Not necessarily what you might have growing but which 3 Dahlias are gotta have, definitely want now, etc. I'm hoping on sourcing new Dahlia cultivars for next year.

Kagone R&W (finally died over winter), Ice Berg (very prolific tuber producer), Sherwood's Peach

It changes every year for me.(if not more often)

Last year. my faves were Monet Glory, Skipley Bonanza, and Clearview Debbie

Thanks. I'll try and hunt them down. I've got only limited experience with Spartacus proving vigorous and large blooms and Duet having nice and prolific blooms. I've added 40 or so new varieties this year to try out.

Spartacus is a beauty & probably my favorite of my large blooming Dahlias. My only issue is that last year at least, it seemed every time it got more that one bloom on it, it would rain, and the weight of the giant wet flower would break the stalk (and I am an obsessive when it comes to tying up the plants). I just need to keep an eye out for the weather forecast and go cut them when the rain threatens.

Ah Geof, so glad to see you posting. Love your Skipley Bonanza.

CLC70, do you have a top 3?

Oh Lord, narrowing it down for me is really tough.
Myrtle's Brandy

Bon Odori

Valley Porcupine

And my choices can change daily. I am currently fascinated with lacinated dahlias, although my choices here are none of those.
For several years I always ordered from Swan Island Dahlias and made an annual visit to their Dahlia Festival to make my choices. But the last couple of years I've started ordering from other local growers for the lacinated ones. I found out that Swan island only grows tubers that store well, avoiding the finicky ones. Some of my favorites are harder to store. Last year I had Bracken Sarah and it was my all time favorite but it didn't store well and I lost it.
Bracken Sarah

Myrtle's Brandy is gorgeous!

All of your choices are gorgeous. I seem to end up with the same ones year after year. Perhaps because I have so many that survive winter in storage I can't justify buying any new ones. I was amazed that Valley Porcupine made it through. I didn't think it would. Really glad as it is a favorite of mine also.

The few new tubers I ordered (five) aren't doing so well. Not sure why. They are barely sprouting. Guess I will just put them in the ground and hope for the best.

My three favorites from last year: dot com, Gitts Crazy, and Linna. I can't seem to figure out if there is a way to edit the photos so it doesn't crop them and chop off part of the flower.

Nice. It is so wonderful to see blooms. It seems like forever since we have had them. One 2017 bloom picture is now in the Dahlias 2017 thread. Soon to be followed by many more I hope.

I've come across Gitts Crazy on quite a few Dahlia sellers sites but is it different from Fidalgo Julie? LizinSeattle - nice pics and Dahlias!

Picking a top three is tough. But so would be picking a top 20. I love so many of them! My favorites would change by the year or maybe even by the day. Some former favorites have let me down the last few years, like Canby Centennial. I haven't had a good bloom in 3-4 years. But I keep trying.

Canby Centennial


Just off the top of my head I guess these would be at or near the top of the list.

Bonaventure


Sir Alf Ramsey


Ben Huston

That Canby Centennial is really nice!

There are so many good dahlias out there. I have grown at least 300 different types over the years - but haven't tried most of what are on everyone else's fave list.

I love Bonaventure but what I was sent was definitely NOT B. They said I should just be patient. BS. It died after the second year of not producing anything even near B. It is such a lovely bloom. Also had SAR but it never produced. I had ordered from a fellow who was growing them out in the valley (matanuska) and his tubers were really not good. Dan's tubers make his look like junk. (edited actual word).

Have to wonder what this year will bring. All plants much better than last year.

Thanks, Mary! I've grown Bonaventure for the past 6-7 years. If I could only grow one variety it would be the one. I love how the color seems to change from day to day depending on whether it's sunny or cloudy. The one in the photo is between 11-12".

Over the last 4-5 years, I've bought new stock of Canby Centennial from at least 3 suppliers. I have not had a single bloom that looks anything close to the ones in the photo. Nearly every bloom is open centered and just plain ugly. I have a couple tubers from last year but I'm not expecting anything different. It seems that once a plant has gone south, saving the new tubers is a waste of time. No idea what's happened with this one.

I would give bonaventure another shot but it is too late this year. Perhaps next. I really need to refresh my cultivars. But it is so hard to pitch extras. I gave some away to botanical garden for their entry bed. People really like them. Most just don't want to deal with the work involved unless they buy new each year. And I have very mixed results with newly ordered tubers. Not sure why. Some do okay and some not. But all are so far behind the ones I save in growth due to receiving them in April. And I don't have til October to enjoy the blooms.