In Memory of Eldon Wilson

John Wilson

My father, Eldon Wilson (1915 – 1991), was an avid “hobbyist” dahlia grower for 30 years, an activity he pursued in retirement after his career as a US Army chief warrant officer. He grew tens of varieties of dahlias in his quarter-acre garden in the backyard of his home in Lakewood, Washington, just south of Tacoma. I don’t recall that he ever entered his flowers in any dahlia shows, but they filled the house in gorgeous bouquets and were displayed at friends’ and relatives’ weddings, parties, and special occasions. He would acquire some of his dahlia tubers from Les Connell’s commercial dahlia farm in Puyallup, Washington, and eventually he and my mother Sue became friends with Les, even traveling with Les and the local dahlia society to New Zealand in the 1980’s to tour dahlia gardens there. Upon my father’s death in 1991, Les developed a new dahlia in my father’s honor and named it “Eldon Wilson”, a bright yellow novelty with orange petal backs and edges. Les Connell has stopped growing and selling this variety, but I have planted it every year at my homes, first in Seattle and now in Placitas, NM, and it is the only dahlia I grow.

John Wilson
April 2025

• Photo of Sue and Eldon Wilson provided by John Wilson. Layout design by Aaron Greenwood.