|
Post by Lou78W on Jan 5, 2015 21:08:46 GMT
We'll soon find out.....
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 6, 2015 1:56:51 GMT
Ha ha Lou78W. I hope Moonlight doesn't think we are too cheeky. Oh how funny! Nope! The only Babies I want to have this year are my seedlings! Will be heading off for bed with a grin on my face.
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 6, 2015 2:01:25 GMT
Been online Birthday shopping for Fairy. About to head off to bed but just wanted to post these. A little sad taking off the decorations but still chuffed with our Christmas trees.
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 6, 2015 2:12:41 GMT
I've achieved something - last year!
Ok Christmas Trees.
For the last few years we have been going to a local garden centre to see Father Christmas. It is a bit of a family event, we meet there with my Mum and my Sister. (It didn't work out quite right this time), the children meet Father Christmas, they have their chat and they come out with a present and a mini Christmas tree.
Normally my Sister takes them home to look after but this year HH wanted us to keep them, so that we could have an outside Christmas tree front and back in a pot. Not a lover of conifers and seeing a real Christmas tree indoors makes me feel sad. I'm happy with our plastic, green tree with twinkling lights and lots and lots of tinsel.
When and saw Father Christmas the weekend before Christmas itself. Mum, Dad and my Sister came round for Christmas Day and one of the 1st things they said was, "Not planted your Christmas trees yet then?" etc. Poor things have been sitting by our front door. They were coming round for New Years Day and after typing: that day at the beginning of this Diary, felt morally wrong to just leave them there any longer. So there I was, in the pouring rain, trying to find a suitable pot each and locate some form of potting compost. I have a full bag at my dahlia patch but I was not going to faff about, lugging / dragging it up the muddy garden to plant the Christmas trees. I had enough in one bag to do one tree and not enough for the 2nd. So there I was in the cold, compost up my arms, digging my hands into a bag of manure, with lots of worms in. I did a bit but it will need topping up with more.
"Your crazy" "Most people garden when the weather is good, like it is supposed to be tomorrow....."
Even girlies think I'm mad, all tucking into our yummy roast, and they are matter of fact telling my family, that Mummy was planting the Christmas trees, in the rain. "She always plants stuff when it's raining".....
(erm, hello I'm sitting here at the table.)
Dad and I exchanged looks..... then he started talking dahlias..... revenge is sweet..... mwahahaha
Well I had to give him an update on Tommy tuber.
Bet they wish that they hadn't brought the subject of gardening up.....
Photo taken by Pirate Yellow Wellies, who traitorously didn't want to get changed from her nice snug pyjamas and put her shoes / boots on and come outside and help. (but to be honest, I didn't really want their help, just wanted to get them done.)
She was happy to use her new Christmas present camera. p.s.Lou78W Cherry still
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 8, 2015 0:43:33 GMT
It says on the Halls website that Raspberry Valliant is Does this mean that it has more of a traditional ball shape rather than bordering on the 'dec' shape?
Hi Moonlight have you looked at Ruskskin lilac time it's a true mini ball dahlia, did not make the big shows hard to match its colour , looks good in a boarder and for cut flower or exhibit in local shows. Another to look up.
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 8, 2015 11:01:17 GMT
My Moonlight Ball Directory! (Going to be quite a lot of cutting and pasting then followed by deleting unnecessary posts and being boring about balls)
I am trying to sort out which ball dahlias to grow next year and I only want to grow balls that are true balls (rather than dec balls e.g. Mary's / Jomanda)
Going to list suppliers' lists of ball dahlias and cross out varieties that I have chosen against (with comments where relevant) Then have a combined possible ball lists with coded suppliers, to make it easier for me to pick where to order from.
Where possible I will put a link to the photos on relevant website, to make it quicker to find what I am looking for, especially when I'm talking to my Dad.
Just trying to combine my mullings, recommendations and suggestions welcome but anything I post here is a +ive or -ive mullings and shouldn't be taken as a person who knows what she is talking about, the point is I don't and I am trying to work it out. Trying to avoid re. ball dahlias that look more than a tad suspiciously like decoratives (but I know that it is quite likely that I will end up doing it) and develop a list of ball dahlias with true potential in ball classes. Also want to avoid 'vigorous', low petal count and fading blooms as all are growing without covers. Much I want to do well in shows I'm also looking at varieties with some good dna to put on the menu for my
Miniature Ball info on Dahlia world website Small Ball info on Dahlia world website
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 8, 2015 11:11:37 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 8, 2015 11:14:52 GMT
These are on the Ridgeview Nursery 2015 n.b. These are listed under NDS classification list 2012 31st edition - So must check possibles on current classification list.
