On Sunday 30th August 1997 the death of Princess Diana shook
the world. A week later when the funeral took place in Westminster,
it brought London to a standstill.
Our National Dahlia Show which was to be held that weekend was
one of the many events cancelled on the advice of the Metropolitan
Police. It was a major blow to exhibitors, who in many cases had
planned, planted and timed their plants with this show being their
sole objective.
The following week we all travelled north to be a part of their
National Show, held in Harrogate, Yorkshire. It was an outstanding
success, with showmen reacting to the fact that their main aim
had been taken from them, and made the most of this second chance
to compete at national level.
The weather followed the pattern of recent years, dry and warm.
A hose pipe ban by our local Essex and Suffolk water authority
lasted through the summer and made things even more difficult
than normal.
On then to the new varieties for 1998.
Giant and Large
Champion Australian giant decorative WINKlE COLONEL arrived with
a big reputation. John Menzel’s new novelty produces velvety
red 12 inch reflexing blooms that are held on strong stems and
3ft plant habit.
Last year I mentioned the white tipped sport of ZORRO, SON OF
ZORRO. This year ZORRO produced another sport. Terry Gillam’s
GILWOOD ZORRO is a full bi-colour, with the base half of each
petal being crimson and the upper half pure white. The 12 inch
blooms are real eye-catchers.
I first spotted PENHILL MOONRISE when we visited Ed Redd’s
garden in 1996. It was raised in South Africa by Walter Maritz,
and has now arrived here in Britain. Huge bright yellow decorative
blooms are produced on 4ft plants, with strong stems. As with
many really big giants the blooms are a little shallow and loose
in form.
The best of the British raised giant decoratives was undoubtedly
FAIRWAY SPUR. It comes in an unusual pinkish bronze. 12 inch blooms
have fine form, plenty of depth and strong stems.
Only two large flowered on which to report. Brian Marshall’s
Australian beauty EUNICE T produced bright yellow semi-cactus
blooms of good form. Stems were a little weak to support the flowers,
but liberal quantities of sulphate of potash seemed to do the
trick.
CORN SUPREME was the only interesting large decorative around.
Golden yellow flowers were held on healthy plants and had fair
form.
Medium Flowered
The best of the medium semi-
cactus was undoubtedly the pale
yellow sport from EASTWOOD MOONLIGHT. This sport has obviously
occurred in two different parts of the country, and is now being
released under two different names PIP’S or LAUREN’S
MOONLIGHT, depending where you obtain stock. If anything the petals
seem even more quilled than the parent, with classic form and
depth. A sure fire winner.
Another leading semi-cactus producing a very nice colour break
is, GILL’S PASTELLE. Graham Deacons sport WHITE PASTELLE
has all the good and bad qualities of this top class family, which
now numbers five different colours.
I mentioned ANJA DOC last year. The superb lavender, pink and
white blended blooms have fine formation and withstood rain and
sun without the need of covers. Strong plant habit.
ROKEWOOD CANDY was a real surprise from Joe Daniel in Australia.
It arrived as a small semi-cactus and turned out to be the best
medium cactus I have ever grown. Clear pink blooms need growing
about 6 up to reach the 8 inch mark. Strong tall growing late
flowering plants.
In the decorative section another variety Australian to excel
was Edward Griffins SCARBOROUGH ACE. Deep lavender blooms dress
back into a reflexing ball of petals. Healthy strong 4ft plant
habit and ramrod stems.
The very tall growing KOTARE BUTTERMILK is a cream reflexing introduction
from Peter Burrell in New Zealand. Its flat formal petal shape
produces a useful finished flower.
The best of the Brits was Eric Wilson’s Scottish release
SCAUR SWINTON. Bright pink flowers had superb reflexing formal
shape with a touch of class. Fairly low grower, with healthy plant
habit.
Small Flowered
The best seedling in show at the
Scottish National Show held in the
Albert Hall in Stirling this year was Joe Kidd’s CARSTONE
RUBY. Rich ruby red decorative blooms have ball like form and
dress back into a globe of petals. It needs to be grown about
6 blooms per plant to reach top size.
Another that should be grown strongly to reach acceptable size
is the Barry Davies raised BARBARRY FERMAIN. Rich purple blooms
have good formal shape and typical healthy habit.
Terry Morgan’s deep lavender/pink New Zealand trials winner
Gala Parade was a fairly low growing late flowering variety. Reflexing
formal blooms had good form and stems.
1997 Harrogate seedling champion was the pure white formal decorative
RHAISHART. Well formed blooms have a more pointed petal than many
of the ball shaped varieties introduced these days. Good healthy
habit and stems.
HILLCREST JESSICA is a formal decorative in pale gold with darker
centre. Les Jackson has named this after his grand daughter, so
it had better be good. This novelty needs growing well to reach
top size.
The white based overlaid with lavender HILLCREST CARMEN is a more
sizeable cultivar than its sister. A weather resistant flower,
with good centres and ramrod stems.
Bill Mark’s cracking bright yellow colour break from JACKIE
MAGSON, MARY MAGSON became champion sport of the year at Harrogate.
Very sizeable classically formed semi-cactus blooms dress back
into an absolute ball of petals. Needs growing about 12 blooms
per plant to keep within section limits.
From the same raiser comes the pale yellow straight cactus HENRI
LEWI. No oversize problems with this one when grown about 9 up.
Sharp form and good stems.
