Dahlia Melody Harmony

Dahlia 'Melody Harmony' is undoubtedly the most acclaimed of the 'Melody' series decorative dahlias, selected for their modest stature and superb flowering. The plant boasts a magnificent contrast between its pastel pink double flowers and its dark foliage in a beautiful forest green washed with brown-purple. Its flowers are fully double and globular. They hold up excellently in the rain. They continue to bloom until the first frost in flower beds, borders, and pots. It is an absolutely superb variety of great delicacy!

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. There are currently thousands of horticultural varieties that have conquered gardens worldwide. They are tender perennials with fleshy tubers.

'Melody Harmony', registered in 2008, has been awarded more than 27 times according to the American Dahlia Society, including by the Royal Horticultural Society in England. It represents a beautiful improvement in variety, with the unprecedented combination of dark foliage and fully double flowers.

This is a semi-dwarf dahlia, which will not exceed 60cm (24in) in height and 50cm (20in) in width. It is also classified as a decorative dahlia, a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the colourful ligules of the capitulum are regularly arranged in a spiral. They can be bent towards the stem or curled, for example. The flowers in the capitula of 'Melody Harmony' measure up to 15cm (6in) in diameter. The "petals", or ligules, are almost white when they bloom, gradually turning a very pale-pink as fine veins and borders of a pink-violet colour appear. The ligules in the centre are cream-coloured, bordered in violet. The golden heart of the flower only appears late, just before wilting. The flowering period is from July to October. The habit is bushy and compact, and does not require staking. The highly branched stems are hollow. The leaves are opposite, pinnately divided into 3 or 5 toothed lobes. The young leaves and stems are brown-purple, gradually turning a very dark green.

Remove faded flowers to encourage new blooms. You can use cut flowers to make colourful bouquets, combining them with other varieties. 

'Melody Harmony' pairs particularly well with the pink-purple flowers of Dahlia 'Cornel', blue and pink (D. 'Wizard of Oz, D. 'Orfeo'), or violet, as well as the silver foliage of cineraria. This dahlia will look wonderful with echinaceas, for example, which bloom at the same time, as well as daylilies or asters. It is suitable for container cultivation on patios and balconies.

Dahlias are stars of borders and ornamental gardens, confidently accompanying the most beautiful flowers. However, they are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was first cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste qualities quickly saw it categorised as an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.