Dahlia Almands Joy

The Dahlia Almand's Joy is a variety of the Decorative group that offers giant, very double flowers, whose fresh colour is a blend of light lavender pink and soft pink with creamy highlights, carried by thick and sturdy stems, ideal for bouquets. In bloom from summer until the first frost, Almand's Joy brings beautiful colour to the garden for weeks. Float its flowers, resembling giant water lilies, in a bowl of water for a guaranteed effect!

Dahlias belong to the large family of asteraceae, originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. At present, the approximately 25,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, to our great pleasure, gardens all over the world. Dahlias are classified according to the shape of their flowers. 'Almand's Joy', registered in 2011, is classified in the category of Decorative Dahlias. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are regularly arranged in a spiral, they can be bent towards the stem or slightly fringed, for example. In this variety, the flattened heads reach up to 20 cm (8in) in diameter and the ligules are broad, slightly tubular. Flowering occurs from July to October. The plant will reach about 1 m (3ft) in height, and 50 cm (0 and 20in) in width, with a bushy and erect habit. The very branched stems are thick, hollow, and sturdy. The leaves are opposite, pinnately compound, meaning they are divided into 3 or 5 leaflets, which have very denticulate lobes. The leaves and stems are a fairly bright green, a shade that enhances the colour of the flowers.

To promote flowering and extend the flowering period, be sure to remove faded flowers. Better yet, regularly create charming colourful bouquets by combining various varieties. The tall stature of this variety makes it suitable for the back of perennial beds, where it will pair well with pink, deep purple, and burgundy. The flowering of Echinaceas is perfect alongside Dahlias, as they occur simultaneously, as well as that of perennial salvias, for example. Also consider ornamental grasses, which have a beautiful effect in autumn.

As the star plant of ornamental gardens, Dahlias are undoubtedly beautiful flowers. They are perfect in flower beds, but can also enhance vegetable gardens. In Mexico, this tuber was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste qualities quickly assigned it the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.