Edmonton Journal

Dinner plate dahlias look spectacula­r

- Jim Hole To keep a breas t of what ’s new in the gard ening world , follow fac ebook .com/HolesGreen­houses. For previous columns b y Jim Hol e , go to edmontonjo­urnal.com/hole

Name: Dinner plate dahlias

WHAT IS IT?

As the name suggests, dinner plate dahlias are plants that produce exceptiona­lly large, dinner plate-sized flowers.

And while the size of the flowers is impressive, toss in the fact that there are so many dinner plate dahlia varieties that display myriad petal colours and textures and you have flowers that are the most spectacula­r of all the garden plants that we can grow here.

In fact, dinner plate dahlias are so showy that I would suggest you not plant them in your front yard if you are the least bit shy, as more than a few passersby will want to wander up your sidewalk for a closer look.

ITS HISTORY

Dahlias — the national flower of Mexico — originated in the tropical climes of Central and South America and were named after Swedish botanist Anders Dahl a couple of centuries ago.

If Anders was around today, he might be a little upset because few people correctly pronounce the name of the plant that bears his name. Dahlia should be pronounced ‘doll — ee — uh’ but most people — including me — call it ‘day — lee — uh’.

BEST FEATURES

Its massive, colourful flowers are the dinner plate dahlia’s best feature, but one must also give some credit to the stems. They aren’t particular­ly attractive, but they are well engineered, and instrument­al in ensuring that the huge flowers don’t end up face first on the ground.

Picking out the best of the best varieties is tough — there are so many — but here are few of my favourites.

The aptly named Kelvin Floodlight produces bold, bright-yellow flowers that I find very uplifting.

When the sun hits Kelvin Floodlight, it does indeed look as if it is emitting a beam of light.

Sir Alfred Ramsey is two-toned and, for some strange reason, reminds me of a Popsicle. Bright-white petals crown the top of the flower, with dark pink tones adorning the bottom of the cluster.

Where Kevin Floodlight evokes feelings of warmth, Sir Alfred Ramsey looks icy and cool.

Avignon is one of my favourites. It has white petals that appear to have been splashed purple from an artist’s paintbrush. It’s the haute couture dahlia in the group and the one I find most intriguing.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: EASY

The toughest part about growing dinner plate dahlias is slowing them down. They tend to shoot up very rapidly in warm temperatur­es, so while it’s important to warm the roots for rapid and vigorous rooting, it’s wise to cool them down a bit once the plants emerge from the soil. Bright light and temperatur­es in the 16-18 C range are ideal once the dahlias begin to poke through the soil.

All dinner plate dahlias like a rich, well-drained soil, and because they are such large, floriferou­s plants they need quite a bit of food to keep them healthy and robust. I give my dahlias a shot of 104-3 every week, and they respond beautifull­y with vigorous growth and beautiful flowers.

Keep in mind that dinner plate dahlias, like all dahlias, are not frost tolerant and must be pulled out of the garden in fall and stored inside in a cool spot. A cold but not freezing garage is ideal.

HOW PERFECT IS IT?

Dinner plate dahlias are perfect showstoppe­rs and make any gardener feel like an expert. But be forewarned. Growing spectacula­r, gigantic dinner plate dahlias can be addictive and, once you’ve grown them, it may kill your desire to purchase any plants described as dwarf,

miniature or petite.

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 ?? Supplied ?? Dinner plate dahlia Avignon is creamy white with splashes of rich purple and one of Jim Hole’s favourites.
Supplied Dinner plate dahlia Avignon is creamy white with splashes of rich purple and one of Jim Hole’s favourites.
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