mood gradually became even blacker. Seeing my frustration, the reigning individual national champion surrounded with quality blooms, downed tools to help me cart a table up two flights of stairs and set it up.
We may live three hundred miles apart, and it might be hard
to believe that my broad Cockney accent is indeed the same language
that my Geordie friend was speaking but, there is a bond and respect
between exhibitors and although we are all doing our best to win,
there is still time to give a rival a helping hand, yes it is
a great hobby.
Some of our leading showbench varieties have been throwing up
colour sports and a few to look forward to in the future may well
be dark pink Kiwi Gloria, white Ruskin Diane, white Hamari Accord
and a dark orange Hamari Gold. Oh well, they are a little way
off from being released just yet.
Giant and Large Decorative Dahlias. Although “Gemma Darling” was seen in one or two privileged growers exhibits this year it is not until next year that this very consistent pure white beauty will be on general release. Virtually all the blooms are showable and have good stems and plant habit. Ernie Dilly’s novelty has plenty of depth with each flower having a touch of pink around its centre. Current national giant decorative champion Tony Kingdom used a wonderful bloom of the bright orange and yellow centred “Mabel Ann” in his winning exhibit Comishman Ray Adley’s first ever raising produces twelve inch blooms with plenty of depth and strong stems. A variety that will be with us for some time I suspect.
Those of us that travelled over for the Canadian International
last year fell in love with John Mooney’s pure white “Maisie
Mooney”. Superb four foot tall healthy plants with strong
stems to match. The well formed blooms had plenty of depth and
reached the magical twelve inch mark. This one will be widely
grown by exhibitors in 1995.
Only the one large to report on in this section, but David Bates
“Amgard Delicate” does look useful. Well shaped, pale
pink and cream centred flowers have good depth and fine reflexing
exhibition form. Bradford trials silver medallist and Jaldec trophy
winner as best giant or large seedling at our National.
Giant and Large Semi-Cactus Dahlias. "Brendan Shine" burst onto the scene in the winning championship for this type at our national show. Clear yellow eleven inch blooms are nearly as deep as they are wide with good crisp form, will be a welcome addition for those that specialise in this type. Some of the “Jupiter” sports that have been introduced in recent years are not always as distinctive from the parent as one would like. However, “Jim’s Jupiter” is a clear dark salmon yellow centred colour break from “Coral Jupiter”. Same strong growing habit and stems as other members of the family.
Another leading variety in this section to have sported this year is “Lloyd Huston”. John Wheatley’s dusky pink colour break is not surprisingly to be called “Pink Lloyd Huston”. This tall growing strong healthy sport is due for release in 1996. “Rydale Rebecca” also has a connection with the “Jupiter” family but Don Smith’s golden orange beauty is a seedling from “Daleko Jupiter” and not a sport Excellent size, form and depth means that this must be tried by specialists of this type.
Four new large flowered varieties popped up in this section and they are all first class. There were doubts whether David Boyd’s pale lemon sport from “Hamari Accord” was a clear enough colour break from the parent but after two years of proving itself on the show bench “Primrose Accord” is undoubtedly a distinctive classy addition that will most certainly be a must in this section, a Bradford silver medallist. This section incidentally is being totally dominated by “Kenora Challenger” these days. Another Bradford silver medal winner was Joe Joyce’s elegant pure white “Baret Joy”. Well formed flowers have plenty of depth but unfortunately it does have “Challenger” to beat.
Two interesting “Keene” sports turned up this year. It has taken a few years to get “Starlight Keene” to finally settle down and produce its golden/bronze blooms consistently. The main problem with all the family is the variation of colours that appears in all members. However, “Chloe’s Keene” won’t suffer from any such troubles, all the blooms are pure white and as with “Starlight” have a healthy plant habit with blooms supported on strong wiry stems
Medium Dahlias. It was not a great year for new mediums. The only semi-cactus that looked useful was the Bob Porter raised “Yellow Impact”. This clear yellow sport from “Golden Impact” produces well formed blooms that are a little smaller than the parent. Healthy strong grower but produces poor ground tubers. It is well worth saving a few pot tubers of all of this family. “Keith’s Choice” has been going the rounds in Australia and America for some time, it has taken several years to get over to us in Britain. The dark velvet-like blooms have fine reflexing form but will almost certainly need covering or marking and fading will occur. A variety for the expert rather than the run-of-the-mill dahlia grower.
Winner of the Hamari Trophy for 1994 was the Jerry Woolcock raised “Trengrove Autumn”. Fine reflexing dark orange blooms need growing well to reach section limits. As with all “Trengroves” stem, health and plant habit are superb. What a smashing colour ‘~Barbarry Gateway” is. Pale Salmon yellow centred blooms have fine facial form. May just be a bit loose at the back to really make the grade although it was used successfully by our National Champion in his four vase medium decorative exhibit.
Small Flowered Dahlias. Bradford trials gold medallist “Andrew Magson” is undoubtedly the biggest small flowered variety I have ever grown. The truth is it is a natural seven inch dahlia even when grown sixteen up and without any feeding it still wants to push over the size limit. After saying that, when it is right the superb velvety red semi-cactus blooms have tremendous form and depth. Tall grower with healthy plant habit and strong stems. Sixty six vases of small cactus and semi’s were exhibited in our National Six Vase Championship and would you believe the top points went to a vase of this variety and when you consider there were twelve vases of “Kiwi Gloria” amongst the defeated, it shows that this is a top class variety and a little extra effort is well worth while.
