Up North we have the benefit of many keen dahlia growers and exhibitors. Better than that we have the national dahlia society (NDS) trials at Golden Acre park in Leeds and here is the video from this year.

Winning back Dahlias as friends progressively over the last decade we now have some of the best garden plants and some showy cut flowers from a cutting garden.

My Lessons in 2021

1. I grew only from saved tubers not tubers left in the ground over winter. My worry was damp not frost.
2. This method worked well when I started off the overwintered tubers in the same garage environment for potting up.
3. I got lots of extra plants that I was able to give to friends and neighbors.
4. Five top notch plants were grown in large pots and gave a ‘stonking display’. The last to tire, an orange pom pom is just about finished at the end of October.
5. The roots and tubers I lifted this week had not yet been frosted. I have still many plants in flower and when frosted I will need the time later.
6. The tubers and roots did not grow very deep and I hope I wont have trouble dividing up the clumps and or taking shoot cuttings.
7. After a variable show from the small single tubers I had decided not to bother next year but they have come through in autumn with a blase of glory and earned a reprieve.