| PACIFIC NORTHWEST DAHLIA CONFERENCE NEWS December 2009 Editor Tom Ball |
| Taratahi Lilac by Lexa Cookson |
| Don C. M SC W Winner of 2010 Lynn Dudley Medal for best Miniature dahlia. The last introduction by Dick Canning. It was shown on the ADS bench by Wayne and Eleanor Shantz. Mike Canning grew this one for several years to get enough stock to introduce it. |
Presidents Message
Mike Riorden
Dear Fellow PNDC Members,
I hope you all had a successful growing and showing season. Perhaps, like me, you’re eagerly awaiting the NW
show reports and the ADS December Bulletin with the trial garden and seedling bench evaluation results. The new
2010 ADS Handbook and Classification of Dahlias will tell the tale of which varieties to grow for likely success. Yes,
this is the stuff of which next year’s successful garden schematics are made.
This year I was pleased to participate in four Societies’ shows. I was very impressed with the changes,
improvements, and innovations our member societies have brought to their club sales and annual exhibitions.
Lane County deserves special recognition for successfully moving the show venue from a mall to their county
fairgrounds. As Show Chairman, Michael Canning explained to me the object was to cause those viewing the
exhibition to do so as a conscious choice rather than an accident of circumstance. Shoppers in the mall saw the
blooms and wondered aloud if they were real, and the bolder among them palpated to satisfy their curiosity.
Special recognition goes to the Lane County publicity chair for strategically placing an article with photos in the
Eugene Register Guard about the Society and its show that weekend. Society volunteers also planted, tended
and superbly groomed a dahlia demonstration garden next to the exhibit hall. Thanks to plenty of hard work and
thoughtful planning the Lane County Show and its new venue proved a resounding success.
My own Portland Society is very indebted to our Past President, Larry Smith. During the 2008 growing season
Larry asked Oregonian contributor, Kim Polkarney, to write a human interest story about our life-members, Bob
and Myrtle Bloomfield. The story, complete with color photographs, ran in the Oregonian’s gardening supplement
directly prior to our April sale and auction. Oh yes, the sales event was also mentioned in the article. Our sales
volume broke all records!
I’m sure other Societies have successes to share with fellow conference members. However, none of us have a
monopoly on good ideas about how to stimulate interest in our favorite flower. Please encourage your
corresponding secretaries to share some of these ideas in your society reports.
ADS Image Library
Claudia Biggs
So far, we have about 80 new introductions that I'm working on for the New
Introduction program, scheduled to be done by the end of December this year.
For those of you that are not aware, I am currently under treatment for breast
cancer and going through some grueling chemotherapy, only to be followed by
radiation. I work on the library projects when I feel up to it.
There will hopefully be some new programs coming out with the
Fabulous Fifty and Photo Contest Winners, but probably not until next spring.
Contact me if you have questions about any programs. My phone is 509-326-1953,
and my email is dbiggs@mindspring.com.
Editors Note:
I just found out that Claudia has won the Stanley Johnson photo contest award with her photo of Pam Howden
taken at the Seattle Show. The picture will be on the 2010 Classification Book. Our congratulations to Claudia.
A Brief History of the Pacific Northwest Dahlia Conference
Wayne Shantz
In September of 1953, Tony DeRooy, who represented the Snohomish County Dahlia and Rose Society, met at an
annual show with several societies including Kitsap County, Portland and Washington State. He suggested that the
societies form an association of societies, much akin to the Central States Association.
As a result, the Pacific Northwest Dahlia Conference (PNDC) was organized January 13, 1954 under the guidance
of DeRooy and Peter Kershisnik from Portland. They had brainstormed and provided suggestions adopted by the
delegates; they recommended that PNDC have a uniform show schedule for an annual conference show reserved
for Labor Day weekend. Fourteen delegates from Washington State, Portland, Snohomish County and Portland
attended. Officers elected included:
Tony DeRooy, President – Snohomish County Dahlia Society
Peter Kershisnik, Vice President – Portland Dahlia Society
Mae Evans, Treasurer – Snohomish County Dahlia Society
They established a committee to write a recommended constitution and by-laws that delegates would approve at
the Snohomish County August 1954 fall show at the Floral Hall, Forest Park, Everett, Washington where they
established a rotation schedule for the annual conference show, the first held in Everett in 1955 on Labor Day
weekend. They also decided that the Annual Show would include a banquet and conference meeting where they
would take care of conference business. Note: The Snohomish Dahlia Society held a successful 100-year
celebration of its existence by hosting the 2009 ADS National Show and Convention at the Floral Hall in Forest
Park, a sight to behold. Tony DeRooy would have been most proud.
PNDC then established The Pacific Dahlia as its official Bulletin. The early organizers had vision and desired to
provide information for dahlia growers living in the West. A part of the long range plans for the conference included
establishing societies in Oregon and Washington. Later they hoped to include California as well, which did not
happen. To establish an official trial garden was another priority since they felt that this contribution would provide
good information for dahlia growers across the United States.
Tony DeRooy acted as the editor of the Bulletin the first year, literally doing all of the tasks. In The Pacific Dahlia,
with P. F. Kershisnik as the editor, the conference directed that the material appeal to a wide range of growers,
“from the beginners to the most seasoned exhibitor.” (The Pacific Dahlia, March 1954, 1.) Headings for articles
included such titles as Twenty Aristocrats of Dahliadom, Forty Years of Evolution, The New Varieties: Are They
Worthy, Helper of the Bees, Dahlia Root Division, A Commercial Grower’s Responsibility, Strikes and Spares,
Dahlias Are My Hobby, Why We Have Dahlia Shows, Digging and Storing Dahlias among many others. In fact,
many of the chosen titles would be of intrigue and just as appropriate in this century. Other editors followed:
Francis McDuffee, Phil Traff, Willis Collins, and Lawrence Fox among others.
The Snohomish County Rose and Dahlia Society had organized in 1909. In addition to Snohomish, the Tacoma
Dahlia Society became another of the first dahlia societies organized in the Northwest and held its first show in
1910. The city of Tacoma adopted the dahlia as its official flower on September 21, 1925. This choice is
appropriate since few places in the world exist where dahlias grow as well. In 1926 the Tacoma Dahlia Society was
renamed the Washington Dahlia Society. Seattle organized its first society in 1923 and functioned until 1939 when
it disbanded. The following year the Puget Sound Dahlia Society formed. Other dahlia societies also organized:
The Capital Dahlia Society from Olympia, Washington in 1934, and Kitsap Dahlia Society from Bremerton,
Washington in 1926. Influenced by Daryl Crose, the current Seattle Dahlia Society chartered in 1956,
The Portland Dahlia Society was the lone society in Oregon, organizing in 1927, until 1956 when the Southern
Oregon Dahlia Society formed in Coos Bay mainly through the efforts of John McEvoy, Madge Kershisnik, and
Emaline Cole. To the north, the Victoria Gladiolus and Dahlia Society led by William and Bea Kempster became the
first Canadian society to join the PNDC in 1946. In Spokane, the Inland Empire formed in 1962. At this time, William
Allen and Walter Hoppe launched a lasting joint effort with Spokane Interstate Fair. Walter Scott (Scotty) with help
from McEvoy organized the Lane County Dahlia Society in 1962 and Gray’s Harbor formed in 1963. The
Wenatchee Valley Dahlia Society followed in 1965 under the experienced leadership of Tony DeRooy. Scott also
started dahlia societies in Cottage Grove (now defunct) and the Douglas County Dahlia Society in Roseburg,
Oregon circa 1987.
The first official trial garden in the Northwest had its setting in Puyallup, Washington at the Washington
Experimental Station. Growers from many states availed themselves of the opportunity to send their seedlings.
Disbanded after a few years because of a lack of cooperation, the conference again dedicated itself to finding a
new trial garden. By 1971, the Inland Empire established a trial garden, the second to maintain a lasting history for
dahlia growers, now located in Manito Park. Today, a trial garden exists in the Canby, Oregon vicinity, surrounded
by forty acres of Swan Island Dahlias. For some years PNDC also operated trial gardens in Roseburg, OR (Central
Oregon Trial Gardens) and Victoria, B.C., Canada. These trial gardens have served well in the development of
judges in the Pacific Northwest.
After the organized societies began to have shows, they quickly recognized the need for judging schools,
conducted by experienced dahlia judges and growers of winning entries. PNDC formed A Judging School
Committee to establish the first judging school in the conference. The guidelines for the 1958 school follow:
Experienced judges will be the teachers and all classes will present identical subject matter and examinations.
There will be five classes in all, beginning in April and continuing through August. The classes will be two hours
each, with the first four for study and the fifth for examination. Classes will be held for each affiliated society.
Dr. Ward Cook’s Judging of Dahlias in Shows will be used as the textbook. The first lesson will cover the bloom:
color, form, substance, uniformity and size. The second lesson will cover the stalk: stem, foliage, bloom position,
and distinctiveness. The third and fourth lesson will review the first and second lessons with emphasis on point
scoring. The fifth lesson will be devoted to examinations, both written and oral. (The Pacific Dahlia, March 1958, 8.)
