Dahlia Legacy Project

Date of Profile Submitted:  July 3, 2023

Author: Roger Walker

Dahlia Legend’s Full Name: Ed Redd

The editors of Dahlias of Today in 1985 decided to add a yearly personality article on a prominent northwest grower. The series would feature top exhibitors with interesting stories to tell – but the editors needed someone extra special to feature in the first of the series. The easy consensus was Ed Redd, giant dahlia grower extraordinaire.

 Ed grew up on a farm in Ohio and his mother instilled in him the importance of gardening. He worked with her in the vegetable patch and perhaps there were some dahlias in the mix even when he was a child. After high school, Ed joined the Navy for what would be a twenty-year career. As you would imagine, there were numerous moves during those two decades of Navy life, but at each new home Ed would put in a vegetable garden and attempt to eke out a harvest.

After retiring in 1958, Ed, wife Dorothy, and their two children settled in balmy San Diego where he began a second career (that would last for 40 years) in real estate. Their new, permanent home, of course would have a vegetable garden – but like many dahlia growers, a helpful neighbor gifted Ed with some dahlia tubers to add to his garden. It was all downhill from then.

Ed soon made contact with the local dahlia society, became involved with club activities, expanded his dahlia plot, and increased the number of varieties. He started exhibiting and really enjoyed growing and showing the big ones. As a member of the San Diego dahlia scene, Ed would rub shoulders with some of the dahlia elite. Paul and Edna Comstock (yes, that Edna C.) were San Diego residents as were Charles and LeVonne Splinter (yes, that LeVonne Splinter).

But while the balmy climate in San Diego made for long dahlia seasons and allowed growers to plant as early as mid-February, there were shortcomings. It turns out the bugs thrived as well as the plants in the mild climate – and also overwintered just as well as the dahlias. And that warm, sunny weather certainly caused the blooms to fade. It turned out that San Diego tuber production was terrible. Growers just assumed they would have to purchase new stock every year. Ed started thinking there had to be climates more agreeable to dahlias.

How many dahlia growers do you know who have moved to just to grow better dahlias? After visiting the Portland and Tacoma shows in 1977, Ed decided they would move to the Northwest. They settled in the Tacoma area in 1978 and found a nearby (well, ten miles away) half-acre plot of land near Puyallup for his dahlia farm. The soil was acidic and uneven, but it didn’t take Ed long to mix in tons of humus, level the playing field, and work to bring the pH to what dahlias like. And during the growing seasons Ed spent six to eight hours every day in his dahlia mecca, tending his 900 named varieties (70 percent were giant or large) as well as several hundred seedlings.

When you first met Ed, those first impressions could be deceiving. The tall, mild-mannered gentlemen was soft spoken and led you to think perhaps he was a retired Lutheran minister. But behind that façade burned a fierce competitive spirit. Those eight-hour days in the dahlia patch led to vans-full of perhaps fifty entries at each of the seven northwest shows he would attend. And those fifty entries were primarily single, triple, and five-bloom entries of giant or large varieties. Ed not only exhibited, but he consistently won. His competitive spirit was demonstrated by the tons of hardware that he took home. (Note: back in the day, prizes typically were not cash. Winners would receive trophies, medals, or even bags of fertilizer.) The number of best-in-show awards he won during his showing career would be astounding.

When prizes were awarded, there was no chest-thumping or bragging. Ed would just give the faintest smile and always a quiet thank-you. But you always knew he was pleased as punch to win. After all, this is the guy who moved over a thousand miles to grow better dahlias.

On a personal note, I can especially remember a couple of times my dahlias beat Ed’s – and both times I probably won due to questionable judging. At a Grays Harbor Dahlia Society show my entry of LeVonne Splinter was named largest in show – and may have been the best giant. It had nice color, but Ed’s LeVonne Splinters were always outstanding. And at a Puget Sound Dahlia Association show I had a nine-bloom entry of Kenora Clyde that was judged better than Ed’s nine-bloom entry. More questionable judging. In both instances, Ed made it a point to hunt me down and congratulate me for the win. He was the consummate gentleman.

