Dahlias - Part 4: Different varieties and arranging

Dahlias

Part 4: Different Varieties and Arranging

Dahlias are one of our key cut flower plants for flower arrangements. They explode with colour in mid-August and bloom until the first frost arrive.

Our Real Favourites

• 'Otto's Thrill' - bears huge pink blooms and is exceptionally well suited as a cut flower for a vase
• 'Elma E' - another highly decorative, large, strong pink bloom
• 'Cafe au Lait' - a fashionable dahlia, it comes in colours ranging from creamy to milky coffee and mixes well with other varieties
• 'Fleurel' - a striking white dahlia, perfect for toned-down arrangements
• 'Penhill Watermelon' - a huge, pale-pink 'dinner plate' dahlia, it looks impressive by itself in a vase
• 'Jowey Linda' - a small, orange, pompom dahlia that can add a new dimension and texture to an arrangement
• 'Santa Claus' - a striking plant with large red and white striped blooms
• 'Labyrinth' - described as a 'firework' dahlia, with pink and apricot petals
• 'Lavender Perfection' - a recent addition to our gardens, it works especially well with autumn colours
• 'Life Force' - delivers a strong splash of yellow and orange
• 'Blue Bayou' - a single dahlia, good for arrangements but relatively short-lasting
• 'Mixed Peppermint' - another 'dinner plate' dahlia
• 'Wizard of Oz' - a nice little pink pompom dahlia
• 'Snowflake' - a pompom dahlia ideal for small arrangements

How to Choose Dahlias

There are very many dahlia varieties to choose from, and there are also many resources available to help you decide which plants are most appealing visually and which are most suitable for your soil or the position in the garden. Try the following suggestions:

• Visit your local nurseries.
• Search online for specialist dahlia growers; they publish extensive illustrated catalogues of their varieties.
• Visit annual dahlia exhibitions in your area and the RHS annual Dahlia Show at RHS Wisley Garden near Woking, Surrey.
• Visit the National Dahlia Collection at Kehelland, Camborne, Cornwall.
• Contact the National Dahlia Society.

How to Arrange Dahlias

Dahlias work equally as well in single vases as in big arrangements, 'jumbled together' in large bowls and other containers. One important point to remember is the weight of the large dahlia heads. To prevent them overbalancing, start the arrangement by placing short stems in the base of the vase, levering the longer stems as you go upwards. Dahlia arrangements do not need much planning - the shapes of their blooms and nuanced colours create a great effect by themselves.

"If you want to bring happiness to your life in the autumn - grow dahlias"

Dahlia Suppliers

Halls of Heddon

Aylett Nurseries

Pheasant Acre Plants

Harts Nursery

Peter Nyssen

Gilbert's Dahlias

Useful Contacts

National Dahlia Society

National Dahlia Collection

Royal Horticultural Society