As the Pacific Northwest Dahlia Conference accomplished goals for themselves, they continued to evaluate and
project what makes a better show or displays the dahlia more effectively. In 1971 at Gray’s Harbor, the PNDC
prompted a size change for dahlias, dividing the “A” and “AA” sized dahlias. This change prompted agreeable and
disagreeable discussion, especially concerning borderline sized dahlias. Questions followed. Should an 8 ¼ inch
dahlia be shown as an “A” or a “B?” Should a dahlia such as Edna C that has the potential to grow as a “B,” “A,”
and “AA” be allowed to be shown in the class that its size best fits? Fortunately for PNDC members, these
problems are no longer the difficulty they once were. Since the inception of this size change, the American Dahlia
Society has adopted the same size breaks for each variety. Over the years, the PNDC leadership has taken
innovative steps for the betterment of the dahlia.
The Pacific Dahlia ceased publication in 1980 due to disagreement among members. At this point, a good number
of members left PNDC and formed their own organization. Today, PNDC continues to offer judging courses,
promote trial garden experience, host an annual show, and provide active participation at the national level.
Participating societies include: Victoria, B.C. and Nanaimo, B.C. in Canada, Seattle and Inland Empire (Spokane) in
Washington, Portland, Lane County Dahlia Society (Eugene), Douglas County Dahlia Society (Roseburg), and
Southern Oregon Dahlia Society (Coos Bay/North Bend) in Oregon. Officers include: Mike Riordan – President
(Portland D.S.), Ted Kennedy Vice-President (Portland D.S.), Joan Marsh – Secretary (Victoria), and Elva Sellens
– Treasurer (Douglas County). Tom Ball (Seattle) serves as editor of the Newsletter and Joni Beasley (Inland
Empire) takes care of judging records. Trial garden directors are Bill Mishler (Portland) and Bob and Joni Beasley.
For current information about PNDC, see its website http://pndc.com .
Note: If anyone has viable information about the Nanaimo Gladiolus and Dahlia Society, please contact Wayne. w.
shantz@comcast.net . Thanks.
I.E.D.S. TRIAL GARDEN
Joni Beasley
Another year and another of taking too many entries! We had 51 and it was a chore, but they were beautiful to be
sure. We even got the paperwork in on time! The season began with weather issues but we muddled along and
took cuttings and only lost two full entries. Our pass/fail rate was better than fifty percent and we were lucky to
have a number of the Hart Award Winners as well as the Evie Gullikson Award Winner sent to us by the entrants.
To make it even better two of the entries we were allowed to keep a clump each to auction next spring at our tuber
auction.
Now would be a good time for anyone wanting a space for 2010 to e-mail us and let us know how many spaces
you will require. WE SWEAR we are going to limit the number of spaces to a manageable size.
Not getting any younger here!
Judges Evaluation Chair
Joni Beasley
Thank you to all who sent in your reports in a timely manner. I really believe it did help to have them available at
show time and I am deciding on whether to do this again next year. If you have not turned in your report as yet,
PLEASE HUSTLE! This is the last thing on my plate to be done as the trial garden reports are done, tubers
are dug and put away til spring and our attic has been insulated.
I have enjoyed the comments on the forms and I am finding that the percentage that either judged at a trial garden,
the seedling bench or in a senior judges garden to be far less than fifty percent. I hope that you all realize it is a
requirement for maintaining judges status. This is not my rule but an ADS rule. I will remind everyone next spring
on the need to find the time to accomplish this every year.
Maintain judging status – Accredited or Senior
Must be a continuous member of good standing of the ADS and fulfill the following requirements.
Continue to grow and exhibit in ADS sanctioned shows virtually every year (minimum 4 of 5 years).
Judge in at least eight ADS sanctioned shows in five years.
Judge seedling entries either at a Trial Garden or on the Seedling Bench. The recommended number is two per
year but not less than 10 in five years.
Societies without seedling bench evaluation entries or trial gardens reasonably close may have their judges fulfill
their maintenance requirements by:
Score, using the ADS score card, disseminated cultivars set up as seedling entries at the society show, training
class, or seminar to the satisfaction of the Judging Chair.
A garden of a society member may be used for a garden scoring experience when two or more disseminated
cultivars of the same variety are grown side by side provided there are 6-8 blooms and the scores are reviewed by
the Judging Chair.
Judges must fulfill the requirement of judging “entries”. The recommended number is two per year but not less
than 10 in five years.
Attend a judging seminar once every other year and satisfactorily take judges test once each five years.
Senior judges are required to judge every and all classes if asked by the Judging/Show chair unless they have
an entry in that class.
Additionally
All judges must be given the opportunity to score seedlings even though they may not be assigned to the scoring
team which will give the seedling the official score. Their score will be compared with the official team score and
reported back to them.
For the full text of this ADS requirement please refer to the ADS Bulletin of June 2007.
My thanks to all of the members of the PNDC for the honor of being the 2009 recipients of the PNDC Gold Medal
Award. We feel very blessed to be in the company of past gold medal recipients. Thank you again.
Storing Dahlias
Ted Kennedy
Flash: Hollyhill Cotton Candy B IC DP won the Derrill W. Hart medal for "B" sized dahlias. Average score
87.32.
A discussion on storing dahlia tubers for the more experienced grower.
Over the years, I have seen numerous discussions on how someone successfully stored their tubers using a
particular method. Then the next year or two later someone else tried this same method and it supposedly it failed
for that person. I have found that there are many factors that people may overlook concerning the storage of
dahlia tubers:
(1) Variety related issues; many varieties are prone to loss in storage. Barbarry Bingo is a wonderful dahlia and an
extremely poor keeper. Mingus Nicole is also very difficult to keep over. Why do these varieties fail to store well?
They appear to make reasonably good looking tubers. It is my belief that both of them are susceptible to fungus
infections that cause the tubers to rot. It may well be that the infection affects the entire plant before the tubers are
dug and that very little can be done with fungicide treatments after digging
and dividing. Or, maybe it is just plain bad genetics. These varieties may not have the ability to go "dormant" in
storage conditions. So, when you compare storage methods one must take into consideration what varieties are
being stored.
(2) Very few people talk about the the actual temperature and humidity levels in their storage area. Temperature
is an interesting issue. If a dahlia tuber has been properly prepared for storage, dahlias can be stored at just
about any temperature above freezing. But, the storage temperature has a lot to do with the growth of insects and
fungus. Insects do not generally thrive in cool temperatures. There needs to be some research done on
temperature as it affects these vectors. Humidity in the storage area is also another factor
that no one seems to talk about. Some areas are more humid and some climates are more humid during the
winter. I know of one grower who believes his overly humid storage area causes rot and has installed a
dehumidifier there. In the Northwest, more tubers are lost to too wet storage than too dry. In climates with drier
winters, there may some risk of too dry tubers. All in all, a little bit of too dry is probably better than a little bit of too
wet.
(3) Tubers that are not "ripe". In many show gardens, dahlias are grown with a more than an ample supply of
nutrients and water. When harvest time comes in the Fall, the plants are still growing and the newly formed tubers
are not good candidates for storage. They can be identified by their nearly transparent skin and the fact that they
are still rather skinny. Unripe dahlia tubers do not store well. They are much more susceptible to bruising and their
thin skin is easily damaged by handling and cleaning. When they are mixed in with the more mature tubers, they
can spread rot to tubers nearby. If you keep these tubers, store them in a separate bag or box.
(4) Broken necks. Many dahlia varieties have thin necks where the tuber attaches to the stem. If the neck is
broken when you dig tubers, the tuber may look perfectly good but a very high percentage of these tubers (90% is
good estimate) will rot or fail to sprout. Many varieties are notorious for having long slender tubers that easily get
broken necks. Red Velvet and Jessica are two that come to mind. When digging these very
long tubers, it may be better to trim them to shorter lengths as you dig them.
A tuber with about 1/3 of its length cut off will store a lot better than a long skinny tuber with a broken neck.
(5) Curing of tubers before storage. I was surfing the internet and came across an article on how potato growers
prepare their tubers for storage. There are numerous steps that they go through just to get the potatoes into a
dormant stage. For example during digging and hauling to the storage area, potatoes are bruised and skin is
damaged. Potatoes need to have some time (two to three weeks) in reasonably warm and dry conditions to heal
these defects. Then they are slowly reduced in temperature before going into storage.
Do these steps apply to dahlias? I believe they do. After you harvest and divide tubers, they need to be in a
special environment to heal and go into the dormant state. It should not be too humid or too dry. The tubers need
to heal bruises and to have the skins thicken. When fully cured, storage success will be improved.
(6) How wet and cold is it when you are digging? In the Northwest, there may be weeks of rain during the digging
season. In Montana, the humidity may be very low. Dahlias need to be handled differently in different conditions. In
the Northwest, wet tuber clumps need to be divided very soon after digging. The wet tubers need to be dried
before storage.
