To see the full original newsletter with all the photos click here to get the pdf: August 2024 Newsletter
NEXT MEETING August 13 at 7:30
Program: Show Prep tips: how to transport, use aquarium cement for frogs, staging, arrangement themes, photographic categories, and how to volunteer to help Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Most importantly: how to enter!!! It’s so much more fun when you’re part of it rather than just looking in on the edges. We’ll recap highlights from Judging School. We’ll also discuss “cutting back to new growth” and mildew Grrrr! Who will bring delicious somethings to share with your fellow dahlianeers?
2024 SF SHOW SCHEDULE ELUCIDATED
Sarah walked DSC members through the 2024 SHOW SCHEDULE, explaining all the extra areas members could enter besides specimen blooms. Nature’s Oddity invites members to submit their weirdest growing bloom; 5 Colors asks for blooms of 5 different colors out of the 15 official categories, all of the same B, BB or WL form. Anyone can enter arrangements; they must reflect the specific Olympic theme but don’t have to be personally grown. Check out our official Show Schedule.
PARADE OF FANTASTIC SEEDLINGS
Tim shared his journey to birth new genetic entities. Soo stunning. He discussed goals of stronger stems, high petal count and interesting colors. Because he takes seed from famous KA, Wallace or Sandia varieties, Tim said he stands on the shoulders of great hybridizers. He delighted our group by inviting everyone to take a couple unique seedlings home with them.
NOVICE ONLY MINI SHOW
WOW! So many flowers for so early in the season, all with official entry cards. Thanks to Peggy for clear and concise clerking. The Kowaguchis exhibited the cutest Micro Collorette, Kelsey Bramble, as well as the only mignon single, Baron Page. The skill to grow these tiny treasures is matched with the skill to transport these fragile beauties to a show. Both daunting. Allison submitted a delicate BB FD Midnight Moon, white with scarlet picote outlines. The Ko’s stunning x3 Powder Puff Polkas edged out 3 excellent Valley Porcupines. Judge Deborah explained about green centers (also called Bull Nose): sometimes these will disappear as the flower matures, but should NOT go up on the show table green. In fact, if a plant continues to produce exclusively bull nosed centers, the grower should consider pulling it out and replacing it with a better conforming dahlia. One darling single arrived with no leaves. Alas, all exhibits must have their original leaf pair. Ultimately, the Best BB, Kauna’s Colorado Classic, Allison’s Best B, Chloe Janae, and Tim’s Best Ball, Sir Richard, went to the Head Table where the entire audience voted for Best in Show, the amazing Sir Richard! Congratulations to all! Deborah asked, “Why do we compete? Why not just say all dahlias are beautiful?” She explained that only with a clear goal, a sort of Platonic Ideal of a dahlia in mind, could hybridizers decide out of the thousands of seedlings each season, which to save for the next year. In our grandparents era, dahlias were often as flat as all-day suckers. Their heads bobbled on spindly stems. Thus, hybridizers began selecting for stronger stems and higher petal count as well as better disease resilience. The Sandia Boleys have concentrated on waterlilies and balls. ClearView Dick Parshall favors semi cacti. Our Tinnee loves dark foliage. Only on the show bench or in real competition, can the most successful of these genetic choices prevail. We all benefit.
GOODIES AND GIFTS
Thanks to everyone who exhibited blooms and educated us all on the latest dahlias. Thanks to Erik for calling into our Zoom from London! Too 21st Century! And thank you to the thoughtful individuals who treated their fellow gardeners. Jenna, where did you find Star War Oreos??? Thank you for all the oatmeal raisin cookies from Alex and Allison, for the Bischoff cookies from Pat, and the Lemon Flower cookies from Ken and Kathy. The Ko’s and Steve shared the same healthy contributions: cherries. MMMM. Julie, the fragile looking bouquet you put together lasted a whopping whole week. Amazing. You all contribute to our wonderful Dahlia Community.
Hillside Ribbon Cutting Sunday, August 4 at Noon Dahlia Dell, Golden Gate Park Celebrate the beautiful new Hillside Garden at the Dahlia Dell. Free guided tours 11AM & 11:30AM FREE ADMISSION!
