The origins of dahlias

This beautiful plant has its origins in Mexico. Francisco Hernandez was a Mexican who was a great fan of dahlias and started to write about them in 1615. This publicity ensured that dahlias were brought from Mexico to Spain. From there, it was not until two hundred years later, in 1804, that a botanist by the name of Andreas Dahl introduced dahlias to the rest of Europe. This was when the Dahlia became the subject of so much hybridizing and breeding: countless new varieties were introduced to the market. There is good reason, thus, that the summer bulb for the year 2017 was named for Mr Dahl.

Varieties of dahlias

Did you know that there are more than 20,000 different varieties of dahlias? Dahlias are available in the widest conceivable range of shapes, sizes and colors. Bright colors, sweet fragrances, long stems, large flowers. If you can imagine it, chances are it exists! Dahlias are clearly endowed with the talent of making any garden even more beautiful that it already is. Take cactus dahlias, for example. The dahlias in this category produce large tapered petals that are rolled up for more than 2/3 of their length. These petals are sometimes straight as an arrow, but some varieties have petals that curve inwards or outwards. They are real beauties in the garden.

Planting dahlias in six steps

Planting dahlias is as easy as pie but it’s important to do so at the right time of year. The perfect time to plant dahlias is in the spring after any risk of freezing weather. You’ll be all done in just six easy steps. The only thing left to do is wait for those gorgeous flowers.

Step 1:

Choose a sunny spot in the garden where the dahlias can really shine. Some dahlias reach a height of 6 feet while others grow no taller than 1 foot. For this reason, take their wide range of heights into consideration by giving them a spot where they can be appreciated among the rest of the planting.

Step 2:

Spade the soil thoroughly to loosen it. At the same time, remove any weeds and small stones so that the dahlia will feel right at home.

Step 3:

Dig a hole in which the dahlia tuber will have plenty of room. Be sure not to make this hole too deep since dahlias like to feel the heat of the sun. This means planting them so that they are just an inch or so beneath the surface of the soil.

Step 4:

Place the dahlia tuber into the hole with the remnant of its old stem pointing up.

Step 5:

Cover the dahlia tuber with the excavated soil.

Step 6:

Pour a generous amount of water over the planted dahlia tuber. This will ensure that the roots will start growing soon.

Caring for dahlias

You will see the first dahlia shoots emerging from the soil just a few weeks after planting. Somewhat later, you will be enjoying their colorful flowers. It’s fun to watch how such a profusely flowering plant grows from a dahlia tuber. If dry weather persists for a long time during the summer months, your dahlias would appreciate a good watering. But dahlias are such easy plants that this is the only care they require.

Good to know