(7) Peat Moss, vermiculite, cedar shavings, newspaper, perforated plastic bags, small plastic bags, saran wrap,
sand, wax, saw dust, etc. Dahlias have been successfully stored in all of these mediums and probably many more.
The medium itself may not be the answer but how you use the medium. No one talks much about
whether tubers are stored touching each other. I believe that separation of tubers from each other is as important
as the storage medium. For example, vermiculite can be used to separate the tubers in the storage container.
Saran wrap and the like does the same job with much reduced storage space. Separation of tubers and the
preservation of proper moisture in storage are key factors. But when using any of the storage methods, a rotten
tuber can create problems for other tubers in storage. It produces excess moisture and
even some gases that affect tubers in the same area. Rotten tubers probably attract insects. Rotten tubers can
harbor secondary bacterial and fungus that can spread to adjacent tubers. A good practice is to check tubers in
storage several times during the winter and to remove rotting tubers.
FROM THE SOCIETIES
Victoria Dahlia Society Show
August 15 – 16, 2009
Cultivar Exhibitor
Flower of the Show Mary’s Jomanda Connie Young-Davis
Best Triple in Show Camano Sitka Ray/Jane Lauzier
Best AA Single Sir Alfred Ramsey Connie Young-Davis
Best AA Triple Zorro Connie Young-Davis
Best A Single Vassio Meggos Connie Young-Davis
Best A Triple Camano Sitka Ray/Jane Lauzier
Best B Single Jennie Sandra Wilson
Best B Triple Jessica Paul McKittrick
Best BB Single Clearview David Connie Young-Davis
Best BB Triple Keating Envy Cathy/Dave Featherby
Best Miniature Single Keating Centavo Barry/Mary Willoughby
Best Miniature Triple Weston Spanish Dancer Bob Sampson
Best Ball Single Mary’s Jomanda Connie Young-Davis
Best Ball Triple Mary’s Jomanda Jean Vantreight
Best Miniature Ball Single Camano Zoe Connie Young-Davis
Best Miniature Ball Triple Odyssey Penelope Wood
Best Pompon Single Irish Miss Sandra Wilson
Best Pompon Triple Yellow Baby Eric Roberts
Best Waterlily Single Sandia Melody Bob Sampson
Best Waterlily Triple Pam Howden Connie Young-Davis
Best Stellar Single R. Sara Paul McKittrick
Best Stellar Triple n/a n/a
Best AOV Single Natalie’s Star Karen Bull
Best AOV Triple n/a n/a
Best Three Bloom Entry n/a n/a
Best Five Bloom Entry Odyssey Connie Young-Davis
Best Nine Bloom Entry Elsie Huston Connie Young-Davis
Best Three Different Laciniated Colwood Eve, Lois V, Cathy/Dave Featherby
Keating Arizona
Best Flower of the Year (Single) Colwood Hope Cathy/Dave Featherby
Best Flower of the Year (Triple) Lyn’s Concorde Bob Sampson
Smallest Most Perfect Rembrandt Paul McKittrick
Largest Dahlia Bloom Inland Dynasty Connie Young-Davis
Best 25 Years & Over Moor place Cathy/Dave Featherby
Best Origination Mary’s Jomanda Cathy/Dave Featherby
Outhouse Dahlia Barry/Mary Willoughby
Best Photography April Dawn Ralph Hellens
Best Basket Parkland Rave Connie Young-Davis
Best Bowl or Vase Mary Jo Vern/Judy Stephens
Best Lily Pond Floater Juul’s Lotus Teresa Thom
Best Seedling Barry/Mary Willoughby
Best ADS Seedling Bench Keating Centavo Barry/Mary Willoughby
The Victoria Dahlia Society has had a good year commencing with our tuber sale in the Spring and of course the
Mid August Show. It was well participated in with the help of our friends from the Nanaimo Club. It seemed like they
did very well with our awards and in return we cleaned up at their show the following week. Some of our members
exhibited in other shows around the Pacific Northwest and did very well. I believe our Connie Young- Davies
received best in show six times !! Last year with profits from our tuber sale the club was able to buy a power point
slide projector and screen. This year we are buying a laptop computer. This will be used to record our tuber sales
to each member selling and to tabulate the show results at our August Show. Our President. Paul McKittrick and
another Executive member Phil Newton developed a spread sheet program which makes recording the results very
easy and quick. If anyone is interested in their program you can make contact through the club. Our elections last
meeting returned our Executive for another term. That's about it from Victoria. We all send you our best wishes
Lane County Dahlia Society
Michael Canning
The 2010 growing season is just about history, and we at the lane County Dahlia Society have plenty to be
thankful for. Our September show was a great success in the new venue at the lane County Events Center with a
mostly new show steering committee. Our financial situation looks solid as of the date of this writing, and our
membership has grown to a point where we draw a good and energetic crowd to our monthly meetings throughout
the year. We look forward to building on our successes of 2009 and discovering new stories for even better
results in 2010.
SHOW RESULTS
Best (1) Double Bloom Narrows Tricia Eleanor Shantz
Best (1) Disc Bloom 0-9 – Seedling Wayne Shantz
Best (3) Double Blooms Narrows Tricia Eleanor Shantz
Best (3) Disc Blooms 07 – Lo Blush Wayne Lobough
Best Basket in Show Chimacum Linda Eleanor Shantz
Harris, Don C.
Best Design Arrange. Westward Ho Gordon Jackman
Best 1 AA Nick SR Max Ollieu
Best 1 A Kenora Jubilee Mike Riordan
Best 3 A Hollyhill Samurai Mark & Laura Oldenkamp
Best 1 B Narrows Trishia Eleanor Shantz
Best 3 B Narrows Trisha Eleanor Shantz
Best 1 BB Shea’s Rainbow Emily Gorsch
Best 3 BB Esmerelda Wayne Shantz
Best 1 Miniature ` Ryecroft Daves Choice Linea McIntosh
Best 3 Miniature Weston Spanish Dancer Eugene Kenyon
Best 1 Ball Mary’s Jomanda Gretchen Randle
Best 3 Balls Snoho Doris Ron Clack
Best 1 Mini Ball Ms Kennedy Lexa Cookson
Best 3 Mini Balls Chimacum Troy J & S Rasmussen
Best 1 Pom Mi Wong Mike Riordan
Best 3 Poms Pop Willow Eleanor Shantz
Best 1 Single Bloom Tahoma Eldean Audrey Oldenkamp
Best 3 Single Blooms Alley Rose Wayne Lobaugh
Best 1 Mignon Single Alpen Starlight M & L Oldenkamp
Best 3 Mignon Singles 07 – Lo- Blush Wayne Lobaugh
Best 1 Orchid 09 Seedling Wayne Lobaugh
Best 3 Orchids Midnight Star Wayne Lobaugh
Best 1 Novelty Open Jacs Kelli Tiffany Boatwright
Best 3 Novelty Open Christmas Star Wayne Lobaugh
Best 1 Peony Red Chic Gordon Jackman
Best 3 Peony Miss Muffett Wayne Lobaugh
Best 1 Anemone Comet Tiffany Boatwright
Best 3 Anemones Dad’s Favorite Tiffany Boatwright
Best 1 Collarette Alpen Cherub Emily Gorsch
Best 3 Collarettes Alpen Cherub Linnea McIntosh
Best 1 Waterlilly Wildwood Marie Ray Sturman
Best 3 Waterlillies Sandia Shomei Ray Sturman
Best 1 Stellar Alloway Candy Eugene Kenyon
Best 3 Stellars Crazy Legs Ray Sturman
Best 1 Novelty Double Rivers Novelty Linnea McIntosh
Best 3 Novelty Double Rivers Novelty Linnea McIntosh
Southern Oregon Dahlia Society
Paulette Woodward
We’re ending another year, changing pace; and enjoying the holidays before we turn to a new year. The PNDC
Show and our show being on the same week end, we had a small show. (Approximately one half of our normal
blooms). There were sixteen exhibitors with 376 entries. Our appreciation to those who took the time to prepare
entries, exhibit, judge and answer questions. Then there are the helping hands, there wouldn’t be a show without
them. Our venue, The Pony Village Mall and management did a wonderful job working with us, so many of you
have been squeezed out of malls, we are blessed.
Our 2010 Officers:
President: Ray Sturman 541 439 2058
V. President Jeff Jeffs jef3505@wmconnect.com
Secretary Kathy Iler chankrz@yahoo.com
Treasurer Paulette Woodward 541 267 0740
Thanks to all who stepped up to take their turn at leading our group and adding a new prospective to us.
The Dahlia of the Year for 2010 will be Cameo WL Y. An Australian Tapley introduction listed in the fabulous fifty
list 2008. Cameo ranks 25th with 130 blues and higher awards. Cameo is a good cut flower and a medium tall
plant.
Take time to enjoy the last of this year and Happy Holidays.
