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
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. As the season progresses and temperatures cool, Wine Eyed Jill’s flower changes from richer to creamier tones showcasing its tremendous visual interest. My research shows that colouring can also be a …
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 …
