THIS COULD BE THE YEAR?

January 20th 2008:

That's it Xmas over and twenty days into the New Year, cos you heard about Irene's broken wrist? It was a nasty break, and her with the Osteoporosis it made things worse, it is surprising what goes on in Bournemouth hospital in the middle of the night. I think we've got over the worse now though, but unfortunately the pain at times is horrendous, or so I'm told. The trip to Pool hospital to check everything is going along okay was the last now until February5th so I'm pleased about that. It is so fortunate it wasn't later in the year or my propagating programme would have come to a halt. As it is I have plenty of time to tend to Irene's needs, and find out to the bargain what a diabolical life women lead. Changing the sheets for the first time was a major operation, and I'm sure I went round that dam double bed at least fourteen times in the process. Of course as Irene has only one hand to use I have the task of dressing her each morning, and what I don't know about women's under garment would fit on a postage stamp. What contraptions they ware, I swear if life is a continuous roundabout, and I come back as a woman I'll shoot myself.

I have finally finished my dahlia list in pictures, and if I say it myself it is a colourful affair, and the final Cherry on the cake will be carried out as I get each variety photographed this year, and it is put on a separate page with comments about it, for and against

The rain this January has been the most we've had for many year, and at one time 48 flood warning where reported in England and Wales, I pray those who got hit last time don't suffer once more. Most of the troubles stem from  when towns were built by the side of rivers in order to transport goods throughout the land. Naturally they were low lying, and all these properties were built on flood planes. Although mankind is of course contributing to climate change with the number of vehicles on the road and the global travel that seems to increase ever year. This globe of ours definitely goes through different cycles of weather which in turn changes the face of it's land mass. 

January 27th:

Just got back from Stewarts Garden Lands which is a garden centre out of town, and as prices go it competes with other garden centres, but it doesn't compare with Wilkinson my favourite garden accessory  store. Mind you the thing I went to Garden Lands for they had in abundance, and you can guess what that was, that's right dahlia tubers of the plastic bag kind. Okay you can scoff, but I have been lucky enough to gain a winner in the past, last year it was Bridgeview Aloha, and the year before that another bicolour called Jura. Wanna know what I snaffled up this year? Thought you would. There were seven in all and at the moment all I have to recognise them is the printed photo on the packet so let's get `em up for your amusement. A bit unconventional, but who cares I can't talk about something we can't see can I.

Oh and excuse the clipped pictures, in order to dodge the price tags, and the producers name I had to crop them the best I could.

	Caballero		Mingus Randy.		Pinelands Princess

Now the first photo is of course a variegated dahlia and as near to a water lily flowered job as I've seen. A little full of petal, and not quite as shallow as recommended, and doesn't come anywhere near what Gordie Leroux would call "Only half a flower" but the colour combination was a delight. Number two I found out was an American variety called Mingus Randy which is a good ol' American name, and it was bred by a fella called Grover C. Mollineaux in 1949 I think. Now the name Mollineaux rings a bell, and I think there are quite a few varieties that this man introduced. Next up Pinelands Princess the picture quality is what you get off an illustration on a bag type dahlia, but sufficient to determined that it is a fimbriated, or what the Americans call a laciniated type, and the reason for the purchase was it's classed as a "Dinner plate" flower, but I expect it's only large.

	Polka.		City of Leiden.		Shooting Star.		Citizen.

