Black Satin – mid to late bloom, great long stems (long enough for a bud vase), not very productive

Chilsons Pride – early and constant bloom, medium stems, verrrrry productive. Couldn't fill vases fast enough to keep up with it. Lovely too - and I'm sooo not a pink person!

Voodoo – midseason, long stems, few blooms

Lancresse – mid., short stems, few flowers- make that 3 TOTAL (but lovely)

Raz-ma-taz - early, short to mid stems, very productive

Jitterbug – early, medium stems, very productive

Heather Feather - mid., medium stems, few blooms, plain lavender.

Cornel – few blooms, short stems, if it bloomed at all – Crossfield Ebony - ditto.

Koko Puff – not productive, short stems

Ruskin Gypsy – (2006) gorgeous, med stem, fairly productive

I concur on Chilson's Pride and Raz Ma Taz- very hearty bloomers. I am suprised on your Cornel which is just a blockbuster here in terms of blooms, stems, and quality. Crossfield Ebony will be started early next year as it was late to the party but I loved the color.

Chilsons Pride is probably the best cut flower of all time. Nearly everybody who sells cut flower dahlias has grown it. In some years, it has been the top selling dahlia at Swan Island Dahlias. There is a very interesting story about how it came to be named Chilson's Pride even though it was bred by Nick Gitts of Swan Island Dahlias. It seems that Carl Chilson(a commercial dahlia grower in Washington State) was visiting Swan Island Dahlias and he spotted a bright pink seedling in the seedling patch. He pointed it out to Nick Gitts and Nick said "if you want that one you can have it, we have plenty of pink dahlias." Thus Mr. Chilson released Chilson's Pride and Swan Island eventually acquired it to sell also. Sort of like the big fish that got away.