Southern Oregon Dahlia Society
Grand Master Cameo Ray Sturman
Triple Crown Greendor Harold Ayers
Single AA Dauntless Ray Sturman
Single A Iola Jeff Jeffs
Single B Tioga Dawn Ron Clack
Triple B Charron Paulette Woodward
Single BB Chimacum Katie Michael Canning
Triple BB Jomanda Ray Sturman
Single Min Tui Avis Cora Vandervelden
Triple Min Daddys Girlie Ray Sturman
Single Ball Greendor Harold Ayers
Triple Ball Greendor Harold Ayers
Single MB Little Caesar Ray Sturman
Triple MB Ms. Kennedy Ron Clack
Single Pom Stoneleigh Joyce Michael Canning
Triple Pom Atom Paulette Woodward
Single St Crazy Legs Jeff Jeffs
Triple St Crazy Legs Ray Sturman
Single WL Cameo Ray Sturman
Triple WL Woodland Marie Ray Sturman
Single Pe Elvira Connie Garsch
Triple Pe Elvira Connie Garsch
Single An Goldie Gull Connie Garsch
Single Co Pooh Jeff Jeffs
Triple Co Alpen Diamond Ron Clack
Single MS O.G. Charm Cora Vandervelden
Triple MS Alpen M & M Cora Vandervelden
Single O Pink Orchid Paulette Woodward
Triple O Honka Eugene Kenyon
Single NO Mars Jeff Jeffs
Triple NO Ebony Star Ron Clack
Single NX Valley Porcupine Ron Clack
Triple NX Valley Porcupine Eugene Kenyon
Novice Sweepstakes Linnea McIntosh
Amateur Sweepstakes Connie Garsch
Advanced Am Sweepstakes Ray Sturman
Single Dahlia of the Year Vista Lindsey Cheryle Hawkins
Best Basket in Show Embrace Ginger Clack
ADS Seedling Don C Michael Canning
Best Arrangement in Show New Plateaus Cora Vandervelden
Best Novice Arrangement Vista Nueva Eugene Kenyon
Portland Dahlia Society
Larry Smith
Like other dahlia enthusiasts around the Northwest, we in the Portland area are celebrating the end of the growing
season and have started into the task of digging and storing our treasures. If only there was a way to complete
this task in a warmer, dryer season! I have always said that if anyone will develop varieties that will self dig, divide,
and store, I would be willing to pay top dollar!
Many of our members went on the road, participating successfully in several shows around the Northwest. In
addition, we hosted one of our most successful shows in recent memory and already are planning for next year
and looking ahead to hosting the 2012 National Show at the Columbia Red Lion, just across the I-5 Bridge. Ink
that onto your future calendars, Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1 and 2, 2012.
One of our Lifetime Members, Myrtle Bloomfield, has been recovering from a serious car accident in a rehab facility
near her home. Her husband, Bob fared better in the accident and has been visiting her daily. She will be
released to return home soon and they will celebrate their 69th wedding anniversary.
Portland DS 2009 Show Results:
Open Sweepstakes Larry Smith 168 points
Amateur Sweepstakes Tiffany Boatwright 123 pts.
Novice Sweepstakes Eugene Kenyon 127 pts.
Junior Sweepstakes Heidi Oldenkamp 151 pts.
Design Sweepstakes Margaret Kennedy
Best Design Margaret Kennedy
Best Basket Eleanor Shantz Don C/Linda Harris
Largest Bloom Inland Dynasty Jerry Rasmussen
People's Choice Hollyhill Joker T & M Kennedy
Best Double Bloom Alden Snowlodge Mike Riordan
Best Disc Bloom Daisy Larry Smith
Best Triple Double Peach Delight Max Ollieu
Best Triple Disc Daisy Larry Smith
Best AA Inland Dynasty Jerry Rasmussen
Best A Mingus Nicole Bob Patterson
Best Triple A Amgard Delicate Wayne Shantz
Best B Peach Delight Jerry Rasmussen
Best Triple B Peach Delight Max Ollieu
Best BB Chimicum Katie Aaron Ridling
Best Triple BB Northland Primrose JerryRasmussen
Best Miniature Alden Snowlodge Mike Riordan
Best Triple Mini Kathy's Choice Jerry Rasmussen
Best Ball Cornel Jerry Rasmussen
Best Triple Ball Snoho Doris Larry Smith
Best Mini Ball Odyssey Ted Kennedy
Best Triple Mini Ball Chimicum Davi TiffanyBoatwright
Best Pom Frank Holmes Ray Sturman
Best Triple Pom Hallmark Mike Riordan
Best Waterlily Pam Howden Gordon Jackman
Best Triple WL Sandia Showmei Ray SturmanBest Stellar Woodland's
Arroya Bill Mishler
Best Triple Stellar Woodland's Merinda Larry Smith
Best Anemone Dad's Favorite TiffanyBoatwright
Best Triple Anemone Melqua Nebula Ric Liddle
Best Collarette Beaucoups Amis Gordon Jackman
Best Mignon Single Daisy Larry Smith
Best Triple MS Daisy Larry Smith
Best Orchid Midnight Star Max Ollieu
Best Triple Orchid Midnight Star Elva Sellens
Best Peony Miss Muffet Max Ollieu
Best Triple Peony Powder Gull Larry Smith
Best Single Bride's Teardrop TiffanyBoatwright
Best Triple Single Alba Purity Wayne Shantz
Best Open Novelty Jac's Kelly TiffanyBoatwright
Best Triple ON Jac's Kelly TiffanyBoatwright
Best Double Novelty Mingus Eleanor S. Elva Sellens
Best Triple DN Valley Porcupine Ray Sturman
PNDC SHOW
IEDS-INTERSTATE FAIR
SPOKANE WASHINGTON
Special Awards
Best vase of 5 B Blooms Mike Valle Berwood Wood
Best vase of 5 Miniature Blooms Lynn Weger Ms Kennedy
Best vase of 10 Poms Dick Williams MiWong & Little Willow
Full house AA/A/BBB/Min Dawn Anselmo
Best Potted Dahlia Lorraine White
Largest Bloom Bill Swanstrom Penhill Watermelon
Dahlia of the Year Dawn Anselmo Embrace
NW Origination ` Tom Ball Skipley Twyla
Foreign Origination Dick Williams Odyssey
Smallest Pom Elva Sellens Mi Wong & Little Willow
Best Pre 1950 Dahlia Mike Valler Jersey’s Beauty
Best of Show
AA Single Greg Smith Inland Dynasty
AA Triple Dianna May Zorro
A Single Roy Barton Vassio Meggos
A Triple Delsie Marienau Elsie Huston
B Single Z Bruce Hall Peach Delight
B Triple Tom Ball Skipley Twyla
BB Single Mike Valler Taratahi Lilac
BB Triple Elva Sellens Ferncliff Lemon Aura
Min. Single Dick Williams Barbarry Red Dwarf
Min. Triple Bill Bonneywell Badger Twinkle
Ball Single Norm Anselmo Crossfield Ebony
Ball Triple Bill Bonneywell Snoho Doris
Min Ball Single Wayne Shantz Pocrates
Min Ball Triple Mike Valler S Bs Sunny
Pom Single Norm Anselmo Crossfield Ebony
Pom Triple Dawn Ansellmo Pearson’s Michelle
Waterlily Single Dick Williams Pam Howden
Colarette Single Delsie Marienau Alpen Diamond
Orchid Single Wayne Shantz Midnight Star
Orchid Triple Elva Sellens Juuls Star
Single, Single Mike Valler Dandie Sunset
Single, Triple Wayne Shantz Reanns’s Peach
Peony Single Lynn Weger Elvira
Peony Triple Lynn Weger Raeann’s Peach
Anemone Single Carol Konitzer Rockstar
Stellar Triple Bill Bonneywell Seedling 567
Novelty Open Single Claudia Biggs Ebony Star
Novelty Open Triple Rebecca Hawkins Elizabeth Jane
Novelty Double Single Dianna May Clearview Magic
Novelty Double Triple Elva Sellens Valley Porcupine
Laciniated Single Mike Valler Pinelands Pam
Mignon Single , Single Cristina Carlsen Alpen M & M
Best Bloom in Show Z Bruce Hall Peach Delight
Best Triple in Show Bill Bonneywell Badger Twinkle
AND FINALLY!
I would take this opportunity to wish each and everyone a joyous and happy holiday season. May your Christmas
be a most joyous one and the New Year usher in all that is good and wonderful for you and your families. I look
forward to seeing many of you at the 2010 shows and meetings.
I would like to increase the News Letter delivery via e-mail by as many as possible. If you will agree to receive your
copy via e-mail please e-mail me and let me know that. E-mail is really the better way of delivery. You get the
news letter the day that it is ready to be mailed instead of having to go to the printer, then be picked up folded,
enveloped and mailed. This is efficiency and a money saving move, but more importantly you will also help your
editor to beat his envelope glue addiction! I’m beginning to like that stuff…
I thank each of you who took of your valuable time and considerable talents to write something for this publication.
