A few years ago the only dahlia trial held in Britain was the joint National Dahlia Society-Royal Horticultural Society trials held annually at the R.H.S. Gardens in Wisley, Surrey. Although this trial still continues today the fact that most of the varieties on display are older established cultivars is not of much help to dahlia exhibitors.
The joint R.H.S./N.D.S. panel of judges make their awards with prolific free flowering general garden qualities being the most important factor. This has little value to exhibitors who are looking for potential in the newer varieties.
The Streadwick Medal for best variety on trial in 1996 went to the bronze 1982 M.S.C. raising Wootton Impact which narrowly beat the New Zealand giant decorative Kidd’s Climax which was raised in 1940.
Of more interest are the trials for new cultivars and judged for exhibition potential, The leading trial in England has moved around the County of Yorkshire over the years. After starting off life in Harrogate it moved to the mill town of Bradford before moving to a new site at Golden Acre Park, Leeds this year.
Top variety on trial this year was the Joe Kidd raised small decorative Carstone Ruby. At the Welsh trials at Pencoed College of Horticulture it was Ralph Cook’s bronze and yellow blended miniature semi-cactus Dana Shirls that narrowly triumphed over Bill Mark’s ruby red small semi-cactus I Lyke It. Although there are no trials organised in Scotland as yet the winning seedling at their National Show held in Stirling was Bill Franklin’s bright yellow pom Lismore Moonlight.
In a good normal dahlia growing season the major championship of the year went to a Welshman for the first time ever. Graham Carey used the varieties Primrose Diane, Kenora Canada, B.J. Beauty, Kenora Challenger and Kiwi Gloria, in his superb nineteen bloom Terry Clarke Trophy victory at our London N.D.S. show. On then to the new varieties for 1997
Giant and Large Winner of the prestigious Jaldec
Trophy for best new giant or large seedling of the year was Jerry
Woolcock’s Trengrove Terror. Eleven inch formal decorative
bronze blooms have good reflexing form, plenty of depth and are
held above extremely healthy plants.
Perhaps the biggest of the new batch of British raised giants was Les Wright’s Wanda’s Antarctica. The form to my eye is somewhere between informal decorative and semi-cactus. Big powerful blooms are held on good stems and healthy plants. The form is perhaps not as precise as it might be. It has a tendency to produce a high number of petaloids throughout the bloom which may cause problems on the show bench.
Even bigger was the pale yellow decorative Penhill Moonrise. This is the first variety to arrive into the U.K. from Wallace Maritz from Capetown, South Africa. Powerful fourteen inch blooms had excellent depth, habit and stems. But as with a lot of really big varieties the formation was a little ragged and untidy.
Over the years there have been several established giant decorative varieties that have thrown up a sport of the same colour as the parent, but with a pronounced white tip to each petal. Son of Zorro is one of those sports. This white tipped sport from its dark red parent Zorro is a real eye-catching bi-colour. History shows it is almost impossible to perpetuate a sport of this type. When it comes to propagating from the sported plants or tubers what tends to happen is that all the stock eventually reverts back to the original. Let us hope this is not the case with this beauty.
The only giant semi-cactus of note was Les Jackson’s deep yellow seedling Hillcrest Camelot. Well formed deep yellow eleven inch flowers are held on strong tall growing plants.
Just two large semi-cactus to report on and both sports of
well known varieties. Eric Payne’s pale yellow sport from
Hamari Katrina was shown around under the name of Primrose Katrina
this year, but may well be renamed later. Except for its much
paler colour it is identical to its popular parent in every way.
David Boyd’s Primrose Accord is just that slight touch paler
than its top class parent Hamari Accord. Same superb habit form
and stems.
Mediums Usually the top medium of the year is the dual winner from our two seedling championships. The Hamari Trophy in London was won by Anja Doc a clear pink semi-cactus raised by J. Docherty. Sharply quilled blooms had good size and depth.
