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Post by lesley on Aug 25, 2014 12:57:06 GMT
Well done you I like both of those first one best  |
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Post by sweetpea on Aug 25, 2014 12:58:41 GMT
they look real good tel.
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Post by Tel on Aug 25, 2014 13:02:39 GMT
Well done you I like both of those first one best They are not mine Lesley, They were exhibited by Mrs Roberts, she took over the raising of the Weston varieties when the raiser died. |
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Post by Tel on Aug 25, 2014 13:07:23 GMT
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Post by Tel on Aug 25, 2014 13:14:06 GMT
I wonder if Mark and Ian took any pics of the winning exhibits.  |
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Post by Raymond on Aug 25, 2014 13:35:18 GMT
I've not grown the varieties you've listed. Without covers, the smalls do better in the rain. Plus, with smalls and miniatures you get more blooms per plant. The ones in the winners enclosure are there for a reason.....they look good if you can grow them well, and not everyone can. Check out Halls of Heddon and Station House sites, have a look through the pictures. They list ones that can grow well in the rain. Totally agree with scrumpy, what looks in a novices eyes good in the garden wont have a hope in hell on the showbench, border dahlias except selective star and collerettes are ones for the local shows and then and only then if the entries are crap. Aim high, be selective, join a specialist society. Most of all obtain good stock. Forum member 'Ian' didn't win two National indervidual championships from tubers bought at wilko's. Showing is a reality check, in five years time you will look back at your old bed of in your eyes prize winning dahlias and think what on earth did I grow them for. Only grow what you can look after, 50 well grown dahlias with the time put in will always beat 200 that have been neglected. Every 100 plants grown equates to an hour a day every day, not when you feel like it. I work on mine 3 hrs a day Monday - Friday. Then 10 hrs on Saturday and a further 10 hrs on Sunday, much more during show season. Hens the reason my wife Marie packed her bags and buggered off in May and I didn't notice she had gone till the end of June. No, seriously she didn't and being a dahlia widdow isn't for all good wife's, husbands, G'friends or like. I'm lucky she moans a lot but she is the first to give me hug if I do well or if I'm down and need a bit of encouragement. Sorry to be blunt, but I was lucky I latched onto my mentor John Digweed, who after a few f's and preverbial slaps got me moving in the right direction. Even at Saturdays midlands main show he gave me a couple of b*******'s and quite rightly so. You will have them too. Competative showing in the dahlia world has it's high and low's, many walk away those who stay enjoy growing these fab flowers and meet great friends in the process. What more could you want ? Please excuse me my dahlias are not tubors from Wilkos ! They are from Poundworld !  Never grown dahlias ever first time bought at a whim in a garden centre. Also new house with VERY old garden did not know just how good or bad the soil was got a huge amount of work ahead of me. Firstly I want a nice garden. If I get any blooms competition standard great but that's at least one to two years away. I will only be entering the Kent show anyway or local hortictural shows. I am changing my entire stock anyway for next year. I was planning to order form halls and Euro dahlia and some other recommended growers. No plans to go further than that as I work very long hours in retail in central London. So most weekends I work. I am typing this on my lunch break as also working the bank holiday. My borders will be much better next year. Joining Kent dahlia sociey and also going to their show in September to look at everything ! I will also join the national dahlia society . I know my blooms are not good enough but they look nice to me anyway for a dahlia virgin ! Cheers Raymond Ps when I have worked out how many I can grow PROPERLY IN the beds. I will post my short list of varieties and see if people think it's any good. |
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Post by scrumpy on Aug 25, 2014 13:49:28 GMT
I think you will surprise yourself as to how good your blooms will be.
Chances are that individually they can be just as good as any you see on the show bench. The art is having the required number ready on the day.