I really mean it when I say, “I couldn’t do it without you”. The next news letter will be published in the latter part of
April. I would like to have some articles pertaining to tuber sales. What does your society do to increase sales and
are sales increasing or decreasing? Of course the articles about the happenings within each society is always
most interesting. Of course any article that you choose to write will much appreciated.
Happy Holidays!
Tom
Mike Riorden
Dear Fellow PNDC Members,
I hope you all had a successful growing and showing season. Perhaps, like me, you’re eagerly awaiting the NW
show reports and the ADS December Bulletin with the trial garden and seedling bench evaluation results. The new
2010 ADS Handbook and Classification of Dahlias will tell the tale of which varieties to grow for likely success. Yes,
this is the stuff of which next year’s successful garden schematics are made.
This year I was pleased to participate in four Societies’ shows. I was very impressed with the changes,
improvements, and innovations our member societies have brought to their club sales and annual exhibitions.
Lane County deserves special recognition for successfully moving the show venue from a mall to their county
fairgrounds. As Show Chairman, Michael Canning explained to me the object was to cause those viewing the
exhibition to do so as a conscious choice rather than an accident of circumstance. Shoppers in the mall saw the
blooms and wondered aloud if they were real, and the bolder among them palpated to satisfy their curiosity.
Special recognition goes to the Lane County publicity chair for strategically placing an article with photos in the
Eugene Register Guard about the Society and its show that weekend. Society volunteers also planted, tended
and superbly groomed a dahlia demonstration garden next to the exhibit hall. Thanks to plenty of hard work and
thoughtful planning the Lane County Show and its new venue proved a resounding success.
My own Portland Society is very indebted to our Past President, Larry Smith. During the 2008 growing season
Larry asked Oregonian contributor, Kim Polkarney, to write a human interest story about our life-members, Bob
and Myrtle Bloomfield. The story, complete with color photographs, ran in the Oregonian’s gardening supplement
directly prior to our April sale and auction. Oh yes, the sales event was also mentioned in the article. Our sales
volume broke all records!
I’m sure other Societies have successes to share with fellow conference members. However, none of us have a
monopoly on good ideas about how to stimulate interest in our favorite flower. Please encourage your
corresponding secretaries to share some of these ideas in your society reports.
ADS Image Library
Claudia Biggs
So far, we have about 80 new introductions that I'm working on for the New
Introduction program, scheduled to be done by the end of December this year.
For those of you that are not aware, I am currently under treatment for breast
cancer and going through some grueling chemotherapy, only to be followed by
radiation. I work on the library projects when I feel up to it.
There will hopefully be some new programs coming out with the
Fabulous Fifty and Photo Contest Winners, but probably not until next spring.
Contact me if you have questions about any programs. My phone is 509-326-1953,
and my email is dbiggs@mindspring.com.
Editors Note:
I just found out that Claudia has won the Stanley Johnson photo contest award with her photo of Pam Howden
taken at the Seattle Show. The picture will be on the 2010 Classification Book. Our congratulations to Claudia.
A Brief History of the Pacific Northwest Dahlia Conference
Wayne Shantz
In September of 1953, Tony DeRooy, who represented the Snohomish County Dahlia and Rose Society, met at an
annual show with several societies including Kitsap County, Portland and Washington State. He suggested that the
societies form an association of societies, much akin to the Central States Association.
As a result, the Pacific Northwest Dahlia Conference (PNDC) was organized January 13, 1954 under the guidance
of DeRooy and Peter Kershisnik from Portland. They had brainstormed and provided suggestions adopted by the
delegates; they recommended that PNDC have a uniform show schedule for an annual conference show reserved
for Labor Day weekend. Fourteen delegates from Washington State, Portland, Snohomish County and Portland
attended. Officers elected included:
Tony DeRooy, President – Snohomish County Dahlia Society
Peter Kershisnik, Vice President – Portland Dahlia Society
Mae Evans, Treasurer – Snohomish County Dahlia Society
They established a committee to write a recommended constitution and by-laws that delegates would approve at
the Snohomish County August 1954 fall show at the Floral Hall, Forest Park, Everett, Washington where they
established a rotation schedule for the annual conference show, the first held in Everett in 1955 on Labor Day
weekend. They also decided that the Annual Show would include a banquet and conference meeting where they
would take care of conference business. Note: The Snohomish Dahlia Society held a successful 100-year
celebration of its existence by hosting the 2009 ADS National Show and Convention at the Floral Hall in Forest
Park, a sight to behold. Tony DeRooy would have been most proud.
PNDC then established The Pacific Dahlia as its official Bulletin. The early organizers had vision and desired to
provide information for dahlia growers living in the West. A part of the long range plans for the conference included
establishing societies in Oregon and Washington. Later they hoped to include California as well, which did not
happen. To establish an official trial garden was another priority since they felt that this contribution would provide
good information for dahlia growers across the United States.
Tony DeRooy acted as the editor of the Bulletin the first year, literally doing all of the tasks. In The Pacific Dahlia,
with P. F. Kershisnik as the editor, the conference directed that the material appeal to a wide range of growers,
“from the beginners to the most seasoned exhibitor.” (The Pacific Dahlia, March 1954, 1.) Headings for articles
included such titles as Twenty Aristocrats of Dahliadom, Forty Years of Evolution, The New Varieties: Are They
Worthy, Helper of the Bees, Dahlia Root Division, A Commercial Grower’s Responsibility, Strikes and Spares,
Dahlias Are My Hobby, Why We Have Dahlia Shows, Digging and Storing Dahlias among many others. In fact,
many of the chosen titles would be of intrigue and just as appropriate in this century. Other editors followed:
Francis McDuffee, Phil Traff, Willis Collins, and Lawrence Fox among others.
The Snohomish County Rose and Dahlia Society had organized in 1909. In addition to Snohomish, the Tacoma
Dahlia Society became another of the first dahlia societies organized in the Northwest and held its first show in
1910. The city of Tacoma adopted the dahlia as its official flower on September 21, 1925. This choice is
appropriate since few places in the world exist where dahlias grow as well. In 1926 the Tacoma Dahlia Society was
renamed the Washington Dahlia Society. Seattle organized its first society in 1923 and functioned until 1939 when
it disbanded. The following year the Puget Sound Dahlia Society formed. Other dahlia societies also organized:
The Capital Dahlia Society from Olympia, Washington in 1934, and Kitsap Dahlia Society from Bremerton,
Washington in 1926. Influenced by Daryl Crose, the current Seattle Dahlia Society chartered in 1956,
The Portland Dahlia Society was the lone society in Oregon, organizing in 1927, until 1956 when the Southern
Oregon Dahlia Society formed in Coos Bay mainly through the efforts of John McEvoy, Madge Kershisnik, and
Emaline Cole. To the north, the Victoria Gladiolus and Dahlia Society led by William and Bea Kempster became the
first Canadian society to join the PNDC in 1946. In Spokane, the Inland Empire formed in 1962. At this time, William
Allen and Walter Hoppe launched a lasting joint effort with Spokane Interstate Fair. Walter Scott (Scotty) with help
from McEvoy organized the Lane County Dahlia Society in 1962 and Gray’s Harbor formed in 1963. The
Wenatchee Valley Dahlia Society followed in 1965 under the experienced leadership of Tony DeRooy. Scott also
started dahlia societies in Cottage Grove (now defunct) and the Douglas County Dahlia Society in Roseburg,
Oregon circa 1987.
The first official trial garden in the Northwest had its setting in Puyallup, Washington at the Washington
Experimental Station. Growers from many states availed themselves of the opportunity to send their seedlings.
Disbanded after a few years because of a lack of cooperation, the conference again dedicated itself to finding a
new trial garden. By 1971, the Inland Empire established a trial garden, the second to maintain a lasting history for
dahlia growers, now located in Manito Park. Today, a trial garden exists in the Canby, Oregon vicinity, surrounded
by forty acres of Swan Island Dahlias. For some years PNDC also operated trial gardens in Roseburg, OR (Central
Oregon Trial Gardens) and Victoria, B.C., Canada. These trial gardens have served well in the development of
judges in the Pacific Northwest.
After the organized societies began to have shows, they quickly recognized the need for judging schools,
conducted by experienced dahlia judges and growers of winning entries. PNDC formed A Judging School
Committee to establish the first judging school in the conference. The guidelines for the 1958 school follow:
Experienced judges will be the teachers and all classes will present identical subject matter and examinations.
There will be five classes in all, beginning in April and continuing through August. The classes will be two hours
each, with the first four for study and the fifth for examination. Classes will be held for each affiliated society.
Dr. Ward Cook’s Judging of Dahlias in Shows will be used as the textbook. The first lesson will cover the bloom:
color, form, substance, uniformity and size. The second lesson will cover the stalk: stem, foliage, bloom position,
and distinctiveness. The third and fourth lesson will review the first and second lessons with emphasis on point
scoring. The fifth lesson will be devoted to examinations, both written and oral. (The Pacific Dahlia, March 1958, 8.)