In Harrogate five days later the second placed variety from London Wisemark reversed places to become northern champion. Bill Mark’s clear yellow semi - cactus has a strong robust early flowering plant habit. It is one of those rare mediums that does better in the open, rather than under cover. Very tough petals do seem to take the rain, wind and sun better than most. It has crisp form and dresses right back on to the strongest of stems.
Stan Pennington’s dark pink with lighter centre Ruskin Charlotte was the third variety to finish in the top awards at both shows. Good even form but needs covering as it marks easily. Top medium sport of the year was Sunlight Pastelle raised by Nigel James. This pale yellow with pale pink flush has sported from top semi-cactus Grenidor Pastelle. An almost identical sport appeared at our Northern National, Jack Gott’s Barbara’s Pastelle will be hard to distinguish from Sunlight Pastelle. Both are strong growers with classical Pastelle form.
Without question the best red semi-cactus to come along for many years is Andrew Mitchell. Dark red flowers have immaculate form, plenty of depth and good size. This early to flower strong growing beauty gave me a Best in Show award this year, so it is a friend of mine. It does need covering or marking will occur.
Two other semi-cactus that slipped on to the market quietly and looked very good were Carstone Suntan a very under-rated warm bronze with super form from Joe Kidd. Pristine a pure white which is not unlike White Moonlight but with a better more weather resistant petal. Some good vases were seen around the shows of both these two.
Gordon Leroux’s bright red and yellow semi-cactus Kenora Sunset made a few people blink with its stunning eye-catching colour. Super form and plant growth. I just hope this beautiful blend of colours will not be penalised by our judges too much.
Apricot Beauty is the first semi-cactus to have come to us from Holland for many years. Cor Geerling’s novelty has good form and depth.
In the decorative section two from last year excelled. By far the best red we have seen for a while is Barbarry Chevron, the bright red blooms have neat form and dress right back on to good stems and have a strong four foot plant habit.
Orange Keith’s Choice is a bronze sport from Les Connell’s
Keith’s Choice. Same good form as the parent but maybe a
little more weather resistant.
Best of this years average bunch was the Barry Davies raised Barbarry
Neto, a formal bronze of good form and habit.
Bi-colour winner at our national show was Dick William’s Skipley Spot. It’s bright red with white tipped blooms may be hard to match for open competition, but oh what an eye-catcher.
Small Champion small flowered and top overall seedling
of the year was June Davis’s Cherwell Goldcrest. Golden yellow
semi-cactus blooms have super form and healthy free flowering
habit.
The raiser has kindly passed on all stocks to her Midlands Dahlia
Society who will be selling this variety in tuber form with all
proceeds going into the society’s funds.
Some very good sports appeared from our top exhibition cultivars this year. Bill Mark’s bright orange sport from his own variety Andrew Magson is to be named after his daughter Jackie Magson. This free flowering cultivar needs growing plenty of blooms to a plant to keep it down to an acceptable size. Well formed semi-cactus blooms with good depth.
Our outstanding small cactus of recent times Kiwi Gloria produced the dark pink sport Deborah’s Kiwi last year. So many fine vases appeared around the shows this year of this finely quilled beauty that is sure to be a banker for years to come.
Trevalyn Kiwi and Kath’s Kiwi are the latest additions to the Kiwi family. Trevalyn comes in an off white shade and Kath’s a pinkish white. Both have identical form and habit to the parent and will be much sought after.
Another small cactus to sport was Hillcrest Desire, the pale bronze colour break Sylvia’s Desire appeared in George Arme’s garden and will be on sale in 1997. Sharp free flowering blooms which can go oversize.
As veterinary surgeon John Willott will be moving house soon it is not surprising that he will be naming his first introduction after the village in France where he will be making his new home. Menil Hubert is a bright red small cactus of super form. This very early bloomer needs growing about six up to reach top size.
Our leading dahlia trial in Britain for the last few years
has been held in Bradford, Yorkshire but owing to a change of
circumstances was moved to Leeds this year.
Joe Kidd’s Carstone Ruby came out as top variety on trial
and winner of the Harry Howarth Memorial medal. Formal dark red
decorative blooms have fine form and produced a constant flush
of flowers throughout the season.
