Dahlia Society of California
                                                     October, 2003
 

MINI SHOW MAXI BLOOMS  Despite heavy mist (necessitating windshield wipers) 69 excellent blooms taxed Jytte & Lou P’s judging acumen.  With his educational comedy routine, Lou should hit the Petal Circuit.  “Broken Form” came up several times.  This is where some of the petals do not conform to type definition.  For example, an orchid should be fully involute at least 2/3 its length.  When one petal does not quite touch at all, this constitutes a form break and is a serious fault.  

Moreover, Lou stressed that a fully mature bloom with minor faults should be preferred over a severely green clean blossom.  Team Marr displayed “The best Robann Royal” Guru Paradise had ever seen.  Ed’s straight Honka edged out a spindlier one for best O.  Best B was personified by Barbara’s magnificent Helens’s Alvin Sr, a frothy orange behemoth. Twice DJ delighted in edging out his mentor when his GW’s Babe (M ) & Sean C (CO) triumphed. (His mentor was doubly proud!)   Encore earned DJ Best A. 

Cleverly filling empty categories, Deborah scored with Camano Pet (ST), Lupin Britain (P), Ginny Ann (CO), sleepy seedling (S), & Powder Gull (PE).  Against tougher competition, Deborah prevailed to win Bests with Kenora Clyde (AA), Jessica (BB), Kenora Fireball (BA), Rembrandt (MS), x3 Kenora Fireballs (BA)& x5 Mingus Garys (MB). Damp clothes & severe ribbing from Ripmeister Paradise could not dampen Deborah’s delight in Best of Show, an exquisite Wildwood Marie (WL).  Tinnee could not hold herself back; her 7 Fern Irenes demanded to be exhibited.  Wow!  What a blaze of glory. 

SOCIETY OF SERVICE:  I was particularly proud of our members at our last meeting.  Even in the parking lot, I saw several of you approach other members to ask if they needed help.  Inside the room, many of you jumped in to set up the mini show, write labels, help ferry exhibits for late arrivals, share vases, & help novices figure out show tags.  Some of you introduced yourselves to new members—wow—extra karma points.  When the meeting was over, you helped exhibitors clean up, wiped down tables, & helped carry gear to cars.  There are so many ways to participate!  Thank you for your open-hearted spirits.

SWEAT EQUITY & RATE OF RETURN:  Upon receiving an envelope with cash in it, Joe was delighted to learn he earned money for his great blooms at The Big Show as well as $$$ for his winners in the Novice Only Mini Show.  Remember, our mini shows payout:  1st $1.50; 2nd $1; 3rd $.50 with a bonus of $5 for Best in Show. Special thanks to all those who have helped us out in the Dahlia Dell, the Marrs, Joe N, Joe L, Judy, Diane, John, Steve, & innumerable others.  Your painstaking disbudding, deadheading, deleafing are treasured as much as your wonderful discourses with the public.   

ODDS ‘N’ ENDS:  Elsie requested that you test drive your vases before you bring them to a show.  Some leaked all over the show tables or the pin frogs tipped up, sometimes causing a domino crash.   She also admonished checking the cultivar’s spelling and correct ADS # for entries.  Ted passed out his on-line version of the newsletter with colored digital pictures & links to an extra photo gallery.  Thelma reported that Joanne suffered a “minor” heart attack & was recovering in the hospital.   A week later, Thelma suffered the same thing.     How could these be minor? Thanks to Steve for his delectable walnut balls, to Barbara for the gourmet caramels, and to Thelma for her chocolate chip cookies. xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.   

SAN JOSE TRIUMPHS:  Jeff Miner, Walt Dabel & the John E. Stowell Dahlia Society organized a lovely show at the Vallco Mall.  Roy nabbed Best Largest with a magnificent Fidalgo Climax as well as Amateur Sweepstakes.  Team Queant nailed Best Open with Pooh & Best Medium with Cameo as well as Best S, Loretta’s Pants ( which had a few judges speculating about just who Loretta is & just what is it about her pants?)  Did Tinnee somehow resuscitate from suspended animation at the National Show her x3 Pam Howdens to capture Best Small x3?  Her Matthew Juul took Best MS. 

Walt Dabel’s Creve Coeur loomed Largest.  Lou Paradise again bedizened the head table with: Kenora Fireball (BA), Pink Cloud (a darling pom), Camano Pet (ST), x3 Pooh (CO), x5 Scattered (B), x5 Colors, and Juul’s Star (O).  Despite the rain on Wednesday, Lou managed to wrest  x7!!!!! Pink Jupiters (A). Few could carry it, let alone grow or show it.  Every time I passed Minerva Misty (341 crispy W with rose/lav centers), I envied it.  Open Sweeps, Ken Masurat’s Bert Pitt (235 B ID BI DR/W) screamed, "look at me"; admittedly Bert Pitt is shallow, but oh so flashy.  Queants' 3rd year seedling (355, dusty rose streaked with y/w) & their Daddy’s Girlie (409, M FD PR with bitsy W tips) stunned many.  Mingus Julie (170, A C LB PK/W) titillated with cool colors. 

