Dahlia Legacy Project

MEET THE BLOOMQUISTS

Paul and Barbara Bloomquist have known each other since they were kids. They grew up in Southern California near Pasadena, where they were high school sweethearts. They got married in June of 1963, and soon after that, moved to Bellingham, Washington. Paul had the opportunity to work in the local hardwood mill, grading lumber. While he was still working at the mill, Paul was looking to the future. When he had an opportunity to purchase 40 acres of farmland north of Lynden, Washington in 1966, he  and Barbara bought the property. They became cattle ranchers, working long days and raising their family. Four years later, when the mill burned down, the Bloomquists turned to breeding cattle full time.

GETTING STARTED IN DAHLIAS

One of Paul and Barbara’s neighbors grew dahlias in her front yard. These bright beautiful flowers captured their curiosity, and they decided that they would like to try their luck with a few dahlias. They asked their neighbor if she might have some extra tubers that she could share with them. In the true spirit of dahlia growers, she was happy to share. She told them that she grew some yellow and some red dahlias. She didn’t know if any of the varieties had names, but the Bloomquists didn’t care. Paul searched around the farm until he located the ideal area for his new garden and in 1970, he planted his first dahlias directly over the septic system. Even though the septic system had to be dug up, he was able to get the dahlias to thrive. That first year he stored his tubers in clumps in his basement. The tubers got so dry that they were not able to grow the next spring. That was the end of his dahlia adventures for a while. To this day, Paul swears that their septic system dahlia garden was one of their best.

Paul and Barbara sold the farm in 1987 and built a house in Lynden. Paul swore he would never again plant anything that had to be dug up, so instead he planted fruit trees in the yard in raised beds. However, one day he came home to find a package full of dahlia tubers on his doorstep. He planted the dahlias around the edge of the yard and once they started blooming he decided he needed more dahlias. The next year, he took seed so he could create more varieties. He planted all the seedlings until he ran out of space. Eventually he tore out the fruit trees to make more room for dahlias. He estimates that he ended up planting 12,000 dahlias. About that time, he spent some time with Jim Bruno, a local dahlia hybridizer. Jim was happy to share some of his varieties, as were other people in town.

DAHLIA CLUB INVOLVEMENT

One day Barbara was reading the Bellingham newspaper and saw an article about a dahlia show that the Whatcom County Dahlia Society was putting on. Walking into the dahlia show, they saw what they thought were the most beautiful flowers they had ever seen. Curt Sells was the show chairman, and he became an early mentor to the Bloomquists. When they ran out of space to grow dahlias at home, Paul rented an acre of land so he could grow more plants. Bertha Larson, one of the Whatcom County club members came out to look at his seedlings. Paul watched as she walked past some of his favorite dahlias, ignoring them until she stopped at the one she said was the best.  Paul pointed out the beautiful colors and the nice green centers on the ones he liked. Bertha explained that the green centers were the problem, and that Paul needed to learn how to judge dahlias. Curt Sells invited Paul and Barbara to attend a Federation meeting. No one talked to them at the first two meetings they attended, and they weren’t sure they wanted to go to any more meetings. However, the third time was a charm – Frank and Margaret Schnell were the speakers. They made quite an impression on Paul with their discussion of the different dahlia forms.

Meanwhile, Whatcom County Dahlia Society lost their president, and Curt Sells took over in that office. Curt asked Paul to help him set up the club’s dahlia show the next year and by 1994, Paul was elected the president of Whatcom club. Paul says that he has had many good mentors in his dahlia career. He has worked with Roy Campbell, Curt Sells, Frank and Margaret Schnell and Walt Wynne.

Under Paul’s leadership, Whatcom County Dahlia Society members have developed their tuber sale into the successful event it is today. With the exception of a two-year break, Paul served as president of Whatcom County DS from 1994 to 2017. Over the years the Bloomquists have also been members of the Vancouver and Frazier Valley clubs. Currently they maintain memberships in the American Dahlia Society (ADS), the Federation of NW Dahlia Growers (FNWDG)  and Whatcom County Dahlia Society. Paul is a senior judge and exhibits in the Open Class in FNWDG shows.

HIGHLIGHTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Paul says that his favorite dahlia types are semi-cactus and laciniated. He has had much success with his seedling program, and currently has 121 Bloomquist cultivars listed in the ADS 1976 – 2022 Composite Listing of Dahlias.  Many of these have received top ADS awards. Among some of Paul’s personal favorites are Bloomquist Carol S and Bloomquist Sweet; but his top two favorites are Bloomquist Barbara, named for his wife; and Bloomquist Dawn, named for a child that they lost.  

