GILBERT DAHLIAS 2010

NEW RELEASES

Here are some of the new dahlias which are available from Gilbert's nursery, they have been trialed this year at Little Wisley, and I feel they are now good enough to release to the general public. There will be some which the best of you dahlia growers will turn in to champions, and as far as I'm concerned none would disgrace any garden. Of course I am indebted to Nick because without his excellent facilities, and hard work I would no long be able to release them, thank you Nick.

Bill Andrews was named after a very good mate who died far to early, and wonderful dahlia grower, and a real pal. In the days before breathalyzers I used to drive over to his butchers shop to get my Xmas order, but before leaving would always have a bowl of  soap made from various parts of the Turkeys prepared for his customers. There was always a drink or two, so by the time I got on my way I was probably well over the limit. Happy days, I pray this variety more than most does well. Glory Days was out of Red Diamond, and is a strong grower which holds its colour well. Truly Scrumptious which was formerly Beijing, but changed because Yusaku said the variety could no more represent Beijing than a Top-Mix dahlia, I added the last few words, couldn't you guess? He added the only colour that could represent the Capital of China was red. I think the thing that seemed to suggest China was the petal, and that upward pointing shape which resembling the tiles on a Pagoda. The flower is a drop petal type with no centre so it keeps on flowering even if the spent flowers are never removed.

Florence Nightingale was named because Nick wanted one named after the great lady because she, believe it or not, is buried just a few yards up the road from his nursery. That one wasn't trialed here at Little Wisley because I gave it to him as a gift, and he tells me it's going great guns on the nursery. Diamond Years is to commemorate the sixty glorious year Irene and I have spent together, and is a well formed medium decorative as long as you don't grow to many on it, or the size suffers. Now the one that stole my heart last year was Mayan Enterprise, named by my mate Chris just across the road, having heard of another one of mine called Mayan Starship, so natch he thought of the hit television programme, and come up with a good title.

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