RIDS Members

RIDS Members

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Membership Info

Learn more about RIDS members, who are just about as diverse as the flowers they grow!

RIDS member dedication has kept the organization going (and growing!) for over 40 years. William "Pop" Dykstra, who was the last remaining charter member of RIDS, passed away in the fall of 2007. So while none of RIDS' current members can trace their history with the organization back to its humble beginnings, many of our present members have been involved for years (decades even!). This page introduces some of our colorful members, and includes photos (where available) of their equally colorful gardens!

This is by no means a complete list. Members who wished to submit photos or information about themselves are listed below, in alphabetical order by last name. Where members have also submitted photos, there is a link within each respective profile. Click on the link to view that member's garden or favorite blooms.

	Joan and Larry Additon Larry, a retired engineer, and Joan, a retired nurse, have been growing dahlias since 1969, when they were given tubers by Chet Whaley and Fred Gould, early members of the Rhode Island Dahlia Society. They were hooked! They joined RIDS in 1988. During their membership, they have been leaders, teachers and strong contributors to the success of RIDS. Larry served as President of RIDS in 1991 and 1992, has served on the Executive Board from 1997 to present and is currently the Treasurer. Joan has been on the Program Committee since 1999 and chaired the Floral Arts Committee since 1991. Read more...
	Nancy and Larry Alley Nancy has been growing dahlias since the 1970s, when a neighbor gave her mom some maroon and white dahlias. When she moved into her current home, she had the land for many more. She has been a RIDS and ADS member since 1998. When Larry and Nancy married in 2003, he brought his love of gardening and day lilies to their home. Now, they are both RIDS members and grow approximately 135 dahlia plants of 100 different varieties. Nancy's favorite dahlia varieties include: Tartan, Tioga Lovesong, Spartacus, Kidd's Climax, Edna C., Islander, Little Showoff, Wheels and Shinkyoku. Click here to see the Alley's photos.
	Abbie Barber currently serves as the RIDS membership coordinator, and often pitches in with many other RIDS activities, including working on the web site, helping at RIDS shows, auctions, and the annual dahlia planting at Green Animals Topiary Garden. When not dabbling in dahlias, Abbie and her husband, Noel, also own and operate Shannock Organic Farm.
	Louise Brown is a relative newcomer to growing dahlias having started in 2005, the same year she joined RIDS. In 2004 she bought tubers at the hardware store for her son who liked growing things. When she saw his dahlias in bloom, she fell in love with them and has been growing them ever since. She grows about 25 plants of five varieties. She likes balls, pompons, straight and semi-cactus and peony forms. She has not yet dipped her toes into the show arena, but she does not rule it out in the future.
	Barton "Bart" Buffington was introduced to dahlias when his wife’s cleaning lady brought them some extra tubers and recommended they join RIDS. That was in 1983. Today, Bart grows around 200 dahlias of roughly 80 varieties each year. He has been an active RIDS and ADS member since 1983, entering blooms in multiple shows, and he is an Accredited Dahlia Judge. He has coordinated the dahlia show at the Washington County Fair since 2004. Included in his list of favorite varieties are: Magic Moment, The Baron, and Robin Hood.
	Jim Donahue, horticulturist for the Preservation Society of Newport County at Green Animals since 2004, was made an honorary member in 2007 as a result of his work with RIDS to re-establish a dahlia garden at Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Read more...
	Carlyn L. Jehle began growing dahlias in 2004 when she had access to a greenhouse. She has been a member of RIDS and ADS since 2004, and grows over 50 dahlias of 30 varieties. She does not yet enter shows, but enjoys attending them. She likes white dahlias best, and prefers Ball, Waterlily, Semi-Cactus, and Laciniated forms.
	Donna Lane has been dabbling in dahlias since 1967. Like many others, she was given a plant by a co-worker and has been hopelessly hooked ever since. She advises people to persist if they have problems over-wintering dahlias. “I was frustrated because I had to buy new tubers each year, but I was determined to find a way to keep them from turning to mush. The way my co-worker stored them didn’t work for me,” she says. Read more...