The second row of flowers start with an Anemone type dahlia called Polka, now I noticed that the great Phil Godsmark, know as Pip to his friends has started to introduce these. I don't think they're in his catalogue, but they are featured in Halls of Hedden catalogue, and if it's good enough for Pip it's good enough for me. The only trouble is I have only the one, and apart from relying on the variety self pollinating I won't get very far. Dare I add the two in Halls catalogue to my order before I load this fresh page to my web site? They can't shoot you can they? Well some of them can these days. Now lets move on, the second variety in the line up is a peach of a dwarf call City of Leiden, and I imagine the City's in the Netherlands somehow. From the photo it looks good enough to eat, can't wait to introduce it to my own dwarf cactuses, especially as it has that dark leaf gene. Shooting Star has been around for some time I remember, and is a full height dahlia of delicate colouring. Last but not least a biggy called Citizen, or so the label said, but of course "Dinner Plate could mean anything from a medium to a giant or what the North Americans call AA's. The bugbear of buying this sort of dahlia is you don't always know what's inside the bag. Okay at the price they sell them it's worth the chance, but I have also had on occasion the odd virused variety.

The fight for Europe's dahlia sales has become ridiculous, and amateur dahlia breeders like myself who decide they want a little of the action in the way of sales to help with their gardening expenses of course don't help, but I shouldn't think the little I acquire would damage the market. Talking of prices, it is amazing how little these packs cost, and to that extent how anyone who's prices are above the plastic bag man's price can make a living. Even in my small capacity as a breeder and supplier I am willing to view the situation next year regards pot tuber prices. Okay new dahlias are a different matter, but established varieties should compete with the cheaper markets coming from Europe. I'll probably be shot down for thinking this way, but if the product is healthy, and is what the customer wants we have to compete with it. Of course just because I'm an amateur doesn't mean I don't have over heads, so I'll have to watch how I judge what the price should be. I think the first year or two will determine whether my sales go up or down because the people you sell to have to know you won't let them down.

February 4th:

While our daughters took Irene to sort out some of our financial stuff I set about getting to grips with a thing I have been trying to resolve for years, the annulment of costs to a breeder if he decides to place breeders rights on a dahlia, or anything else come to that. The cost is extraordinary, and to save telling you all over again just what I said let me show you the email I sent to our Westminster candidate,. I expect he wondered where on earth I was coming from, and how many Sherry's I'd had before submitting the email, the poor man was called Jim Knight, and was the candidate for Dorset.

Email sent on February 4th 2008:

Hi Jim Knight, (and I'm hoping you're of the King Arthur type)

My name is Ken Stock and I live with my wife Irene at "Little Wisley" 27 Petersfield Road Bournemouth Dorset BH7 6QG.

Okay by the subject heading you've an idea what I'm contacting you about.

So I'll begin:

For a number of years I've bred dahlias, and gradually gained a few secrets of how to get more good varieties from a given group than when I started over fifteen years ago. I've been a keen gardener for more years than I care to remember. Starting my interest with the plant world during World War II at the age of ten, when I moved for a brief period to Buckinghamshire, and I've been hooked ever since. I am a sprightly seventy six, and to date I have launched five charity dahlias, and have a number waiting in the wings to be released. To take a wonderful example of what I'm desperate to call a halt on, can be illustrated by telling you of my greatest named variety.

The dahlia "Charlie Dimmock" was to be a `My Finest Hour' I was so sure this one, with a name like that, and with dear Charlie taking the gardening top spot on the television at the time, it would net a massive amount for the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Not on your life, the distributor made twice as much in that important first year, and Charlie Dimmock the dahlia has made nothing for the charity ever since. All it made at the end of what seemed an age was a paltry £300. Now it is nothing to do with the distributor I know, although I now launch any charity dahlias from my own web site, and there are currently three on the dahlia charity page, but so far the response has been diabolical, still we go again next year with the same three, so fingers and toes crossed.

http://www.kesdahlias.co.uk/

The reason Charlie Dimmock made such a small amount is because after the variety is in the public domain it is public property, and any Tom, Dick, or Jimmy can use, and also sell the variety. Okay, so far so good, and although I divert from the topic, the next paragraph is relevant.

