Bill McClaren has been growing and showing dahlias for nearly 50 years. For the past 20 years, he has hybridized all forms of dahlias; over 100 of his varieties are listed in the American Dahlia Society's ADS Classification and Handbook of Dahlias. After retiring from a 30-year career as an educator, he owned and operated, together with his wife, Alpen Gardens, a commercial dahlia nursery, for 20 years. He is a member of the American Dahlia Society. He is a Senior Judge and instructs dahlia judging schools throughout the northwestern United States and Canada. His articles have been published in the Bulletin of the American Dahlia Society and Dahlias of Today.