Dahlia 2015

[johnstephen29]

Here are my dahlia tubers, all have been checked over and bad parts removed ready for the new season.

image by johnstephen29, on Flickr

image by johnstephen29, on Flickr

[Graeme]

been potting mine up today - its been raining here all day - they have all sprouted

did them and then started on the rhodohypoxis - did half of them - I need to get them done and then move on to the agapanthus

Got 4 whole days off at the end of the week just hope its fine - got concrete to lay..........

[johnstephen29]

I've got mine sorted today thankfully.

[Lesley Cox]

Ours are in full flower right now. Our climate is such that we don't need to lift and store them though I believe some people do, maybe those who are interested in showing and perhaps need to produce bigger better flowers.

I just grow 2, the wonderful 'Bishop of Llandaff' (below) and an odd little species which I grew from seed, from our man in Nova Scotia. I don't know its name and haven't a picture but it is short, about 50cms and has a small flower made up of a relatively large yellow disk and an outside row of dark crimson petals, very small and shaped like a cat's ears.

[Lesley Cox]

I DO have a picture after all. Here it is.

[fermi de Sousa]

That's a real cutie, Lesley!
How tall does the plant grow?
cheers
fermi

[johnstephen29]

Hi Lesley your bishop of llandaff is amazing so many flowers, and your unknown plant looks really good too. I'm tempted to try my hand with some of the other bishops, I grow llandaff and it does really well here.

[Tasmanian Taffy]

Hi Lesley, I also received some seeds from our friend in Nova Scotia a few years back and the flowers look the same as the ones in the pic that you showed. Mine were labelled Dahlia Imperialis this year the plant is almost a meter tall. Regards John.

[Tasmanian Taffy]

Fermi, I may still have a few seeds left if you would like to try some. They have been kept in the fridge so should still be viable.
PM me if you want some Regards John.

[johnstephen29]

Hi john isn't that one of the species dahlia, I'd heard it was a tall plant.

[Lesley Cox]

I don't think our little one is D. imperialis John. That is indeed, a tall - very tall - species and is pinky lavender colour thought there is also a white form. It was tender with me but just as well because I was growing it in a netted tunnel and when it reached 3 metres it poked a hole through the netting and reached for the sky. At about 4 metres the frost got it and it never appeared again the next year.  Fermi, this little bod is about 50-60cms at full height.

[Lesley Cox]

with some of the other bishops

I didn't know there were other Bishop dahlias. What are they? and what are their colours? Do they have the same gorgeous dark foliage? I've not seen any in NZ but then I don't usually hunt for dahlias.

[Maggi Young]

Hi Lesley, I also received some seeds from our friend in Nova Scotia a few years back and the flowers look the same as the ones in the pic that you showed. Mine were labelled Dahlia Imperialis this year the plant is almost a meter tall. Regards John.

I understood that Dahlia imperialis was the very tall knicker-pink one - a "tree" dahlia, in effect?    It's been shown several times in the Forum I think - by Paul T etc?   No resemblance to the cute little red fellow shown by Lesley.

[johnralphcarpenter]

I didn't know there were other Bishop dahlias. What are they? and what are their colours? Do they have the same gorgeous dark foliage? I've not seen any in NZ but then I don't usually hunt for dahlias.

Lesley, see http://www.national-dahlia-collection.co.uk/en/catalogsearch/advanced/result/?category=9

[François Lambert]

Not sure if the link will work, but I posted a pic of a Dahlia Imperialis in the section below.  As always with Dahlia Imperialis, given the height of the plant, they are taken from a frogs perspective

http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12521.msg319800#msg319800