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Post by scrumpy on Aug 25, 2014 13:53:07 GMT
I wonder if Mark and Ian took any pics of the winning exhibits. Yes, lets see their winners. Preferably in video form, I can do the commentary |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 14:25:50 GMT
Unfortunetly between the race to get vases on the bench and stewarding for Robin Pierce time hindered this a bit. I do have a few of mine that did OK !!   Two vases of five miniature dec's that one me the miniature dec championship. The 2nd pic is a close up of one of the vases.   Single vase of 5 miniature balls 'Members Class' which eventually took best vase of balls in show. Final cut of 3 for the best overall in the members division.  1st Single vase of 5 waterlilies - 'Members Division'   1st single vase of miniature decs - 'Members Division'. One dodgy bloom bottom left, but still strong enough to win !!  1st, single vase of 6 poms - 'Members Division' which later took best vase of poms in show. Not great as they were a little young but bloom angle, size and being a reasonably balanced exhibit helped. Yes a good show for me. From 11 entries: 6 x Firsts 3 x Seconds. 2 x Thirds. Miniature Dec Championship. Best vase of poms in show. Best vase of balls in show. Most points in the members classes. |
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Post by Raymond on Aug 25, 2014 14:35:03 GMT
I think you will surprise yourself as to how good your blooms will be. Chances are that individually they can be just as good as any you see on the show bench. The art is having the required number ready on the day. Cheers scrumpy i am top in my field in work and when I put my mind to something I do it to a very high standard. I have lots to learn but I am gonna give it a go and see. If I don't compete in the future I am not worried but I am determined to have a knockout garden like my late mothers was and I did the grunt work she was the gaffer ! Timing is everything for shows and same with many things in life . Cheers Raymond |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 14:38:27 GMT
I do have a few more pics to add later. The dog's got his legs crossed and the wife is giving me grief.
Later folks.
I have taken some pics of varieties that took my eye.
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Post by sweetpea on Aug 25, 2014 14:40:17 GMT
I work very long hours in retail in central London. So most weekends I work. I am typing this on my lunch break as also working the bank holiday.
I used to work long hours too when long distance driver, even being away for up to ten days at a time then with Royal Mail working sometimes 24 hour days and very anti social hours but somehow I managed to get stuff to the shows. Not just dahlias but sweetpeas and veg and daffodils for the spring shows. my other big problem was transport as back in the day I didn't have a car and used to transport in a homemade trailer hitched to my bike.  More distant shows meant public transport. Then when I got a motorbike placed in a box on the carrier. What I am trying to tell you is that everyone has their individual problems and it is just another facet of exhibiting that we have to work around. No one said it is easy I'm afraid but problems are there to be solved. You will work it out I am sure. Just as an example of dedication/keenness ther is a sweetpea grower on the Isle of Wight who used to fly with his exhibits to the National when not in the Southern Counties.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 15:26:38 GMT
Raymond I think you read my comments wrong ? This forum is not here to slate members dahlias whether they grow for garden or show or both. Our views are to encourage, help and give valuable advise. We also share our knowledge and realtime experience for all to benefit.
Some growers choose to keep their trade secrets hush hush, others cherp up to aid others who have problems. Like I previously said I learnt from a guy who knew how to grow miniatures to a good standard, this coupled with joining a specialist society helped me progress.
Most of all you will learn as with anything in life from your own mistakes and we all make them. 5 years ago I was still getting my bum kicked in the novices. My stock wasn't good enough. I had insect damage galore and mildew that made my plants look like it was xmas.
I knew I had to change and through help from these same people my growing methods improved.
Scrumpy is quite right, a well grown lesser quality variety will always excell over a poorly grown top class variety. Miniatures, poms and a few smalls can be grown without the aid of covers. No point relying on the UK weather to be kind as it isn't. Look at today, wet windy and complete death on dahlias. With an abundance of shows coming thick and fast that prize giant is history without protection.
Like you and sweetpea I work, 46 hr nights with a 3 hr roundtrip every day before I even started my job. This is on top of my elderly inlaws one who cant speak through stroke and suffering from advanced dimentia and the other who has 20% vision in one eye and blind in the other through degenerative eye disease. Life can be cruel, but nature is designed to adapt and we are no different.
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Post by Tel on Aug 25, 2014 15:35:33 GMT
Like woodforddahlias say's we do not put any ones dahlia's down. constructive comments are welcome by me, because no one knows everything. I joined the forum a few years ago now, there was not a section on dahlia's, it has gradually built up. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 15:43:51 GMT
Another shot of Mary Jane Roberts miniature cactus - Ryecroft Pixie:  Very nice I must say. There were 3 vases in the final cut for best in members, my miniature balls and poms and Mary Jane Robert's miniature cactus, judges call bang on. No complaints there. She got a bit of banter from me but I was the first to admit her vase won hands down. |
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More distant shows meant public transport. Then when I got a motorbike placed in a box on the carrier.
Sept 6, 2018 17:58:08 GMT
Sept 6, 2018 17:58:08 GMT
Aug 10, 2019 9:01:47 GMT