Dahlia Legacy Profile
Wayne Henry Holland was born and educated in Vancouver, becoming a math and science teacher in the 1960s in West Vancouver high schools and then buying a home in North Vancouver. He was first introduced to dahlia growing in 1965 when his pregnant wife was unable to care for the garden. “Bending over was out of the question and the task fell to me,” he said. A dahlia clump was donated to his landscaping efforts and as a novice gardener he was delighted to see it simply bloom.
That fall, Holland and wife attended the Pacific National Exhibition, a fair that once emphasized agrarian displays, and he discovered the Vancouver Dahlia Society’s (VDS) show of dahlia blooms. “I also saw the display of Ferncliff Gardens (located in Mission, B.C.) and the VDS membership booth. I was hooked and joined on the spot,” he said.
As luck would have it, one of the VDS members lived only a few blocks away and became a friend and mentor providing assistance and helping Holland with valued advice. Within a year, Holland was contributing to the VDS’s tuber sale and starting a five-decade journey to growing, showing and developing new varieties of dahlias.
Today, Holland – one of Canada’s most recognized hybridizers acknowledged for his techniques in hand pollination – lives in Naramata in the B.C. Okanagan. He does not belong to any local garden clubs but in 2004 was made a lifetime member of the VDS. He is a former member of the American Dahlia Society (ADS) executive and also served as its web-master. He spent a short time in Jamaica, growing dahlias in the country’s highlands, before returning to B.C. and a large garden in Squamish. He finally settling in the Okanagan area where he now grows 200 dahlias a year as well as presiding over his own vineyard, which supplies grapes to a boutique champagne vintner.
Over the years, he has admired the work of many hybridizers, but particularly that of world-class hybridizer Gordon Leroux, who in 2015 was inducted in the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers Hall of Fame and was known for the Kenora varieties he developed.
Holland’s advice to new growers is to explore the many interesting facets of dahlia growing and hit on an area of interest. It’s not a difficult field to pursue. “This is not rocket science,” he said, “but there are tricks to the trade”.
General Growing History
That first clump of donated dahlias deposited in his yard in 1966 would lead Holland down a path of developing and growing his own brand of dahlia that today carried his Hy signature prefix. In Naramata, he maintains a dahlia garden and greenhouse which hosts the 200 plants he grows annually, although during his time in Squamish, the tally topped up at 600 plants.
Holland’s key mentor was the late Bill Hoopfer, (deceased in 2000 but known for dahlia JEAN M). In the late 1960s, Hoopfer was a core member of the VDS. After Holland produced tubers for the VDS tuber sale only a year after joining, Hoopfer became a staunch supporter. “The gates opened. There was no lengths he would not go to help me. He was quite wonderful,” Holland said of his mentor.
Holland would use his science background combined with the shared knowledge to hone his growing and hybridizing skills over the years and remains indebted to his mentor to this day. “I’m about to name a dahlia after him,” said Holland in 2022.
Over the years of developing some 200 different varieties, Holland has some personal favorites. One is Hy Shy. “It was a nice yellow with red tips and looked like it was blushing,” he said. Another dahlia he especially liked was Hy Pimento, a variegated yellow and red bloom. He is currently working at cultivating dahlias that have darker foliage as the leaf can be darkened to almost a black. Hy Whitewings (distributed through Ferncliff) is a new collarette released with striking white petals and a gold central disk contrasted against dark foliage. Another release from Holland is Hy Vera, named after VDS member Vera Williamson, who started the VDS’s annual tuber sale. The collarette is a soft yellow with a dark yellow central disk and highlighted with lilac. The bloom is contrasted by dark foliage, although not as dark as Hy Whitewings.
There are also blooms with names that carry interesting back stories such as Hy Vanessa, named after actress-singer Vanessa Williams. Williams stepped into the title role in Kiss of the Spider Woman June 27, 1994 replacing Tony winner Chita Rivera and making her Broadway debut. It was an evening that Holland and his wife and niece (both dancers) attended and the trio was able to meet and chat with Williams at the stage door.
