Dahlia 'Mel's Orange Marmalade'

The Dahlia Mel's Orange Marmalade, often unavailable, offers semi-cactus type flowers, somewhat variable in appearance, formed by fringed petals that give them a lot of lightness. They are medium-sized but shine in the sun with their pure orange color or sometimes touched with pink. This sparkling Dahlia will create an interesting visual impact in the garden or in original bouquets, from the beginning to the end of summer. It is a standard size variety, whose elegance will be revealed by blue or white flowers.

Dahlias belong to the asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. At present, the few 25,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, to our great pleasure, gardens all over the world. They are hardy perennials with fleshy tubers.

The 'Mel's Orange Marmalade' variety forms a bushy clump 90 cm (35in) to 1.10 m (4ft) high and 60 cm (24in) wide in a period of 3 to 4 months. This cultivar is part of the decorative Dahlias with cactus flowers, or more precisely semi-cactus; it is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the colored ligules of the head do not completely wrap around at least 1/3 of their length. This Dahlia has ligules cut into a fork at their ends. The flowering of this variety begins in July and ends in September-October. The heads measure 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) in diameter. The habit is bushy and upright, and the strong, very branched stems are hollow and reddish in color. Its leaves are opposite, pinnately divided into 3 or 5 toothed lobes. The leaves are dark green.

To extend the flowering period and promote floral re-growth, be sure to remove faded flowers. Even better, regularly cut them to create seductive colorful bouquets by combining several varieties.

'Mel's Orange Marmalade' enhances the solid and light flowerings of phlox paniculata, Salvia jamensis, campanulas, cosmos, as well as those of the cactus Dahlias 'Chat Noir', 'Tsuki Yori no Shisha' or Giant Dahlia Vassio Meggos. It also blends particularly well with the wine-colored plumes of amaranths, castor oil plants, yarrows, and large daisies. In flower beds, it will also perfectly match Echinaceas, Helenies, and crested dog's-tail grass. With Sedums and miscanthus, it will also make a lovely original mix.

As a star plant in borders and ornamental gardens, Dahlias confidently accompany the most beautiful flowers but are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was first cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. But its poor taste qualities assigned it the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.