He is currently growing on property that is 15 minutes from their home, with seedlings making up sixty percent of his crop. He has 8000 plants in sandy soil, with 90’ rows spaced 6’ apart. Tubers are planted 4 to a post yielding 32 plants every 9 feet. Paul waters using T-tape and fertilizes with 20-20-20 every two weeks. He gets his supplies from Ace Hardware, Steubers and Elenbaas. He has not settled on a single type of dahlia to concentrate on. Bloomquist varieties can be found in the AA, A, B, BB, M, MB, P, ST, AN, CO, O, and WL sections of the Composite Guide. Paul keeps track of his seed parents, taking 30-35 seeds from each of over 300 varieties. For many years, Paul’s originations were sold through Dahlias by Les and Viv. Currently his cultivars are sold through Triple Wren Farms in Whatcom County.

Paul and Barbara have always been very generous with their time, counsel and resources. They have earned a reputation for donating  tubers of sought-after varieties for club tuber sales and auctions, and packets of seeds to club members for seedling challenges. For many years, the Bloomquists have helped host the FNWDG when it has held meetings in Whatcom County, taking responsibility for coffee, donuts and hospitality on site.

Paul has earned Lynn B. Dudley medals for top bench scores for the following:

Bloomquist Doug C P Rd; Bloomquist Butch G BB-IC DPK; Bloomquist Barbara BB-FD Y; Bloomquist Charlie Ann ST Y; Bloomquist Mary, B SC W; Bloomquist Bethany, M C DB; Bloomquist Paul Jr, MB DR; and a Gullikson Medal for Bloomquist Frank S. O Pr. 

In 2022, Paul was honored with a Stanley Johnson medal for his BB-ID O 2018 introduction, Bloomquist Jean, named for his dear friend Jean Heeringa.

