Dahlia All That Jazz

The 'All That Jazz' Decorative Dahlia is a must-have. Its colour is rare, with a gradient ranging from a plum centre to a coppery pink and creamy tips. In summer, it is more red, while in autumn it leans towards peach. Its large double globular flowers are elegantly formed. The plant forms a large bushy clump and blooms late into the season, with abundant dark green foliage.

Dahlias are part of the large Asteraceae family, originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. Currently, the thousands of horticultural varieties created by man have invaded gardens worldwide, much to our delight. Dahlias are classified based on the shape of their flowers. All That Jazz is classified in the category of Ornamental Dahlias. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are arranged regularly in a spiral, and can be curved towards the stem or slightly curled, for example. In this variety, the heads are approximately 14cm (6in) in diameter and the ligules are wide, slightly flattened, and concave. Flowering occurs from mid-July to October. The plant reaches approximately 1.20m (4ft) in height and 70cm (28in) in width, with a bushy and upright habit. The highly branched stems are hollow, and the opposite leaves are divided into 3 or 5 leaflets, which are finely denticulate. The foliage is dark green.

To promote continuous flowering and extend the blooming period, make sure to remove faded flowers. Even better, regularly create attractive colourful bouquets by combining various varieties. Plant this 'All That Jazz' Dahlia in the middle or back of a flowerbed alongside red, purple, orange, and cream-coloured blooms. For example, try mauve asters, Verbena bonariensis, daylilies like 'George Cunningham' or 'Margaret Perry'. The blooming of sunflowers, Cosmos, and Echinaceas beautifully complement the blooming of Dahlias in summer and early autumn. Also, consider the vibrant spikes of ornamental grasses during this time of year.

As stars of cultivated gardens, Dahlias are undoubtedly beautiful flowers, perfect in flowerbeds, and can also enhance vegetable gardens. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste quickly relegated it to the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.