Your China Doll is just beautiful! My garden partner and I switched over to mostly waterlily dahlias too for our cut flower business. This is one I do not have but think I need! I just picked a beautiful one that was labeled "Pale Tiger" but was not! I think it might be "Ken's Rarity. It is my 2nd bloom this season. THe first was a "Japanese Bishop"

Hi Liza! Greetings from the east of you. Can't believe you've got blooms already there. Congratulations!

Russ a very neat and tidy set of beds you've got there. Interesting that you put rocks IN your garden and I spend hours trying to get them out! Bet you get a fair dose of reflected heat from the black granite. Was that part of the reasoning for mulching with it?

Beautiful - love the lakeside bed! I have some dahlias that look like China Doll - mine have never had a name as far as I knew, b/c they were bought at a farmer's market by a friend who gives them to me. Now I wonder if that's what mine are?

{{gwi:643317}}

Liza, I think you'll love China Doll, particularly because of how many blooms it puts on...prolific doesn't do it justice.

Poochella, in fact I did hope that the granite mulch might prolong the season a little due to the heat, and/or promote better growth. I have my fingers crossed that it won't get too hot. I also didn't want stuff that would grow weeds, as has been my experience with organic mulches.

FYI, it is supposed to get black after a few rains.

Penerosa, there are certainly similarities, but...I don't really think it looks like a waterlily. I could be wrong, but I think yours is a Formal Decorative. China Doll is 4" diameter on a 18-24" bush, what size is yours?

Cheers,
Russ

Oh heck, how does one know the difference? :-) Must take some studying. Here's one that looks like mine...I have a feeling it's a wild goose chase though...

Here is a link that might be useful: Baron Jerry