As the Pacific Northwest Dahlia Conference accomplished goals for themselves, they continued to evaluate and
project what makes a better show or displays the dahlia more effectively. In 1971 at Gray’s Harbor, the PNDC
prompted a size change for dahlias, dividing the “A” and “AA” sized dahlias. This change prompted agreeable and
disagreeable discussion, especially concerning borderline sized dahlias. Questions followed. Should an 8 ¼ inch
dahlia be shown as an “A” or a “B?” Should a dahlia such as Edna C that has the potential to grow as a “B,” “A,”
and “AA” be allowed to be shown in the class that its size best fits? Fortunately for PNDC members, these
problems are no longer the difficulty they once were. Since the inception of this size change, the American Dahlia
Society has adopted the same size breaks for each variety. Over the years, the PNDC leadership has taken
innovative steps for the betterment of the dahlia.
The Pacific Dahlia ceased publication in 1980 due to disagreement among members. At this point, a good number
of members left PNDC and formed their own organization. Today, PNDC continues to offer judging courses,
promote trial garden experience, host an annual show, and provide active participation at the national level.
Participating societies include: Victoria, B.C. and Nanaimo, B.C. in Canada, Seattle and Inland Empire (Spokane) in
Washington, Portland, Lane County Dahlia Society (Eugene), Douglas County Dahlia Society (Roseburg), and
Southern Oregon Dahlia Society (Coos Bay/North Bend) in Oregon. Officers include: Mike Riordan – President
(Portland D.S.), Ted Kennedy Vice-President (Portland D.S.), Joan Marsh – Secretary (Victoria), and Elva Sellens
– Treasurer (Douglas County). Tom Ball (Seattle) serves as editor of the Newsletter and Joni Beasley (Inland
Empire) takes care of judging records. Trial garden directors are Bill Mishler (Portland) and Bob and Joni Beasley.
For current information about PNDC, see its website http://pndc.com .
Note: If anyone has viable information about the Nanaimo Gladiolus and Dahlia Society, please contact Wayne. w.
shantz@comcast.net . Thanks.
I.E.D.S. TRIAL GARDEN
Joni Beasley
Another year and another of taking too many entries! We had 51 and it was a chore, but they were beautiful to be
sure. We even got the paperwork in on time! The season began with weather issues but we muddled along and
took cuttings and only lost two full entries. Our pass/fail rate was better than fifty percent and we were lucky to
have a number of the Hart Award Winners as well as the Evie Gullikson Award Winner sent to us by the entrants.
To make it even better two of the entries we were allowed to keep a clump each to auction next spring at our tuber
auction.
Now would be a good time for anyone wanting a space for 2010 to e-mail us and let us know how many spaces
you will require. WE SWEAR we are going to limit the number of spaces to a manageable size.
Not getting any younger here!
Judges Evaluation Chair
Joni Beasley
Thank you to all who sent in your reports in a timely manner. I really believe it did help to have them available at
show time and I am deciding on whether to do this again next year. If you have not turned in your report as yet,
PLEASE HUSTLE! This is the last thing on my plate to be done as the trial garden reports are done, tubers
are dug and put away til spring and our attic has been insulated.
I have enjoyed the comments on the forms and I am finding that the percentage that either judged at a trial garden,
the seedling bench or in a senior judges garden to be far less than fifty percent. I hope that you all realize it is a
requirement for maintaining judges status. This is not my rule but an ADS rule. I will remind everyone next spring
on the need to find the time to accomplish this every year.
Maintain judging status – Accredited or Senior
Must be a continuous member of good standing of the ADS and fulfill the following requirements.
Continue to grow and exhibit in ADS sanctioned shows virtually every year (minimum 4 of 5 years).
Judge in at least eight ADS sanctioned shows in five years.
Judge seedling entries either at a Trial Garden or on the Seedling Bench. The recommended number is two per
year but not less than 10 in five years.
Societies without seedling bench evaluation entries or trial gardens reasonably close may have their judges fulfill
their maintenance requirements by:
Score, using the ADS score card, disseminated cultivars set up as seedling entries at the society show, training
class, or seminar to the satisfaction of the Judging Chair.
A garden of a society member may be used for a garden scoring experience when two or more disseminated
cultivars of the same variety are grown side by side provided there are 6-8 blooms and the scores are reviewed by
the Judging Chair.
Judges must fulfill the requirement of judging “entries”. The recommended number is two per year but not less
than 10 in five years.
Attend a judging seminar once every other year and satisfactorily take judges test once each five years.
Senior judges are required to judge every and all classes if asked by the Judging/Show chair unless they have
an entry in that class.
Additionally
All judges must be given the opportunity to score seedlings even though they may not be assigned to the scoring
team which will give the seedling the official score. Their score will be compared with the official team score and
reported back to them.
For the full text of this ADS requirement please refer to the ADS Bulletin of June 2007.
My thanks to all of the members of the PNDC for the honor of being the 2009 recipients of the PNDC Gold Medal
Award. We feel very blessed to be in the company of past gold medal recipients. Thank you again.
Storing Dahlias
Ted Kennedy
Flash: Hollyhill Cotton Candy B IC DP won the Derrill W. Hart medal for "B" sized dahlias. Average score
87.32.
A discussion on storing dahlia tubers for the more experienced grower.
Over the years, I have seen numerous discussions on how someone successfully stored their tubers using a
particular method. Then the next year or two later someone else tried this same method and it supposedly it failed
for that person. I have found that there are many factors that people may overlook concerning the storage of
dahlia tubers:
(1) Variety related issues; many varieties are prone to loss in storage. Barbarry Bingo is a wonderful dahlia and an
extremely poor keeper. Mingus Nicole is also very difficult to keep over. Why do these varieties fail to store well?
They appear to make reasonably good looking tubers. It is my belief that both of them are susceptible to fungus
infections that cause the tubers to rot. It may well be that the infection affects the entire plant before the tubers are
dug and that very little can be done with fungicide treatments after digging
and dividing. Or, maybe it is just plain bad genetics. These varieties may not have the ability to go "dormant" in
storage conditions. So, when you compare storage methods one must take into consideration what varieties are
being stored.
(2) Very few people talk about the the actual temperature and humidity levels in their storage area. Temperature
is an interesting issue. If a dahlia tuber has been properly prepared for storage, dahlias can be stored at just
about any temperature above freezing. But, the storage temperature has a lot to do with the growth of insects and
fungus. Insects do not generally thrive in cool temperatures. There needs to be some research done on
temperature as it affects these vectors. Humidity in the storage area is also another factor
that no one seems to talk about. Some areas are more humid and some climates are more humid during the
winter. I know of one grower who believes his overly humid storage area causes rot and has installed a
dehumidifier there. In the Northwest, more tubers are lost to too wet storage than too dry. In climates with drier
winters, there may some risk of too dry tubers. All in all, a little bit of too dry is probably better than a little bit of too
wet.
(3) Tubers that are not "ripe". In many show gardens, dahlias are grown with a more than an ample supply of
nutrients and water. When harvest time comes in the Fall, the plants are still growing and the newly formed tubers
are not good candidates for storage. They can be identified by their nearly transparent skin and the fact that they
are still rather skinny. Unripe dahlia tubers do not store well. They are much more susceptible to bruising and their
thin skin is easily damaged by handling and cleaning. When they are mixed in with the more mature tubers, they
can spread rot to tubers nearby. If you keep these tubers, store them in a separate bag or box.
(4) Broken necks. Many dahlia varieties have thin necks where the tuber attaches to the stem. If the neck is
broken when you dig tubers, the tuber may look perfectly good but a very high percentage of these tubers (90% is
good estimate) will rot or fail to sprout. Many varieties are notorious for having long slender tubers that easily get
broken necks. Red Velvet and Jessica are two that come to mind. When digging these very
long tubers, it may be better to trim them to shorter lengths as you dig them.
A tuber with about 1/3 of its length cut off will store a lot better than a long skinny tuber with a broken neck.
(5) Curing of tubers before storage. I was surfing the internet and came across an article on how potato growers
prepare their tubers for storage. There are numerous steps that they go through just to get the potatoes into a
dormant stage. For example during digging and hauling to the storage area, potatoes are bruised and skin is
damaged. Potatoes need to have some time (two to three weeks) in reasonably warm and dry conditions to heal
these defects. Then they are slowly reduced in temperature before going into storage.
Do these steps apply to dahlias? I believe they do. After you harvest and divide tubers, they need to be in a
special environment to heal and go into the dormant state. It should not be too humid or too dry. The tubers need
to heal bruises and to have the skins thicken. When fully cured, storage success will be improved.
(6) How wet and cold is it when you are digging? In the Northwest, there may be weeks of rain during the digging
season. In Montana, the humidity may be very low. Dahlias need to be handled differently in different conditions. In
the Northwest, wet tuber clumps need to be divided very soon after digging. The wet tubers need to be dried
before storage.
(7) Peat Moss, vermiculite, cedar shavings, newspaper, perforated plastic bags, small plastic bags, saran wrap,
sand, wax, saw dust, etc. Dahlias have been successfully stored in all of these mediums and probably many more.
