Thanks Arlene.. for mentioning the ones you might like get sold out... so I was off to get mine ordered.. For decades I've ordered from Swan Island Dahlias... they are the countrys largest Dhalias.com.. they ship in the spring... but I paid extra so I could get them earlier.. and start them inside.. I got this one...Bumble Rumble... having had this one I know the name comes from the way the flowers are loaded with bumble bees it's funny to watch


and I gotthese ...and Bodacious for free for the order..




Cooper Blaine




Platnium Blonde


Shockwave

Good job, Gordon. There are so many beautiful dahlias available and Swan Island has long been a favorite as well as Dan's Dahlias. I remember when Dan's only had a black and white printed catalog and NO color photos. My orders then and now were ideal from them.

When you consider the price and compare it to a well grown annual, the prices aren't insane and you get many months of color.

I'm liking the red ones, Gordon.
I'll be starting my wish list soon.

Oh...Arlene... thanks for the mentioning of Dan's Dahalias... I wnet and he had some great things... unusual ones ... and in RED too... I'm on a red influence lately... and as always a blue flower lover ... oh and pinks and white..too... this is one I got ... North Lake Pride...

and another one Patricia.. I know ..I couldn't resist...

I love Dahlias and they do not like our climate. So I will enjoy everyone else's photos.

Very nice, Gordon.

For a wild looking (bad hair day) salmon, you could try 'Bright Star'.

Looks like a sea creature.

Yes, it does!

On ATP my photo is the only one so far but there is another site that has some photos of it. Like many dahlias, it changes color getting lighter with cooler weather.

I love 'Bright Star' aka Bad Hair Day and 'Patricia' aka Good Hair Day!

I was just looking around on Dan's Dahlias and all I can say is WOW.

Funny, and true. Then Gordon's Northlake Pride must be "High humidity bad for naturally curly hair".

As a teen, a friend who is Irish and had this massive head of tight red curls, just hated high humidity because her hair would frizz up. I often wonder if she still has that problem.

I've been looking around on www.oldhousegardens.com, and Swan Island also. I love SI, they have Bodacious and the website is easy to maneuver. I already registered for newsletter. I had a shopping cart going at Oldhousegardens and it disappeared while I was still shopping! SMH.
Also looking at Dan's, he has some nice cactus dahlia like Tahiti Sunrise and he has Bodacious also. I am leaning toward Swan Island because they have some awesome big boys. I already ordered 3 from Bloomingbulb.com so I will not have room for too many more, not with all the other stuff I have coming in the spring.

I already bought

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/4... (Haley Jane)

Susan, I would contact OHG and let them know about the cart disappearance. They are great people and will fix anything they know about.

for my excessive order from Swain Island they gave me Bodacious as a free be...I was so taken by a picture I saw here .. and commented on it and was told it was Bodacious... I agreed... thinking it was an adjective.. not the noun... name of the flower.. now I have it coming.. I am enjoying the big ones also.. something about being able to give someone something bigger than they can imagine coming from my roof garden...

They are all so nice, Susan. You'll have a nice selection growing. Just remember to stake before you plant and then remember to tie the plants to the stake and you'll do well.

It is great fun to bring a bouquet of blooms to someone and have them exclaim over the size of the flowers, Gordon. I had a white and a yellow, years ago, and they were larger than the head of the baby at the home we went to for a party. I am sure you delight and surprise everyone with your rooftop garden!

Thanks Debra, I will not worry about the cart thing for now. I can check back with them in the spring, plus I get the newsletters. I already put in one order this year so I just wanted a few.

@GordonHawk, I did find a lot of nice Dahlia's at Swain Island, most of what I want is there so...Bodacious!!

pirl said:They are all so nice, Susan. You'll have a nice selection growing. Just remember to stake before you plant and then remember to tie the plants to the stake and you'll do well.

It is great fun to bring a bouquet of blooms to someone and have them exclaim over the size of the flowers, Gordon. I had a white and a yellow, years ago, and they were larger than the head of the baby at the home we went to for a party. I am sure you delight and surprise everyone with your rooftop garden!

Thanks pirl, I had a blast looking at them all today. So many pretty ones, it was hard to narrow it down.

I put in my order with Swan Island and they are giving me 'Bodacious' as a bonus also. You get to pick from a list if you spend over 50.00 for tubers. Yippee! Here is what I decided on:

TYLER JAMES
BAHAMA MAMA
HOLLYHILL QUINTESSENCE
LINNA
BLUETIFUL
FLAMETHROWER
ZOEY REY

Great job, Susan!

I've grown so many dahlias but the one that's on your list, Bahama Mama, I had grown near the driveway lightpost. One neighbor still talks about that one and it's five years later!

Bahama Mama is quite a looker. Do you still have it? By the way, I have no clue where I am putting all these but I figure I got all winter to figure it out.