This is my first year to order named dahlias so I'm excited about EVERYTHING for this dahlia season. What variety are you most excited to see bloom this summer?

Most likely I'd have said Hollyhill Bewitched but yesterday I asked a friend if he had ever grown it, then researched it here at our database, only to find I grew it in 2009. How embarrassing!

I still have one order to place but I am excited to grow all I've ordered as well as all the tubers I've saved (and inspected) from 2015.

I am almost embarrassed that I have so many new tubers coming this year. Between purchases (38) and trades (75) I have 113 new dahlias arriving in April .

I will have a difficult time finding room, but have already committed to cutting way down on tomatoes this year and that will make room for at least 20 of them. I did cull some of last years as I dug in the fall, but I may have to dig a new bed to accommodate everything.

I started out focusing on Anemone, Orchid, Waterlily and Stellar forms, but with trades, I'll try almost anything that catches my eye that I haven't tried before.

Click here to see pics of all 113
https://www.pinterest.com/stou...

Wow! So many beautiful dahlias. Have fun!

Who needs food anyway? Beautiful assortment of blooms. I hope you'll be posting a lot of pictures!

I'm following you on Pinterest, Geof! Added several to my list from your pics.....

I didn't discover Pinterest until last year - I love it for collecting images. While I mostly use it for teaching purposes (hence all of the ceramics) I love being able to compile pics of the new flowers. Before Pinterest I made lists - but what use it that if you don't actually remember what they all look like?

I agree, Geof! I've accumulated images of my new dahlias there as well! Also have images of most of my peonies as well as a huge "wanted" list....

Arlene, I've done that same thing with different peonies, it's hard to keep track sometimes!

I am very excited about these new dahlias: Show and Tell, Vancouver, Bodacious, Santa Claus, Friquolet, and Hawaii. Also looking forward to growing my favorites (Tartan, Candlelight, and Zoey Rey) last year in a prime location. They were not looking too bad in storage the last time I checked.

Vancouver has been a favorite for a long time. It's so stunning.

This will be my first year with Santa Claus (that I keep thinking is named Merry Christmas!). Tartan is a must have for me. Zoey Rey is another beauty. Good luck with all of them.

Arlene. I believe it was your photo of Vancouver and recommendation that makes it a must have for me this year. I can't wait to see its bloom. Knowing that you grow quite a number of dahlias over the year, something that is your favorite has got to be gorgeous and special.

2011:


2012 it returned a lighter color and I still loved it!


This year Nick Sr. made the list. It appears very similar to Bodacious, which I loved, but wanted to see Nick Sr. in bloom to compare them.

I can't believe that the flowers came from the same plant. In the second year, Vancouver gave you only striped flowers? They are all stunning though! Bodacious looks pretty variable too based on the images on the web. Some appear more red than orange.

Some dahlias seem to vary quite a bit depending on their environment. A hotter sunnier growing season can really change the colors. Some just have a lot of variation no matter what - Like Holly Hill 6 in 1, which rarely puts out two flowers that look the same. And others have a tendency to sport back to a genetic parent.

It keeps it interesting.

Show and Tell is a dahlia I saw at the MN Dahlia Society show a couple of years ago and fell in love with. I have it coming this year too, and hope mine is as nice as the ones I saw.

I'll have to edit the second photo since that was taken in 2013. I loved it but it didn't survive storage. The look was so pleasing!




Bodacious is more of an orangey-red, or red-orange for me. Temperature, soil and genetics all play a part in the color we get.



As the days go by you can see how much lighter it gets.

I had "Show and Tell" but while it grew it was weak and never bloomed. Bummer.

I grew Show and Tell for several years but it was a late bloomer for me. I decided I'd like to try it again so I have one on order.

Nice Pic Dan - that looks worth waiting for.

Oh wow! That Show n Tell is a stunner. Can't wait to see it bloom in my garden this summer.

I appreciate the compliments and thumbs-ups. Thanks!

Geof, you mentioned the Hollyhill Six-in-One. I've had this yellow version for the past five or six years. And you're right, you never know what the next bloom will look like. Hollyhill use to sell a Six-in-One Red version but they quit selling it when it went solid red. I wish I would have bought one when they were available.