Comments on: Dahlia Breeding Update

By: Elisia

Elisia — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 03:15:03 +0000

I know the giveaway is done, but my favorite would be a 3-4” ball dahlia that varies from mulberry to plum shades and makes thick, elongated tubers that are easy to divide and store!

By: Colleen Eschner

Colleen Eschner — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 06:01:27 +0000

My first year growing seed and to be honest it was seeing your IG acct and FB and falling down the rabbit hole that is Floret. Growing dahlias from seed has blown my mind and then to see the squee little tubers forming. What?! Small still and fighting heatwaves and record temps in Vancouver BC. But Bees Choice all sprouted. Red Queen Lime Zinnias, Apricotta Cosmos and bronze calendula. I’ve add some blues and black scabios and sunflowers. Its all small still but I can see it. Joy filled. Thank you.

By: Kirsten Ann Larsen

Kirsten Ann Larsen — Mon, 29 May 2023 15:17:22 +0000

My ideal dahlia would be a form similar to Firefly seen above, but a bright fuchsia color with purple streaks. That color combo reminds me of my 12 year old boy. He’s obsessed with dahlias and keeps lobbying me to give up growing veggies to get more dahlia space. He’s a firecracker, and those colors are his favorites.

By: Sharon Jensen

Sharon Jensen — Sun, 28 May 2023 13:33:44 +0000

I suppose I’ve been growing dahlias since I was 10 years old when I stopped to ask a gardener planting dahlias at a nearby church what she was planting. She gave me a tuber which hooked my mother on dahlias and at 89, she still grows over 50 varieties. Now that I have my own garden, dahlias are one of my passions. I love the dinner plate dahlias which bring so much dazzle to the garden and I’m drawn to colors, especially those which blend peach, yellow, pink into laciniated form. Discovering Dahlias is an amazing read, thanks for the inspiration!

By: elizabeth W szamreta

elizabeth W szamreta — Sat, 27 May 2023 00:05:05 +0000

This is my first year growing dahlia from Floret seed and I am ecstatic to watch them grow. I’d be thrilled if one was two tones in the shrimp colors. Honestly, any beautiful flower that comes from my garden makes me smile. I’m not hard to please. I admire all the precise steps you follow to make your gardens so productive and outstanding. Thank you to Floret for all your labor.

By: Nicole Montesano

Nicole Montesano — Thu, 25 May 2023 16:34:29 +0000

I’m a sucker for the big, fluffy blooms; Rip City was one of my favorites, and I’m so sad that I lost mine, and haven’t been able to find it since. A couple of years ago, I started dahlias from seed and saved the tubers; they were gorgeous! Dark reds in single or just barely double blooms, with dark purple foliage, and the bees loved them. Even hummingbirds visited them, although I was never sure if they were actually getting nectar. This spring, chipmunks got in the greenhouse and ate the sprouts — and in some cases the tubers! just as they were getting started. #%#!*&&@#@! :(
So I’m starting more seeds this year, really hoping to find those again. Really hoping the couple of tubers that survived, but are unlabeled for some reason, are those favorites. And trying to figure out how to chipmunk-proof gallon pots for next year…
A dream dahlia — perhaps a big, puffy bloom in shades of apricot and copper, that shift and deepen almost to red as the bloom opens fully, or maybe the petals are backed with red — so a vase of them looks like a spectacular sunset.

By: Brooke Adler

Brooke Adler — Thu, 25 May 2023 14:25:22 +0000

Dahlia’s were my initial fascination as a started my journey into flower gardening. While I am still a newbie, I have loved improving my growing techniques and producing some lovely dahlias. This year, I am growing many from seed and hope to discover some treasures. I would love to find a blueish, lavender variety. I know they don’t exist, but I have high hopes that one day they will (even if it’s more of an illusion). Thank you for the continued inspiration, Floret!

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 25 May 2023 14:15:50 +0000

I love the C33 pink dahlia, she is so sweet. I’m a new flower farmer and I couldn’t afford tubers this year so I’m growing everything from seed in an effort to save money and still have dahlias I’m growing two rows of dahlias from seeds purchased from floret and I’m so excited to see what grows. Thank you Erin and the floret team for all your work with the breeding projects I can’t wait to see what we find!

By: Melanie

Melanie — Thu, 25 May 2023 13:02:38 +0000

Blue! The hunt is still on for a blue dahlia!

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Thu, 25 May 2023 12:57:06 +0000

I fell in love the first time you posted C33 on your Instagram. That’s my perfect dahlia. Open-centered for the pollinators, slightly kooky, twisty petals, and that gorgeous, changeable pink.