	Joyce MacInnes, the RIDS “Sunshine Gal” has been growing dahlias since 1990. That’s also how long she’s been a member of RIDS and ADS. When asked how she started, Joyce said, “A friend gave me a few tubers to grow and I was hooked!” She is growing 250 plants of approximately 85 varieties this year. She enjoys entering her blooms in the individual category, in baskets and in the artistic arrangement section. Her favorite forms are informal decorative, waterlily, semi-cactus and laciniated, and she lists Show-n-Tell, Elsie Huston, Just Peachy, Ferncliff Illusion, Midnight Dancer and Taratahi Ruby as favorites.
	Bill Matteson has been growing dahlias since about 1988, and has been a member of RIDS and ADS since 1993. Bill is an ADS Accredited Dahlia Judge. He currently grows about 175 dahlias of 75 varieties, and has entered area shows including RIDS and Washington County, plus Long Island, Mid-Island and Connecticut Dahlia Society shows. Bill lists Hamari Accord, Clara Huston, Rose Toscano, and Brookside Snowball among his favorite varieties. Click here to see the Matteson's photos.
	As with many other folks, Marty Metzger started growing dahlias after a neighbor shared extra tubers with him. He has been growing dahlias since 1998, and has been a member of RIDS and ADS since 2002. Marty currently serves as the Society's Corresponding Secretary. He now grows 200 dahlia plants of about 150 varieties. He especially favors the large and giant dahlias (A and AA) and says Spartacus and Jessica are two of his favorite blooms. Marty does not enter his dahlias in shows, although he has not ruled it out as a possibility, but he does enjoy attending them. He also enjoys photographing dahlias in the garden. Click here to see Marty's photos.
	John Northup
	One of the society’s Massachusetts residents, Debbie Puerini first heard about the RIDS tuber auction from a local newspaper in May of 2007. She credits member Gayle Wentworth with helping her at the auction with dahlia names, forms and colors, and says Gayle has been sharing her knowledge and tubers ever since. Debbie became a member of RIDS, the Connecticut Dahlia Society and ADS in 2007. She was very ambitious and grew about 100 dahlias in her first year. In 2008 she hopes to triple that number and grow 300 varieties. Click here to read more and see Debbie's photos.
	David & Joanne Remy are relatively new to growing dahlias. Their introduction came when they drove from their home in Massachusetts to attend the Rhode Island Dahlia Society’s show in 2005, at which time they joined both ADS and RIDS. The Remy’s now grow 125 different varieties of dahlias. Joanne’s favorites are Patches, Urchin, Goldie Gull and Taratahi Ruby. While they do not yet enter blooms in shows, they say they may exhibit in the future. Meanwhile, they share bouquets of the beautiful dahlias they grow with local organizations such as their local library, senior centers and nursing homes. They are fond of the Formal Decorative, Ball, Miniature Ball, Waterlily, Straight Cactus, Peony, Anemone and Collarette forms. Click here to see the Remy's photos.
	Shirley N. Rennick became interested in dahlias quite by accident. She and a friend kayaked to the community center in North Kingstown where she saw a dahlia auction in progress. “I poked in,” Shirley says “and Dot Taylor asked me if I was interested in a particular color.” After Dot helped to expedite Shirley’s color selections, she left with a number of dahlia tubers. That was the beginning of Shirley’s obsession with dahlias. She has long been active in gardening, but had not been introduced to dahlias until that day. “They are now my favorite,” she says. Click here to read more and see Shirley's photos.
	Peter Roberti and daughters Gina, Jacqueline and Alexandra were first introduced to dahlias when they were out for a drive and happened upon Walter and Dot Taylor’s gardens. Of course, they couldn’t leave without some dahlias! They joined RIDS and ADS in 2004, and now grow over 100 dahlias of roughly 50 varieties. They attend and enter dahlia shows, and list ball and pompon as their favorite forms. Gina Roberti recently won top honors at the local and state levels for her science project, in which she analyzed the effect of water impurities on the vase life of dahlia blooms.
	Joe and Ginny Schuttert have been growing dahlias since 2002 and recently joined RIDS. They grow about 50 plants of 20 different varieties, and while they have not yet entered dahlia shows, they are considering it in the future. Click here to see the Schuttert's photos. (NOTE: this is a .pdf file, please use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate the photo slide show.)