Currently not a member of the Hall of Fame

Cultivar	Size	Form	Color	Color Description	Orig	Cnty	Year
BLOOMQIST WINNIE	B	SC	DB	PR26/WH2	BLQ-	US	20
BLOOMQUIST ALAN	BB	FD	LB	DP1/YL10	BLQ-	US	20
BLOOMQUIST AMETHYST	B	IC	DR	DR3	BLQ-	US	13
BLOOMQUIST ANEW	M	FD	R	RD24	BLQ-	US	23
BLOOMQUIST ANGEL	BB	SC	Y	YL9	BLQ-	US	12
BLOOMQUIST ANGELA	BB	SC	PR	PR15	BLQ-	US	14
BLOOMQUIST BARBARA	BB	FD	Y	YL11	BLQ-	US	11
BLOOMQUIST BEA	B	LC	PR		BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST BETHANY	M	IC	DB	DP5/YL18	BLQ-	US	18
BLOOMQUIST BETTY	B	IC	R	RD23	BLQ-	US	13
BLOOMQUIST BLUSH		ST	LB	PK6/YL5	BLQ-	US	17
BLOOMQUIST BRENT	B	SC	R	RD23	BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST BROOK	BB	C	OR	OR10	BLQ-	US	18
BLOOMQUIST BUTCH G	BB	IC	DP	DP8	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST BUZZ	B	LC	Y	YL10	BLQ-	US	20
BLOOMQUIST CANDY CORN	BB	ID	BI	OR16/WH3	BLQ-	US	14
BLOOMQUIST CAROL ANN	BB	IC	R	RD24	BLQ-	US	19
BLOOMQUIST CAROL S	B	SC	OR	OR24	BLQ-	US	17
BLOOMQUIST CATALINA		CO	DP	DP17/DP20/lb/wh0/dp20	BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST CATHERINE		O	DB	DP17/WH1	BLQ-	US	18
BLOOMQUIST CAYSON S	A	LC	R	RD12	BLQ-	US	15
BLOOMQUIST CHARLIE ANN		ST	Y	YL10	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST CHERYL	B	LC	Y	YL4	BLQ-	US	20
BLOOMQUIST CHRIS	BB	C	R	RD10	BLQ-	US	14
BLOOMQUIST CREAM	BB	ID	LB	YL7/PK20	BLQ-	US	19
BLOOMQUIST CURT	BB	FD	DP	DP9	BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST DAINTY		S	L	LV11	BLQ-	US	20
BLOOMQUIST DAN G		MB	DR	DR6	BLQ-	US	15
BLOOMQUIST DANDELION	B	LC	LB	YL19/OR16	BLQ-	US	18
BLOOMQUIST DANIEL	BB	SC	PK		BLQ-	US	*19
BLOOMQUIST DARRELL		MB	R	RD24	BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST DAVE	BB	FD	DP	DP20	BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST DAVID	BB	C	R		BLQ-	US	01
BLOOMQUIST DAWN	BB	SC	DB	DP17/YL15	BLQ-	US	00
BLOOMQUIST DELIGHT		WL	R		BLQ-	US	06
BLOOMQUIST DON	B	SC	R	RD24	BLQ-	US	19
BLOOMQUIST DOUG C		P	R	RD22	BLQ-	US	15
BLOOMQUIST ED	M	FD	PR		BLQ-	US	03
BLOOMQUIST ELIZABETH	BB	SC	Y	YL5	BLQ-	US	06
BLOOMQUIST ELLANORE	B	SC	Y		BLQ-	US	01
BLOOMQUIST EMMA	B	ID	FL		BLQ-	US	14
BLOOMQUIST EYE PLEASER	M	FD	PR	PR26	BLQ-	US	22
BLOOMQUIST FLARE	BB	C	FL	OR23/YL23	BLQ-	US	06
BLOOMQUIST FLIRT	B	LC	OR	OR23	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST FLUFFY	B	LC	Y	YL11	BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST FRANK S		O	PR	PR25/db/dp17/pr25	BLQ-	US	17
BLOOMQUIST GINNIE		AN	L		BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST GLOBE	BB	FD	Y	YL18	BLQ-	US	17
BLOOMQUIST GLORIA	BB	FD	Y		BLQ-	US	*19
BLOOMQUIST GLOW	AA	LC	Y		BLQ-	US	04
BLOOMQUIST GOLDEN		AN	LB		BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST GOLDILOCKS	BB	ID	Y	YL5	BLQ-	US	13
BLOOMQUIST GORDON	M	FD	FL	YL12/RD8	BLQ-	US	23
BLOOMQUIST HARMONY	BB	SC	DP	DP16	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST HONARABLE		O	PR	PR25/dp17	BLQ-	US	22
BLOOMQUIST HONEY BLUSH	A	C	DP		BLQ-	US	96
BLOOMQUIST HOPE	B	SC	LB	OR/Y	BLQ-	US	02
BLOOMQUIST JANE	B	LC	R	RD23	BLQ-	US	09
BLOOMQUIST JEAN	B	ID	OR	OR3	BLQ-	US	18
BLOOMQUIST JEFF	BB	SC	DB	PR24/LV9	BLQ-	US	14
BLOOMQUIST JODY LYNN	BB	ID	DB		BLQ-	US	20
BLOOMQUIST JOEL	B	LC	R	RD23	BLQ-	US	18
BLOOMQUIST JOHN F	A	LC	LB	YL18/OR2	BLQ-	US	15
