Is anyone ready to be excited about dahlias yet?

[DesparatePragmatist]

I know the 2024 sparrow has barely farted... but my snowdrops are up, the rhubarb is showing pink buds and it's going to be spriiiiiiiinnng...

So I've put in a (possibly slightly too adrenaline-fueled) order for 8 new dahlias from Sarah R's - mixture of waterlily, pompom and anemone types in the cool white/pink/burgundy range rather than the oranges. And a last minute splurge on a cafe au lait for the fun of it. I know it's weeks till they'll arrive and weeks more till they'll do anything, but.... who's with me?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I did stupidly leave most of mine in this time, it had been a rough year tbf.
I had grown them all from seed in spring 2022. The ones I bought (dahlia electro pink) all rotted over winter 2022, despite me digging them up and doing everything right, whereas my ones from seed were all fine and were blooming in the garden for months and months last year.
I don’t think they will be fine this time, but I’m keeping everything crossed.

I just can’t seem to find more electro pinks to buy yet.

Me! Our first daffodil is up! In the North, it is an established one in the beds. A bit early but a joy.

My dahlias have traditionally had to go in pots because 1)north and 2) DH is massively controlling about the established flower beds which are highly sustainable and good for wildlife and not garish, blah, blah.

I have a lot of pots.

But this year I am digging a new, raised bed and that will be all mine and all dahlias so I can have tall ones. I think about it all the time.

I am turning 50 this year. I think it shows. We visited Heligan last summer on holiday and I saw my future in dahlias.

You are my people!!!

Mine didn't make it out of the ground for ugh reasons and won't have survived, but I'm just seeing that as a excuse reason to source more.

A raised bed just for dahlias... swoon

But, the single, anemone and collarette one are fantastic for pollinators!

I am new to dahlias (I'm not really a flower enthusiast, I like growing kale) but I was given some tubers last year and they were wonderful! I had cut flowers on the kitchen table for months, just from a few plants. I dug up some tubers and they are in a box in the shed. But I risked leaving a few in the ground (in the south, well mulched) and this month they were flooded :(

I had cafe au laits last year and they were glorious. I’ve lifted them so fingers crossed I’ll see them again this year, although they might have to go in pots as the bed they were in is no longer able to accommodate them. Or I might put them in the front garden

I have a small raised bed just for dahlias, which I started last year. They started flowering well but then the flowers got smaller and smaller. What was I doing wrong? I've lifted and dried them up this year and would like to do better.

One of my allotment beds is just dahlias for cutting. All stayed in the ground last year, mulched with manure then topped with some fresh sheep wool and then covered with a fleece - so hopefully they should all be snug in there!

I love the cafe au laits so have those, plus the royale and supreme versions. Also penhill dark monarch, Arabian night, Thomas Edison and crème de cognac.

I really look forward to seeing them come back again later in the year and seeing how they have grown/matured.

Dahlia anyone?

Love 'em!

I left them in the ground, with a 6 - 8 inch blanket of leaf mulch over them. Not sure if they'll survive. I may have to inspect this weekend and see if there's any sign of life ....

Already getting excited at the thought of seeing mine again - checked on my stored tubers a couple of days ago and two have rotted, Brown Sugar and Copperboy - and immediately went online to find replacements. Of course couldn’t resist adding a couple more varieties to my basket even though I have no idea where I’m going to put them (tiny London garden) - don’t even have space for any more pots!

Oh don't @Burm youve got me going now. I'm on there looking for Copperboy and Brown Sugar as those are colours I don't have and lurrrrrrrrve 🧡

your collection is stunning!

My seven or so Sarah Raven tubers were beautiful last year. I couldn’t have been happier with them, so I lifted the tubers and I’m hoping they will do just as well this year. I started them off in pots last year and then put them in the ground. I need to do that earlier this year, as they were too established for me to get cross cross type supports onto them. I’ve got everything crossed that they’ll do well as theyre just such good value.

They are beautiful plants that flower for months on end.
I love the collerette ones, most years l change the colour schemes, there are some good YouTube videos on dahlias.

I've heard dahlias described as being like teenagers - you have to feed them all the time. Maybe yours got hungry? I few handfuls of chicken pellets at the start of the season and some tomorrow every few weeks as they grow might help the bloom production

I love the photos!

I'm waiting to see if I like cafe au lait as much as everyone seems to. I resisted for 2 years (I resisted dahlia growing completely till then) as I really prefer the neater forms to the big blowsy ones. But it's pulled me in!

I've just burnt through £118, not difficult on the Parkers website.

Dahlia collections in Purple and Mauves (just in case mind don't survive after checking them next weekend)

plus some more snowdrops in the green.

Got mine from Waitrose £9 for three tubers which I was ok with. Two did well. The third dh broke before I could plant out, he is now banished from the garden. I'm hoping it'll have a better year.

It was FIL's funeral today, he was a massive dahlia fan, he had a huge patch and loved choosing and prepping for them and then took so much time & effort growing them, they were really beautiful!

This will be our first year with no dahlias, enjoy them folks!

Meant to say, I'm on the look out for some pompom types but not sure yet.

Love my cafe au laits, sure they'll be fab for you @DesparatePragmatist

@HouseInTheMiddle that is stunning!

Lovely thing to be able to remember a loved one through flowers. I'm sorry for your loss.

@TokyoSushi So sorry for your loss xxxx

Placed my order with FarmerGracy yesterday. they had a discount on dahlias.

No CaffeAuLait, had no success with those last year.

@HouseInTheMiddle this is the pompom I've just ordered - love the variegated colours

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-burlesca

I got excited in the garden centre at the weekend. Loads of wonderful dahlias. Only one was sold out: the Cafe au lait.
Which was the only one I really wanted, because I've already got a good range and most will have survived the winter.