Wayne Holland’s assessment of my 2004 seedlings

 
If you knew how many emails I had sent Mr. Wayne Holland since I’ve known him, you wouldn’t believe it. At the moment he resides in British Colombia, but he’s moving in the autumn, I hope it’s nothing I’ve said. Best of it is, every last email has been answered, which in it self is remarkable; well everyone is so busy today, with hardly any time to give others, don’t expect to get a reply if they have an inkling, that you might want something. The thing you can always rely on Wayne doing, is to give you a quick, frank and honest answer, and that’s what happened when he assessed the quality of my 2004 seedlings, earlier in July. He should start a dahlia assessment agency, and for a small charge, you could then get a fair assessment of all your new raisings. Thing is, when you’re like me, muddle headed and excited, it’s a wonder I get anywhere. But sure enough as soon as I speak to Wayne, who is precise and articulate, the fog clears, and I’m a little nearer knowing the answers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m confident, in fact I’m probably too confident, I need slowing down, but who can alter habits of a lifetime. When some of this years seedlings started to unfold, to become the beauties they are, I could hardly contain myself, on one occasion I remember, I tripped up my own feet, trying to get a better look, thank God, Wayne liked the variety as well, his comment, `Nice’ but when you get a `Nice’ from Wayne, it’s almost as good as a `Terrific’ from anyone else, that’s accompanied by a brass band. Anyway after this somewhat, flowery introduction, d’you get it, I will begin to tell you the content of those emails, and the assessment he gave me, from a Canadian’s point of view.

 
Order as Sent:
 
I’d already sent an email asking if he would like the photographs cropped or as taken, as I know he like to use them, in various ways, and with all the help he’s given me, if it helps him, I’m pleased to do it, this was the content of that first email.


 
First Born: Miniature Ball Pink. My eldest daughter Pamela inspired the name. What Wayne hadn’t seen unfortunately, from the photograph, was the flower was the roundest dahlia I had ever seen, I got so engrossed in that, I forgot about the points on the petals.
 
 

Wayne’s Comment: Good one, nice clean colour, points take it away from ball form.

 

          Miss Juliet: Min Ball Pink.

         Master Romeo: Small Ball. Deep Salmon Pink.

 

 

 
      Wayne’s Comment on Both: I like this colour type, but many complain of streaks.


 
 
      Peachess:  Split and grow on second year.

 

Wayne’s Comment: Good one, Carry this one forward.

 

 

 

My  Sweet Lorraine: Small Ball Pink & Peach.

Wayne’s Comment: A lot of petal showing might not make BALL.

 

(Second flowers confirmed it made a ball and a very nice one)
 


 
         Mayan Princess: Small Semi-Cactus. Split and grow on second year.

 

Wayne’s Comment: Possible centre problem. I do like to see a bit tighter revolution. (Wouldn’t you know it Wayne was right on both counts?)
 

 
       Mayan Bride:  Small Semi-Cactus. Split and grow on second year.

 

Wayne’s Comment: Others have this tendency to be more yellow or orange. I see some streaking also.
 
(Second and third sets of flowers were more quill shaped, and the colour was more distinct, will split and grow on)
 

 
 
      Princess of Denmark: Small Semi-Cactus.

 

  

Wayne’s Comment: Looks good. I think the visible green bracts will be hidden in a mature bloom.
 


 
        Culdrose: Min Dec Salmon.

 

Wayne’s Comment: Nice.
 
(If this variety is taken up by my distributor, all money after nursery costs will go to the American and British charities supporting the crew that lost their lives when two helicopters collided. The incident happened during the second Gulf war, half were American, half British)


 
       Kiminski: Min Dec.

         

 

Wayne’s Comment: Muddy colour, stem angle?
 
(The size of the first flower pulled it over to make it appear clock faced Wayne, could be a fault)
 

 
        Argyle Strawberry: Medium Decorative
 

 
 

(Didn’t tell you Wayne, this was one of my so-called giant seedlings. Trouble is the parents hadn’t told the offspring, it was supposed to be a giant, with a mere 6” x 6” statistics, and petals of that nature, probably destined for the bin)
 
Wayne’s Comment: Hard choice, however the cross is worth pursuing. Streaky colour, good form.

 
 
        Mayan Warrior: Small Semi-Cactus. Split and grow on second year.
 
 

Wayne’s Comment: Great cut flower! Not revolute enough for exhibition.


 
         Monet Moon:
 

 

  

Wayne’s Comment: A medium, I hope. Too sparse of petal to be a small.
 
(I hadn’t told him it was supposed to be a SWL, and he hadn’t notice the prefix I’m using, reflecting the water lily painting, that Monet did I pulled it up anyway, when I saw what Lismore Canary could do)
 


 
          Helena Rubie: Small Decorative. Named after the lady whose ground I use to grow my seedlings.
 

 

  

Wayne’s Comment: First class all the way.
 