Aurora’s Kiss, which does not carry the Hy prefix, is another Holland bloom inspired by the Broadway production. Its daunting dark-red, almost black, color is reminiscent of the ‘kiss of death’ by Aurora, the Spider Woman. Aurora’s Kiss is a miniature ball that results from a 1994 cross of Bitsa, a darkish red ball and Deep South, a medium purple ball. It scored 85.5 on ADS Bench in Vancouver and 87.83 in the Victoria Trial Garden. It was introduced by Ferncliff Gardens in 1997 and was awarded the Best ’97 intro at the ADS show (Halifax) and has had many blue and higher awards.
Holland had some seed left over from the Aurora cross, but ignored them until 1996. “Those anxious old seeds were the first to jump out of the planting mix,” he said. A total of 12 seedlings grew and produced three very good sisters for Aurora. These were: a mallow purple ball, Hy Mallow, an incredibly densely petalled, rich-orange miniature ball, Hy Suntan; and a ball in rich yellow with red-orange new petals in the centre, Hy Maize.
Two new varieties Hy Di and Hy Bee G went on trial at Ferncliff in 2022. Hy Bee G is named after VDS member Betty Girard. Also debuted in 2022 was Canoz Solar, derived from Australian seed that Holland grows occasionally and the Aussie derivatives are prefixed with Canoz (a combination of CAN for Canada and OZ from OZtrailia).
Holland obtains tubers through networking and trading with other growers and occasionally buys some. ”I’ve made friends all around the world,” he said. But, two growers he especially turns to for interesting tubers are avid commercial grower Karen Bull of DDC Dahlias in Bowser on Vancouver Island and Marian Jean’s Oakridge Dahlias located in Port Hope, Ontario. As well, he propagates his own tubers and collects dahlia seeds from plants he had earlier segregated and hand pollinated. He starts the seed plants in his greenhouse and the new plants are then transferred outside for growing. He culls heavily to bring forward sought-after characteristics.
Holland favours hand-watering or overhead sprinklers for his dahlias in his garden since he rotor-tills the planting area and ground irrigation is not feasible. He lightly fertilizes as he finds that over-fertilizer only encourages the growth of many stems and foliage. Adequate separation and staking the plants is important. “They are always tied to a stake. In a big wind, it is almost impossible to save them without support,” he said.
He disbuds stems to gain a quality bloom and will also double-disbud. “Even if it is a cut flower I double disbud, taking out that second set of shoots, so I get a nice long stem for cutting,” Holland said.
In the garden, his favorite tool is a winged weeder, a long-handled weeding tool with a triangular shaped head that slips easily into tight spaces cutting weeds. Plus, the wings on the side also have a sharpened edge at the rear so that as it is dragged backwards it can also dispatch weeds.
Holland’s favorite part of growing is the challenge of cross-pollinating different varieties to pull out desired results in seeds that will grow into new varieties. “I have always been the scientist and interested in dahlia genetics. That has caused me to keep track of the parents,” he said. It is the thrill of achieving those results as a new bloom unfurls that keeps him hybridizing. “I still remember the first time that Hy Vanessa bloomed. It was fabulous and better than I ever expected,” he said.
Hybridizing:
Holland began hybridizing the following year after joining the VDS in 1965. Over more than 50 years of hybridizing, Holland estimates that he has introduced approximately 200 new varieties. The majority carrying his Hy prefix while some carry the Canoz prefix, for dahlias derived from seed obtained from Australia, and a few are without a prefix such as Aurora’s Kiss.
He was first inspired by VDS member and mentor Bill Hoopfer who ordered seed from Australia (or New Zealand) and grew Jean M, an impressive dahlia. However, collecting seed from it failed again and again to reproduce that special bloom. Holland then left for the West Indies but since returning he has “really dug in” to attempt to create that elusive dahlia.
