After chatting with some of our long established growers and exhibitors this time we turn the spotlight onto one of the society’s younger members, Nathan Mitchell.
So Nathan, you are one of the societies rising stars how long have you been growing dahlias and how many years have you been a member of the society?
I’ve been growing dahlias now for the last seven years after getting my first plot at Carharrack allotments in 2015. I became a member of the CDS in 2016 after I entered my first show with the West Cornwall Dahlia show and was given advice by the late Peter Greenway that the CDS was also available to show at, although unfortunately I didn’t know Peter for very long his teaching was very valuable to me and still spurs me on to grow at higher standards today.
Your vase of 5 Pompons at last years Heligan show won you not only a runner up Best in Show, a Best Pompon in Show but a well deserved National Dahlia Society Bronze Medal. Are Pompons now your favourite Dahlia and can we expect to see more Poms this year or have you other varieties you enjoy growing?.
I’ve really found a favourite in Maya’s Rhonda although unfortunately my stock was damaged by the late frost and as such did not get any viable cuttings this year, to say pompons are my favourite would be a lie as I’ve always been very fond of decoratives especially miniatures and smalls, they’ve always done well for me and I don’t think any of the varieties look quite as beautiful as a perfect decorative. Don’t rule out the Poms though as I still have some varieties to give a good go at this year.
With this kind of success do you enter many shows and have you tried entering up country at a National level?
I enter shows around Cornwall with fruit, vegetables and flowers every year and always look to enter Stithians, Chacewater and Saint Day shows alongside the CDS shows. I have thought about a trip to Wisley once or twice but I did make a little target for myself that I would not be ready for Nationals until I won a Silver Medal with the CDS so after last year‘s Bronze giving me a boost in the right direction I might be closer to achieving my goals.
In a typical year how many dahlias would you grow and have you had any luck with seedlings you may have brought on?
I grow on average around 90 plants each year so not a lot of quantity but I limit the varieties so I can at least try to get about 10 plants of each to give myself a good chance for quality blooms.
You are not a complete stranger to fame in the world of horticulture, your appearance on the telly with a giant cabbage springs to mind, are you still growing for the show bench and what are you having most success with?
That all came about after an allotment friend posted a photo of my 50lb cabbage on Twitter where it was seen by a journalist for Cornwall Live who then contacted me about an interview. After the interview ITV West Country contacted me about doing an interview for their feel good section and I was more than happy to oblige as I saw it as a good way of showing people that exhibiting and allotmenteering are not your typical older generation hobbies anymore but are for people of all ages.
If you had to choose between dahlias or vegetables could you choose?
That’s a tricky question and one which I’m unable to answer. I love variety and being able to grow either a quality bloom or amazing veg will hold itself on par in my eyes and I will never be able to decide which I like more.