Dahlia Society of California
January, 2005

  

NEXT MEETING:
11 January @ 8 PM @ 9th & Lincoln. 
Program: 2005 New Introduction Slides + How to order from catalogs or on line.   Tinnee, Lou L & Baker Bill will consult on building home mini-greenhouses. Who will kick off the new year with tantalizing yummies? Baker Bill will bring more milk cartons for your jumpstarting pleasure. 

 

The last boom at the Dell.

HO HO HO! Do Dahlia growers know how to party hearty!  No sooner had the Dingwalls set up the bar with Scotty manfully tending, than the Juuls brought out their traditional smoked salmon starters.  Gerda asserted that she does know how to make other things, but concluded that too many of us would have been disappointed without Erik’s catch of the day.  Too right!  Enid & Bonnie came festooned in lights & ornaments.  Louise sported a red coif for Christmas—what will she plan for St. Paddy’s?  The buffet began to groan under the weight of substantial dishes.

Barbara & Steve brought not only spectacular cheeses including a major slab of Stilton, but also a whole ham to accompany the Gaenslers' traditional haunch.  String beans gleamed popular, particularly Tinnee’s al dente with pine nuts. 

Joann’s deviled eggs were deviled away almost before the party began.  Thelma’s corn casserole & Deborah’s forbidden rice stuffing received the 5 fork rave.  But, ah, the desserts!  Tinnee’s chocolate Grenache bedizened with berries rivaled DJ’s homemade pumpkin topped with ambrosial elixir.

To this mad commotion, Franck plied his thick photo album of spectacular dahlia cards.  Many puzzled over how he built a Christmas tree of dahlias--too clever.

Suddenly someone battered on the windows outside—Santa had arrived to referee Present Predation.  What was it about St. Nicholas that alarmed young Nicholas?  Recovering his élan, golden Nick rode the shiny new shovel John fleetingly possessed.  “Just like his dad, “ commented Shelly, “He loves a party.”    Limiting pilfering to 2 steals changed the game considerably; drawing 48 of 48, Erik J. wondered what was left unfrozen.
Not surprisingly, the Gaensler trove of narcissi bulbs, the magnificent cymbidium, the Japanese scissors & the lovely loppers were iced within a few turns.  More surprising, proved the tussle over the leather tool belt (Joan thought she had a lock) & the 2 assortments of candles, chimes & tschoskes wrapped revealingly in blue surgical towels. Astounding the entire group, however, were DJ’s photo cards—lovely enough in themselves, but bedecked with matching stamps on the envelopes.  Everyone argued whether these were “real” stamps or not.  (Yes, indeed!) (coming to a website soon)

Lou Lombardo nabbed his 50-pound sack of lime, declaring he could leave since his car had rested at least 45 minutes to recover its enthusiasm—short of which it would not start.  Thank you to all who cleaned up, schlepped, & took home leftovers.  And to all a good night!

DUES ARE DUE: Please send Diana Brogoitti your 2005 dues:  DSC $10.  ADS $20.  Both $30.  Use this form for details.

SLID INTO SILENT SLUMBER: What glorious weather blessed our Lopping Day.  Coming early for a master lesson, Steve counted 5 or 6 notches up each cane & lopped off.  As the first to arrive, he won the last dahlia bouquet of the season.  Peaches ‘n Cream, the first to bloom in May still thrived in December.  Valiant, too, bloomed as did Autumn Star, Jessica & Fern Irene.  Triathelete John G. biked, weeded & dug almost to China—as attested by Tinnee & Ted rising from the graves.

Diana & DJ cropped & dropped stalks in compost holes.  Ted & Mui disinterred & dismantled his snazzy irrigation system.  Mui painstakingly washed the tinkertoy-esque pieces down with cold cistern water.  “Ok clean, “ exhorted Ted, “This is a garden not a hospital.”  Lou L. snagged a couple more cuttings for his aluminum-foil lined greenhouse & ravaged the weeds of the hillside.

Thank you to all who tucked the tubers into dormancy.  The Juuls exhumed early to place prime specimens on the cutting bench to have plenty of flush green plants for our tuber sale April 2.
 

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PLOT YOUR PLOT: Determine what new dahlias you need for next season.  Cruise the Big List on the net; peruse the catalogs.  Order early as the rarer cultivars sell out fast.  I have ordered from Corralitos Gardens right over in Monterey & Dan’s Dahlias who regularly comes to the Cow Palace Landscape and Garden Show.  After touring their gardens at last year’s National Show up in Washington, I recommend the Parshall’s Clearview Dahlias, Gordy Leroux’s Kenora Dahlias, & the Smith’s Chimacum Dahlia’s.  The following donated tubers or gift certificates to our PSW Conference last February:  Alpen, Arowhead, Ayers Rainbow, Ferncliff, Frey’s, Garden Valley, Swan Island, TLC, and Yamagami.  Your patronage of these commercial growers will acknowledge your appreciation for their participation in our organization.

 

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DIG OUT 2005: Saturday & Sunday Jan. 15-16 in Golden Gate Park at the Dell.  RAIN OR SHINE.  (Hope for shine.)  Diggers & schleppers attack the earth by 9 am.  Labelers wield pens by 10.  This is a great opportunity to learn digging, spraying, dividing, chloroxing, and labeling from masters.  Consider bringing an extra change of clothes (lots of water activities involved), boots, layers of shirts, dividing tools, “butt pads” for sitting on hard metal surfaces, camera, surgery gloves, extra sox, your ADS classification book, labeling pencil & a great attitude.  Share snack items or drinks with the hungry hoard.  Your benevolent society will supply lunch both days. 

 

LO THE MUD MONTH:  Weed Now.  The more assiduously you eradicate unwanted green things now, the fewer you’ll have to deal with come planting time.  Mulch with weeds & compost.  Check your pH & adjust accordingly.  As Lou L. prognosticated, “I brought up my pH .5.  Imagine how great my dahlias will be next year!” You can liberally distribute chicken manure after digging up your clumps.  Allow at least 6 weeks before re-planting for fear of burning delicate roots with fiery urea. 

Plot your plot to determine what new dahlias you need for next season. At New Years I begin germinating tubers in milk cartons.  I staple the ends of a half gallon carton, slit a flap on one side, fill 1/3 with starter soil, lay tuber down flat, cover ¾ of the tuber with more soil, & put in a warm, dry spot.   For rooting mixture I prefer 1/3 dirt, 1/3 sand & 1/3 perlite.  Attend Dig Out Jan. 15-16 2005: filthy fun & hands on education from the experts.     
eNewsletter of Dahlia Society of California, Inc., San Francisco, CA
   Editor: Deborah Dietz. Web-Layout Editor: Ted Marr
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