And while talking about my own history with Ed I have to mention his generosity. While growing his dahlias in Puyallup, his farm was previously used for rhododendron production – hence the acidic soil. Well, that soil was perfect for blueberries. Ed grew some blueberry bushes on some of the soil not altered for dahlia production – and were they ever good. My son, Colin, and I could never visit without coming away with a batch of blueberries and maybe some sweet corn. Ed probably first met Colin when he was three weeks old at a Snohomish County Dahlia Society show – and he was always encouraging, especially when Colin began exhibiting dahlias a few years later.

With his half acre dahlia patch, Ed was able to grow his dahlias four feet apart. He grew many plants of each variety, setting them out between May 1 and June 1 at one-week intervals to ensure quality blooms at all shows. He preferred his rows in an east-west layout.

Ed selected three to five laterals on each giant or large plant. He stopped the big ones at three pairs of leaves, and then disbranched as needed. He was a firm believer in balancing the plants, so if there were three laterals, they should be two on one side and on the other – not all three on one side of the plant. Remember, Ed was often in his garden eight hours a day, so he had plenty of time to groom his plants to perfection.

For watering purposes, Ed relied on soaker hoses – and did not believe in letting his soil dry out. He was also reluctant to talk too much about his fertilizer regimen, but did rely on plenty of, ahem, organic fertilizer from local dairy farms.

As show times approached, visitors to his farm were dazzled by the huuuge umbrellas – complete with fringe around the edges. Ed had found a good end-of-season deal on patio umbrellas. The umbrellas were mainly to keep the rain off his blooms, but some varieties benefited from shading. He was careful to not cover others that produced blooms with better color when left unshaded. If you visited his patch early in the morning, you may also have seen him dabbing dew off the blooms with paper towels to prevent burning when the sun hit the water on the petals. There was a reason that Ed was such a successful showman.

Like most crazed northwest dahlia growers, Ed dabbled with seedlings. Ironically, two of his most successful introductions were miniature ball varieties: Lacy and Lacy II, the latter named for his first granddaughter. But it was Klondike, a medium semi-cactus that was Ed’s most successful introduction. The Lynn B. Dudley winner was a startling bright white that seemingly won everything in sight when still a seedling. Ed seemed to be winning best-in-show awards at every turn with Klondike – and he was the only one growing it. (Remember, Ed was just a bit competitive and was reluctant to share Klondike stock.) I think it broke his heart when he finally had to release it and others could grow and show it. However, those others didn’t spend eight hours a day in their dahlia gardens and dab dew off the blooms to prevent spotting. Ed’s Klondike entries continued to win. Ed’s last introduction was another miniature ball, Dorothy R. (named for his wife). The well-formed blooms often have a pleasing blush, scored six times on the ADS bench, and was introduced in 2009 – and continues to win in a very competitive class.

Ed eventually sold his dahlia farm – he probably got an offer from developers he couldn’t refuse. He and Dorothy moved to an upscale new development on the Kitsap peninsula. You know the kind: sculptured lawns, tidy plantings, water features, and an HOA. Ed planted dahlias in his yard. With stakes. And the soil wasn’t great, so he had a fertilizer delivery from one of the dairy farms. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.

Author: Roger Walker

Dahlia Legend’s Full Name: Ed Redd

The editors of Dahlias of Today in 1985 decided to add a yearly personality article on a prominent northwest grower. The series would feature top exhibitors with interesting stories to tell – but the editors needed someone extra special to feature in the first of the series. The easy consensus was Ed Redd, giant dahlia grower extraordinaire.

 Ed grew up on a farm in Ohio and his mother instilled in him the importance of gardening. He worked with her in the vegetable patch and perhaps there were some dahlias in the mix even when he was a child. After high school, Ed joined the Navy for what would be a twenty-year career. As you would imagine, there were numerous moves during those two decades of Navy life, but at each new home Ed would put in a vegetable garden and attempt to eke out a harvest.

