5 Dahlias for Border Planting

Dwarf Dahlia 'Topmix Yellow', sunny flowering bushes

If you love yellow daisies, the Dahlia ‘Topmix Yellow’ is sure to please you. It brightens up the edges of borders with its sunny colour from July to November. The Dahlia ‘Topmix Yellow’ forms small bushes that reach a height of 45 cm and a width of 40 cm. Its simple-shaped flowers create corollas of Naples yellow surrounding a golden yellow centre. Its leaves and stems are a beautiful dark green. To enjoy continuous flowering, you can remove faded flowers as they occur or cut the flowers to make a bouquet in a vase.

In a border, plant the ‘Topmix Yellow’ dwarf dahlias at the front to create small bright touches. They pair beautifully with flowers in a colour opposite to yellow: purple or mauve, allowing for contrasts that catch the eye. Consider perennial salvias, such as Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna Compact’ or Nepeta faassenii ‘Cat’s Meow’. You can also temper the yellow colour of the ‘Topmix Yellow’ dwarf dahlia by pairing it with plants in white tones, such as Iberis sempervirens ‘Masterpiece’ or Chamomile. Another idea is to create colour harmonies by mixing the ‘Topmix’ series dwarf dahlias of different colours together.

The decorative dwarf Dahlia 'Extase', with indulgent orange hues

Stay in sunny, vibrant colours with the decorative dwarf dahlia ‘Extase’, which boasts beautiful flowers with numerous slender, pointed petals in pale salmon pink with a golden centre. With a diameter of 10 to 14 cm, the large flowers bloom like graceful rosettes from July to October. The decorative dwarf dahlia ‘Extase’ reaches a height of 45 cm and a width of 50 cm, featuring bright green leaves and stems. For maintenance, be sure to remove faded flowers to encourage the appearance of new blooms or cut flowers for a cut flower arrangement.

Position the decorative dwarf dahlias ‘Extase’ at the front of your border and pair them with dwarf dahlias ‘Gallery Art Fair’, whose white will temper their vibrant colours. You can also add the silvery foliage of silver dust cinerarias or the lightness of Stipa pennata. Also, try pairing them with Echinaceas ‘Funky White’ or Echinaceas ‘Secret Romance’. To add contrast to your border, consider mauve asters like Aster ageratoides ‘Adustus Nanus’ – Summer dwarf aster.

The dwarf Dahlia 'Melody Dixie', a charming cream and mauve flowering.

The dwarf dahlia ‘Melody Dixie’ offers charming double, rounded flowers in bi-coloured cream and mauve from July to October. With a diameter of 12 cm, the flowers are globular and well-shaped, displaying a delicate palette of shades ranging from cream to mauve and purple lilac. Their bushy, compact habit does not require staking. The dwarf dahlia ‘Melody Dixie’ reaches a height of 60 cm with a spread of 50 cm. The leaves are dark green.

Plant the dwarf dahlia ‘Melody Dixie’ at the edge of a border and add alongside it snapdragons ‘Royal Bride’ with their immaculate whiteness or Asters alpinus ‘Goliath’ or Alpine Asters with lovely lavender-blue flowers. You may also choose to plant Pennisetum orientale – Chinese fountain grass to lighten your flower bed and add a more natural touch.

The dwarf cactus dahlia 'Playa Blanca', an immaculate whiteness

The dwarf cactus dahlia ‘Playa Blanca’ is a summer bulb that produces a multitude of flowers with long, slender pointed petals, creating a bristly silhouette reminiscent of a cactus. Its pure white colour brightens up borders and flower beds. The flowers bloom from July to October, on medium green foliage. They have a diameter of approximately 10 cm. The plant reaches a height of 60 cm and a width of 60 cm.

In a summer border, pair the dwarf cactus dahlias ‘Playa Blanca’ with red cactus dahlias, such as the cactus dahlias ‘Friquolet’, or purple ones, like the giant dahlias ‘Kenora Macop-B’. To play with shades, add semi-cactus dahlias ‘Color Spectacle’, which are orange with a hint of white.

The anemone dahlia 'Purpinca', the intensity of purplish pink

The Dahlia anemone ‘Purpinca’ is a variety of decorative dwarf and compact Dahlia with anemone flowers that requires no staking. At a height of 35 cm and a spread of 40 cm, it produces beautiful deep purplish-pink flowers from July to November. With a diameter of 6 to 8 cm, the flowers consist of wide, flat external ligules, along with a collar of small tubular internal ligules arranged in a honeycomb pattern. Due to its small size, this variety is ideal for edging a flower bed.

To highlight the intense colour of the Dahlia anemone ‘Purpinca’, pair it with the light foliage of grasses, such as Calamagrostis brachytricha – Feather Reed Grass. They will create an airy and fluffy setting for your Dahlias. You can complement this with the grace of a few white ‘Sonata’ cosmos and yellow ‘Xanthos’ cosmos.

For further reading

Discover:

• our advice sheet on planting and growing Dahlias
• the best varieties of dwarf Dahlias
• our tips for growing beautiful Dahlias
• as well as our advice on how to pair Dahlias well in the garden