Dare to dazzle with dahlias From blowsy cactus and waterlily types to singles and tight little pompoms, dahlias can’t be beaten for colour choice and shape
From blowsy cactus and waterlily types to singles and tight little pompoms, dahlias can’t be beaten for colour choice and shape. Louise Curley picks her top 10
Asummer garden without dahlias is unthinkable. So, it’s surprising to remember how, only a few decades back, these dazzling blooms were often regarded as too brash and relegated to the allotment. Yet they can’t be beaten for sheer flower power – they’ll bloom from summer right through to the first frost – in a mind-boggling array of colours, and as a result their popularity in recent years has soared. Interesting fact: dahlias have a whopping eight sets of chromosomes,
which is greedy in genetic terms (most other plants and human beings have just two sets). Not surprisingly, dahlia breeders have been quick to use this extra genetic material to produce, among other things, an incredible diversity of colour. The American Dahlia Society recognises 10 different colours in an extraordinary 225 different shades, so whether it’s showy and flamboyant hues or delicate, pretty pastels, there’s a dahlia out there for you. The only problem is choosing; here’s our guide to some of the best.
1 BEST BLACK ‘BLACK JACK’
The ultimate in devilishly dark dahlias, this has sumptuous velvety petals in darkest claret, deepening to almost black. It’s a decorative, semi-cactus type, which means the flowers are fully double and the centres hidden by tightly-packed petals. Many decoratives have enormous dinner plate-size flowers; ‘Black Jack’ blooms reach about 25cm (10in) across, helping them to stand out in jungly borders among leafy foliage plants. It’s floriferous and early into flower, bearing blooms from July to September. H1m (3ft 3in) S75cm (2½ft)
2 BEST WATERMELON ‘WALTZING MATHILDA’
An exotic-looking dahlia with a fabulous sunset mix of peach, pink and orange toned flowers sitting on almost-black stems among deep burgundy foliage. ‘Waltzing Mathilda’ is a peony-type (distinguished by its open centre – great for attracting pollinators) with several rings of slightly curved petals giving the flowers an extra flourish. The blooms are dainty – 5cm (2in) diameter – and the plant is compact enough for container growing. H70cm (28in) S60cm (2ft)
3 BEST PLUM ‘DOWNHAM ROYAL’
Sumptuous purple and magenta petals give ‘Downham Royal’ a regal quality. It’s an especially versatile colour combination working equally well alongside subtle pastels or sizzling oranges and hot pinks. The ball-shaped blooms are made up of row upon row of tightly-packed curved petals that swirl from the centre outwards. At only 7cm (3in) diameter, they’re ideal for indoor arrangements. H90cm (3ft) S60cm (2ft)
4 BEST RED ‘ARABIAN NIGHT’
With its rich dark-red berry tones, ‘Arabian Night’ is perfect for injecting a sense of drama to a planting scheme. Try it with other jewel-like tones or next to oranges for a fabulous colour clash. It’s a decorative type with medium-sized flowers about 10cm (4in) wide, made up of masses of rolled petals and a small ring of lime green bracts in the centre. It’s particularly floriferous and makes a great cut flower. H1.2m (4ft) S75cm (2½ft)
5 BEST TANGERINE ‘TOTALLY TANGERINE’
Anemone dahlias are quirky characters defined by a single ring of petals ranged around a central boss of florets to create a fantastic flowery pincushion. ‘Totally Tangerine’ is a dazzling mix of orange and pink petals with a rusty orange middle, chocolate-coloured stems and green foliage. It doesn’t spread as much as some dahlias, which makes it perfect for pots. The open centre provides an open buffet for bees and butterflies. H90cm (3ft) S50cm (20in)
6 BEST CREAM ‘CAFÉ AU LAIT’
A favourite on Instagram and with wedding florists, ‘Café au Lait’ is a dreamy, romantic dahlia with exquisite pale tones of creamy coffee, blush pink and apricot. It’s a decorative dahlia but the blooms have an appealing loose, slightly shaggy appearance; the flowers are also huge – up to 25cm (10in) across. They look magnificent arranged singly in tall glass bud vases or with other bold blooms; in the garden, plant with pastel-coloured achilleas and scabious. Can be later into flower than some dahlias, and not as floriferous. H1.2m (4ft) S60cm (2ft)
7 BEST PEACH ‘LINDA’S BABY’
A combination of pale pink and peach with hints of yellow create a soft, delicate colour palette on ‘Linda’s Baby’. As the blooms fade, they transform into beautiful creamy hues, giving a range of colours on the plant at any one time. The ball-shaped flowers initially have tightly-held heads of inwardly curving petals, but these unfurl as the flowers mature, revealing golden-yellow centres. H80cm (32in) S60cm (2ft)
8 BEST ORANGE ‘MEL’S ORANGE MARMALADE’
This extraordinary dahlia is a ‘fimbriated’ cactus-type, which means their spiky petals are slightly split or fringed at the tips. Flowers emerge from July to November and look a bit like jazzy sea anemones. Flowers are about 10-15cm (4-6in) diameter, so they’re dramatic without being too topheavy and are relatively rain resistant. It’s fabulous with purple summer spires, frothy white umbels and autumn grasses too. H1m (3ft 3in) S75cm (2ft)
9 BEST LEMON ‘HONKA’
For a zesty, upbeat feel, look no further than this unusual ‘Honka’ dahlia with its pale yellow flowers. A star-type dahlia, it has a single ring of eight petals that curve inwards around an open centre, creating the distinctive star shape. These unfussy flowers have a delicate air but are really easy to incorporate with other perennials. They look especially effective emerging from a sea of grasses, tender salvias and slender-stemmed
Verbena bonariensis. Their compact size makes them a good choice for containers. H60cm (2ft) S40cm (16in)
10 BEST CORAL ‘BISHOP OF OXFORD’
Spectacularly vibrant orange petals surround a brown centre speckled with a golden ring of stamens, set against dark aubergine-coloured stems and foliage. It’s perfect for a lush, tropical-inspired border where it works well among large, luscious leaves and other richly-coloured flowers such as canna and crocosmia. And if you’re feeling bold, ‘Bishop of Oxford’ is ideal for creating colour clashes with purple and crimson flowers. It makes a neat plant with small blooms 7cm (3in) wide. H90cm (3ft) S45cm (18in)