Dahlia Life Force

The Dahlia Life Force is a variety of giant decorative dahlia, offering immense flowers, similar to huge orange pompoms lightly washed with salmon and yellow in the center, with petals tapering like flames gracefully folding back towards the stem. It blooms for a long time, from July to October. A vigorous variety, vibrant and full of life, easy to match with bushes and tall perennials at the back of borders. Its long stems are perfect for cut flowers.

Dahlias belong to the asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. At present, the approximately 25000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded, for our greatest pleasure, gardens all over the world. The 'Life Force' variety is part of the giant dahlias because it is tall, 1.20 m (4ft) tall and 60 cm (24in) wide, it is also classified among the decorative dahlias, which is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are regularly arranged in a spiral, they can be bent towards the stem or curled, for example. The flowering of this variety begins in July and ends in October. The heads often measure 25 cm (10in) in diameter, the outermost ligules are quite large, slightly turbinate, of a light orange to salmon colour, not aggressive, those in the center are darker. The habit is bushy and upright, and the very branched stems are hollow. Its leaves are opposite, pinnately compound, meaning they are divided into 3 or 5 dentate lobes. The leaves and stems are medium green.

To extend the flowering period and promote repeat flowering, take care to remove faded flowers. Even better, cut them regularly to create charming colourful bouquets by combining several varieties.

'Life Force' particularly matches well with blue and yellow flowers, especially perennial delphiniums and sunflowers. The combination with white flowers of roses and daisies is particularly elegant. In borders, it will perfectly complement Echinaceas, Heleniums, and Cosmos, for example. With plants with refined foliage and flowers, such as grasses like miscanthus and crested wheatgrass, but also with the misty foliage of fennels, it will create a more rural scene, but full of originality. It can also be planted in groups of 3, with perennial flaxes at its base, the perennial geranium Blue Cloud, or the wonderful Anchusa azurea, so blue and slender next to its plump orange corollas.

As a star plant in borders and herb gardens, dahlias confidently accompany the most beautiful flowers but are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuber was first cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. But its poor taste qualities relegated it to the rank of ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.