SOUTH AUSTRALIA
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A SEASON TO REMEMBER
What a coo for me it was when that great Australian breeder John Menzel, agreed
to be put under the microscope during a typical, or may be not as the case may
be, South Australia growing season. I suppose he is known for probably, more
than anything else, and rightly so, as the man that named a giant dahlia after
his home town Winkie. If you can only get a good `un it sticks, Winkie Colonel
should be in every self respecting giant breeders armoury. Of course like all
good dahlia buffs, I’d read several articles about breeding dahlias in
Australia, and although our weather can never compare with theirs, occasionally
we get one with as much sunshine. Even so I've had a terrible time trying to
obtain seed from the giants. Perhaps the only way for me is to adopted his
method, but adapt it to our conditions, and to do it all under glass. I won't go
and air my views now, but perhaps later in the Australian season, when John is
securing his World beaters.
The one regret that I have in doing this article is that my great email friend Wayne Holland, and John's Canadian cousin can't be involved, it would have been a hundred percent better, and I know John would agree. I do know we are all thinking of Wayne and his wife Pat during this troublesome time. So there was no way I could not mention them in this the second paragraph of John Menzel's article. Now every serious dahlia grower in the outback can be anything else but tough, and I'll tell you what, the dahlias as well as the people have gotta be tough. Would you like to see the area that John and his wife live, I thought you would.
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This may give you some idea of John's location in Winkie. By road they are three hours from Adelade, it takes nine hours to get to Melbourne, and twelve to fourteen hours to get to Sydney and Canberra. Brisbane is two whole days away, know wonder they don't mind going three hundred miles to a dahlia show. Rainfall is on an average about 7 inches a year, and the temperatures in the Summer and Autumn can get quite hot. In winter they can get very frosty mornings with -4C not uncommon, but the days are quite mild. The area in which John lives in is called "Riverland" and it is the largest wine producing area in all of Australia producing 60% of the wines, and is probably what my mate Jack Gott is drinking at this very moment. The map appears to be split up into six provinces, or areas, bit like France, I suppose you could call it seven if you include South Island which supports Devonport and Hobart.