(They do love colour in Canada and North America, I thought the form could have been tighter)
 


 
         Monet Sun: Small Water Lily flowered.
 

 

  

Wayne’s Comment: All dahlias are pretty. Not much else, going for it.

(Don’t you love the way Wayne is so direct, it’s worth its weight in gold, needless to say this one found the bin)

 

  
Anyway, onwards and downwards, small Decorative and Medium decorative now, dregs later today, before friends arrive for drinks. Oh and after these two a beaute of a SWL, and an improvement on one of its parents, I think? Have a guess which variety one of the parents was Wayne? I’ll give you a clue `Nothing could be Finer’
 

 
        Tottenham: (Working name) Medium Decorative. White. Split and grow on a second year.
 

 

  

Wayne’s Comment: Good one. Does the hole in the middle fill in?
 
(Sure does Wayne, but looks best with a tidy centre)


         Southern City: Medium Decorative. Yellow. Split and grow on a second year.
 

  

Wayne’s comment: Lots of smaller petals are the trend, God one.
 
I assumed Wayne meant good one, or was it better than I thought, funny thing was John Menzel liked this the best out of all of the 2004 seedlings, I was expecting him to get ecstatic with Sweet Killarney.

 
 

             Leanne’s Wedding: Small Water Lily Flowered. Named after one of my granddaughters.
             When this turned up I was tickled pink, or was it lavender? Did you guess right Wayne?
 

 
 

Wayne’s Comment: Beautiful colour and petal shape how is the depth?
 
I know what he’s on about, water lily dahlias are supposed to be no more than half the diameter of the bloom, deep, but surely it is a hard rule that penalize a flower so beautiful, in any case it all depends when you decide to cut your bloom, as you can see, this one was taken to the limit, incidentally, one of the parents that influenced this was `Carolina Moon’ as seen below, photo courtesy of Halls.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
         Carolina Moon: Small water Lily
 

  

By the way, the two tone combination that `Carolina Moon’ has in her make up, is very dominant, as you will see, in the photographic examples I have given, after my email comment.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
        Louisiana Moon: Small Decorative. Deep Pink.
 

  

Wayne’s Comment: Lovely but not competitive against the tight semi-balls out there.
 

 
 
        Kentucky Moon: Small Decorative. Pink.
 

 

  

Wayne’s Comment: I like the cool/warm combination.
 

 
      California Moon: Small Decorative. Pink.
 

 

  

Wayne’s Comment: Another non-competitor. I have Ferncliff Gardens as my releaser, and they have a catalogue base of 6000 customers, who are mostly NOT exhibitors, but want garden decoration and cut flowers varieties. If you can find such a dealer there, then those types would have a future. Two additional requirements are, good propagators and floriferousness. How about contacting one of the big guys, like WEBB’S.


At this point all emails stopped, and I was taking in all he had suggested. You really have to take notice of this guy, just look at the number of superb cultivars he has produced. At the moment he’s getting excited about a giant decorative called Hy Moab, the Moab part stands for Mother of a Bloom, I’ve seen it, and it really is a big `un. Talking of large blooms, there was a large flower on the seedling bed, and at first I was sure it was a semi-cactus, but later changed my mind, seeing it was a decorative. Anyway, as it was maturing, a storm was developing, so I cut it when it was only two thirds out. Here is the email I sent to Wayne with the attached large decorative.
 
  
Hi Wayne, John,
 
(John is no other than John Menzel, the bloke who raised `Winkie Colonel’ the very well known giant red decorative, he and his wife were visiting Wayne during the month of August, it’s funny because in Australia, where John comes from, at that time they are in their dormant season)
 
Had to cut my large decorative before it was completely ready, due to a storm that was brewing. It’s one of those fluke crosses, but if it stays the same next year, it could make a very nice large. The only way this could have come about was by a flying insect visiting some other variety in the garden. I’m not complaining though, probably out of `Sir Alf Ramsey’ Although the pod label said it was a small cactus cross. Thought I’d send it while John was there.
 
Hope he is enjoying your hospitality, and all four of you are well.
 
Ken Bournemouth UK
 
 
Sweet Killarney: Large Decorative
 

  

Wayne’s Comment: A real beauty, John will be leaving Australia in five days; I will have him in tow August 30th. He will see the photo.

 


  Evidence of A VERY Dominant Carolina Moon

 

 

 

Alabama Moon:

 

Colorado Moon:

 

 Monet Sunset:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indiana Moon:

 

Texas Moon:

 

 Oklahoma Moon:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Arizona Moon:

 

Mississippi Moon:

 

 Minnesota Moon:

                              
 
These where the best of the none competitive varieties, although there was a pure white and a clear yellow that I didn’t photograph. There is one I think might make the grade, that darkish cinnamon pink SWL, which I’ve named `Monet Sunset’ All are working names although I shall definitely register one or two of them because they are too good to let slip in to obscurity, but slip they did when Bob Hendley planted them all out into an unprotected field of rabbits.


 
 
 
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