YOU ARE INVITED!! Hillside Dedication and tours
August 4 at the Dahlia Dell. At noon we will officially cut the ribbon on our beautiful new Hillside. Our 5 DSC Growers, the architect, the chief builder and the Parks Alliance Rep will be photo ready. At 11 and again at 11:30 AM Erik or Deborah will give a strolling tour of the Teardrop and the Hillside. We will have picnic tables, chairs and drinks. (A few early burly roustabouts to carry furniture would be oh so appreciated!) Please bring potluck to share. Cross your petals for comfortable sun.
IN MEMORIUM
Our ever gracious Bettie Stier passed away after 90+ years of living the dahlia life with her husband Roy. One afternoon Bettie was working at Bamberger’s department store in New Jersey and saw Roy Stier on the escalator and declared she would marry him. And she did. They were married on Christmas on a snowy day in 1951 during his short leave home from the service. Betty loved to come to dahlia shows on Sundays and help Roy break down and pack out. Being one of 14 siblings, Bettie loved the hubbub of our shows and the calmness of returning home with just her hubby.
SISTERHOOD GARDENS OPEN HOUSE
The heat wave encouraged hundreds of dahlias to bloom at 116 Arch Street in San Francisco! Fortunately, cooler temperatures prevailed, so amazed guests strolled around in relative comfort. Tim led walking/talking tours of his back row along Brotherhood Way: all first year seedlings, a few clipped with clothespins to signify that they would be grown next year. Off the first-year swath, grew the second and third year hopefuls. Wow! Some real stunners! In the long terraced rows, people checked out 200+ pedigreed varieties, including voluptuous Karma Choc and a magnificent Eden Sunday Steve who arrived as an unnamed seedling from Lou Paradise last year. Many KA’s and Wallace introductions as well as a bevy of Sandia waterlilies floated in the breeze. Everyone commented on the clean green leaves!! With a generous grant, Sisterhood Gardens funded tiling of their staircase. Party goers were invited to help with the installing of the tile panels full of dahlias, sunflowers and critters. Dazzling! So fun to see so many DSC members and their families appreciating this amazing feat of neighborhood collective endeavors. People helped themselves to packets of vegetable and flower seeds as they left. Good news for novices: Tim will NOT compete at the SF Floribunda! due to work adventures.
HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
Alex and Allison report that Mendocino Garden’s dahlias bloom in full spate now. Steve has three thriving dahlias growing on his balcony: Bea Paradise, Wildwood Marie and Nellie’s Rose. He knows that every time he waters his big pots, he looses nutrients with the run off water; so he has been adding drops of fertilizer each week. Jen is delighted with her first bloom, Pam Howden. Allison and Alex love their blazing Cheyenne.
DAHLIA DELL DOINGS
After the big wind storm a huge bough broke in the upper canopy over the Hillside: dangling branch of Damocles! Fortunately, park engineers plucked it out of the sky before it crashed. Whew! close one. Check out Tim’s radiant Eden Stacia—such a scintillating golden color and his remarkable KA’s Coral Sea. Sue’s Myrtle’s Brandy and darkly variegated Hollyhill Bewitched get a lot of attention. People appreciate her wonderful labels. Sarah’s Blomquist Paul Jr. looks great alongside her white mini ball. Tinnee and Gerry stay on the hunt for bold gophers who dashed into the Teardrop destroying several mature plants. Sigh. Sarah completed The Great Drip Project in Deborah’s quadrant. Discovering that there was not enough water pressure to irrigate the entire section, she divided it into two sections and voila! Success! Sarah designated the back row as Divisadero St. and the Petting Zoo line as Mission Street. So much fun to have so many visitors. Tom and Warren came down from Portland and promptly volunteered to flake the hose. Noreen and Caitlan returned from Ireland where they are now growing dahlias, too! Alex and Allison brought their friend Helen to enjoy the proliferation of blooming glory. Peggy and husband Kevin fled the East Bay heat for a double header: Dell +Sisterhood. Likewise, Christina ducked into cooler climes from sweltering Sacratomato; she deadheaded and snapped some excellent pix including Pink Embrace, Marie Schnugg (orchid form), Sandia Summertime and Bluetiful, with the ADS Photo Contest in mind. Pat walked the couple miles over to check out her old growing grounds. John P. planted late germinators and kibitzed with Lucas who grooms the Petting Zoo so meticulously. On the last days of Pride a couple amazingly clad characters arrived postparade; they love the Dell. Steve, who rakes and compresses the compost regularly, flew his flag, too. Deborah has been delighted with huge Clearview Jonas and ethereal Ella Western Grace. What a miniature Faberge treasure: Hugs and Kisses. Talk about the Black Dahlia: Veronne’s Obsidian. Lou has several new seedlings blooming; you’ll know which they are because they sport numbers not names on their stakes. Daniel grew a pleine aire dahlia garden on his canvas one Tuesday morning. Jen scarfed up more gallon pots of dahlias, “They make great gifts.” Brigid continued her crusade to clean out the trashy leaves and weeds underneath big plants. Deborah pointed out Hometown Hero and the amazing B FD dr Ty Royal which defies camera coloring.
