If you love gardens, you undoubtedly love plants and if you love plants, I can’t imagine how you could not love dahlias.
There are certain characteristics that gardeners usually want from a plant and, to my mind, dahlias combine more of these characteristics than virtually any other plant.
Most obviously, they have beautiful flowers in many different forms, and the multitude of varieties of dahlias offer countless flower shapes and colours.
Dalias come in various heights, so will not be out of place in the back, middle or front of the border – or even in pots – and can add to the overall design of a border or to stand alone as a featured plant.
Dahlias also have strong forms and leafy habits, adding bulk and strength to your displays and, with the right care, they’ll flower over a prolonged period.
Best of all, dahlias provide us with a focus for the whole growing season. First, a sense of anticipation, as we plant them out and watch them gradually grow and bush out into their allotted space. Then, the grateful appreciation of and wonder at their stunning floral displays. Finally, we become engrossed in the careful attention we give to tasks like stopping, disbudding, deadheading and pruning (more on these later), as we seek to eke out the beauty of our dahlias for as long as the seasons will allow.
None of this is to say that dahlias are especially easy to grow – they do require some care and that is what the posts in this section will teach you about. But neither is taking care of dahlias especially difficult and the efforts you make with your plants will be rewarded 10 times over.
I’ve been growing dahlias for over twenty years, and have grown them in three countries, and two hemispheres.
I can definitely tell you from experience, therefore, that these are plants that can lift your garden to a different level and they will lift your spirits too – every time you look at them.
Martin Cole, Gardening Step by Step
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The point of this post is to provide some inspiration for your dahlia growing – to show you how beautiful dahlias can look when arranged artfully in vases and placed carefully around the home. And you should know from the outset that I have used AI to create these images. I have increasingly found AI …
In this post, we’ll look at some of the reasons why you might want to grow orange dahlias, as well as 10 of the best orange dahlias to grow. Why grow orange dahlias? I always think that orange dahlias are offer a burst of colour that captures the essence of summer, especially when they catch …
Growing dahlias in pots and containers can be a truly rewarding experience, allowing you to enjoy these stunning blooms even if you’re short on space. The key to success lies in understanding your dahlias’ needs and replicating as close as possible the conditions they’d enjoy in the garden. It’s not just about aesthetic appeal; dahlias …
As regular readers know, we love dahlias here at Gardening Step by Step. And that is because their vivid colours and varied shapes mean that dahlias offer tremendous rewards to gardeners and flower enthusiasts alike. However, choosing the right dahlia variety can be a challenge, given the extensive range of dahlias available. But one approach …
If you want to know how deep you plant dahlia tubers, the simple answer, in my experience, is that most dahlia tubers will grow if planted around 4 to 6 inches deep. But you do need to take account of soil conditions and temperatures. And when it comes to soil conditions and temperatures, these are …
Stopping/topping dahlias, as well as disbudding and deadheading are all techniques that enable us to get the best out of our dahlia plants. They each have a slightly different purpose but all are ways in which we can influence the production of flowers by the dahlia plant. Here we focus on stopping or topping. Stopping, …
Once you have decided when to plant out your dahlia tubers, you’ll need to think about your dahlia spacing – how far apart to plant the tubers. In this post, we’ll look at that question. As with most things in gardening, how you space your dahlias will depend on your own particular circumstances. In particular, …
What is Dahlia Gall? Dahlia Gall disease is a bacterial disease that affects the stems and roots of Dahlia plants. Technically, there are two types of gall that affect dahlias: crown gall and leafy gall. Crown gall is a dahlia tuber disease caused by the bacterium Rhizobium radiobacter (also known as Agrobacterium tumefaciens). Leafy gall …
Best time for planting out dahlia tubers “When should I plant out dahlia tubers?” That is the eternal dilemma of the dahlia grower in Spring. The answer to this question will ultimately be determined by the climate and conditions where you are. The critical point to remember is that dahlias cannot really take any frost. …
It is essential to select from the best heat tolerant dahlias if you are growing dahlias somewhere like Florida or other Southern States of the USA, or if you are even trying to grow dahlias in a tropical climate. The same applies if you are growing dahlias in parts of Australia. I lived there for …
Dahlia Islander is a large, striking, heat tolerant dahlia featuring mid to dark pink flowers, with apricot tones. If you’re looking for a way to make a statement in your garden, consider introducing this showstopper into your collection. With its massive 8-10 inch flowers Dahlia Islander is sure to capture the attention of your visitors. …
Dahlia Ivanetti is a beautiful dahlia featuring dark maroon or magenta flowers that brings a rich depth of colour to your garden. Ivanetti is a mini ball dahlia, which means it has round, tightly-packed petals in a spherical or slightly flattened shape. The ray florets are arranged spirally and are rounded at the tips. This …
Mulching your dahlias is one of the best ways can keep your dahlias healthy and growing strongly throughout the summer. In truth, mulching benefits all plants in your garden but there are lots of different mulches that you can use. So, when choosing the best mulch for your dahlias, it’s essential to understand the purpose …
For a dahlia fanatic like me, owning a dahlia farm would be an absolute dream. Yes, our dahlias look fantastic in the borders, beds and containers in our gardens. But look at them ‘en masse’ in the images on this post – sheer poetry! Dahlia farms typically offer fresh flowers (dahlias and other cut flowers) …
Dahlia Night Silence is a relatively new dahlia variety, in the formal decorative dahlia group. Its flower has an unusual, complex and elegant colour palette of dusky pinks and and muted purple and mauves, creating an almost vintage look. The purple shading is found on the underside of the outer florets (petals) and on the …
Dahlia Wine eyed Jill is a ball dahlia, with peach, pink, apricot and sometimes lavender colouring that changes over the lifetime of the bloom. There is also a yellow version with a purple centre and yellow flecking on the petals. The image below shows the yellow version which I grew in a pot. This variety …
Do dahlias grow in Florida? It is certainly a good question, because dahlias aren’t naturally suited to the year round heat and humidity that you’ll find in some parts of Florida. However, it is worth remembering that Florida’s climate varies across the state. You can see this from the USDA plant hardiness zone map below. …
The original dahlias, like dahlia pinnata, come from the warm climates of Central America, but mainly from areas with dryish heat and cooler evening and winter temperatures. Tropical climates are different. They involve year round heat and intense seasonal rainfall and high levels of humidity. The technical definition of a tropical climate from the Oxford …
In the picture above you’ll see some dahlias in a traditional mixed garden borders. But how else can we grows dahlias? You can certainly grow dahlias in pots. But can you grow dahlias in raised beds? The simple answer to that question is yes – not only can you grow dahlias in raised beds, it …
One of the great advantages of dahlias is that if you keep deadheading them, they will continue to flower right into the fall/autumn. However, dahlias are only borderline hardy which means that the flowers and foliage will be cut back by the first frosts. So, at this point in the year you have to decide …