Plants that don't get enough sun will tend to get taller and more spindly - "reaching for the sun". I think thats true of just about all plants. My tomatoes get ridiculously tall too. With dahlias, obviously some are taller than others due to genetics, but with less sun there tends to be more space between the leaf nodes. I have seen pictures of dahlias with 6-8 leaf nodes within the first 10" of height, that never happens in my yard, even the sunniest spots.

My Lucky Ducky, which I have had for 4 years, is a foot shorter (at least) this year, and I am sure its because it is in a sunnier spot. I have always planted them in the shadiest area of my dahlia beds, but this year they moved to a different bed, and they are shorter and bushier and more floriferous.

In Alaska, while your season is short, your hours of sunlight are much longer, so I would expect shorter fuller plants, if they are taller this year it might be due to more water or fertilizer? is that possible?

I am in no way an expert about this stuff, but I am pretty sure I'm correct with this.

The most recent one I noticed, while tying it up, has very little space between the nodes - barely an inch. I'll check on the others tomorrow if it cools down.

A few from today:

French Doll


Insipic


Maniac:


Seduction:

French Doll looks adorable
Insipic looks anything but insipid
Maniac looks rather tame
& Seductress looks exactly that!
Love all your companion plants that grow around the dahlias. They provide such a nice backdrop and contrast.

Thank you, Karen.

Last year the company sent Duet instead of Seduction (but they were labeled as Seduction) and it messed up my color plans. So, this year I planted the replacement Seduction at the fence not knowing if it would be correct or not - easier to rip out if they were wrong again.

I am adding Insipic to my dahlia order next year. It is absolutely wild and beautiful!

It's fun! I got it from River's Dahlias and find them to be terrific with customer service - answering questions since I never had any problems for them to handle.
http://www.riversdahlias.com/

Their selections for 2016 are not online yet but be sure to take a look at Tartan when they begin taking orders.

Oh, THAT is what I call super gorgeous! I have Tartan! But so far it gave me only 3 blooms, yet every bloom is unique and beautiful. Arlene for that info. I will check into them when they open for ordering.

Thanks, Karen. I loved that one and yet it didn't survive the winter. I didn't get many flowers but part of that may have been because it didn't get the prime spot in the garden. I'll know better next year.

Nice pics Arlene!. I am a fan of Seduction too. I have one growing this year, but it hasn't bloomed yet.

That Tartan is cool. I don't like a lot of red/white bi-colors, but the depth of that red, and the placement of the color change is beautiful.

Thanks, Geof. Now I'm off to deadhead dahlias and take more photos. It's beautiful out there today -66.9 but will go to 78.

I'm sure we each see color differently so I see Tartan as wine or maroon and it matched the Physocarpus behind it so well. I really wasn't prepared for all the various changes in color it went through but loved it.

I actually see that as more of a maroon too, but I wasn't sure as photographing reds/purples is always a crap shot. If it is maroon its even better, thats not a color I see much in dahlias.

Misty Changeling with a backdrop of Limelight hydrangea


Jamaica - short! I hope it grows when the cooler weather arrives.


Black Touch. The bagged clumps looked so hopeless but now they're blooming.


Internodal length is around an inch.

Nice Arlene - do you mix a lot of your dahlias into perennial beds? Its something I am trying to do more these days.

A few new ones in my garden
AC Golden Nickles


Apricot Brandy


Bahama Mama


Midnight Moon

Generally I place the dahlias and coleus together. They work well colorwise.

Apricot Brandy is the ideal color! Love it. The others are all beautiful.

One neighbor used to tell me he took the long way home just to see the Bahama Mama at the lightpost. Some people say the nicest things that live on even after the plant is gone.

Today's walk in The Park yielded these:

Gonzo Grape - nice color but too short.



Bodacious, not quite finished opening:


French Doll turning more pink but still somewhat lost in the coleus foliage:


Penhill Yellow Queen, not fully open yet:


Enchantress - not too enchanting at such a low height this year!

The height difference between yours and mine is really interesting. My Enchantress is over 6 ft, maybe 7ft, and while I have great soil, its not like I fertilize very much.

Bodacious had been on my want list - yours looks like its going to be a winner.

Bodacious looks so good today (from inside). Maybe I'll get out around 5 PM to take more photos but just came from the post office and it's hot out there.

Last year my Enchantress was at least 5' so I don't know the cause of the short stature this year.

2014 Enchantress: backed up by the asparagus field. In 2014 the first bloom was 9/20 so this year the same tuber is giving me blooms 8/30. I hope it gains some height.

Here are mostly new ones, a few really developed older ones.
American Dawn

Bonaventure

bumble Rumble

Firepot

Hy Mom

Maniac

Marvelous Mel

Nutley Sunrise

Todd H

Vassio Meggos

Disappointed in many. Had Ordered Clearview Louise from Corralitos and this is what I got. Clearly NOT CL.

All beautiful, Mary. The colors are wonderful.