Flowering plants really earn their place in mid to late summer when the fat buds burst into magnificent blooms. Top of the list for pops of colour are the dahlias. Whatever size or type of bloom you prefer you are sure to fall in love with these border beauties. Each one will create border drama, provide cut flowers and look fabulous too.
Every year the clamour for new dahlias grows louder, the plant breeders introducing dramatic dahlias to create border drama in your garden. These are the prima donnas of the garden; their spectacular flowers are like the leading lady in an opera or theatre performance. But unlike the theatre, the curtains stay up for weeks and weeks allowing these special divas to perform and shine right up until the first frosts. Keep deadheading for an extended show.
Here are five fabulous dahlias, chosen for your garden by the plant experts at Richard Jackson Garden.
Dahlia ‘Dark Spirit’
Add a touch of drama to your garden with this deep-red flowered dahlia. The flowers are intricate balls of densely packed petals and resemble pompoms. The plants flower from summer into autumn adding rich, abundant blooms to your garden. It’s a prolific flowerer, so you can cut some of the flowers for home decoration, the flowers are long-lasting and dramatic in a table display. It’s a real doer and with some winter tuber protection it will perform year after year.
Dahlia ‘Eveline’
What a beauty. The flowers of Dahlia ‘Eveline’ are white with lilac blushed edges creating a beautiful, ethereal statement in the border. This dahlia has large, pompom flowers that make fabulous cut flowers and add a romantic effect to the garden too. It flowers all summer until the first frosts and is perfect for cottage gardens and mixed herbaceous borders, where the soft white and lilac flowers mix perfectly with salvias, grasses and a soft palette of colours.
Dahlia ‘Lavender Perfection’
Just as the name suggests, Dahlia ‘Lavender Perfection’ has perfect lavender-pink flowers. But there’s something else that sets this plant apart from the rest; the flowers are huge, like frilly pink dinnerplates and they last for ages whether you cut them for flowers indoors or leave them in the garden to add vintage but flamboyant charm to your borders. It’s a breath-taking variety, known for its enormous lavender-pink flowers. This much-loved heirloom variety proves that some plants truly stand the test of time. Introduced in the 1950s, Dahlia ‘Lavender Perfection’ remains unchanged, its magnificent blooms still radiating vintage charm and effortless elegance.
Dahlia ‘Manhattan Island’
If bold colours suit your garden, or you are looking for border firework flowers that light up your display, this magnificent dahlia could fit your requirements. Dahlia ‘Manhattan Island’.
Has huge fiery red, dinner plate-sized blooms. The yellowy centre that forms as the flowers open, sets off the bright red petals of these large, dramatic flowers. The flowers may also be splashed with yellow, creating a flame-effect in the garden. Great for cutting for a striking indoor display, or let the flower buds burst into bold, show-stopping flowers adding height and drama into your planting scheme.
Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’
Here’s another stunning dahlia that will breathe colour and vibrancy into your garden. Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’ has huge peachy-orange flowers from midsummer and into autumn. The rich ember hues are the perfect way to count down to autumn. The flowers are huge and in tones of orange-yellow and peachy-yellow, adding that fiery feel to the garden. It’s ideal for the herbaceous border, the tall flower stems keep the blooms tall and above the rest of the border. Its strong, upright stems makes it the perfect choice for cut flower displays or adding a bright focal point in the border.
