GERTRUDE LAWRENCE 
SAN FRANCISCO 
OUR NEW INTRODUCTIONS FOR 1939 
GERTRUDE LAWRENCE —Inf. Dec. Light cerise red. This 1939 introduction is a very 
early bloomer and was in fine condition for the San Francisco Show on August 25th, 
where it carried off the high honors of the day. In addition to winning the American Home 
Achievement IMedal as Best New Introduction an entry of six blooms was also awarded the 
Dahlia Society of California’s Gold IMedal for the Best Three-Year Old, and to make it a 
perfect day the English Actress, Gertrude Lawrence, who was guest of honor, selected it from 
a number of undisseminated varieties to bear her name. It is difficult to give an accurate 
impression of the lovely color of this dahlia. It is a red, but an uncommon shade, probably 
best described as currant red. It has been called a stylish color and a stylish dahlia. The 
bloom is very large and is artistically formed with a slight twirl to the petals at the center. 
The bush is of medium low spreading growth but the sturdy long-jointed stems hold the bright 
flowers well above the plant. A number of visitors to our exhibition gardens remarked that 
it does not bear resemblance to any other variety. However, to us it does recall the Bessie 
Boston variety “Isabel IMcElney” of some years ago, although of an entirely different shade, 
much brighter and deeper in color, and very much larger. It is included in the 1938 Cali¬ 
fornia Honor Roll in Flower Grower. This is our eighth Achievement Medal dahlia. 
$15.00 Net 
SAN FRANCISCO —Inf. Dec. Shrimp pink. The new giant that has been the 1938 dahlia sen¬ 
sation on the Pacific Coast. This we believe is our greatest dahlia. In all respects it is a 
dahlia built on a massive plan, and is outstanding particularly because of the extraordinarily 
tall, strong growth of the plant which is well able to carry the blooms of such enormous size. 
All blooms measure from 12 to 15 inches with great depth and there is no suggestion of 
coarseness about them. The well proportioned plant averages from 6 to 8 feet in height. 
The color, which is approximately shrimp pink, is most pleasing and in a class by itself. The 
dower is formed of many rows of well-rounded rose-like petals. The foliage is always bright 
and clean. It is not an especially early bloomer and was not in bloom in time to be entered 
in our show this year. Mr. J. W. Johnston, author of the annual Dahlia Futurity in House 
Beautiful, to whom we sent it to be grown in the East, writes that it “proved to be one of 
the finest and largest dahlias in our garden”. Mr. Richard T. Eddy, describing it in the 
California Honor Roll in Flower Grower, states tliat “it is one of the finest pink dahlias 1 
have seen in many moons”. See illustration on front cover. $15.00 Net 
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