Hi Lovelies,
It seems that I’ve managed to stumble upon another winner! I ordered ‘Ali Oop’ (like many of my other tubers) on a whim when things were on sale this year. While I’m not sure about the origin of the name on this one, I’ll just assume that it has something to do with the lovely, full round shape of the bloom (like a basketball, perhaps?) – and of course, mad dunking hoops skills. The internet machine tells me that it was introduced back in 1995 – the same year that the last episode of Full House was on. While we’ve come a long way in terms of technology and televisions since then, I think they would be pretty hard pressed to be able to produce a red dahlia with as many wonderful qualities as ‘Ali Oop’.
I’ve never particularly been a fan of red flowers, especially those that are that flashy fire engine color. Â It’s not that I don’t like the color, I’ve just always avoided them – mainly because if not used carefully, they can easily dominate and overpower a bouquet. This time around, I was very pleasantly surprised, as ‘Ali Oop’ has the depth and dimension to work very well in a variety of situations,
The color of this dahlia was extremely consistent. In fact, everything about the flower was – which is a huge reason I’ve become so enamored with it. ‘Ali Oop’, though planted late, was quick to put on healthy growth. It did flop over, but I didn’t stake it – so I’ll take the blame for that. Throughout the season, I noticed very little change in shape and size of the blooms – uniformly just under four inches or so.
As for the color, it’s a little difficult to describe. Photos that I found online were fairly realistic representations. In taking pictures for this post, I found myself a little frustrated trying to capture the true color as closely as possible. I’m afraid that like others, mine are a little brighter than in person.
In the end, I’ll definitely be keeping this one around my garden. The uniformity is a thing of bliss, not to mention I’ve been swimming in big fluffy red blooms most of the summer. These flowers held well in the vase and stems were of a reasonable length – though this is an area that I may have wanted to improve just a bit. If you’re looking for a nice red and have the room, you may really enjoy this one, too! Who knows, it may grow even better in your garden.
Have you grown this before? Any questions? I’d love to hear your comments! Hope you’re having a wonderful day, much love!
Not grown this before. Do you have the facility for amending the colour in editing?
I do, and I always try to tweak them a little to get the most accurate color I can – but for whatever reason, this variety was difficult. There’s very few things I dislike more than ordering plants or clothes or something online – only to find out that it’s a completely different color than I thought!
I am growing a red dahlia called Cornel, it’s wonderful! Longest vase life of the dahlias I grow, long, straight stems. I love it!
Yes! Cornel is really great too! Comparing this one to that one, Ali Oop has fluffier petals (if that makes sense). Eventually when I get enough reviews, I’d like to make a post comparing a bunch of different reds together or something 🙂
Great idea! Though I think i’ll stick to Cornel. I think one red dahlia is enough. I agree with you, they can take over a bouquet