The lovely fimbriated dahlia called Mrs. Yusaku is named after my friend Yusaku Konishi's wife. It is out of Nenakazi which is a wonderful dahlia I acquired from Bob Hendly a few years back. These are fimbriated or lacinated our America cousins. I'm told by one of the worlds finest dahlia growers from the land of the red midst that Mrs. Yusaku wouldn't get very far under Australian rules, but it's such a pretty dahlia, and besides I like it. The reason for the name came about through Yusaku referring to my wife as Mrs. Ken. I found this a very nice compliment, and asked him if we could name a dahlia after each others wives using the prefix Mrs, and he agreed.  If you should take my advise and have a butchers at the 2009 seedlings after this report is finished you'll see the Yusaku Konishi's seedling named Mrs. Ken.  The variety called Independence is an immaculate grower, every flower is cut-able with perfect stems, it lasts well in the vase, and on the plant. Slightly lacking depth for exhibition but some will master it. Monet Glow believe it or not, was a cross between two very good small water lily dahlias, proving that even the best varieties have skeletons in their closets.

	Mr. Kipling.  SD.		Pick & Mix. MSC.		Blood Money. SD.

Now the trouble I went to secure the name Mr. Kipling was remarkable. I rang the excellent cake makers up, who are based in Ireland, and after a pleasant natter, where the person on the other end said, before putting me through to their marketing firm in London "I'm sure there's more than one Mr. Kipling" to which I agreed, but also thinking, I bet not one who makes such remarkably good cakes. After another few wasted moments explaining they'd ring back, I am still waiting. Funny thing was Geoff Hoyle a buddy in Stockport sent me a photo of it from the Harrogate Show, and it didn't disgrace the class it was in either, must have been Jack Gott because he'd be the only one with it. He also put an excellent vase of  Pat `N' Perc, and won the three vase water lily dahlia class with Charlie Dimmock in one of the vases. He's only had Charlie Dimmock a few years, and already through selection he's improved the stock a thing that most dahlia growers don't think about. Pick & Mix was such a colourful character I didn't have the heart to ditch it.  I know Nick will be delighted to use every flower of this garden dahlia for his cut flower trade. The boxed ends to the petals evidently came from a boxed end cactus called Summer Night. The only one I can remember it passing that particular trait on to was  Mayan Warrior, but Pick & Mix being a medium semi-cactus shows it off a little more. Last but not least Blood Money, of course it's a variegated dahlia which most gardeners love, but to the show people they are a nightmare. You see you never know what they are going to get in to next. Not only do they pass on this variegation  into unprotected open flowers, but they are the hardest flower to match in the vase. So after next years seedlings have bloomed any found in the stock will be culled or given away. This was going to be the last year with the fimbriated dahlias as well, because of their habit of showing up in everything if unchecked, but Mrs. Yusaku is so nice I'll just have to hood it if I put it with my MSC breeding pool. By the way I'm thinking of donating Blood Money to the Leukaemia Society, but have a bit of work to do thinking the best way to tackle it.

I can't do anything about Blood Money as my distributor Nick Gilbert has already started selling it, but I promise the  Leukaemia Society will not loose out as they will be in the new set up with Just Giving. Let you know more of this in the next couple of weeks.