Dahlia Dads Favourite

Dahlia 'Dad's Favourite' is a charming variety of Dahlia with anemone-like flowers. Its large flowers, as light and colourful as butterflies, will be among the most visited by pollinating insects in your garden. On their skirt of petals in a bright purplish pink, there is a large fringed heart, much redder, sprinkled with golden pollen. It blooms from summer until the first frost, on a bushy plant of medium stature.

Dahlias are tuberous plants from the large family of Asteraceae, originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the approximately 25,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, to our greatest pleasure, gardens all over the world. Dahlias are classified according to the shape of their flower. 'Dad's Favourite' is classified in the category of decorative Dahlias with anemone-like flowers. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are arranged in pompoms in the centre and surrounded by a wider collar. In this variety, the flower heads can reach up to 12cm (5in) in diameter and the outer ligules are slightly trailing, organized in a single collar. Those in the centre are much shorter and tubular, tightly packed together like a large cushion of purple-red colour. The flowering takes place from July (sometimes as early as the end of June) to October. The plant will reach about 1m (3ft) in height, with a bushy and dense habit. The highly branched stems are hollow, and the leaves are divided into 3 or 5 leaflets, which are toothed. The leaves and stems are a medium green.

To promote repeat flowering and extend the flowering period, make sure to deadhead the faded flowers. Even better, regularly compose attractive colourful bouquets by combining various varieties. The unusual flowering of this 'Dad's Favourite' variety will be enhanced by the foliage and delicate spikes of grasses (Briza media, Panicum, Molinia, Calamagrostis), to emphasize the contrast between the delicacy of tall grasses and the impertinent character of its flower. The flowering of Amaranthus and coneflowers is perfect to accompany that of Dahlias, they all bloom simultaneously, as well as cosmos or perennial salvias for example.

As star plants in kitchen gardens, Dahlias are undoubtedly beautiful flowers. Impeccable in flower beds, they can also enhance the vegetable garden. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was first cultivated as a root vegetable to be consumed. Its poor taste qualities quickly assigned it the rank of ornamental plant. Since then, interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.