For commercial growers, said Holland, the tuber’s name is an important factor in selling the bloom. Holland marks each individual tuber with ‘Hy’ as his identifier and it suggests the high quality he seeks in developing new varieties. It is also short enough to preface the tuber’s descriptive name. The name should evoke something positive for buyers. “They want something that is happy,” Holland said. He combines that with the plant’s floral attributes. On occasion, there’s a clever play on words such as Hy Fashion and Hy Impact, names that strike a positive chord with buyers.
When Holland is attempting to bring forward a particular trait, he is meticulous in keeping records on parents. He cross-pollinates by hand and locks out any pollinator intent on reaching the bloom’s central disk. Several of his favourite parent plants to borrow traits from are Hy Sockeye, a rich red bloom on green foliage, and Hy Clown, a cheery yellow and red bloom.
Holland has studied dahlia genetics over the years and it has given him an edge in gauging the progeny of two parent dahlias. “I have an understanding of how the genes will be shuffled around and I can control that to some degree,” Holland said. Most plant species will carry one set of genetic traits from each parent that combine to create the hybrid, but dahlias are different. Each parent contributed FOUR sets. “This is a lot of information and the interactions possible allow for the rich colour and bloom forms that we love,” he said.
But, that is not to say that every new hybridized variation is a hit in the marketplace. Holland once developed a scented dahlia (as dahlias are normally not scent-bearing). He took Hy Scent to the ADS show in Oregon. It was a huge hit but once released it did not seem to capture the buying public’s interest, he said.
Dahlia shows:
Holland no longer attends show as a participant but has in the past brought blooms to shows, acted as a judge at shows as far away as Melbourne, Australia, and served as a guest speaker at American Dahlia Society conventions.
The show that stands out in his memory is one at the Pacific National Exhibition when the VDS was associated with the National Dahlia Society in the United Kingdom and the top prize was the NDS Silver Medal in a category that mentor Bill Hoopfer always swept – year after year. Holland entered one year and it was Holland and not Hoopfer that walked away with the grand prize. “He (Hoopfer) was so thrilled,” said Holland, the student who had surpassed the mentor.
Bringing blooms to shows can be tricky, not just in getting the blooms to perfection for the show but transporting them. “You don’t want the heads breaking off and rolling around on the car floor when you are on your way to the show,” he said. Holland has evolved his transport techniques over time; he favors using five gallon pails with chicken wire and about six inches of water at the bottom. Holes are drilled into the side of the pail and the stems are twist-tied at the pail’s sides. Holland said he does nothing special in staging at shows, only placing the stems in the given vase. Of course matching blooms and overall symmetry always matters.
There are many interesting dahlias that Holland has seen over the years by growers and it is difficult to single out any one. But, he finds the multi-bloom exhibits are always impressive as these exhibits are challenging to stage.
He has attended or participated in shows in Vancouver, Oregon, Seattle, Melbourne and New York over the years. The ADS’s New York show and convention was only slated days after the 911 Twin Towers attack and collapse. Holland was a guest speaker on hand pollination and remembers the decision was made to go ahead with the event despite the tragedy. It would showcase an array of beautiful dahlia blooms to the public. “It was felt that people needed something normal like the show at that time,” Holland said.
Some of the varieties attributed to Holland are: Aurora’s Kiss, Hy Argent, Hy Abalone, Hy Afterglow, Hy Bill D, Hy Bishop, Hy Bolero, Hy Cutter, Hy Clown, Hy Darcy, Hy Debut, Hy Enid, Hy Jasper, Hy Impact, Hy Lobster, Hy Lustre, Hy Lightly, Hy Fashion, Hy Finesse, Hy Fire, Hy Halo, Hy Heart, Hy Myst, Hy Nugget, Hy Nadirah, Hy Mom, Hy Miriam, Hy Plum, Hy Patti, Hy Pimento, Hy Rosa, Hy Rudy B, Hy Russett, Hy Red Ruby, Hy Robe, Hy Salvia, Hy Shy, Hy Suntan, Hy Sockey, Hy Saffron, Hy Scent, Hy Trio, Hy Tabu, Hy Teddy, Hy Tomato, Hy Vera, Miss Vary, Hy Vanessa, Hy Wine Frost, Hy Watercolour, Hy Whitewings, and Hy Zizzle,
Holland has written extensively for Dahlias of Today and the Vancouver Dahlia Society’s Bulletin. His definitive article on pollination first appeared in Dahlias of Today in 1995, was revised in 1996 and again in 2021. It appeared in the 2021 Society’s October bulletin.