	Joyce and Eliot Sterling have been growing dahlias since 1963. When asked how they became interested in growing dahlias, Joyce said she couldn’t remember since it was so long ago. But, she said Harry Dixon taught her a lot about growing and exhibiting, as did Robert Graves. The Sterlings joined ADS and the Connecticut Dahlia Society in 1972 and RIDS in 1976. They grow about 250 plants per year. Each year the number varies because many of the dahlias they grow are seedlings. Click here to read more and see a list of Joyce Sterling's originations.
	Nicholas Sterling practically grew up in the dahlia patch helping his parents with their dahlias each year. Nicholas served as secretary of RIDS for a number of years, and after a 3-year hiatus, accepted the position once again. Nicholas is not only the current recording secretary, he is on the Executive Board, and also serves as the Society's auctioneer. His knowledge and talent at keeping things moving helps make the Society's only fundraiser a lively and viable event. He has also served as Chief of Clerks at a number of RIDS shows. Growing his own dahlias for a decade, Nicholas took a brief respite, but began growing again in 2007. He lists among his favorites Bay State Angel, as well as other varieties introduced by his mother, Joyce Sterling.
	Walter "Walt" and Dot Taylor got hooked on dahlias in 1982 after attending a tuber auction. They have been active members of RIDS for 25 years, and ADS for 20 years. Walter is an ADS certified Senior Judge, and until recently served as the North Atlantic Dahlia Conference (NADC) representative to the American Dahlia Society, from which he was presented an award for his "tireless efforts on behalf of promoting dahlias" and for his service to ADS. Both Walt and Dot have traveled extensively attending NADC meetings. Walt has chaired the RIDS Dahlia Show for a number of years and Dot has served as the Society's president from 1996 to 1998. This active couple has made many contributions to their North Kingstown, RI community for which they received the 2006 Community Citizens of the Year award by the Rhode Island State Grange. Click here to read more and see Walt Taylor's introductions.
	Gayle Wentworth became addicted to dahlias about in 2002 after a friend shared some extra tubers with her. She now grows over 850 dahlias in her Connecticut garden, adding to her collection each year. She has been a member of RIDS since 2004, and has entered Washington County, RIDS and Connecticut Dahlia Society shows. Gayle especially enjoys pom, mini ball and laciniated forms, and lists Islander, Barbara H. Kantor, and Adrianna among her favorite varieties. Click here to see photos from Gayle's garden.
	Al Werling drives from Connecticut to attend RIDS meetings each month. He has been a member of RIDS since 2003, and a member of ADS since 2004. Al can always be counted upon to help set up and tear down the staging for RIDS dahlia shows. Prior to joining the societies, Al grew dahlias for about eight years after “a friend got me into it,” he says. He grows about 60 dahlias of 40 different varieties, but says he only enters the individual bloom category and only enters them in RIDS-sponsored Dahlia Shows, such as the Washington County Fair where he won numerous blue ribbons and tri-color awards in 2007. While Al likes most dahlia forms, his favorites are informal decorative, incurved cactus and novelty. That might explain why Shinkyoku, Hy Sockeye and Kenora Wow are listed as several of his favorites.
In Memoriam
	Roberta Achtermeier passed away in May 2006. Roberta, President of RIDS from 2000 to 2002, had been ill for some time, but her death was unexpected. Roberta’s mother offered all of her dahlias and garden books to the Society. About 50 of Roberta’s tubers were already planted, so a dedicated crew of volunteers helped dig them and replant them at the Green Animals Garden in Portsmouth. In August of 2006, the garden was dedicated in Roberta's memory. Click here to see Roberta's photos.
	William “Pop” Dykstra died on Pentacost Sunday. He sang in the Church choir in the morning, went home and layed down to take a nap. He was 91. Bill, or “Pop” as he was better known, was a Christian gentleman in the classic sense of the word. He was the last surviving founder of the Rhode Island Dahlia Society. He served the society as a past president as well as chaplain. Read more...

{ Rhode Island Dahlia Society (RIDS) {