HOLGER JANSEN

May I first apologise to both Holger, and Jack for leading them up the garden path - do you get it? The name Holger is a German man's name - unlike Helga which is a German lady's name. Okay I admit it is funny considering I thought it gallant to name a seedling Colleret after this German person that turned out to be a bloke. For your benefit Holger - bloke is one of the words we use for man in English. But it seems I can't seem to recognise men from women - least not in the course of a few emails. Oh yes Holger was as amused as the rest of you, but at least he has enough English to be able to correspond with us - but then he is only thirty eight, and had a good education. Whereas I'm seventy eight, and was barely taught - stands to reason I don't know lads from lasses.

Before I get to edit the text below I must tell you of another mistake I made - that was also bought about by getting involved with a few emails. This time the person in question was Casey, now Casey to me has definitely got to be a guy............Wrong. Turns out Casey was a lovely lady from the Highlands of Scotland - and if you're tuned in Case' you take care. 

So here goes me trying to turn things about.

			A while ago I heard from my very first German dahlia grower - I knew they would be dedicated because dedication is in the German psychic. Okay we haven't always seen eye to eye with the people who control Germany, but I'd say the people of Germany are the nearest to the British than any other European nation. Holger emailed me out of the blue interested in some of my Collerette's - he seemed so hooked on this type of dahlia that I sent him three varieties I'd bred myself, and later that year I was so taken with his enthusiasm that I named one of my latest after him, and called it Holger's Pride. I recon you can tell sincerity after talking to someone - or  by exchanging a few emails with them after a while, but you most definitely don't know what sex they are. So when he enquire about my 2011 Collerette's releases all enthusiastically - I thought the best person to introduce him to would be my mate Jack Gott so I sent him Jack's email address. You know I said I've just heard from my very first Germany grower? Well like the good ol' red bus - first one comes along, and blow me down a second one comes almost  immediately. True Peter Haslhofer isn't from Germany, but Austria is good enough for me. Wanna see his patch? Photo.
	Holger's Pride.

Well I know Jack had already had a few of my Collerette's, but I wasn't sure which ones. Next thing I knew was an email from Jack - he knows I'm finished trying to make the hobby pay. The only thoughts in my head are to spread the love of the dahlia that I have around the world, use them to help as many charities as I can, and also try and see the ones I've bred get to every corner of the globe. 

Exactly the thing I'd hope for happened, and Holger started the ball rolling by buying one or two pot tubers from Jack, but better than that they intend to swap certain varieties of each others they haven't tried before - now that's what I call hands across the world. One last thought before I close - I was a little titchy bit hurt (kidding) means joking Holger - when Jack got to see your site before I did, and now of course I'm even more embarrassed how I  phrased that last sentence - it's funny - how you write to a lady is an entirely different way to how you would a fella.  (means man Holger)

Seriously, although Holger's site is written in German this guy grows some fantastic dahlias - the best being the singles, and Collerette's.   Right up Jack's street I'd say.

Just to complete this comical episode I had four or five attempts to make a link to Holger's site, and eventually found out that one essential part was missing in the hyperlink - bit like the difference between a Helga, and a Holger I suppose.

HOLGER'S SITE

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