The medium itself may not be the answer but how you use the medium. No one talks much about
whether tubers are stored touching each other. I believe that separation of tubers from each other is as important
as the storage medium. For example, vermiculite can be used to separate the tubers in the storage container.
Saran wrap and the like does the same job with much reduced storage space. Separation of tubers and the
preservation of proper moisture in storage are key factors. But when using any of the storage methods, a rotten
tuber can create problems for other tubers in storage. It produces excess moisture and
even some gases that affect tubers in the same area. Rotten tubers probably attract insects. Rotten tubers can
harbor secondary bacterial and fungus that can spread to adjacent tubers. A good practice is to check tubers in
storage several times during the winter and to remove rotting tubers.
FROM THE SOCIETIES
Victoria Dahlia Society Show
August 15 – 16, 2009
Cultivar Exhibitor
Flower of the Show Mary’s Jomanda Connie Young-Davis
Best Triple in Show Camano Sitka Ray/Jane Lauzier
Best AA Single Sir Alfred Ramsey Connie Young-Davis
Best AA Triple Zorro Connie Young-Davis
Best A Single Vassio Meggos Connie Young-Davis
Best A Triple Camano Sitka Ray/Jane Lauzier
Best B Single Jennie Sandra Wilson
Best B Triple Jessica Paul McKittrick
Best BB Single Clearview David Connie Young-Davis
Best BB Triple Keating Envy Cathy/Dave Featherby
Best Miniature Single Keating Centavo Barry/Mary Willoughby
Best Miniature Triple Weston Spanish Dancer Bob Sampson
Best Ball Single Mary’s Jomanda Connie Young-Davis
Best Ball Triple Mary’s Jomanda Jean Vantreight
Best Miniature Ball Single Camano Zoe Connie Young-Davis
Best Miniature Ball Triple Odyssey Penelope Wood
Best Pompon Single Irish Miss Sandra Wilson
Best Pompon Triple Yellow Baby Eric Roberts
Best Waterlily Single Sandia Melody Bob Sampson
Best Waterlily Triple Pam Howden Connie Young-Davis
Best Stellar Single R. Sara Paul McKittrick
Best Stellar Triple n/a n/a
Best AOV Single Natalie’s Star Karen Bull
Best AOV Triple n/a n/a
Best Three Bloom Entry n/a n/a
Best Five Bloom Entry Odyssey Connie Young-Davis
Best Nine Bloom Entry Elsie Huston Connie Young-Davis
Best Three Different Laciniated Colwood Eve, Lois V, Cathy/Dave Featherby
Keating Arizona
Best Flower of the Year (Single) Colwood Hope Cathy/Dave Featherby
Best Flower of the Year (Triple) Lyn’s Concorde Bob Sampson
Smallest Most Perfect Rembrandt Paul McKittrick
Largest Dahlia Bloom Inland Dynasty Connie Young-Davis
Best 25 Years & Over Moor place Cathy/Dave Featherby
Best Origination Mary’s Jomanda Cathy/Dave Featherby
Outhouse Dahlia Barry/Mary Willoughby
Best Photography April Dawn Ralph Hellens
Best Basket Parkland Rave Connie Young-Davis
Best Bowl or Vase Mary Jo Vern/Judy Stephens
Best Lily Pond Floater Juul’s Lotus Teresa Thom
Best Seedling Barry/Mary Willoughby
Best ADS Seedling Bench Keating Centavo Barry/Mary Willoughby
The Victoria Dahlia Society has had a good year commencing with our tuber sale in the Spring and of course the
Mid August Show. It was well participated in with the help of our friends from the Nanaimo Club. It seemed like they
did very well with our awards and in return we cleaned up at their show the following week. Some of our members
exhibited in other shows around the Pacific Northwest and did very well. I believe our Connie Young- Davies
received best in show six times !! Last year with profits from our tuber sale the club was able to buy a power point
slide projector and screen. This year we are buying a laptop computer. This will be used to record our tuber sales
to each member selling and to tabulate the show results at our August Show. Our President. Paul McKittrick and
another Executive member Phil Newton developed a spread sheet program which makes recording the results very
easy and quick. If anyone is interested in their program you can make contact through the club. Our elections last
meeting returned our Executive for another term. That's about it from Victoria. We all send you our best wishes
Lane County Dahlia Society
Michael Canning
The 2010 growing season is just about history, and we at the lane County Dahlia Society have plenty to be
thankful for. Our September show was a great success in the new venue at the lane County Events Center with a
mostly new show steering committee. Our financial situation looks solid as of the date of this writing, and our
membership has grown to a point where we draw a good and energetic crowd to our monthly meetings throughout
the year. We look forward to building on our successes of 2009 and discovering new stories for even better
results in 2010.
SHOW RESULTS
Best (1) Double Bloom Narrows Tricia Eleanor Shantz
Best (1) Disc Bloom 0-9 – Seedling Wayne Shantz
Best (3) Double Blooms Narrows Tricia Eleanor Shantz
Best (3) Disc Blooms 07 – Lo Blush Wayne Lobough
Best Basket in Show Chimacum Linda Eleanor Shantz
Harris, Don C.
Best Design Arrange. Westward Ho Gordon Jackman
Best 1 AA Nick SR Max Ollieu
Best 1 A Kenora Jubilee Mike Riordan
Best 3 A Hollyhill Samurai Mark & Laura Oldenkamp
Best 1 B Narrows Trishia Eleanor Shantz
Best 3 B Narrows Trisha Eleanor Shantz
Best 1 BB Shea’s Rainbow Emily Gorsch
Best 3 BB Esmerelda Wayne Shantz
Best 1 Miniature ` Ryecroft Daves Choice Linea McIntosh
Best 3 Miniature Weston Spanish Dancer Eugene Kenyon
Best 1 Ball Mary’s Jomanda Gretchen Randle
Best 3 Balls Snoho Doris Ron Clack
Best 1 Mini Ball Ms Kennedy Lexa Cookson
Best 3 Mini Balls Chimacum Troy J & S Rasmussen
Best 1 Pom Mi Wong Mike Riordan
Best 3 Poms Pop Willow Eleanor Shantz
Best 1 Single Bloom Tahoma Eldean Audrey Oldenkamp
Best 3 Single Blooms Alley Rose Wayne Lobaugh
Best 1 Mignon Single Alpen Starlight M & L Oldenkamp
Best 3 Mignon Singles 07 – Lo- Blush Wayne Lobaugh
Best 1 Orchid 09 Seedling Wayne Lobaugh
Best 3 Orchids Midnight Star Wayne Lobaugh
Best 1 Novelty Open Jacs Kelli Tiffany Boatwright
Best 3 Novelty Open Christmas Star Wayne Lobaugh
Best 1 Peony Red Chic Gordon Jackman
Best 3 Peony Miss Muffett Wayne Lobaugh
Best 1 Anemone Comet Tiffany Boatwright
Best 3 Anemones Dad’s Favorite Tiffany Boatwright
Best 1 Collarette Alpen Cherub Emily Gorsch
Best 3 Collarettes Alpen Cherub Linnea McIntosh
Best 1 Waterlilly Wildwood Marie Ray Sturman
Best 3 Waterlillies Sandia Shomei Ray Sturman
Best 1 Stellar Alloway Candy Eugene Kenyon
Best 3 Stellars Crazy Legs Ray Sturman
Best 1 Novelty Double Rivers Novelty Linnea McIntosh
Best 3 Novelty Double Rivers Novelty Linnea McIntosh
Southern Oregon Dahlia Society
Paulette Woodward
We’re ending another year, changing pace; and enjoying the holidays before we turn to a new year. The PNDC
Show and our show being on the same week end, we had a small show. (Approximately one half of our normal
blooms). There were sixteen exhibitors with 376 entries. Our appreciation to those who took the time to prepare
entries, exhibit, judge and answer questions. Then there are the helping hands, there wouldn’t be a show without
them. Our venue, The Pony Village Mall and management did a wonderful job working with us, so many of you
have been squeezed out of malls, we are blessed.
Our 2010 Officers:
President: Ray Sturman 541 439 2058
V. President Jeff Jeffs jef3505@wmconnect.com
Secretary Kathy Iler chankrz@yahoo.com
Treasurer Paulette Woodward 541 267 0740
Thanks to all who stepped up to take their turn at leading our group and adding a new prospective to us.
The Dahlia of the Year for 2010 will be Cameo WL Y. An Australian Tapley introduction listed in the fabulous fifty
list 2008. Cameo ranks 25th with 130 blues and higher awards. Cameo is a good cut flower and a medium tall
plant.
Take time to enjoy the last of this year and Happy Holidays.
