Background

Gerrit Preijde, breeder of the Dreamy Dahlias, first saw the potential of low, semi-double Dahlia varieties when he visited a fellow breeder. At that time, mostly Dahlias with single and full flowers were available in the market.  Gerrit loves Dahlias that move with the wind and that blend in with the whole garden. This idea became the starting point for his plant breeding. Gerrit started collecting seed and let nature take its course: butterflies, bees and other pollinators did the preliminary work and created new Dahlia colors and shapes. Then Gerrit continued by crossing his best seedlings to develop his perfect Dahlia Dreamy. Eventually, from those crossings, he selected seedlings that were strong and had the qualities that Gerrit was looking for: varieties that move with the wind, that bloom continuously, that are self-cleaning, and that have a high resistance against mildew. He also chose varieties with a burgundy-red leaf color. After Gerrit selected his best varieties, he contacted Plantipp BV to manage and promote his Dreamy Dahlias.

The Dreamy collection has been bred in Breezand and tested in Lisse in The Netherlands. They are kept virus-free in a laboratory in Germany (because of the phytosanitary rules and requirements in the horticultural industry). Mother plants are grown in Uganda, Kenia and Costa Rica where top cuttings are being produced. Afterwards these cuttings are being transported in cool containers all over the world: North-America, Japan, Australia, Spain, France, Italy, Germany and The Netherlands. After arrival in those countries, the top cuttings are being planted in a small container in a tray. Rooting these cuttings is a precise job and is done by specialized companies. The rooted plants are then sent to customers. The horticultural industry considers these Dahlias, that have been propagated by top cuttings, annual plants. Nevertheless, within the Dahlia Dreamy range some varieties will produce tubers (others will not).