Max and Team at Canby Trial Garden. Photo, Larry Smith.
Please note that each trial garden has its own schedule of accepting entries based on their local growing season.
Follow the guidelines for each garden. Please send viable, healthy tubers or plants.
Reservations are essential at each of the gardens. Please cancel reservations if you won’t be able to send entries.
Send a picture of the entry with the application. Each entry MUST have a name submitted.
Entry forms are available in two formats:
Trial Garden Entry Form: pdf docx
If you send handwritten forms, please be sure they are clearly legible.
ADS Chairperson, Trial Gardens- Heidi Zierdt
Eastern – New York
Michael Shukofsky
25 Barbara Street
Elmont, New York 11003
kathleenmike20@gmail.com
Limit of 50 cultivars. Make checks payable to Michael Shokofsky Send roots or plants after May 1st.
North Central – Minnesota
Director: Heidi Zierdt
19865 Evensong Court
Farmington, MN 55024
heidi.zierdt@gmail.com
Send Tubers and Forms to:
Jerry Zierdt
933 Minjon Drive
Apple Valley, MN 55124
falcon6569@yahoo.com
Limited to 22 entries. Send tubers April 15. Send plants May 1.
(Updated 1/2025)
Midwest – Bonneyville Trial Garden
Director: Cammi Waggoner
65632 Baltimore Street
Goshen, IN 46526
Ckuiper474@aol.com
Send tubers and forms to:
Steve Kuiper
19154-2 CR 40
Goshen, IN 46526
Skuiper@bnin.net
Limited to 30 cultivars. Each originator limited to 4 entries. Send tubers between April 1 and April 15. Sorry, we can’t return tubers at the end of the season. Make checks payable to Steve Kuiper.
Canby Oregon Trial Garden
.
Pacific Northwest – Tacoma, WA
Terry & Bob Schroeder, email for reservations at: theshroad@wavecable.com
Send tubers or plants to:
Metro Parks Tacoma Greenhouse
3401-C South Orchard Street
Tacoma, WA 98466
Make checks payable to: Metro Parks District
Send tubers April 15th – Plants May 1st. Sorry we can’t return tubers at the end of the season.
Piper Creek Trial Garden
Debbie Hatt
Trial Garden Director
PO Box 268
Delburne, Alberta T0M 0V0
debhatt@xplornet.com
Limit of 30 cultivars. Send tubers April 1 to 15 for greenhouse for planting out June 1 – 7.
Mid-Atlantic Trial Garden
John Spangenberg
PO Box 146
Damascus, MD 20872
john.spangenberg@verizon.net
Limit of 27 cultivars. Make checks payable to National Capitol Dahlia Society
Send tubers by April 15th. Send plants by May 1st.
Inland Empire – Spokane, WA
Email: salgalj@comcast.net
Limit 0f 34 cultivars. Please send tubers starting April 15th, plants starting May 1,
Make checks payable to: Inland Empire Dahlia Society
Trial Garden Rules
- See the Classification and Handbook of Dahlias for complete Trial garden rules.
- Only undisseminated cultivars will be accepted for trial.
- A fee of $15 is required for each entry.
- Varieties sent must be in their third or greater year.
- Cultivars may only be entered for two consecutive years.
- Stock will be destroyed at the end of the season unless originator requests return. If the garden can accommodate the request, an additional fee of $10 plus shipping is required.
- Solid colored sports of variegated cultivars are not eligible for entry.
- Medal winners must be disseminated the following season. Inform the Trial Garden Director if dissemination plans change.