Southern Oregon Dahlia Society
Grand Master Cameo Ray Sturman
Triple Crown Greendor Harold Ayers
Single AA Dauntless Ray Sturman
Single A Iola Jeff Jeffs
Single B Tioga Dawn Ron Clack
Triple B Charron Paulette Woodward
Single BB Chimacum Katie Michael Canning
Triple BB Jomanda Ray Sturman
Single Min Tui Avis Cora Vandervelden
Triple Min Daddys Girlie Ray Sturman
Single Ball Greendor Harold Ayers
Triple Ball Greendor Harold Ayers
Single MB Little Caesar Ray Sturman
Triple MB Ms. Kennedy Ron Clack
Single Pom Stoneleigh Joyce Michael Canning
Triple Pom Atom Paulette Woodward
Single St Crazy Legs Jeff Jeffs
Triple St Crazy Legs Ray Sturman
Single WL Cameo Ray Sturman
Triple WL Woodland Marie Ray Sturman
Single Pe Elvira Connie Garsch
Triple Pe Elvira Connie Garsch
Single An Goldie Gull Connie Garsch
Single Co Pooh Jeff Jeffs
Triple Co Alpen Diamond Ron Clack
Single MS O.G. Charm Cora Vandervelden
Triple MS Alpen M & M Cora Vandervelden
Single O Pink Orchid Paulette Woodward
Triple O Honka Eugene Kenyon
Single NO Mars Jeff Jeffs
Triple NO Ebony Star Ron Clack
Single NX Valley Porcupine Ron Clack
Triple NX Valley Porcupine Eugene Kenyon
Novice Sweepstakes Linnea McIntosh
Amateur Sweepstakes Connie Garsch
Advanced Am Sweepstakes Ray Sturman
Single Dahlia of the Year Vista Lindsey Cheryle Hawkins
Best Basket in Show Embrace Ginger Clack
ADS Seedling Don C Michael Canning
Best Arrangement in Show New Plateaus Cora Vandervelden
Best Novice Arrangement Vista Nueva Eugene Kenyon
Portland Dahlia Society
Larry Smith
Like other dahlia enthusiasts around the Northwest, we in the Portland area are celebrating the end of the growing
season and have started into the task of digging and storing our treasures. If only there was a way to complete
this task in a warmer, dryer season! I have always said that if anyone will develop varieties that will self dig, divide,
and store, I would be willing to pay top dollar!
Many of our members went on the road, participating successfully in several shows around the Northwest. In
addition, we hosted one of our most successful shows in recent memory and already are planning for next year
and looking ahead to hosting the 2012 National Show at the Columbia Red Lion, just across the I-5 Bridge. Ink
that onto your future calendars, Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1 and 2, 2012.
One of our Lifetime Members, Myrtle Bloomfield, has been recovering from a serious car accident in a rehab facility
near her home. Her husband, Bob fared better in the accident and has been visiting her daily. She will be
released to return home soon and they will celebrate their 69th wedding anniversary.
Portland DS 2009 Show Results:
Open Sweepstakes Larry Smith 168 points
Amateur Sweepstakes Tiffany Boatwright 123 pts.
Novice Sweepstakes Eugene Kenyon 127 pts.
Junior Sweepstakes Heidi Oldenkamp 151 pts.
Design Sweepstakes Margaret Kennedy
Best Design Margaret Kennedy
Best Basket Eleanor Shantz Don C/Linda Harris
Largest Bloom Inland Dynasty Jerry Rasmussen
People's Choice Hollyhill Joker T & M Kennedy
Best Double Bloom Alden Snowlodge Mike Riordan
Best Disc Bloom Daisy Larry Smith
Best Triple Double Peach Delight Max Ollieu
Best Triple Disc Daisy Larry Smith
Best AA Inland Dynasty Jerry Rasmussen
Best A Mingus Nicole Bob Patterson
Best Triple A Amgard Delicate Wayne Shantz
Best B Peach Delight Jerry Rasmussen
Best Triple B Peach Delight Max Ollieu
Best BB Chimicum Katie Aaron Ridling
Best Triple BB Northland Primrose JerryRasmussen
Best Miniature Alden Snowlodge Mike Riordan
Best Triple Mini Kathy's Choice Jerry Rasmussen
Best Ball Cornel Jerry Rasmussen
Best Triple Ball Snoho Doris Larry Smith
Best Mini Ball Odyssey Ted Kennedy
Best Triple Mini Ball Chimicum Davi TiffanyBoatwright
Best Pom Frank Holmes Ray Sturman
Best Triple Pom Hallmark Mike Riordan
Best Waterlily Pam Howden Gordon Jackman
Best Triple WL Sandia Showmei Ray SturmanBest Stellar Woodland's
Arroya Bill Mishler
Best Triple Stellar Woodland's Merinda Larry Smith
Best Anemone Dad's Favorite TiffanyBoatwright
Best Triple Anemone Melqua Nebula Ric Liddle
Best Collarette Beaucoups Amis Gordon Jackman
Best Mignon Single Daisy Larry Smith
Best Triple MS Daisy Larry Smith
Best Orchid Midnight Star Max Ollieu
Best Triple Orchid Midnight Star Elva Sellens
Best Peony Miss Muffet Max Ollieu
Best Triple Peony Powder Gull Larry Smith
Best Single Bride's Teardrop TiffanyBoatwright
Best Triple Single Alba Purity Wayne Shantz
Best Open Novelty Jac's Kelly TiffanyBoatwright
Best Triple ON Jac's Kelly TiffanyBoatwright
Best Double Novelty Mingus Eleanor S. Elva Sellens
Best Triple DN Valley Porcupine Ray Sturman
PNDC SHOW
IEDS-INTERSTATE FAIR
SPOKANE WASHINGTON
Special Awards
Best vase of 5 B Blooms Mike Valle Berwood Wood
Best vase of 5 Miniature Blooms Lynn Weger Ms Kennedy
Best vase of 10 Poms Dick Williams MiWong & Little Willow
Full house AA/A/BBB/Min Dawn Anselmo
Best Potted Dahlia Lorraine White
Largest Bloom Bill Swanstrom Penhill Watermelon
Dahlia of the Year Dawn Anselmo Embrace
NW Origination ` Tom Ball Skipley Twyla
Foreign Origination Dick Williams Odyssey
Smallest Pom Elva Sellens Mi Wong & Little Willow
Best Pre 1950 Dahlia Mike Valler Jersey’s Beauty
Best of Show
AA Single Greg Smith Inland Dynasty
AA Triple Dianna May Zorro
A Single Roy Barton Vassio Meggos
A Triple Delsie Marienau Elsie Huston
B Single Z Bruce Hall Peach Delight
B Triple Tom Ball Skipley Twyla
BB Single Mike Valler Taratahi Lilac
BB Triple Elva Sellens Ferncliff Lemon Aura
Min. Single Dick Williams Barbarry Red Dwarf
Min. Triple Bill Bonneywell Badger Twinkle
Ball Single Norm Anselmo Crossfield Ebony
Ball Triple Bill Bonneywell Snoho Doris
Min Ball Single Wayne Shantz Pocrates
Min Ball Triple Mike Valler S Bs Sunny
Pom Single Norm Anselmo Crossfield Ebony
Pom Triple Dawn Ansellmo Pearson’s Michelle
Waterlily Single Dick Williams Pam Howden
Colarette Single Delsie Marienau Alpen Diamond
Orchid Single Wayne Shantz Midnight Star
Orchid Triple Elva Sellens Juuls Star
Single, Single Mike Valler Dandie Sunset
Single, Triple Wayne Shantz Reanns’s Peach
Peony Single Lynn Weger Elvira
Peony Triple Lynn Weger Raeann’s Peach
Anemone Single Carol Konitzer Rockstar
Stellar Triple Bill Bonneywell Seedling 567
Novelty Open Single Claudia Biggs Ebony Star
Novelty Open Triple Rebecca Hawkins Elizabeth Jane
Novelty Double Single Dianna May Clearview Magic
Novelty Double Triple Elva Sellens Valley Porcupine
Laciniated Single Mike Valler Pinelands Pam
Mignon Single , Single Cristina Carlsen Alpen M & M
Best Bloom in Show Z Bruce Hall Peach Delight
Best Triple in Show Bill Bonneywell Badger Twinkle
AND FINALLY!
I would take this opportunity to wish each and everyone a joyous and happy holiday season. May your Christmas
be a most joyous one and the New Year usher in all that is good and wonderful for you and your families. I look
forward to seeing many of you at the 2010 shows and meetings.
I would like to increase the News Letter delivery via e-mail by as many as possible. If you will agree to receive your
copy via e-mail please e-mail me and let me know that. E-mail is really the better way of delivery. You get the
news letter the day that it is ready to be mailed instead of having to go to the printer, then be picked up folded,
enveloped and mailed. This is efficiency and a money saving move, but more importantly you will also help your
editor to beat his envelope glue addiction! I’m beginning to like that stuff…
I thank each of you who took of your valuable time and considerable talents to write something for this publication.
I really mean it when I say, “I couldn’t do it without you”. The next news letter will be published in the latter part of
April. I would like to have some articles pertaining to tuber sales. What does your society do to increase sales and
are sales increasing or decreasing? Of course the articles about the happenings within each society is always
most interesting. Of course any article that you choose to write will much appreciated.
Happy Holidays!
Tom
Mingus Nicole