After retiring in 1958, Ed, wife Dorothy, and their two children settled in balmy San Diego where he began a second career working for a defense contractor. The new, permanent home, of course would have a vegetable garden – but like many dahlia growers, a helpful neighbor gifted Ed with some dahlia tubers to add to his garden. It was all downhill from then.

Ed soon made contact with the local dahlia society, became involved with club activities, expanded his dahlia plot, and increased the number of varieties. He started exhibiting and really enjoyed growing and showing the big ones. As a member of the San Diego dahlia scene, Ed would rub shoulders with some of the dahlia elite. Paul and Edna Comstock (yes, that Edna C.) were San Diego residents as were Charles and LeVonne Splinter (yes, that LeVonne Splinter).

But while the balmy climate in San Diego made for long dahlia seasons and allowed growers to plant as early as mid-February, there were shortcomings. It turns out the bugs thrived as well as the plants in the mild climate – and also overwintered just as well. And that warm, sunny weather certainly caused the blooms to fade. And tuber production was terrible in San Diego. Growers just assumed they would have to purchase new stock every year. Ed started thinking there had to be climates more agreeable to dahlias.

How many dahlia growers do you know who have moved to their location just to grow better dahlias? After visiting the Portland and Tacoma shows in 1977, Ed decided they would move to the Northwest. They settled in the Tacoma area and found a nearby (well, ten miles away) half-acre plot of land near Puyallup for his dahlia farm. The soil was acidic and uneven, but it didn’t take Ed long to mix in tons of humus, level the playing field, and work to bring the pH to what dahlias like. And during the growing season Ed spent six to eight hours every day in his dahlia mecca, tending his 900 named varieties (70 percent were giant or large) as well as several hundred seedlings.

When you first met Ed, those first impressions would be deceiving. The tall, mild-mannered gentleman was soft spoken and led you to think perhaps he was a retired Lutheran minister. But behind that façade burned a fierce competitive spirit. Those eight-hour days in the dahlia patch led to vans-full of perhaps fifty entries at each of the seven northwest shows he would attend. And those fifty entries were primarily single, triple, and five-bloom entries of giant or large varieties. Ed not only exhibited, but he consistently won. His competitive spirit was demonstrated by the tons of hardware that he took home. (Note: back in the day, prizes typically were not cash. Winners would receive trophies, medals, or even bags of fertilizer.)

When prizes were awarded, there was no chest-thumping or bragging. Ed would just give the faintest smile and always a quiet thank-you. But you always knew he was pleased as punch to win. After all, this is the guy who moved over a thousand miles to grow better dahlias.

On a personal note, I can especially remember a couple of times my dahlias beat Ed’s – and both times I probably won due to questionable judging. At a Grays Harbor Dahlia Society show my entry of LeVonne Splinter was named largest in show – and may have been the best giant. It had nice color, but Ed’s LeVonne Splinters were always outstanding. And at a Puget Sound Dahlia Association show I had a nine-bloom entry of Kenora Clyde that was judged better than Ed’s. More questionable judging. In both instances, Ed made it a point to hunt me down and congratulate me for the win. He was the consummate gentleman.

And while talking about my own history with Ed I have to mention his generosity. While growing his dahlias in Puyallup, his farm was previously used for rhododendron production – hence the acidic soil. Well, that soil was perfect for blueberries. Ed grew some blueberry bushes on some of the soil not altered for dahlia production – and were they ever good. My son, Colin, and I could never visit without coming away with a batch of blueberries. Ed probably first met Colin when he was three weeks old at a Snohomish County Dahlia Society show – and he was always encouraging, especially when Colin began exhibiting dahlias a few years later.

With his half acre dahlia patch, Ed was able to grow his dahlias four feet apart. He grew many plants of each variety, setting them out between May 1 and June 1 at one-week intervals to ensure quality blooms at all shows. He preferred his rows in an east-west layout.

Ed preferred three to five laterals on each giant or large plant. He stopped the big ones at three pairs of leaves, and then disbranched as needed. He was a firm believer in balancing the plants, so if there were three laterals, they should be two on one side and on the other – not all three on one side of the plant. Remember, Ed was often in his garden eight hours a day, so he had plenty of time to groom his plants to perfection.