Another sport that will be popular is the very pale yellow CREAM
ELEGANS, a colour break from the low growing semi-cactus LEMON
ELEGANS. Same crisp sharp form and strong stems. It does pay to
cover both parent and sport, if only to draw the plants up off
the ground. This produces a better length of stem for cutting.
The best of a batch of five small cactus varieties received from
Australia was KARRAS 150. Snow white blooms had precise top class
straight cactus form, but did mark in wet weather. Healthy 4ft
habit and super stems. One that arrived unheralded was KELSAE’S
CALA. Sharp cactus blooms come in an attractive blend of pink,
on free flowering plants.
Ball & Miniature Ball
We have never had such a large number of good varieties in this
section as we have this year.
Double trials champion at both Leeds and Wales in 1997 was the
Cor Geerling raising JOMANDA. It really is the ideal trials variety,
producing sizeable top quality blooms on every occasion the trials
were judged from mid August through to mid September. As an unclassified
cultivar it can be grown 6 up as a small or 12 up and be a super
little miniature. Healthy free flowering 4ft plant habit, with
strong stems. Comes in dark orange.
Wayne Holland is raising some excellent varieties. Harrogate winner
1997 AURORAS KISS comes in tight globular miniature formation.
The colour is very dark red (almost black). Strong 3ft plant habit
and stems. Another from the same raiser is the bright red miniature
HY FIRE. Fine precise honeycomb petal form that dresses back onto
strong stems. SNO-HO TAMMIE was one of two super varieties from
Bill Bonnywell. In Britain it will be shown as miniature, but
possibly in the U. S. it would be considered small ball. Superb
formation in pale pink with white base. The globular blooms are
held on low growing plants.
SNO-HO PEGGY is a taller grower, that will probably end up a small
ball on both sides of the Atlantic. Salmon pink blooms have good
form, strong stems and very clean healthy 4ft habit. Possibly
the best of this years batch of Dutch varieties is Cor Geerling’s
BABETTE. Good sized small ball blooms come in a rich bright purple.
Globular blooms and low growing compact habit.
It’s a pity PINEAPPLE LOLLIPOP is not bigger. In Britain
we show miniatures at around 4 inches, so this natural 3 inch
variety will always struggle in the size department. The shape
is spectacular, pompon formation at 3 inch is breathtaking. An
absolute golf ball, with strong stems and tall healthy habit.
If you are a grower of the late flowering POLVENTON SUPREME, then
WHITE POLVENTON has got to be worth a try, 4ft plant height strong
stems and good reliable small ball form.
Another white, this time from Holland is SNOWY. Tight show bench
form , that dresses well. May end up miniature, but a possible
for the small ball enthusiast. Stems are a little rubbery, so
a little sulphate of potash might help.
A variety that comes up to miniature size easily is BARBARRY VISA.
Globular tightly formed dark purple flowers are produced on strong
healthy robust plants.
Miniature Decoratives
HILLCREST DEVINE finished in third place in the seedling championship
at Harrogate this year. Vigorous prolific bloomer that will carry
up to 12 blooms and still reach top size. Classic decorative form
in pink blends.
I grew LORETTA again this year and am still not sure if it’s
decorative or ball formation. Its well formed blooms come in a
fluorescent lavender / pink, that just glows in the garden, strong
stems and habit.
Cumbrian raiser Fred Currie won the bronze medal at the Leeds
trials this year, with the light orange MISTHILL CONTESSA. Well
formed blooms on free flowering plants.
BEATRICE was a very interesting introduction from Cor Geerling.
Light bronze blooms had good form, but stems were a little weak
at times. From the same raiser comes CINDY. Bright yellow flowers
have good form and great depth. Reaches top size easily, so plenty
of blooms must be encouraged
The low growing WILLOWFIELD JACKIE is a tough petalled cultivar
with precise formation and comes in rose pink blends.
Fimbriated
Its taken a while, but the Fims are starting to find a place on
our show benches here in Britain.
Cyril Higgo’s NENEKAZI was a real sensation where ever it
was shown. Eight inch blooms came in a beautiful blend of ruby
red, pink and cream. What impressed me most, was that from my
12 plants every bloom was showable.
I never did get the size of bloom on BELLE OF THE BALL that I
saw on Bob Surber’s plot last year. Grown 5 up the bright
lavender blooms had plenty of depth and were about 8 inches across.
One of the first to flower was the low growing TIOGA SPICE. 8
inch blooms were heavy in form and came in a mixture of bronze
and red blends.
It is not often that I compile one of these articles and don’t
include a Gordon Leroux variety. KENORA FRILLS is a medium in
pink and white blends, with good Semi—cactus form.
Pompons
Ray Adley’s sport from
MOOR PLACE, MINX, is a first
class pom. Globular 2 inch blooms are produced on strong 4ft plants.
But beware it is very difficult to distinguish from the old Australian
variety WILLO’S VIOLET.
GURTLA TWILIGHT had a great season in open competition this year.
Beautifully formed pink and white blooms have exhibition quality
written all over them.
Welsh raised PEMBROKE PATTIE comes on general release in the spring
of 1998. This 1996 London seedling champion is a deep purple seedling
from WILLO’S VIOLET. Glanville Davies’s variety has
free flowering robust habit. Another from WILLO’S VIOLET,
is AURWEN’S VIOLET. This Northern trials bronze medallist
1997, is a dark purple sport with smaller finer petalling than
the parent.