MONTEREY SOCIETY DINE AROUND
MBDS 2024 Dine Around
We will visit 4 gardens/farms and enjoy potluck-style food along the way. Attendees are encouraged to contribute at least one dish for the day, but everyone is welcome to bring more. We’ll have about an hour and a half at each location, with a short drive to the following location. Feel free to go to all the places or pick and choose which ones you want to see. Please only visit each location during their ‘open’ times, as the hosts may wish to enjoy the other gardens too. We will be outside most of the day, walking on uneven surfaces. Please watch your step and wear appropriate clothing, such as sturdy shoes and a sunhat. Please bring your own beverages.
First stop:
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Host/Location: Iris & Dave’s Garden Address: 338 Market St, Santa Cruz, 95060 Parking/ Special Instructions: Street parking. You may have to park on Grant Street or further up or down along Market St. Enter the garden through the gate on the left side of the house and proceed to the backyard. Please be mindful of uneven surfaces and avoid stepping on irrigation pipes. Menu: Appetizers
Second Stop:
Time: 11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Host/Location: Dynomite Farm / Markus Hutnak Address: You can input into your Nav: Dynomite Farm or 2331 Mattison Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 Parking/ Special Instructions: Park in the driveway or on the street. Walk up the driveway to the back; signage will direct people. (Do not park in front of the house at 2329 Mattison Ln. He has a donot-park sign on his fence). Please call Markus with questions: 510.612.2559. Note that Dynomite Farm has beehives; if you are allergic to bees, please bring any necessary medication. Menu: Salads
Third Stop:
Time: 1:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Host/Location: Vallejo Street Dahlias / Max Critchfield Address: 37 Paulsen Road, Watsonville, CA 95076 Parking/ Special Instructions: Please park in the field next to the flowers and walk on over! Menu: Main Dishes
Last Stop:
Time: 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Host/Location: Nora Immoor / Madonna Mama Farm Address: 192 Mount Madonna Road, Watsonville, CA 95076 Parking/ Special Instructions: Park in the field; overflow will be in a neighbor’s field across the street if needed. Look for signs; the driveway will be marked with balloons or flowers, and teenagers will help direct parking. Menu: Desserts
FLORIBUNDA! 2024 San Francisco ! SHOW DETALS
Volunteer Openings
There are still slots to sit at our Membership Table or be roving Dahlia Ambassadors in 2 or 3 hours shifts both days. Please contact Deborah dahlia.dietz@gmail.com
Judges and Clerks
This year we need two types of clerks. The cell-phone clerks who will make ADS history will need to attend an hour’s briefing a week before our show to learn how to use their cell phones to record the results of our judges. This will be sooo cool. We also need clerks to affix colored dots and help the judges. Please contact Deborah. Kristi exhorts: These trainings will be held on the Wednesday before each show, and clerks (or the clerk-curious) and judges from any PSW club are welcome to attend any session. We will be recording the trainings for those who can’t make the scheduled time or who want to review the materials on their own schedule.
Train early! Train often! Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82500226818? pwd=PqbIf1bTXs9aT1KN6Maaw8aZ5xlIgC.1
Kitchen Supervisor
This person oversees all the food Saturday and Sunday. They make sure the refrigerated items come out and go back within a safe (healthy) time frame and keep things looking fairly tidy and civilized. Please contact Deborah.