For watering purposes, Ed relied on soaker hoses – and did not believe in letting his soil dry out. He was also reluctant to talk too much about his fertilizer regimen, but did rely on plenty of, ahem, organic fertilizer from local dairy farms.

As show times approached, visitors to his farm were dazzled by the huuuge umbrellas – complete with fringe around the edges. Ed had found a good end-of-season deal on patio umbrellas. The umbrellas were mainly to keep the rain off his blooms, but some varieties benefited from shading. He was careful to not shade others that produced blooms with better color when left unshaded. If you visited his patch early in the morning, you may have also seen him dabbing dew off the blooms with paper towels to prevent burning. There was a reason that Ed was such a successful showman.

Like most crazed northwest dahlia growers, Ed dabbled with seedlings. Ironically, two of his most successful introductions were miniature ball varieties: Lacy and Lacy II. But it was Klondike, a medium semi-cactus that was Ed’s most successful introduction. The Lynn B. Dudley winner was a startling bright white that seemingly won everything in sight when still a seedling. Ed seemed to be winning best-in-show awards at every turn with Klondike – and he was the only one growing it. (Remember, Ed was just a bit competitive and was reluctant to share Klondike stock.) I think it broke his heart when he finally had to release it and others could grow and show it. However, those others didn’t spend eight hours a day in their dahlia gardens and dab dew off the blooms to prevent spotting. Ed’s Klondike entries continued to win.

Ed eventually sold his dahlia farm – he probably got an offer from developers he couldn’t refuse. He and Dorothy moved to an upscale new development on the Kitsap peninsula. You know the kind: sculptured lawns, tidy plantings, water features, and an HOA. Ed planted dahlias. With stakes. And the soil wasn’t great, so he had a delivery from one of the dairy farms. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.

Cultivar		Size	Form	Color	Color  Desc	Symbol	Ctry	Intro Year
ANNE		AA	LC	W		RD-	US	92
ASHVILLE		AA	FD	OR		RD-	US	92*
CLAUDIA		BB	FD	LB	W/L	RD-	US	92
DEE		A	C	L		RD-	US	89
DEREK HEWLETT		AA	SC	R		RD-	US	04
DOROTHY R.	6101		MB	W	WH2	RD-	US	09
ED REDD		AA	ID	LB	R/Y	RD-	US	04
ELISSA		B	IC	PK		RD-	US	01
ELMA ELIZABETH	1008	A	FD	L	LV5	RD-	US	93
FLAME		A	SC	FL		RD-	US	92
IOLA		A	FD	DP		RD-	US	89
JAMIE		BB	C	L		RD-	US	94
JEANNE GERVAIS		B	SC	DR		RD-	US	91
KLONDIKE		B	SC	W		RD-	US	92
LA DONNA		A	SC	PK		RD-	US	92
LACEY			MB	L		RD-	US	83
LACEY II			MB	LB	L/W	RD-	US	85
LARA		B	SC	R		RD-	US	88
LARA ANNE		B	SC	R		RD-	US	00
LEONA		BB	SC	DB	Y/R	RD-	US	91
LIGHT ACCORD	2201	B	SC	W	WH7	RD-	US	00
LIZ TROUPE		A	LC	LB		RD-	US	97
MARSHA DEE		A	IC	R		RD-	US	82
MARTHA		BB	SC	DP		RD-	US	95
MUFFEY		B	SC	LB	DP/W	RD-	US	95
PENSACOLA		BB	SC	Y		RD-	US	91
TODD		AA	SC	DB		RD-	US	90
VIRGINIA		BB	SC	LB		RD-	US	94
WHITE HAMARI ACCORD		B	SC	W		RD-	US	97
WHITE LACEY			MB	W		RD-	US	84
WILLIAM R		A	SC	DP		RD-	US	90
YVONNE IRIS		B	SC	PK	PK20	RD-	US	22