BLOOMQUIST KAL	BB	SC	PR	PR28	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST KAREN G	B	SC	LB	BR10/YL12	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST KATE	B	LC	R	RD23	BLQ-	US	14
BLOOMQUIST KELLYANN F		CO	L	LV9/lv9	BLQ-	US	15
BLOOMQUIST KEVIN G	M	FD	V	WH0/DR4	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST KIM	BB	SC	OR	OR22	BLQ-	US	22
BLOOMQUIST KRISTI G	BB	FD	DB	LV10/WH1	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST LACE	B	LC	Y	YL2	BLQ-	US	06
BLOOMQUIST LARRIE ANN		AN	PR	PR26/dr5	BLQ-	US	19
BLOOMQUIST LAURA	B	SC	L	LV11	BLQ-	US	18
BLOOMQUIST LEMONADE	B	SC	Y		BLQ-	US	00
BLOOMQUIST LOU ANN	BB	LC	L	LV11	BLQ-	US	19
BLOOMQUIST MALLOREE	A	LC	DB	LV11/WH0	BLQ-	US	23
BLOOMQUIST MARK B		O	DR	DR4/rd14	BLQ-	US	15
BLOOMQUIST MARY	B	SC	W	WH2	BLQ-	US	18
BLOOMQUIST MARY LOU	BB	IC	LB	YL21/PK9	BLQ-	US	19
BLOOMQUIST MICHAEL F		P	DB	DR3/YL9	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST MIKE	BB	LC	DB	DP17/OR17	BLQ-	US	18
BLOOMQUIST MILDRED S	BB	LC	LB	YL9/PK23	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST MORRIS		AN	L	LV1/wh2	BLQ-	US	22
BLOOMQUIST MYRNA	BB	FD	Y	YL18	BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST OBEISANCE		AN	DR	DR10/dr5	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST PARASOL	B	ID	LB	PK14/YL9	BLQ-	US	03
BLOOMQUIST PAUL JR		MB	DR	DR3	BLQ-	US	18
BLOOMQUIST PAXTON P	B	SC	LB	OR9/YL18	BLQ-	US	15
BLOOMQUIST PINWHEEL		ST	L	LV10	BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST PLUM	BB	FD	PR	PR26	BLQ-	US	22
BLOOMQUIST PORT	BB	ID	DR	DR3	BLQ-	US	12
BLOOMQUIST PROMISE	B	C	DB	DP/Y	BLQ-	US	02
BLOOMQUIST PUMPKIN		ST	DB	OR21/RD18	BLQ-	US	13
BLOOMQUIST QUILL	B	SC	DR		BLQ-	US	04
BLOOMQUIST RICHARD	B	IC	DR	DR11	BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST ROBIN	B	SC	OR		BLQ-	US	*19
BLOOMQUIST ROGER	B	SC	LB	YL2/OR6	BLQ-	US	19
BLOOMQUIST ROSE	BB	FD	FL	RD11/YL18	BLQ-	US	17
BLOOMQUIST SCOTT B	BB	SC	DR	DR3	BLQ-	US	15
BLOOMQUIST SHINE	AA	SC	Y	YL12	BLQ-	US	12
BLOOMQUIST SPARKLE	BB	C	DP	DP17	BLQ-	US	06
BLOOMQUIST STAR	BB	SC	R	RD10	BLQ-	US	14
BLOOMQUIST STARBURST	B	C	DP	DP11	BLQ-	US	17
BLOOMQUIST STERLING	BB	FD	LB	WH3/PK8	BLQ-	US	13
BLOOMQUIST STEVE R		CO	DR	DR10/db/wh3/dr10	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST SUN RAYS	BB	ID	LB	YL11/DP3	BLQ-	US	15
BLOOMQUIST SURPRISE	BB	FD	DB		BLQ-	US	21*
BLOOMQUIST SWEET		CO	DB	DP14/PR26/db/dp14/dr5	BLQ-	US	12
BLOOMQUIST TAMARA	B	LC	R	RD24	BLQ-	US	09
BLOOMQUIST TANGERINE	B	LC	FL	OR20/YL6	BLQ-	US	17
BLOOMQUIST THE BEST		S	DR	DR3	BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST THOMAS	B	LC	R	RD24	BLQ-	US	13
BLOOMQUIST TINA	A	SC	R	RD14	BLQ-	US	20
BLOOMQUIST TODD	B	IC	R	RD17	BLQ-	US	09
BLOOMQUIST TOM P	A	SC	OR	OR21	BLQ-	US	16
BLOOMQUIST TORY P	BB	FD	PK	PK18	BLQ-	US	15
BLOOMQUIST TRACY	BB	C	FL	RD21/YL20	BLQ-	US	10
BLOOMQUIST TROPHY		O	DR	DR11/dp17	BLQ-	US	21
BLOOMQUIST TROPIC	BB	SC	DB	DR3/YL17	BLQ-	US	19
BLOOMQUIST VIVIAN R	BB	FD	DB		BLQ-	US	17*
BLOOMQUIST WARRIOR		MS	R	RD24	BLQ-	US	22
BLOOMQUIST WENDY	BB	IC	PR		BLQ-	US	15
BLOOMQUIST WILD	BB	ID	LB	BR3/YL24	BLQ-	US	23
BLOOMQUIST WINNIE	A	C	DB	PR24/PK22	BLQ-	US	20
BLOOMQUIST ZESTY		ST	L	LV10	BLQ-	US	14
BLOOMQUISTE KAYSON S	A	LC	R	RD12	BLQ-	US	15

Need Photos