Skip to content
Dahlia Society Of California
  • Home
  • Growing
    • Intro
    • Monthly Guide for Growing Dahlias in the Bay Area
    • 5 Simple Steps
  • Gardens & Hybridizers
    • Intro
    • Dahlia Dell at Golden Gate Park
    • Hybridizers Erik and Gerda Juul
    • Paradise on Earth
    • DJ’s Creation
    • South Coast Gardens
  • Web Resources
    • Intro
    • Online Informational Tools
    • Art and Photos
    • Books & Videos on Dahlias
    • Public Gardens
    • SF Dell on the Web
    • Dahlia Vendors
  • Newsletters
  • About DSC
    • About
    • Contact DSC
    • DSC Board
    • Meetings
    • Membership
    • Official Flower of San Francisco
  • Join DSC

Paradise on Earth

Lou Paradise has created a paradise on earth in his garden in the Sunset area Paradise family homestead. And, he is sharing some of the paradise with everyone who visits the Golden Gate Park with his managed portion of the teardrop-shaped Dahlia Dell. One look at the names of his of hybridized Dahlias, eight introduced up to 2005 and four new ones in 2006, strongly reveals his Italian heritage.

lou1Bea Paradise in the palm of its creator, Lou Paradise.

Early in his life, Lou left Italy to live with his Aunt and Uncle in the Bay Area, and has called San Francisco his home ever since. How he got started with growing Dahlias is very much like how most of us got started — struck by the beauty and the variety of  Dahlias. Someone brought a Dahlia to his company and the rest is history — he caught the bug.

bea-paradise-tm1Bea Paradise WL LB L 2003

Soon, with guidance from the Juuls, he started to experiment with hybridizing. And, DSC members have been benefactors from his creativity by his bringing to our club so many beautiful new Dahlias. However, hybridizing is not an exact science. Besides expertise, it takes patience, perseverance and a little luck. Lou relates that only one out of one hundred planted seeds finally makes to an ADS approved and registered new Dahlia. It has to pass through a series of stringent tests and exams and normally would take 4 to 6 years.

Mikey P  CO-PR/r/w 1996

When Lou created this collarette, his son Mike was so smitten by it, Lou named it after him. Mike, himself, has since won several awards in the Youth categories.


Vincent Paradiso M-SC-OR 1993

lou-with-a-gorgeous-veca-lucia

A very proud Lou in front of a very gorgeous Veca Lucia B-ID-LB  1997


Lou has won many prizes with his Scattered B-ID-L 1998


Eden Talos AA-SC-BR 2013

pink-paradise1Pink Paradise M-FD-P 2006 – Lynn B. Dudley Award winner


Dark Horse   BB-FD-DB 2006


Elsie C  B-IC-Y 2006

 

More of Lou’s hybrids:

Eden Barbarossa BA R 2010
Eden Predator BB FD FL 2013
Eden Benary MB W 2016
Eden Star
Eden Lemonade BA Y 2009
Eden Testarossa BB SC R 2009
Skip to My Lou  BB FD BI R/W 2006

 

© 2017 Dahlia Society of California. All rights reserved. | Privacy Statement

 

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Copyright 2017, The San Francisco Dahlia Society Web Hits
Theme by Colorlib Powered by WordPress