WHY GROW DAHLIAS?
They keep getting better and better in late summer and autumn when many plants are fading. They offer opulent flowers with lush colors and astonishing forms. And the more you cut them for bouquets, the more they bloom.DAHLIAS AS CUT FLOWERS – For tips for longer lasting dahlias in bouquets, see our Bulbs as Cut Flowers page. DAHLIA ARCHIVES – For customer tips and raves, the stories behind the bulbs, links and books, history, news, and more, see our Dahlia Newsletter Archives.HISTORY – Dahlias were brought into gardens by the Aztecs, arrived in Europe in 1789, and by the 1840s garden writers in America were hailing scores of new varieties every year. Exciting new cactus forms were introduced in the 1870s, and in 1927 F. F. Rockwell reported that dahlias ranked in “the leading position of all bulbs grown in America.”TIPS FOR SUCCESS – Dahlias prefer full sun and rich soil. Blazing hot summers are hard on them, but see our tips for the Deep South, below. Yes, you’ll need to stake them, b
