BB LC W, 2025 Ray Phillips

Sidehill Gilly S is named after Gilly Simmons, a well known hybridizer and mentor to Ray. In 2013, Gilly called Ray over and said that he had too many seedlings that year, so if they were willing to dig them up they can have them, and the one Ray got became Sidehill Gilly S. One week after Ray visited Gilly's home though, Gilly passed away, and this is one of the last varieties with connections to him. You can read more about Gilly here. I have a soft spot for white dahlias. I'm also growing Allie White, a white variety originated by Gilly Simmons, and I'm planting it next to Sidehill Gilly S as a little memorial to him. 

I was lucky enough to visit the gardens of Ray Phillips - the originator of Sidehill dahlias, and given unrooted cuttings of his varieties in October 2024. I managed to root several of them and kept them alive through the winter months to confirm their blooms. I unfortunately lost Gilly S but was able to obtain a tuber from Ray to take cuttings from.

For every Sidehill cutting sold through Rainfall Gardens, a percentage of my profit goes back to Ray for his breeding efforts. It's my hope to spread his cultivar far and wide. They're truly beautiful and are hidden gems in the dahlia world.