Top Seven Dahlias to Bring Unparalleled Beauty to Your Summer Garden
Welcome to our guide on the top seven dahlias that promise to bring unparalleled beauty and a bounty of blooms to your summer garden. Dahlias, with their diverse colours, shapes, and sizes, are one of our favourites and for good reason. From petite pompons to dinner plate-sized blooms, there’s a dahlia variety to suit every garden size, style, and taste. Join us as we explore seven exceptional dahlias that are sure to dazzle and inspire!
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Ginger Spice: Colourful Companion
Decorative Dahlias
Indulge your senses in the beauty of these blooms. This delightful duet of dahlias in our Ginger Spice Colourful Companion will add some warmth and liveliness to your summer bouquets. A dahlia blend of Crème de Cassis with its deep black currant and creamy lilac contrasts beautifully with the complex tawny hues of Crème de Cognac. Quickly growing to 100 cm (40”) tall, these garden favourites, will give you armloads of stunning 4” blooms – the perfect size for making quick bouquets to share. Take a moment to relax and discover the simple beauty and layers of intricacies of these spicy blooms.
Radiant Messengers: Colourful Companion
Giant Dinnerplate Dahlias
A stunning dahlia duo that lives up to its name. Radiant Messengers will create a dazzling display with the ruffled petals of Myrtles Folly in a blend of apricot, pink, and gold balanced with the glowing white petals of Fleurel. Both varieties have lavish 9-10” blooms atop 90 cm (36”) stems and invite you to relax in a joyful garden space. As garden ambassadors of summer, these dahlias will bring beauty and joy to any garden setting.
Café au Lait Royal: Giant Dinnerplate Dahlia
Imagine the soft glow of morning sunlight filtering through a cozy café, casting a warm, inviting ambiance. Café au Lait Royal is a welcome addition to the Café series of dahlias. The blooms capture that same essence with its luxurious, creamy mocha overlaid with delicate hints of blush and apricot. Quickly growing to 110 cm (44”) the tall stems will appreciate support for the generous 9” blooms. Like sipping on a perfectly crafted latte, this dahlia evokes feelings of comfort and indulgence, making it a much sought-after variety for creating a serene and elegant garden space.
Platinum Blonde: Anemone Dahlia
If you are looking for masses of glowing blooms then Platinum Blonde is a perfect choice. With petals reminiscent of spun silver and center puffs of soft buttery yellow, these blooms have an ethereal beauty that captivates. The pale petals shimmer with an iridescence that will glitter in the garden on moonlit nights. Plant this dahlia in your mixed borders as it will grow to 80 cm, you can then gather long stem cuts of 4” blooms. An impressive variety that will have you adding blooms to bouquets from, late summer through autumn.
Mister Frans: Waterlily Dahlia
With the charm and charisma of a dapper gentleman, Mister Frans commands attention with his bold presence and magnetic allure. Each 5” bloom boasts velvety petals in rich hues of peach and coral. Planted among the lush greenery, Mister Frans grows to an impressive 120 cm (48”). So go ahead and add a touch of sophistication and intrigue to the garden, inviting admiration with every graceful sway.
Bolt: Ball Dahlia
Like a flash of lightning across a stormy sky, Bolt lights up the garden with its dynamic energy and electrifying beauty. The 4” spheres of luminous pale lemon petals, seem to crackle with intensity, igniting the landscape with their radiant glow. Growing to 70 cm (28”) you can plant them in large containers on a patio or in mixed borders. Wherever you choose to plant it, Bolt’s electrifying presence will brighten every corner.
Sweet Fabienne: Ball Dahlia
Sweet Fabienne dahlia enchants with its whimsical charm and playful grace. Delicate 4” balls of petals, in crisp shades of pink, dance upon the breeze like laughter echoing through a garden. Growing to 100 cm (40”), Sweet Fabienne can be planted in drifts among other cottage garden favourites like gladiolus and phlox.
Tips to Get the Jump on Summer Blooms
-Start your dahlia tubers indoors from March through early May. Dahlia tubers are frost sensitive, so only plant dahlias outside once all chance of frost has passed.
- Plant them in starter pots on a sunny, warm windowsill or use a heat mat at a temp of 15-20°C (60-70°F) and a grow light with 12-16 hours of bright light to encourage early sprouting and root growth.
- Keep the soil moist and not soggy and only fertilize with a balanced blend once they are planted in the ground.
- Some varieties of dahlias take longer to break dormancy than others, so persevere.
- -Dahlia sprouts emerge from the eyes on the neck of the tuber, the space where the tuber connects to last year’s growing stem.
- Remember to pinch your dahlias when they are about 10” tall and with at least 4 leaves to encourage branching.
Check out our detailed information on dahlia tubers, and complete guide of growing dahlias.
Whether you’re drawn to the delicate beauty of Café au Lait Royal or the bold allure of Ginger Spice, there’s a dahlia variety to suit every taste and preference. By planting these stunning dahlias in your garden, you can look forward to a summer filled with breathtaking blooms that will inspire and delight you each time you step outside. Happy gardening!