PACKING LISTS
Must Haves
- ADS Classification Book or cell phone
- Preprinted entry cards
- Watering can
- Towels (messes happen)
- Pens
- sharp scissors
- Printed out Show Schedule critical pages
- Containers with frogs glued in and your name on bottom
Good to Haves
- Stylet oil or Baby Wipes
- Fat stems for extra support
- 5-gal. bucket for garbage at set up; water for teardown
- XL Spread sheet of cultivars
Every exhibitor needs an official number which will go on every entry form. Please check with Deborah for your official number if you are not on the list. For numbers, exhibitor cards, show schedule et. al: https://www.dahliadell.org/2024-annual-show or Dahlia Show Weekend Information
TWO SHOW POSTERS
Download and print or email all your friends with these two show posters for San Francisco and San Leandro: dates everyone wants to circle on their calendars, for sure.
ALREADY AUGUST!!!
Deadheading, Disbudding, Cutting to New Growth I prefer to leave just one bud per leaf pair. Sometimes this entails removing 1,2,3, or even 4 intervening buds. This practice results in longer stronger stems and significantly larger blooms. When to deadhead? At the Dell, I ask myself, “Will this bloom stay intact until I’m here next time? Or will it begin to drop petals all over my beautiful leaves and make a mess before I return?” I like to take the doubles who have just popped center and flashed a little pollen to my local library, my swim club, my dentist, or my hair cutters. These still have 3-6 days of glory to enchant other people. Cutting the stems 1/4” a day and changing the water yields longer lasting beauties. Moreover, the cleaner your vase, the longer the bloom holds. I run mine through the dishwasher. Where to deadhead? Consider taking the leaf pair and putting it up alongside the flower’s “head,” sort of like covering its ears. This lets you look down the remaining stem to where it meets other parts of the bush. Look for new growth. That’s where to trim to. If you don’t trim far enough down and there’s no immediate new growth opportunities at your cutoff, the dahlia will stop growing there! ACK! It will turn into brown trash by September. NO! No! But if you consistently cut to new growth, you may have dahlias gracing your Thanksgiving table.
Cocktail of the Month
August brings mildew, BIG TIME. First off, strip off the leaves with mildew, especially at the bottom. For this you will need baking soda, milk, Stylet Oil and some sort of anti fungal. Devorah recommended Infuse, a systemic fungicide with propiconazol to Pat, which she ordered from Amazon. For truly disastrous mildew, prepare to pay big bucks for EAGLE, a very potent fungicide, effective but also dangerous to insects. This time of year instead of balanced fertilizer, you might lean into the second number which is called Super Bloom. Many companies make their own house version of this. It gooses production of flowers. Aphids and caterpillars are problematic this month. Some people cover their prize blooms with large organza drawstring bags like hybridizers use. These keep pests off your blooms but allow the flower to unfurl naturally. Other people rely on Spinosad (the main ingredient of Captain Jack’s Dead Bug) which fends off most insects. If earwigs are still a problem, sprinkle some Sluggo Plus at the base of each stalk. Lastly, I always add dishwashing SOAP (not detergent) which acts as a “sticker” to hold the droplets on the leaves. Try to spray upwards on the undersides of your leaves. My long-wand electric sprayer makes this much easier. I sprayed my entire section in less than an hour. I recommend spraying just after dusk but before dark. Most of the bees have returned to their hives. I deadhead and disbud BEFORE spraying.
Dahlia Bondage
I noticed at Tim’s Sisterhood Garden that he has cross-hatched each of his beds with string; this is similar to using hortanova webbing at 18” and 36.” I string mine up to their stakes to give them some help with the nasty winds that come sweeping though the entrances to the Dell area. Whatever you do, do it NOW. It will save so much heartache. Also note that the little sprigs that formed after you cleaned out the bottom leaves are now making longer branches. I recommend removing these and either tossing them or starting them in containers for late season pot roots for next year. As these low branches get heavier, often gravity wins the race and pulls the huge late boughs off. Rather, remove the smaller sprigs as they show up and redirect all that green energy back into the upper levels of your dahlias.
Whimsy
Overnight a gigantic Spartacus dropped all its petals; they fell from my table to my floor. Throughout the night the breeze from my deck gently blew the blood red petals down my hallway to my bedroom door. It was as if some secret swain strew a trail of woo just for me.
Yours in dirt,
Deborah
Photo credit: Adams, Dibner, Dietz, Kurhan, Murphy, Smith, Wong
Punctilious Proof Reader: Steve
URL Nabber: Mini