I can't wait for mine to bloom. It was slow to go until the temps dropped out of the upper 90's. Then, (like a lot of other things) - it just took off and got lots of buds. It's probably still about 2 weeks away.
This is from the 2012 season.... Is this seedling still around, or has it gone the way of so many seedlings, Ted?
teddahlia wrote:I could not resist posting a picture of our second year seedling that is variegated and has a very rare form: it is a "fully double orchid". On orchid dahlias the petals roll the opposite way from from cactus dahlias(involute is the term and cactus dahlias are revolute) and you see the back of the petal along with the front of the petal. I saw an orchid seedling at the Federation judges seminar on Saturday and it had two rows of petals and I would call it a "partially double orchid". The form on this variegated is a bit rough but it does look exotic to me. This form is not recognized by the American Dahlia Society and the flower would be call a "Novelty Fully Double, NX.
I tend not to cut these, preferring them in the garden versus on the table. They're a touch too big and heavy in a bouquet for me, but the plant is a manageable four footer with more blooms then foliage, and I've enjoyed this variety every year.
That is an amazing looking dahlia! We want to see pictures as it grows for you. I'm a few steps behind, having just ordered AC Paint for next year, as well as Mick's Peppermint and Pink Mick's Peppermint from the Boleys.
I think my interest in these came about through my enjoyment of AC Rainier this year, and thinking about how awesome a bigger version could be. AC Rainier was one of my most pleasant discoveries this past season. It seemed to take a long time to grow a big husky plant then it started pouring out these delicious blooms that made me think of huckleberries or blackberrys on snow. Suddenly I found myself using them in almost all my arrangements, as the plant became loaded it seemed to call to me to play with them. When I tested for vase time (really, survival in a bucket of mixed varieties) at the end of the season, it was probably the 3rd longest lasting, right behind AC Abby and HH Icarus. These flowers are a nice bb size, easy to use as cut flowers on a strong sturdy bush. I plan to plant at least 2 plants of this one this year. It made nice tubers but not huge quantities of them.
Looks like Jim Lamson of BJ's Dahlias completed his move from Selah in Eastern Washington to Nyssa, in Eastern, Oregon. Climate there is just a few degrees warmer than Selah and is very similar to Boise, Idaho. They grow lots of onions and potatoes there and now dahlias.
The variegated double orchid seedling was grown for few years and I gave some stock to Eugene Kenyon so he might use it to breed more of his double orchids like River's Novelty. It never had a real tight center and did not fit in with what we are breeding. I believe I did not dig it last year but there might be a pot tuber of it floating around.
We like to place a sign on our porch that says: We are in the garden. Really, we are always in the garden.
Last season I tried 2 different smaller flowers that were shades of red on shades of yellow. both were nice plants and produced many flowers. I found my self quite drawn to Ferncliff Dancer, a miniature, and left rather cold by Lark's A-Maize-ing, a BB I never could figure out just why I had that reaction to these two varieties. I can only think that the gold of FC D is a warmer shade and easier to mix with other autumn tones. It stays in my garden for 2015. Lark's A-maize-ing will be leaving. I have to cut down somewheres. Ferncliff Dancer. (They were not typically green centered like this one..must have been late in the season when I took the pic.) Lark's A-Maize-ing.
Even the camera didn't pick up the subtle difference in shading...
And by the way, Ferncliff calls this one A-Maz-ing, but Larks, who originated it calls it A-Maize(As in "Corn colored")ing. Here are the pics from their catalog which are much truer to color
I had another favorite from last years journey into variagated dahlias...It was an older cutting flower named "PInk Polly" from Tall Grass Farms. . I loved how the dots of color were so tiny...just cute as a bugs ear! I will probably plant 4 of these this year, using all my tubers for myself. I don't know anything about the history of this one but thanks to Tall Grass Farms for keeping it in circulation! It is a wonderful cut flower. I was growing it between AC"s White Rabbit and Pink RV and preferred it to either of them for its ability to play well with others.
I loved the really small dots too. Here is a picture of one of the 2014 seedlings. I hope it does well this coming year. It is a seedling of a light blend miniature ball dahlia and I have no idea where it got the variegation.
We like to place a sign on our porch that says: We are in the garden. Really, we are always in the garden.
I took 5 pictures of the the flower and the 4th was posted above. Here is the 5th and it is the color that came out of the camera with no corrections.
Sometimes the light in the late afternoon tends a bit towards blue especially between the dahlia rows.
We like to place a sign on our porch that says: We are in the garden. Really, we are always in the garden.
Very nice seedling, Ted. I hope it does well for you. Still a mini-ball size?
I liked the one at BJ's next to Kaylin on the page, JL Becky. A delicate looking form, with the tiny flecks of dark pink. He says it's a B SC - I'll go for the B size, but I don't know where he sees the SC form.
Has anyone grown Avignon? It showed up at Jan's new (to her) this year, and it was sold out before I sent in my order. Lots of pictures on the web, so I assume it's been around a while. It seems to have something of the form of Akita & Vancouver, and there is even one place that sells Avignon & Vancouver together.
Ferncliff Dancer. (They were not typically green centered like this one..must have been late in the season when I took the pic.)
Lark's A-Maize-ing.
Ferncliff Dancer min
Lark's A-Mazing bb
. I loved how the dots of color were so tiny...just cute as a bugs ear! I will probably plant 4 of these this year, using all my tubers for myself. 
I don't know anything about the history of this one but thanks to Tall Grass Farms for keeping it in circulation! It is a wonderful cut flower. I was growing it between AC"s White Rabbit and Pink RV and preferred it to either of them for its ability to play well with others.
Avignon
