Dahlia of the Week -- Funfair

Funfair
Photo by John Hibbs, ND

By John Hibbs, ND

Funfair was introduced to dahlia lovers in 1963, one of the oldest varieties in my garden. 

That she’s kept our attention for so long is testimony to her spectacular color pattern and versatility in bouquets. 

Her blazing, spreading oranges, yellows and reds are most like the colors of a burning flame, captured in one moment in time.

Funfair’s blossoms are officially 6-8” in diameter, officially size B or medium; but when cutting is delayed for a day or two and she’s well-watered they can easily reach 9”. 

She blooms heartily on exceptionally long, strong stems; and with her upright presentation on stem she’s a strong contributor to bouquets.

Formal Decorative dahlia flower forms have “flat petals with an even, regular placement throughout the flowers” according to the website of Swan Island Dahlias, one of the region’s largest dahlia tuber retailers, and Informal Decorative blossoms have both some curl to the petals and less regular spacing.

Funfair is categorized Formal Decorative, but for my money she’s far from formal, having much play and curl to her petals, and is a great evidence that we just can’t capture all the possibilities in a simple categorization of shapes for something as varied as the world of dahlias. 

The 2018 Dahlias for Seniors fundraiser for the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center is bustling along; I’ve added a 3rd dahlia delivery day each week to our two sites and they are selling out in less than a day!

You can pick up a bouquet at the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center (18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline 98155) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays after about 10:30am. And at the Ridgecrest Public House (520 NE 165th St, Shoreline 98155) Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays shortly after opening.

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John Hibbs, ND, supervises the naturopathic medicine shift held at the Senior Center on Mondays. Clinicians see children and adults for a fee of $15 to the Senior Center. For appointments, call the Center at 206-365-1536.