To see the full original newsletter with all the photos click here to get the pdf: January 2011 Newsletter
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, 11 January @7:30 @ 9th and Lincoln
PROGRAM: 2011 New Dahlia Introductions pictures! Who will bring goodies to kick off our New Year?
SPREADING HOLIDAY CHEER
Everyone I talked to reported a great holiday party! The traditional Gaensler Ham led off a parade of delicious delectables: Pat’ s beef short ribs, Peg’s pesto tortellini with asparagus and prosciutto complimenting DJ’s corn pudding, and O’Brien chili poblano. People raved about Devorah’s curried chicken salad and lovely cranberry Jello mold. The Willmarth’s brought salsa chicken tacos to match Craig and Tinnee’s enchiladas. From the sea came Samantha’s crab cake salad, Jamie’s sushi and Gerda’s glorious smoked salmon breads. Thanks to John and Marsha for the Kayal salad and to Katy for the spinach and persimmon salad. John, Pat, Elsie and Frank brought several types of beverages increasing the convivial atmosphere. Not forgetting the scrumptious desserts, Baker Bill contributed a pistachio cake adding to the Cornish’s plates of chocolate chip cookies.
IN MEMORIUM
On the morning of our party, Oscar, our janitor since 1992 died. Many of us knew him from all our shows and meetings.
THERE CAME SUCH A CLATTER
Big Nick and Smaller Nick banged at the windows to lead off Present Predation. Veterans immediately began stealing hot items: antheriums, a dahlia carrier, a bag of dividing gizmos, a festive basket of paperwhites, a live rosemary tree, a cool bromeliad and a $25 gift certificate to Sloat Nursery. Who brought the lovely framed photos? Who slipped in 8 extra gifts??? Must have been the Dahlia Santa, indeed. Gino pronounced, “This is the BEST party yet!”
BIG DIG 2011
January 8-9, rain or shine, at the Dahlia Dell in Golden Gate Park. Please bring your dividing tools, marking pencils, warm clothing which you can get dirty (and a change in case there’s a water incident), boots with warm sox, “bun warmers” to protect derrieres from cold aluminum seats, and snacks to share. Diggers start @ 9:15 and the rest soon after. Bring your neighbors, friends and family if they have legible handwriting to scribe at the Label Table.
‘OM ON THE RANGE or THE JEWEL IN THE MANDAHLIA?
The Schelps just had to share photos their neighbors took on their trip to Tibet. Long accustomed to the Shelps high-end commercial blooms, they recognized amazing dahlias adorning the Potola Palace high in the Himalayan Lhasa.
KICK OFF THE NEW YEAR
Consider adding some chicken manure to your dahlia patch; high in nitrogen, chicken manure needs to “cool down” for 6-8 weeks before planting in it. I have milk cartons in my loft already and a few left over plants in the greenhouse to take early cuttings from. My greenhouse lights are on from midnight to 4 A.M. Remember DO NOT WATER until you see serious green! Check out various commercial dahlia spots for something new and fun. We host THE NATIONAL SHOW this August, so make this your best year ever. The two dahlias of the year are Verda and Rembrant. Look through the dahlia catalogs and tempt yourself with something new. I overheard someone call these “dahlia porn.”
Happy New Year!
Yours in Dirt,
Dahlia Society of California, Inc., San Francisco, CA — Copyrighted
Editor: Deborah Dietz
Page layout: Mike Willmarth
Photo credits: Eckleberger, Andriani, Schulkin and Dietz