WEATHERMEN may be trying to convince us that we have had a good summer -- but Bolton's Dahlia growers know the blooming truth.

And according to the top flower growers, we have had the worse summer for about 25 years.

Lack of sunshine over the last few months led a dramatic drop in the number of blooms entered for annual Grey Mare Dahlia Society show.

Last week there were only about 250 flowers competing for the top prizes at the 41st annual show at the Methodist Hall on Tottington Road, Harwood, which would normally expect to attract 400 prize dahlias.

And organiser Phil Yates has no doubt that a cold, wet, windy summer is to blame for the large number of buds failing to flower in time for the big day.

Creating prize blooms is an exact science and Dahlia growers follow a strict daily cultivation timetable from the day they plant out in June to show time in September.

Mr Yates, 55 of Linwood Grove, Harwood, said: "This year has been a cold, damp summer and the growing season is about eight days late.

"Dahlias are sun lovers from Mexico but if you look at the weather since June, we have only had short spells of sunshine for two or three days at a time.

"I have been looking at the records and the last bad year we had was about 1976. It's not just us. The same happened at the Bolton show and flower shows all over the country are reporting a shortage of blooms." But Mr Yates says the weather failed to dampen the big day and even though the flowers took a battering from heavy rain the day before the show, the colour and quality of the blooms shone through.

And as the once unfashionable Dahlia makes a comeback in herbaceous borders and patio pots all over the country, the society is hoping the revived interest in the flower will translate into more gardeners growing show blooms in years to come.

Winners of the National Dahlia Society prizes were: Ian Sutherland, who won the bronze medal for the best vase of dahlias and the silver medal for the best exhibit in the show; Len Wilkinson, who won a bronze for his vase of flowers in the small growers section. Philip Yates won the most points in the small growers section and Ian Sutherland the most points in the open section.