wilko Dahlia White Perfection Spring Planting Bulb, Plant March to June, Flowers July to October, Perfect for Patio Containers and Borders, 1 Pack

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Water Dahlias consistently in dry weather: the bigger the flower, the thirstier the plant. Varieties with small flowers and short stems are more drought resistant than the big showy ones. Feed them with diluted tomato feed from June onwards. Taller varieties need solid stakes, bamboo canes will do for the rest, and it is best to drive these in at planting time. Strong garden twine, wrapped around several times, especially the tall, decorative "dinner plate" dahlias, will secure them nicely. Many low plants can help to cover up dahlia legs, lavender loves the same sunny, well drained conditions. Semi-Cactus: Fully double, typically with pointy ray florets that are revolute for between 25% and 65% of their length, wide at the base, and either straight or involute for the rest. Harden off, ready for planting outdoors in late May / early June when the danger of frost has passed. Native to Mexico, it's no surprise that dahlias like a sunny spot. Give them fertile, free-draining soil and you'll have happy tubers. Dahlias vary widely in their flower shapes and colours and offer huge interest for any gardener growing them.

For early flowering, start tubers in pots of compost during March and April, keep in a greenhouse or windowsill. Star (formerly Single Orchid): One outer ring of florets around the disc. All the ray florets are either involute or revolute.Dinner Plate' Dahlia: As the name suggests, these flowers bloom to be approximately the size of a 8" dinner plate. Anemone Flowered: One or more outer rings of ray florets (usually flattened) around a mass of tubular florets, with no visible disc in the middle. Ball: Fully double, and form either a near-perfect or flattened ball. The ray florets are rounded at the tips.

There are a number of dahlia types and varieties to choose from. Here are a few varieties of dahlias that are popular among gardening enthusiasts: supply flower bulbs in quantities large and small, for all types of gardener from the cottage potterer through to the professional landscaper Dahlia 'Cafe Au Lait': A favourite among floral designers, this variety produces large, creamy blooms. Collarette: One outer ring of ray florets (usually flattened) that overlap, and an inner ring, or collar, of small florets, with a visible disc in the middle.In autumn lift, dry and store the tubers for winter, in dry peat, or sand, in a cool frost free place. We supply flower bulbs in quantities large and small, for all types of gardener from the cottage potterer through to the professional landscaper The golden rules of dahlia growing are to keep them free from frost, plant them in the sun with support, then feed them well, keep them free from pests and either cut them often, or deadhead them early. Do these six things, and yourreward will be a constant supply of popping flowers from July to November or so. If you primarily want dahlias for cutting, then pay attention to the stem strength and length, and the way the flower heads are held: nodding is usually undesirable unless your bouquets are overhead! Karma Choc is a paragon of posture and vase life. Waterlily: Wide but shallow, fully double, open blooms with wide ray florets. The depth of the bloom is not more than one third of its diameter.

Involute petals face inwards, to the centre of the flower, and revolute flowers are outward facing. For the biggest flowers for the show bench (or just because size always matters), pinch off all buds on a stem except for the main one. Alternatively, for a balance of bigger flowers and filling up your vases around the house, reduce the number of buds on a stem to two, three or four. If your garden display is the most important thing, then leave them be and just deadhead them as soon as they begin to fade. The dahlia on every high-end horticulturalist's list is 'Cafe au Lait' - a true beauty - a creamy coffee colour - it is much prized as a cut flower and very respected in the industry. Sophisticated and stately, one not to miss. Cut flowers for vases in the early morning. Cut horizontally with secateurs right above a set of leaf nodes and side buds. Try to cut flowers when they are 90% open; dahlia buds don't open much after cutting. Plant in good, thoroughly prepared soil, enriched with well-rotted compost, in a sunny spot with good drainage. Making a low raised bed is a good tactic on heavy clay. Fill it with a mix of compost, leafmould, worm castings and something like coconut coir to retain moisture. Break up the clay a bit underneath the bed, add some grit (not sand) if you want to improve drainage, you don't need to mix compost down into it.Double Orchid: Fully double, no visible disc, with triangular centres. The ray florets are narrow, and all of them are either involute or revolute. Single Flowered: One outer ring of florets, which may or may not overlap, and make up a disc in the middle. Cactus: Fully double, typically with pointy ray florets, most of which are narrow and revolute for over 65% of their length (longitudinal axis) and either straight or involute for the rest. At Peter Nyssen, our range of dahlia tubers and bulbs are carefully field-grown, ensuring quality blooms that radiate vibrant colour from summer through to autumn. Once bloomed, dahlia flowers boast a spectacular variety of sizes, shapes and colours, making them an ideal addition to any garden setting. Whether you're looking to populate a large garden bed or add a splash of colour to a small corner, you'll find the perfect dahlia tuber to suit your needs from our extensive range.

Dahlias are tender Central American plants. A light frost will cut down the plant and probably damage the tuber, and a hard freeze will kill it. So, remember to lift the tubers for storage before winter comes, pot them up, and keep them in a sunny room, greenhouse or conservatory until after the last frosts. Plant them out again promptly so that their roots establish well. This yearly removal and replanting process means that, from a garden designer's perspective, Dahlias in practice behave like annual bedding plants.Earwigs are the dahlia grower's number one enemy. Earwigs also eat huge numbers of greenfly, so we suggest trapping and relocating them. Fill little pots with newspaper, dry grass or straw and put them upside down on bamboo canes amongst your dahlias. Empty the traps wherever you have greenfly, or as a public service, onto roadside Lime trees (Tilia species). Pompon/Pompom: Fully double & spherical, with florets largely involute along their length (longitudinal axis). Alternatively, plant directly outdoors during May, with the top of the tubers about 7.5cm (3") deep and 50-90cm (2.5-3') apart Dahlias are a "must-have" summer plant and you won't be at a loss for choice with our top quality, field grown dahlia tubers. These showy and stylish flowers are wonderfully productive making them an ideal plant for growing your own cut flowers. The excellent quality we supply means they have strong stems which adds to their longevity. Although often referred to as dahlia bulbs, dahlias are actually tubers. Visually a bulb looks like an onion and a tuber looks like a potato. A bulb, like an onion, has lots of layers formed from modified leaves with a compact stem and roots at the base. A tuber is a modified stem that stores nutrients, with buds that sprout and shoot upwards from multiple places. Recommended dahlias