Aisling Waterlily

My main goal is to hybridize Waterlily form dahlias with high petal counts, nice cupping, strong stems, good tuber production and high tolerance for heat, virus and disease.

Waterlily Forms: (2024 ADS Description)

• The bloom should be fully double and symmetrical; the side view should be flat to saucer-shaped in arrangement, and the layer of florets should be open-faced to give a delicate appearance.
• The center should be closed and domed shaped, breaking gradually to four to seven rows of fully developed outer florets. 
• Outer florets should be broad and slightly cupped with rounded tips.
• A bloom position at 45 degrees is preferred, but a top facing bloom is acceptable.
• In petite waterlily cultivar (1-3") in diameter, the depth may contain fewer rows of ray florets in order to represent the waterlily form accurately.
• The depth should never be more than one-half the diameter of the bloom.

Colors: My palette is inspired by the rich saturated tones of paint pigments. It’s easier to show the colors than to describe them so you can check out some paint colors by Winsor & Newton here. As I explore the wide range of colors dahlia have to offer, my goal is to avoid reverting back to the dominant colors like yellow and to keep a more consistent color through out the season. I’m aware that soil and temperature can affect colors and would love to experiment more on them.

Virus and disease tolerant: Heirloom varieties (45 year and older) are known for their resilience and have withstood the test of time. As a part of my breeding program, I’m collecting heirloom waterlily cultivars and will be crossed with newer ones to increase resistance/tolerance to virus and diseases. Below are a list of Heirloom Waterlily Dahlias if you’re interested in them 

• Nepos (1958) 
• Winsome (1940)
• Rothesay Rose (1951)
• Fawn (1971)
• Innocence (1986 - heirloom in 2031)
• Randi Dawn (1985 -heirloom in 2030)
• Fern Irene (1985 - heirloom in 2030)
• Glory van Heemstede (1947)
• Gerrie Hoek (1942)

Stability: 3-4 growing seasons to stabilize their genes, followed by a strict evaluation.

Naming: Waterlily cultivars will have the Aisling prefix. It’s my favorite Gaelic name, meaning “dream” or “vision”. It refers to an “Aisling”, an Irish poetic genre developed in the 17th and 18th centuries. It’s a fitting name to bring my “vision” of waterlily dahlias into reality.