Miniature Ball
Bista red can't find photo or check classification 8-)Cornell red Edgeway Joyce plum 8-)Hamari Rose rose pink 8-)Lancresse / L'Ancresse big flat petals Lemon Zing not zinging enough for me Ruskin Lilac Time lilac Ryecroft Isobel lilac
Scaur Topper pink
Spennythorn Aristocrat purple Possible image search result
Small Ball
Amira dark purple - Not a ball Barbarry Red Devil red
Hillcrest Matt yellow / orange
Fiona Stewart white - if it is anything like this photo, not good Irene Ellen purple Ken's Choice red Scaur Major pink Scaur Tango tangerine Snoho Peggy pink
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 8, 2015 11:27:09 GMT
Halls Balls
Pirate and I have already decided that we like Blyton Softer Gleam and think it will look good with Pirate's Amber Festival.
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 8, 2015 13:17:57 GMT
Hi Moonlight, We have included it in the main catalogue so mini plants will be available for this season- haven't got it on the web site yet. Raspberry Valliant is a true ball but for showing sometimes has a tendency to fade a bit at the back.
So I think that it is looking like I ought to go for Raspberry Valliant and risk the fading. So that is: Blyton Softer Gleam Raspberry Valliant Tom McClelland
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 8, 2015 13:23:11 GMT
I should have banned myself from looking at Halls' fb page! The wish list has just got a bit longer. Oh dear and there was me with my dahlias all mapped out! Well sort of
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 9, 2015 0:48:15 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 9, 2015 1:32:46 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 10, 2015 1:36:07 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Jan 14, 2015 2:57:54 GMT
Ball dahlia update - this is the current info that I've collected re. ball dahlias... hmmm, This is as far as I've got selection wise short list. If one of my Jomanda tubers survives then I have to grow it (as I had made a deal with it, if you win, then I'll keep you and grow you next year) My Mary's Jomanda didn't so I won't be growing in it from my own stock but has kindly offered to send me some that are a much better quality, so I am going to with his judgement and recommendation. I've already ordered 1 tuber of Downham Royal from S.R. where I ordered mine from the year before last. Dad ordered some that year from elsewhere but mine were a better quality of bloom (and I was very lucky because mine beat his). With everything that went on last year (feels a bit weird thinking of it as last year 2014) they got rather neglected and I want to make sure that I have some good ones, especially as I am hoping that they might tempt the bees and add their dna into the seedling mix 2016. Station House now sells Downham Royal, so I'm very tempted to get a plant from there - as it might be that they have better stock still. The other miniature I am tempted to get is Sheila, Dad had never heard of it (not a good sign) when I showed it to him and told him that it is a terracotta sport of Cornel - Dad said why not just grow Cornel but I thought that I would try Sheila and see how it performs against Jomanda - what with the colour similarity but what seems to be more of a 'true ball' formation. Dad understood my logic but whether or not he thinks it is a good plan or worth bothering with, that I don't know. I've seen Blyton Softer Gleam do well in multi vase classes, Pirate likes it, so I think that that is worth ago. After re-reading message, I am going to stick with my Jomanda & his Mary's rather than risk the Raspberry Valliant which might fade. Dad has said a few times about Clearview Daniel, that's one that he is going to go with. Thinking about it. Maybe that would be an option, I don't know but I don't think it has been classified yet but it is a small rather than a miniature. If Clearview Daniel is still a new kid on the block, maybe it is a better candidate for putting up against Jomanda/Mary's, rather than Ken's Choice.
There sticking with the following balls: Downham Royal, Sheila, Mary's Jomanda, Jomanda, Blyton Softer Gleam and Clearview Daniel; with the intention of growing only 1 plant each of Blyton, Daniel and Shelia.
There made a decision. Going to stick with it.
p.s. I know that I am posting late but am off work, so I've had a few sleeps during the day and this has been the 1st time where I have hadn't had that headache ache around my eye socket. Going to pack up and go to bed now but at least I'm going to go to sleep a lot less stressed.
One of the things that has been stressing me out is the fact that I've lost the copy of Frank Taylor's 2015 list which has the order form and details. If anyone has one that they could scan or photograph, that I could copy and print off I would be very appreciative.
|
|