By Anne W. Semmes
Last Saturday the Greenwich Botanical Center (GBC) was bursting with colorful dahlias in a year described by some as “not the best dahlia season.” But there was no lack of color and dazzle in this 2025 Dazzling Dahlia Show. Count 450 enthusiastic attendees reports Phoebe Lindsay, GBC executive director. They found that award table a groaning board of knockout prize winners.
Also dazzling were the ten beautiful baskets of flower arrangements for sale donated by five different garden clubs, plus seven more by floral designers, all for auction, raising $12,197 for both the GBC and the Greenwich Dahlia Society, tells Lindsay.
But back to that award table with 20 exhibitors competing in the competition. Long time winner Jesse Peterson had the “Largest Bloom” dahlia, A.C. Ben variety; Fran and Elliot Miller claimed, “Best Basket in Show, and the “Best Single,” an Ainsley variety. The “Best Grand Slam Basket” was won by Holly Ferris.
Following on GBC lists the “Best” winning varieties and growers: The Best AA & A was Belle of Barmera – Kelly Riordan; The Best B, BB, Mini was Wynn’s Mauve Mist – Jayne Howard; The Best Ball was Mini Ball, The Best Pom was Cornell – Julie DiRaimondo; The Best Stellar, Waterlily, Novelty was Bridezilla – Sarah Kaplan; The Best Novelty Open was Verona’s Obsidian – Lori Morante.
Add those Novice Award winners: Lori Morante – for the best seedling; Christine Corbino – for the best 3BBFD -RM Berry Kiss, and Jayne Howard for the Best 3 stellar- Sandia Ruthie.
