RIDS Members

RIDS Members

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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's 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 will be a clickable link within each respective profile. Click on the link to view that member's gardens or favorite blooms.

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	Joan and Larry Additon Larry, a retired engineer, and Joan, a retired nurse, have been growing dahlias for 38 years. In 1969 they were given tubers by Chet Whaley and Fred Gould, early members of the Rhode Island Dahlia Society. They were hooked, although they didn’t join RIDS until 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 have been growing dahlias for about 15 years, after Larry’s mom was given dahlias by a neighbor. They have been RIDS and ADS members for 10 years, and grow approximately 135 plants of 75 varieties. Favorite dahlia varieties include: Tartan, Tioga Lovesong, Spartacus, Kidd’s Climax, Little Showoff, Wheels, and EV Magic Puff. 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 Gardens. When not dabbling in dahlias, Abbie and her husband, Noel, also own and operate Shannock Organic Farm.
	Barton "Bart" Buffington was introduced to dahlias when his wife’s cleaning lady brought them some extra tubers and recommended they join RIDS. 25 years later, Bart grows around 200 dahlias of roughly 80 varieties each year. He has been an active RIDS and ADS member for over 20 years, entering blooms in multiple shows, and is an Accredited Dahlia Judge. He has coordinated the dahlia show at the Washington County Fair for the past four years. 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 Gardens in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Read more...
	Carlyn L. Jehle began growing dahlias about 4 years ago when she had a greenhouse. She has been a RIDS and ADS member for about 3 years, 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.
	Skip Jones, a retired Navy Commander, and his wife Helen, former Director of Nursing at Newport Hospital, have been growing dahlias for almost a decade, along with a delectable variety of vegetables and other ornamentals. Skip is also a Master Gardener, and has been a RIDS and ADS member for two years. When he is not gardening, Skip oversees the Friends of Ballroom Dancing, hosting "Big Band" dinner dances in the Newport, Rhode Island area approximately once per month. Skip and Helen enjoy the endless variety in dahlia blooms, and their house is always filled with flowers.
	Donna Lane has been dabbling in dahlias for nearly 30 years. Like many others, she was given a plant of ‘Park Princess’ 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 for 18 years. 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 for over 20 years, has been a member of RIDS and ADS for about 15 years, and is an 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.
	As with many other folks, Martin "Marty" Metzger started growing dahlias after a neighbor shared extra tubers with him. While he has been growing dahlias for about 20 years, he has been a member of RIDS and ADS for 6 years, and currently serves and the Society's Corresponding Secretary. He now grows 200 dahlia plants of about 150 varieties. He especially favors the laste and giant dahlias (A and AA) and says Spartacus and Jessica are two of his favorite blooms. Martin 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 Northrup
	David & Joanne Remy Click here to see the Remy'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, which analyzed the effect of water impurities on the vase life of dahlia blooms.
	Joe and Ginny Schuttert have been growing dahlias for about 5 years 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.
	Joyce and Elliot Sterling ... Click here to see a list of Joyce Sterling's originations.
	Nicholas Sterling practically grew up in the dahlia patch helping his parents, Joyce and Elliot Sterling, plant and harvest their dahlias each year. Nicholas served as secretary of RIDS for a number of years, and has once again accepted that position for a 2-year term. Nicholas also serves as the Society's auctioneer; his knowledge and talent at keeping things moving helps to keep 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 plans to grow again this year. He lists among his favorites Bay State Angel, and all 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 a Senior Judge, and until recently served as the North Atlantic Dahlia Conference 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. This active couple has made many contributions to their North Kingston, 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 5 years ago after a friend shared some extra tubers. She now grows over 600 dahlias of countless varieties, adding to her collection each year. She has been a member of RIDS for about three years, and has entered Washington County, RIDS and Connecticut Dahlia Society shows. Gayle lists Islander, Barbara H. Kantor, and Adrianna among her favorite varieties.
	Al Werling drives from CT to attend RIDS meetings each month. He has been a member of RIDS for four years, and a member of ADS for three. Prior to joining the societies, Al grew dahlias for about eight years after “a friend got me into it,” he says. Al can always be counted on to help set up and tear down the staging for RIDS dahlia shows. Al grows about 60 dahlias of 40 different varieties, but says he only enters the individual bloom category and only enters them in the RIDS-sponsored Dahlia Shows. While he 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, before the tuber auction. Roberta, a former President of RIDS, 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. Many of Roberta’s tubers were already planted, a dedicated crew of volunteers helped dig them to be transplanted at the Green Animals garden. In all about 50 dahlias were planted in Portsmouth. In August, 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 lay 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) {