Crowley cup winner as best new small cactus or semi-cactus of the year went to Roger Steven’s “Ainaran Pentire”. The rich orange with yellow centred blooms have a fine semi-cactus form and plenty depth. Will most certainlybe onthe short-list of specialists of this type.
First we had the orange “Paul Chester” which in turn
sported the orange yellow “Linda’s Chester”, now
this variety too has thrown up a different colour. “Yellow
Linda’s Chester” produces its blooms in a clear yellow
with the same sharp straight cactus form, depth and habit as the
parent. Needs growing about six up to obtain top size.
“Jobi Lilac Vale” probably won’t set the showi,ench
alight but this striking violet and white semi-cactus will make
quite a splash as a garden or cut flower variety. I cannot remember
ever seeing a variety with such a dark shade of orange that “David
Digweed” comes in. Although when classified it will undoubtedly
end up as a decorative the formation is bordering on the ball
section. This Barry Davies release has good showbench form and
comes to size well.
“Hamilton Amanda” looks like the find of the season. It did impress the British contingent in Toronto last year but it is never a sure thing when you travel a variety three thousand miles from its home. \Ve should never have worried as this formal decorative had an outstanding first year here. Strong tall plant habit with stems to match. Clear yellow sizeable well formed blooms dressed right back into a complete globe of petals. What impressed me most about Glen Hamilton’s seedling was that it stood up to all the wind and rain that preceded Harrogate without a mark appearing.
The rich purple “Ba rbarry Cascade” is a neat well formed variety that needs pushing a little to obtain top size. Usual Barry Davies four foot healthy strong plant habit. It would be easy to get Ted Fullers’ new formal decorative “Fernhill Surprise” mixed up with the old timer “Nina Chester” Although there is a lot more lavender flush over the white base of this well formed novelty. Strong stems and healthy plant habit.
“Barbarry Cosmos” is a typical bold strong well formed cultivar. This dark red formal decorative finished second in a strong contest for the Luckhurst seedling championship. Unusual slightly fluted petal shape. Another dark red in the same classification is Mr.. Docherty’s “Danjo Doc.”. This variety beat some good novelties to finish fourth in the Luckhurst. Without doubt the weakest area for good competition varieties at present is the small ball section. So to find two promising novelties in the same season is good news. “Elmdon Joy” produces well shaped globular dark red flowers, used in the winning championship for this type at our National show. Stan Pennington’s “Ruskin Tangerine” needs pushing to obtain top size but the form of this bright orange Bradford bronze medallist is superb so the extra effort should prove worthwhile.
Miniature Dahlias. The brick red “Amaran Omega” is a well formed globular decorative, Roger Steven’s seedling has strong stems and good healthy plant habit. A fine vase was used by National Champion Frank Nexxberry in his winning four vase exhibit. Champion seedling of the year, winning both the Luckhurst and Jescot trophies was the pure white “Barbarry Snowball”. Perfectly placed petals dressed tightly back on to strong if somewhat stout stems. A clean healthy ball dahlia. Overseas dahlia of the year was Cor Geerlings’ “Cornell”. Low growing dark redball dahlia, good symmetrical form, maybe a little loose at the back for top competition.
Collerette Dahlias. We had two interesting introductions in this section and both turned up in the National Champion Phil Orley’s three vase exhibit. “Elizabeth Snowdon” has wax like porcelain white outer petals with yellow centre petals. Good bloom angles and stems Even more attractive is “Fashion Monger” with its rich purple petals edged with white and contrasting buttercup yellow centre petals.
Pompon Dahlias. It is good to be able to report three new ponipons. All are sports from established show winners. “Lilac Willo” is a clear lilac/pink sport from “Mark Willo”. Bob Porter’s introduction has all the good qualities of the parent. A deep rosy/purple colour break from “Willo’s Violet” is to be called “Warkdon Willo”. A free flowering sizeable variety. The plum coloured sport from “Willo’s Surprise” will need pushing to obtain top size. “Plum Surprise” has fine tight form.
I should explain that the only nationally organised dahlia trial in Britain for new exhibition cultivars is held in Brackenhill Park, Bradford. Yorkshire. Three plants are grown of each variety, one is flowered under cover and the other two are grown in the open. The plants are grown and restricted to exhibition standards. A selection panel made up of N.D.S. judges visit the trials on four separate occasions. At the end of the season the points are added up and awards made. This year fifty one varieties were submitted for trial. Three varieties were awarded gold medals, six received silver medals and four obtained bronze.
GOLD:- Jean McMillan (S. S.C.), Andrew Magson (S.S. C.) and Carstone Suntan (NI. S.C.)
SILVER:- Primrose Accord (L.S. C.), Hamari Rose (Mm.
Ball), Amgard Delicate (L. Dec.),
Baret Joy (L.S.C.), Fermain (Mm. Dec.) and Sam Huston (G. Dec.).
BRONZE:-Weston Nugget (Mmiv C.), Ruskin Tangerine (S.
Balb, Brackenhill Flame
(5. Dec.) and David Digweed (5. Dec.)
The Harry Haworth Memorial Medal for best overall performance
in the trials was awarded to JEAN McMILLAN.