Cheers

Cheers is one of those dahlias whose color refuses to sit neatly inside a single paint swatch. She blooms in a saturated watermelon-coral to raspberry pink, with a deeper magenta center and dark stems that make the whole flower glow even more vividly. As she matures, the petals loosen and twist slightly, giving the bloom a lively, textured character rather than a stiff, perfectly formal look.

Introduced in 2019, Cheers is generally classified as a miniature informal decorative, with blooms around 3 inches across. Growers consistently describe her as vigorous and productive, and Swan Island lists her as an excellent cut flower.

📖 From the journal of Hedge & Alchemy

Cheers was such an unexpected favorite for me. I didn’t expect to love her as much as I did, but the color is incredibly beautiful in person and much harder to capture accurately on camera.

Mine produced lots of blooms on dark stems, and because I didn’t disbud heavily, the flowers stayed on the smaller side. That actually made them incredibly useful in bouquets. She tucked beautifully between larger focal flowers, had excellent vase life, and kept producing.

The color reads somewhere between coral, watermelon, raspberry, and rose, with a noticeably deeper magenta center. As the blooms age, the petals become a little looser and more sculptural. She has a wonderfully cheerful, slightly wild quality that makes arrangements feel alive rather than overly polished.

📋 Cultivar Notes

• Hybridizer: Nick Gitts / Swan Island Dahlias
• Year of Introduction: 2019
• Origin: USA
• Form: Informal Decorative (ID)
• Size: Miniature, approximately 3 inches
• Color: Dark Blend; commonly described as coral, watermelon, raspberry, or deep pink
• Cut Flower Status: Excellent. Her smaller scale, rich color, dark stems, productivity, and vase life make her especially useful in mixed bouquets. 
• Show & Exhibition Status: Suitable for exhibition as an informal decorative, though growers should confirm the current ADS classification before entering.

🌸 In the Garden

• Bloom: Saturated coral-rose to watermelon pink, often with raspberry undertones and a distinctly deeper magenta center. The petals have subtle tonal streaking and become more relaxed and slightly twisted as the bloom matures.
• Plant Height & Habit: Commonly listed around 5 feet tall, with lush growth and contrasting dark stems. 
• Growing Notes: A vigorous, highly productive variety. She performs beautifully as a smaller cut flower if allowed to bloom naturally, while disbudding can encourage larger flowers.
• Tuber Yield: Still being tracked at Hedge & Alchemy.