An even darker red is the rich ruby Atilla, Cor Geerling’s
powerful growing cultivar produced a constant stream of sizeable
well formed flowers. Very strong stems and exceptionally strong
healthy growth.
Les Connell’s Sunny Boy comes in a vibrant bright yellow.
Very good formal decorative blooms dress back into an absolute
ball of petals.
Another interesting formal decorative is Fred Currie’s light bronze Misthill Contessa. This free flowering cultivar performed well at the trials and went into many notebooks.
Hexton Copper performed well for Roger Stevens when finishing fourth in the Ernest Luckhurst seedling class in London. Copper coloured formal blooms need growing well to reach top size but have good globular form.
We finish the small flowered section with two sports from recognised
formal decorative winners. Claire Diane is a cream sport from
Primrose Diane, same super form as the other Dianes. Grow a bloom
or two less than the parent as it is slightly smaller.
The beautiful dark pink and yellow Pink Suffusion sported for
Colin Pearce off Hillcrest Suffusion. To get the best out of these
two smaller than normal varieties they do need to be restricted
to four or five blooms to a plant. Formation is outstanding with
a short growing strong habit.
Small and Miniature Ball Perhaps the weakest section for varieties with show bench potential over recent years has been in the small ball area. It is good to see that this is now changing with an influx of good new Dutch cultivars.
I grew three from Cor Geerling that did extremely well. His Red Balloon came to size well when grown eight up, it performed better out in the open rather than inside my covered area. The bright red well formed globular blooms dress right back on to cane like stems and did not fade at all even in hot sun. I managed a nice vase of five blooms in my winning fifteen bloom Harry James Championship for this type at our London National.
The purple Amira is quite a tall grower, if not well tied it
tends to fall all over the garden. The smaller petals produce
a more refined shape, blooms dress right back which produces very
globular flowers on strong stems.
Jomanda produces wonderful blooms in a striking terracotta orange
that are nearly as deep as they are wide. Super tight show bench
form, four foot plant habit and strong stems.
Another from the same raiser is the ebony miniature Julio, the almost black flowers are tightly formed and very deep producing an absolute golf ball on a strong stem.
Our overseas dahlia of the year was Les Connell’s bright red miniature Riisa. Needs growing well but the effort is worthwhile. Tightly formed flowers are high class and dress well to make the desired globe.
Miniature Decoratives
Of last years releases Barbarry Cadet was outstanding. Bright
red superb reflexing blooms that kept a consistent even colour
all season long. The two most recent releases to come from Barry
Davies in this section performed well.
Barbarry Apex comes in an attractive fuchsia pink with unusual
thin white lines on each petal. Free flowering, well formed cultivar.
Barbarry Vintage is one the exhibitors will be looking for. Dark
red formal blooms dress right back on to the usual good stems
and healthy plant habit.
One of the finds of the season was Loretta, it came over from Cor Geerling in Holland as a ball dahlia but it was soon apparent that the tightly formal lilac blooms were in fact classic decorative formation.
Pompons Oreti Duke arrived unannounced from Walter Jack
in New Zealand and proved that this white based, plum coloured
novelty is a real winner. The globular blooms have 284 petals
which is a high count for any pom bloom.
The variety that beat all the new miniature and small flowered
decorative and ball seedlings for the prestigious Luckhurst Trophy
in London was in fact a pom, Pembroke Pattie. It looks very useful,
dark plum purple blooms dress well, are circular in form, free
flowering and sizeable.
Champion seedling at the Scottish National Show was Bill Franklin’s
Lismore Moonlight, tightly formed blooms come in a much needed
bright yellow hue.
Another from the same raiser is Lismore Sunset, a show flower
of quality in an attractive blend of bright red and yellow. Early
flowering, strong grower.
Of those mentioned last year the two that really excelled when
subjected to open competition for the first time were the pale
pink and white Gurtla Twilight and the red and yellow blended
Dana Frank.
It can be said that these two varieties have both successfully
made the transition from promising seedling to consistent show
bench winner.