He has concentrated on breeding dark foliage dahlias for several years and some doubles were introduced by Ferncliff a few years ago. Hy Nightfire, Hy Blackfire. Recently he has been working especially with Collarettes. Hy Vera was released via VDS and Ferncliff has released Hy Pink Lips and Hy Whitewings.
Interviewer: Jean Sorensen – April 2022
Originations
| Introductions | ||
| AURORA’S KISS | MB DR | 1997 |
| CANOZ ANNE | WL DB | 2007 |
| CANOZ MANDARIN | BB FD R | 2016 |
| EVALINE | BB FD LB | 1981 |
| HY ABALONE | A C W | 2002 |
| HY ARGENT | O W | 2004 |
| HY BALERO | S DB | 2005 |
| HY BILL D | B ID LB | 2000 |
| HY BISHOP | S DB | 2002 |
| HY CLOWN | BB FD LB | 1995 |
| HY CUTTER | BB SC W | 2002 |
| HY DARCY | B FD V | 2003 |
| HY DEBUT | A IC W | 2007 |
| HY ENID | B SC LB | 2003 |
| HY FASHION | BB FD L | 1995 |
| HY FINESSE | B SC LB | 2004 |
| HY FIRE | MB R | 1996 |
| HY HALO | S LB | 2002 |
| HY HARRY | BB ID LB | 1998 |
| HY HEART | BB FD R | 1999 |
| HY IMPACT | BA V | 2004 |
| HY JASPER | B FD DB | 2002 |
| HY LIGHTLY | O LB | 2003 |
| HY LOBSTER | BB C R | 1996 |
| HY LUSTRE | BA DB | 1999 |
| HY MAIZE | BA Y | 2000 |
| HY MALLOW | BA PR | 2000 |
| HY MIRIAM | A IC L | 2004 |
| HY MOAB | AA ID Y | 2007 |
| HY MOM | A IC W | 2001 |
| HY MYST | BB SC PR | 2001 |
| HY NADIRAH | B ID DR | 2004 |
| HY NANAIMO | BB FD LB | 1994 |
| HY NUGGET | MB Y | 2001 |
| HY PATTI | B FD OR | 2006 |
| HY PAY | BB ID BR | 1993 |
| HY PIMENTO | BB SC V | 2000 |
| HY PLUM | BB FD DR | 2001 |
| HY POSH | S BI | 2011 |
| HY ROBE | BB FD DR | 2003 |
| HY ROSA | BB FD PK | 2004 |
| HY RUDY B | B SC PR | 2001 |
| HY RUSSET | ST BR | 1999 |
| HY SAFFRON | B ID Y | 2001 |
| HY SALVIA | B FD DR | 2005 |
| HY SCENT | O DB | 2001 |
| HY SHY | BB FD FL | 2002 |
| HY SOCKEYE | BB FD DR | 2001 |
| HY SUNTAN | BA BR | 2000 |
| HY TABU | BB FD DR | 2000 |
| HY TOMATO | MB R | 2002 |
| HY TRIO | B SC V | 2005 |
| HY VANESSA | BB ID LB | 1998 |
| HY VERA | CO BR | 2017 |
| HY WATERCOLOUR | S PR | 2002 |
| HY WINEFROST | CO PR | 2007 |
| HY ZIZZLE | NO DB | 2004 |
| MISS VARY | B SC V | 1999 |
| STRAWBERRY SWIRL | CO R | 1997 |
