Dahlia Lake Carey

'Lake Carey' is a decorative dahlia prized for its well-regular pastel flowers, in a gradient from creamy yellow to light yellow-green, finishing with lilac-pink tips. Its generous flowering, from July until the first frosts, makes it an excellent dahlia for borders and large containers. Its long, sturdy stems are perfect for cutting: in a vase, the flowers last for several days. An ideal variety for romantic displays or wedding cut flower arrangements.

Belonging to the Asteraceae family, garden dahlias originate from species native to the high plateaus of Mexico and Central America. A perennial through its tubercles, but not frost-hardy, the plant is generally cultivated as a summer bulb: the tubercles are planted in spring, then dug up in autumn to be stored in a cool, dry place.
'Lake Carey' is classified in the horticultural group of decorative dahlias (Group 5), subgroup 5(d), meaning decorative dahlias with medium-sized flowers: the inflorescences are fully double, with no apparent central disc, composed of broad, flat ligules, barely rolled along their length. This cultivar was developed in the Netherlands by A.C. Koot, then introduced to the market by M.J.M. Duyzer in 2009, before being registered in 2010. It was distinguished in official trials in the Netherlands with a Certificate of Merit in 2009.
The plant forms a bushy clump with a well-upright habit, reaching 70 to 100 cm in height and 50 to 60 cm in width, with bright green foliage. The robust, slightly purplish stems bear heads 10-11 cm in diameter: the internal and external ligules are a slightly greenish yellow, lightening towards the tip, with a point and some longitudinal streaks of blue-pink to lilac-pink. The overall effect is of vanilla cream delicately edged with pink. Flowering spreads from July to October, or even until the first frosts if faded flowers are regularly removed. Like all dahlias, this variety appreciates full sun (at least 6 hours per day), cool but not waterlogged soil, and benefits from being staked in gardens exposed to wind.

With its very soft vanilla and lemon cream tones, simply highlighted with lilac-pink tips, this dahlia graces romantic gardens and reigns majestically in wedding cut flower arrangements. In borders, it pairs well with decorative dahlias in pale yellow shades ('Berliner Lemon') and rosy peach ('Gallery Leonardo'). It can also be combined with dark dahlias like 'Dark Spirit' or 'David Howard'. Airy perennials like Knautia macedonica 'Melton Pastels' weave between the dahlia clumps, giving a very natural feel. The Scabious 'Butterfly Blue', with its small lavender-blue flowers, creates a lovely textural contrast with the large heads of the dahlias. In a vase, create stunning cut flower arrangements with these same varieties, which can be enhanced with baby's breath 'Bristol Fairy'.

It is worth remembering that dahlias, the national flower of Mexico, were already cultivated by pre-Columbian peoples: some species provided edible tubercles rich in inulin, while the hollow stems of tall dahlias were used as water pipes. Thus, very modestly, began the adventure of this very contemporary flower.