In order to sell to a firm called Verwer in the Netherlands I had to send a number of varieties for trail, but before I sent them, one of the brothers called Aad told me if they were good enough after their trial period, they would want to buy them out right. Okay I thought, that's alright because just like the good old London red bus another will come along very shortly. The whole process took two years, and in the end they were a little to tall for their catalogue. This didn't matter to much, although at the time I was disappointed of course, but in my failure to sell new varieties to this firm I found out all about a wonderful thing called `Breeders rights' I say wonderful thing because if you can afford the yearly cost it safe guards who distributes the variety, and also in my case how much the charity that it's grown for receives. Are you with me so far.

It works like this, the said new variety, be it rose, rhubarb, or dahlia is born, and after a trail period the raiser applies for breeders rights to protect others from profiteering, but in doing so the originator encounters a huge price for the privilege. Let me give some idea from a from a letter I received from Defra. (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) several years ago.

"At the moment December 9th 2005 the fees for UK Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) for the dahlia are £300 for the application, £250 for a test (one usually, but two could be required) £130 for a grant, (if the variety requires it) and then £190 per year to keep it on the register of varieties with PBR"

As you can imagine an ordinary fella of seventy six with a minimum saving is lost in all this red tape, as well as the diabolical price of setting it up. Now here's where you come in Jim, if you've enough fire in your belly, and enough charity in your heart. What chance is there for a chap like me, with your help of course, or anyone else's come to that to get the cost of PBR eliminated for breeders if they want to give a said charity what  they've created?

I'm sorry my email turned out to be a manuscript, but I had to tell you the facts, and also how I feel about the injustice in all this. Please do your best to either tell me what to do, or make this injustice come to an end.

I promise I won't stop here, I will be guided, but never quietened. (well I suppose I will one day)

Best Always Cos Less is Never Good Enough.

Ken Stock.

February 8th:

Far quicker than I visualized I received a reply to my email. Unfortunately I'd not only picked the wrong guy to start with, but sent to the wrong party. Sounds a bit like me still I am not into this political stuff, and who ever helps me in my quest for Plant Breeders Rights being scrapped for those of us who want to help a charity or two is made of gold. Mind you this guy Tobias Ellwood did a stint in the British Army with the Royal Green Jackets, where he served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Kuwait, Germany, Gibraltar and Bosnia. Sounds like we've got the right guy on our side. Wanna hear what he said? Thought you would, I copied the letter, and put it on the web page at first, but thought better of it when I saw the splendid Commons cream note paper. It looked so proper, and so important, which it is of course, especially if it comes off.

Dear Mr. Stock,

Thank you for writing to me regards the problems you are having with your dahlias, and your valiant efforts to raise money for charity.

You make a valid point regards the fees for UK Plant Breeders Rights and I have taken it up with John Hutton MP and Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise  and Regulatory Reform on your behalf to see if we can make any headway in getting the cost of PBR eliminated for breeders if they want to donate their creations to charity.

I will be in touch when I have heard back from him.

Kind Regards Tobias Ellwood.

Of course it looked a whole lot better on the right note paper. By the way it was signed by his Secretary which was one of the reason I took the letter I copied, off the web page, well you can't be to careful can you? Of course that smashing House of Commons headed paper was the icing on the cake. So all we can do now is wait and pray to God PBR is scrapped for the countless amateur breeders, and hope they will give to a charity now and then. Okay it won't work if no one buys them. So it is up to us to make sure the  charity varieties are the best we can breed.

Sunday February 10th:

Took Irene out for a drive, I wanted to go out early, but I know by now between ten and eleven is the new early. Mind you I hadn't reckoned on Chris from over the road coming in , well when I say coming in, that wasn't the case as both Lesley and Chris have picked up a cold, with flu like symptoms, his words not mind. That was after our Grandson Dean popped in with the two kids, little Amy and big Ben, I say big because if he doesn't make a ruby team when he's in sixth grade I'll eat my hat. Ben and dad were on their bikes, and little Amy was on the back of her father's. It didn't stop there because as soon as they left an old school mate of Irene popped in with a card for my niece Janice whose mother, and Irene's sister  Elsie had died last Thursday. She was ten years older than us and a cutie, and as innocent as they come, but a flirt, I guess eighty seven's not a bad age. Consequently two hour later than I intended we left, and although I'd made my mind up to go to Pool Park I went straight to the garden centre they call Haskins, and although the prices are a little dearer than Wilkinson's, the gear is ace. We mooched round, looked at the rabbits and the other pets till I had a sneezing fit, (it's the dust you know) and ended up finally in front of the Dutch bulb stand. (now there's a funny thing) I had a look not expecting to buy anything, but out of the corner of my eye I caught the word Ivanetti, and what threw me was the word at the bottom of the pictorial label NEW INTRODUCTION. Now this sported in 2000 or the year before and it is now 2008, but well worth the money I paid for it, providing it is Ivanetti.

Okay I can't knock Halls for a quality product, and I know you can't always be sure if the tuber is the same as the photo on the packet, but come on these Dutch growers can't go any lower can they. A review of prices is definitely called for, but not until I've posed the question to my mate Jack.

February 22nd:

I was tempted once again to a dahlia in a bag, there it was showing its self off in the Wilkinson store at Boscombe. We go there every week to do a week-end Friday shop. I'd seen the variety twice already this year, but know one beats Wilkinson for price, £1-50 for two tubers that's ridiculous I thought. Why I was finally tempted was I'd grown the variety Park Princess before, and as I had two or three dwarf cactus in last years seedlings, and also my dark leaved beauty City of Leiden, how could I resist one more?

	Park Princess.

Now as I've grown this variety off and on for quite a few years, and I'm near certain this photograph has been doctored, not in as much as this isn't Park Princess, but more that I haven't ever seen as many flowers on the plants as this, if you want to impress just add a few more stems, after all it's only a photograph. None the more for that the variety is well worth growing, and more to the point easily good enough to breed with. Mind you as long as it was Park Princess in the bag. Later as soon as I got home, packed away the produce, made lunch and demolish it. I was busy cleaning the bars taken from the oven in a fibreglass tray on the Patio that I keep for this purpose when I remembered the bag containing the tubers was still in the car. So diverting my attention from this job to the more important one, I headed for the greenhouse with this valuable package in my hand. With pots half full and labels written I proceeded to cut open the plastic bag. One thing seemed wrong, both tubers felt warm. Examining them reveal the stem had rotted down to the base where it is attached to where the eyes should be. There had obviously been some decomposing in the bag due to the tubers either being frosted, or they hadn't been sufficient dried off after lifting. I know by what my mate Jack Gott said this year, the North had  been diabolical, hard and wet this Winter, and who says the Dutch haven't had as torrid a time as our growers up North. Oh dear, £1-50 up the Swanee, never mind I carried on with my task after trimming off the damaged tubers, and rotted stem knowing at least one of these hopefuls had no hope at all. Still you never know the quest for life is strong.  Time to hurried back to my day job.

March 26th:

Many things have happened since my last report, but I'm pleased to say we've come through the winter quite well. I've had a fair response regards the dahlias I have for sale, but it is obvious that to have as many varieties as I've acquired is fool hardy. Especially as my other chores have increased. So as soon as my last order is safely sent I will choose my catalogue for 2009 and possibly reduce it considerably relying on the best from most groups.

Now next year's gonna be some year considering my Mrs. and I will have been married for sixty years, some would say you get less for murder, and I'd reply it would have been murder without her. Every stage of our relationship has been an adventure I kid you not, and I have been allowed every freedom a man could have, ask our friends. Although this last couple of years have been harder to manage you learn to adjust to what ever the world and life throws at you.

March 28th:

Here guess what the two dahlias tubers of Park Princess that I thought were not going to make it have produced shoots, and cuttings have been taken, unlike sound tubers of varieties I need for orders that have still to start, despite me giving them the ol' Jack Gott's magic remedy. What's that you ask? Well most varieties respond when they are sprayed with very hot water  a couple of times a day, especially late in the day. Jack says he has been known to immerse a tuber into very hot water for two or three minutes. I haven't try that, yet, but must say all the rest of the `Sleepers' have started, all but that important pair.

