What's your favourite dahlia?

[QuietKingdom]

I can't decide between so many beautiful looking dahlia tubers that are on offer at the moment. I've never grown them before but I've decided to create a cutting garden at my allotment and I'm dreaming about bouquets of dahlias all summer long. I especially like the red, bronze and pink ones but do I want big pom poms or bee friendly giant daisies? What is everyone else growing?

I planted some dahlias in the garden last year- that's where my user name came from. First time I had tried it. They were beautiful but I can't tell you the names. The labels are in the shed somewhere. I dug up the tubers in November so hope to plant them again this year. I had a mix of large and small ones and lots of colours. Some were huge and grew up to about 4 ' with many blooms but they needed supporting with stakes.

Cactus dahlia are my favourite.
I have several but I never cut them. They just look stunning (to me) in the border. They are about the only things I grow for me. The rest of the borders are planted for the bees.

All of them.

I just cannot decide.

@PostThenGhost that's exactly what I'm thinking of-growing something just for me. At the moment the whole plot is vegetables or bee friendly flowers, I love bees but I just feel like growing some big beautiful flowers to enjoy myself. I don't have a home garden as I rent otherwise I would also just fill borders with them I think.

@DahliaBlue they sound lovely, do you have any photos from last summer? Did they grow well or did you need to do anything in particular other than stake them?

I'm leaning towards Bishop of Canterbury, Cornel Brons, Arabian Night and Thomas A.Edison, but I like the Honka series too. Love the ones with dark foliage. Hmm, I'll probably end up getting carried away and buying too many.

any dark leaved Bishop.

Have you checked Sarah raven she has put dahlia collections which you can either buy or use for inspiration.

I love Dahlias have over 20! If you are growing for cutting make sure you get a variety of shapes to create interesting bouquets eg. Ball, cactus, single, anemone etc. Maybe avoid the dinner plate varieties (eg.cafe au lait) if you are short on space as they can drown out other flowers in arrangements.

Love love dahlias, but its very difficult to choose when the pictures are so enticing. Agree with pp that the dinner plate ones are difficult to place, they need stout staking, and if its windy the flowers break off. The Peter Nyssen website tells you the size of the blooms which is a helpful guide. SR’s website is seductive and she is immensely knowledgeable, but I find her suppliers let her down on quality.

I currently have £90 worth of Dahlias in Sarah Raven shopping basket, which I'm trying very hard to whittle down to something reasonable.

Mom's dinner plate.

My favourites are David Howard, Engelhardts Matador, Karma Choc (the Karma series were bred for cutting), Thomas Edison, Hollyhill Spiderwoman,

Creme de cassis is my favourite but I've just ordered some Cafe Au Lait (normal and Royal variaties) for this year's cutting...

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

All of them.

I just cannot decide.

Yeah, just about sums me up too

My plan this year is to plant a load from seed, then keep the tubers for the ones I like. I had some last year that came with the house, and they were prolific but too many pompom varieties. I'd watch the bees try and work out where the pollen was and they couldn't, it broke my wildlife-loving heart! Will be planting dwarf doubles that have open centres.

Bishops Children. Love them so much. I trashed my patch last year so starting from scratch, they've just started to germinate.

Also really fancy trying out dahlegria, we saw some at Chelsea and I am smitten. This white one was just breathtaking.

Not a fan of growing the fancy mucked-about ones, I admire them though.

Poms are my favourite but Lady Linda is my favourite dahlia.
My dad was a champion grower and it was his favourite too.

The rest of my garden is very bee friendly. they buzz around all the time, so I'm not too worried about a few showy plants. But space? I wish I had more space to plant.

whats the best growing conditions?do they prefer full sun or part shade?

need to plan a bed for some,i'm inspired!

Definitely full sun. Well drained soil. They need feeding well and frequently, especially high potash towards flowering time.

I've bought seniors hope for this year; I love the dark foliage and the shot silk kind of vibe.

My ultimate favourite is from a cutting my mum got at her godmothers house in 1981- she takes cuttings from it every year and calls it Raspberry Ripple. It's heaven - quite small but perfect, rounded little stripy petals.

Agree totally with Bishop of Canterbury, gorgeous and does well all summer with plenty of blooms and generally slug resistant. Loved the Thomas Edison but any dinner plates need staking and think they vary in terms of slug resistance - if you have time/energy definitely plant otherwise would leave. Smaller bush varieties do exist but again same tendency to be eaten!

Loved the cafe au lait. Kelvin Floodlight (yellow) and Otto's Thrill (pink) did well for us too.

Really want to plant the black jack next!

@Trethew

My favourites are David Howard, Engelhardts Matador, Karma Choc (the Karma series were bred for cutting), Thomas Edison, Hollyhill Spiderwoman,

Karma Choc here too, loads of beautiful flowers that last well for cutting. Have bought extras this year, plus a couple of other Karmas.

Oh, but, Cafe au Lait ... LOL. Have more of those this year too.

I was a bit disappointed with CaL Royal though.

I have no clue where I'm going to fit them all ...

l have grown alot of different Dahlias, my front garden was chocabloc with them, l like the reds , purple and orange ( jewel colours ) and l prefer the pompom/ ball shape.
They can become addictive, I think my favourite is Dylis Aysling, a red collerette, which the bees love. Halls of Heddon sell some nice ones, as do Anglia bulbs and Rose Cottage.
There are some good Dahlia tutorials and views of different Dahlia fields on youtube. l think there is a facebook group as well.
l have enjoyed growing Dahlias very much, but this year l am having a change and growing Salvias instead as hoping to leave them in the borders all year long.

Oh no, I just ordered Cafe au Lait Royal. Hope it will be fine.

I've got some on order from SR although apparently not as many as I thought. Now just waiting to find out what I'll be growing at work garden