Dahlias

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

13 May 2008 01:49 PM

Dahlias have a special place in my heart as a flower because of the association I have with them when I was first dating my husband. He proudly showed me to the back of his property, a tiny yard that was literally a two-foot wide strip of dirt on the opposite end of the driveway the home shared with two other homes. Growing in that little spot of dirt was a single Dahlia.

Even without my association, you can see that there is something nostalgic and romantic about Dahlias. They are colorful; they are flamboyant; they are heirlooms. From the Aztecs to the Victorians, Dahlia's have always been a favorite of gardeners.

Some of the most attractive features of Dahlia's, beside the fact that they have those gorgeous flowers, is their ability to grow easily and their wide variety. Dahlia's may have gained an unfair reputation for being difficult because of the general belief that they can not stand the cold and must be dug up before the frost. This is nonsense. My husband's Dahlia bloomed year after year, and he never did so much as fertilize it, let alone dig it up and replant it. Our winters can get to -3 degrees in some years, although 20 degrees is more likely. Of course, if the temperature gets really low in the winter, such as in Alaska, the Dahlia may indeed die, but the plants are relatively inexpensive, allowing you to have a burst of color from mid summer through the fall with minimal fuss. And the cut flowers are guaranteed to brighten up any room.

Here are eight different varieties of Dahlias that tend to be favorites of gardeners. Of course, there are many more varieties out there to explore.

Kaiser Wilhelm

Jersey's Beauty

Juanita

Dahlia atropurpurea

Kidd's Climax

White Aster

Winsome

Bishop of Llandaff

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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Dale Harcombe (10399) 13 May 2008 02:57 PM

We had some dahlias spring up in our garden just after we moved in, maroon and white.I'm a big fan of dahlias. At the moment - Autumn in Australia- we're interested to see what pops up in our garden as we have hot pink lilies, irises, jonquils all planted by the previous owner of the house. It's like a lucky dip to see what will spring up next.

Mary Ann Romans (26886) 13 May 2008 03:39 PM

It has been adventurous here, too. Unfortunately, we killed some stuff we shouldn't because we thought it was poison (see earlier blog) and mowed down what turned out to be a forsythia bush!