I read about 'Robert Too' in the database but is there anything else that I should put on my list?

Susan,
Have you looked at the selection from Old House Gardens? They have a very nice selection and are some of the best people to deal with!

Oh, I keep forgetting them.

Bodacious is gorgeous, as in drop dead gorgeous, but not very many blooms for me.

Vancouver is too beautiful for words. Put that one on your list.

Check out Ripples (dark wine), Colorado Classic (great color and terrific bloomer - just loaded with blossoms), Thomas Edison is a nice purple, Sea Oro is a lovely salmon, lovely shape, French Doll is dahlia perfection and changes color as many dahlias do in the fall. Don't miss out on Otto's Thrill, Sir Alf Ramsey (HUGE), and check Accent Dahlias. They are such an honest company and they don't play with colors on their site.

http://www.dahliasuppliers.com...

Thanks so much, this is advice well taken. I am in process of looking everything up and will give Accent a shot! One thing I noticed is that there is no picture of Vancouver in database, I will look that up somewhere else unless you have a picture. I will keep adding these for now.

Vancouver:





I'll add it to the database pronto.

LOL..No pictures of Sir Alf Ramsey either.

I don't have Sir Ralph...yet. He's on the 2014 order list.

Vancouver can be light or dark. I entered the photos on the database so they should appear when they're approved. Since I'm a total failure at tying to the stakes, expect to see the near ground blooms. I'll try and do better next year but I always say that and then along comes a heat wave and I'm hiding out of the sun.

Love that Vancouver!!

I goggled 'Sir Alf Ramsey' I think I found a pic on this blog!!

http://twochancesvegplot.wordp...

In the second pic the man is holding a Sir Alf Ramsey. Very impressive but I wish the pictures would open, I would love to get a better look at that table.

http://www.dahlia-mds.co.uk/Si...

Here's Ken (Accent Dahlias) and his super prize winning Sir Alf Ramsey!

Vancouver is now on the database, thanks to Zuzu!

Dahlia 'Vancouver'

pirl said:Here's Ken (Accent Dahlias) and his super prize winning Sir Alf Ramsey!

Wow, that's right Accent Dahlias! I knew I had seen him before, duh. Those are gorgeous, I would like a lot of those!

Here is Sir Alf Ramsay,

I have asked that it be added to the database. It doesn't look like the prize winning dahlias that Ken has above in little wisley, and he must be right.

Here is Dahlia Knockout, in the yellow bed at my house, Sanabria. It is the sharpest yellow on the darkest foliage of practically any Dahlia, and is one of my target base dahlias for crossing next year. I recommend it strongly.

Here is the whole plant, look how dark that foliage is!

Those are beautiful!! I found it in the database under 'Dahlia Mystic Illusion' trade name 'Dahlia Knockout'.
Is 'Sanabria' where you live? Seems like your dahlias are very happy.

I did import your clump shot (great photo) you should be getting an acorn!

Hi Susan,

Sanabria is the name of the house, named after where my wife comes from, and I am increasing the orchard for her with two quince and two cherry trees to go in for a Christmas present.

The garden is very young, only four years old, and of course all the plants are in the wrong place, first plant, then plan!!! I aim to dig out all the long beds on the driveway and increase soil depth about six inches more. I make up all my own mix from John Innes 3, grit, vermiculite to hold water, multi-purpose peat based and compost. It provides a fantastic base for everything that goes in and as you say, the plants come up very happy.

I am short of time, time, time, but only because I didn't realise how much work maintaining a garden can be.

Really enjoying this site, but the knowledge people have on here can be intimidating, though folk are very kind.

Kind regards,

Peter

Love that dark foliage, Peter. It's so attractive and eye catching.

I know about the work involved in gardens. We have big gardens and small but a total of 30 of them and it is time consuming.

Hi Arlene,

I just had a look at your images, I don't know how you have time to look after all that, although I know from earlier messages of yours that I have seen that you are formidably organised!.

Very lovely dahlias and lilies, well done you!

Kind regards,

Peter

Thank you, Peter. Sometimes I wonder about it, too! Mulch and Preen saves me a ton of work. For years and years I resisted using any mulch but once I began I could see the huge difference in the performance of plants and so many fewer hours on my knees weeding. Mulch saves my sanity.