Although classified as B, Suncatcher (251 y/orange center) dazzled much larger.  The sun frapped & exquisitely twisted an old favorite, Bright Star (363 BB C OR).  Like a Chinese purple ink drawing of spidery mums, Ken’s x3 Shinkyoku inscrutably entwined hearts.  Bristol Sunny (442 y) well represents a very limited category.  Alas Corralitos catalogs will not feature  Larkin/Zydner’s new seedling, a sharp  B SC Y/PK until 2005.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO ‘DAY IN THE PARK’:  Jim brought a bucket of blooms, Bill brought 2 & Lou C. trucked in 3, to be sold for $1 a stem. Ann and Joe, Kim, Carol, Jim, Bill, Lou and Ken assured the gasping oohing crowd that yes, the dahlias were REAL.  Out of 200 booths, people flocked to ours.  Lou says this is a MUST next year.  

CAPITOLA: BEST RIBBONS THIS YEAR!  Sweeping 4 for 4, Janet nailed her final novice sweeps, thereby capitulating herself into Amateur status.  Zynder/LarkIn swept Open & Deborah accumulated Amateur.  Bringing a mere 30 flowers, Lou P. garnered Best Small with Glenbank Twinkle, Best Hamari Accord, Matthew Juul, x3 BA (Skipley Moonglow), & Best Second Year Seedling, a cool tie dyed M Y/R/PK/W.  DJ’s Sean C exemplified collarettes, snagging ribbons for x1 & x3, prompting a senior judge to mutter, “Looks like I need to pick that one up next year.”  Deborah had quite an itinerant bunch of flowers which traveled up to the head table & back. Remaining to reap glory were Best O Juul’s Allstar, Best P Glen Place, floating WL Fern Irene, x3 Hamari Accord, x5 Pooh, and x5 Moonlight Sonata. 

For public elucidation, the Monterey Society staged all 17 types of dahlias in matching containers with the type of each bloom clearly marked.  Ken Masurat mounted 3 humongous Creve Coeurs; they practically growled with lustrous menace.  Certain dahlias tantalized me:  Creekside Genevieve, (215, B FD BI R/W) mmmmm!  CG Sparkle did sparkle, (352, BB SC FL), strong stems.  Bill Teubert’s Blue Bayou looked laboratory conconcted: purple anemone.  Joe Ghio’s Starring, (564, ST PK/W), triumphed over Camano Pet (570, ST LB Y/OR).  Moray Susan, (613, WL, rose with yellow center) shimmered.  Raz-ma-taz (413, M FD DB Y/R)  & Mingus Denise (565, ST DP) also beguiled me.   

OCTOBER ORCHESTRATIONS:  The mildew plague is upon us.  Strip every affected leaf & spray with RosePride, previously called Funginex or Orthenex.  I prefer the systemic Orthenex, but it is nastier & more dangerous than others so be very cognizant of what you are doing & shower immediately afterwards.  Wait a week & spray again.  You can add some Super Bloom & dishwashing soap (not detergent!) to your cocktail.  As your bloom size dwindles, try double disbudding: taking off both the extra buds next to the central stem, & also the emerging shoots just below the first leaf pair. 

Check your labels against ADS definitions.  Rewrite clearly.  Now is the time to consider allowing a few blooms to go to seed.  Seeds are the genetic lottery; dreadful odds but such a payoff!  Simply let the petals fall off; wait until the remaining seed head is brown & dry.  Bring into a cool, dry area for germinating in January. Go visit other dahlia gardens. Profligately give away flowers. Participate in the October Mini Show!!

.
Lou and Jytte check out Hamari Accord

Deborah with Best in Show,
Wildwood Marie


 Gardener revealed: Tinnee

San Jose Show

Vallco Mall brightened with Dahlias

 Serge: Double Winner -- Best Open & Best Small Double, Pooh & Cameo

 Lou Paradise introduced Veca Lucia & perfected Pink Jupiter 
 

View additional pictures of the the September Mini, San Jose, and Monterey Bay Shows

Day in the Park

DSC Shone in South San Francisco

Monterey Bay Show

Capitola Mall Brightened by Dahlias
DJ’s Sean C snagged ribbons for x1 & x3

Have you renewed your membership?
If not, click here for a membership renewal form.