Received Halls first order, that was the one I ordered just after Xmas. The packing department must be congratulated, one thing I noticed this time was there were two different packing methods, and I'd say the greaseproof rap and small rubber band to hold everything in place wants some beating, and it's the one I'm going to adopt for my orders. One thing I noticed was, and I'm being critical now, but not to have a swipe, but to enlighten my fellow dahlia sellers. Even an establishment as large and as competent as Halls can't produce cuttings of equal length, it is impossible, so this is to all my customers. The cuttings you receive won't, and can't produce cuttings of the same length because they all grow at different strengths, and they all elongate at different times, and there is no way you will receive them at the same length.

Oh I've gotta tell you guys what a mate I have in Jack Gott, he's better than any brother I could have,, as you know I've been hard pushed to supply Wisley with cuttings of all things, as Charlie blooming Dimmock, you see for some reason they lose plants every year, and as it hasn't done it's two years a twelve they were getting very short of propagating material. Ol' Jack wasn't though, up comes he with pot tubers. I'd call him the pot tuber King if you ask me. I have an order in America, well when I say an order it's only subject to if I can produce enough pot tubers by the fall, sorry autumn. I'm a good mind to push it Jack's way. He's British, competent, and a master at producing these little beauties, but the only thing is I have an export licence, and he hasn't, at the moment got one, which is criminal.

March 30th:

Did I tell you I'm lucky enough to have a Jewish neighbour to my right, and I'm not exaggerating when I say a nicer couple you couldn't wish to meet. Not only that Sue dad was in love with Al Jolson the same as I was, or as a mate of mine put it "He's your idol aint he?"  he sure was, and what a voice, good enough for any operatic performance. Funny thing was back then I always thought Larry Parks was Al Jolson, so it was a bit of a shock when I found out he wasn't. Any way ol' Len won't mind me saying that he is a typical fella, and still likes his nights with the boys, and to tell the truth I think his son's a chip off the ol' block, and that's not a crime, all you've gotta do is get a gal who's up to it. Well to cut a long story shorter Len's son found a lady that fit the bill, and the grand event was celebrated in our ever changing capital last week-end. and to say they pushed the bout out would be an understatement, and it was staged in a classy golf club just out of town.

Wanna see the pictures? I thought so. The Wedding:

March 31st:

Monday morning held a bit of a surprise, well I wasn't expecting a parcel from Japan. It was from a fellow breeder called Yusaku Konishi, bit of a mouthful for us, but I suppose in Japan it's not much more than Mr. Smith over here. Anyway you can be sure I had the tape holding the flaps of the parcel down undone as quick as you could say Jack's Spratt's cat, and although one end of the one foot square box was dented in, (thanks Royal Mail) the contents were in tact. Nine perfectly separated single tubers just like the America do it. I couldn't  wait to find out which names fitted what photographs in his 2008 catalogue, which Yusaku had sent earlier. What a surprise, here's me writing a letter to him a couple of weeks ago, praising the varieties he had in his 2008 catalogue. Now after I'd opening a parcel from him containing varieties I'd drooled over, I  was holding them in my hand. If the phrase "God moves in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform" hadn't been thought of I guess I'd have thought of it there and then.

I've got mates who need to tell me for some reason, "This God lark is a load of Baloney" to coin another phrase "Am I bothered what anyone else thinks" God's is my mate, and although he, she, or what ever God is, is far better than me I'm learning fast.

Now at this stage I am beginning to think this page will come to a halt if I don't start a new one. As the pictures and text have shown me it takes 182 seconds to open, and that's with Broadband, so goodness knows how long anyone with dial up has to wait before it loads. So if I want to show you what the best of Yusaku's dahlias look like I think I'll have to add another page.

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