Flame Blends
Flame Blends: In preparing for the Petitti’s Judging Seminar, I finally figured out that I was guilty of misunderstanding how to determine Flame Blends. The wording of the definition for Flame
Blends has evolved in recent years. The definition in my head was the one from the 2017 Classification and Handbook of Dahlias (CHD). It refers to “blends of high brilliance” and cites the color chips required for the cultivar to be a Flame Blend. One could infer from that wording that the judge could determine that the colors in a particular cultivar were not of high brilliance and that the color should be a Light or a Dark Blend. That was my understanding, and that perspective was and is incorrect.
If the two colors you determine for a specific cultivar are both listed in the Flame Blend definition in the 2019 CHD, it is a Flame Blend. There is no judgement of brilliance involved.
The 2018 definition appropriately leaves out the high brilliance comment. The 2019 definition adds this statement: “All blend cultivars possessing these color chips are Flame Blends.” This last change reflects the exchange of opinions that occurred at the National Show during the Classification Committee meeting.
I may have influenced your understanding of Flame Blends. Please be aware that my previous perspective was incorrect! The bottom line is that if both colors on the cultivar are listed in the Flame Blend list, it is a Flame Blend. There is no judgement involved.
Flame Blends at our Midwest Show:
There were lots of Flame Blends at our Midwest Show. I couldn’t resist taking a closer look at some of them shown here.
Spanish Dancer, above left, and Rock Run James, above right, show the best combination of good contrast and a good balance of the two colors.
Baron Katie, shown here, should probably be penalized in competition for the subtle nature of the yellow component of the blend. Hilltop Kemper, has a similar problem and the cultivar might better be classified as a bicolor. AC Abby, right, might have fallen in the category of fitting the old model of “low brilliance.”
Nevertheless, remember that brilliance doesn’t matter, just the color chips as explained earlier.
