GARDENING WITH THE EXPERTS
The world's finest share their tips for success
Try growing them for the show bench or just for your own pleasure for a vase
Of all the forms of dahlias I’ve grown over the years, the decorative class will always be my favourite. To be classed as a decorative, the petal must be generally flat and finish with a point. The flowers should be fully double and the petals spiral out from the centre of the bloom and finish like tiles on a roof. This makes them resilient to weather and the boldest-coloured flowers in the garden.
Miniature decoratives (up to 10cm flower size) are the toughest petals of all, being able to withstand the worst of wind and rain without damage. They also have the most choice of varieties and colours available. These would be a great option for growing for cutting as they produce an abundance of flowers on good stems if disbudded a little. Varieties include ‘Skelmersdale Jayne’, ‘Marston Suzanne’, ‘Blyton Stella’ and ‘Westerton Ella Grace’.
Small decoratives (up to 15cm flower size) are bigger brothers of the miniatures, with similar form and hardiness as well as cut flower qualities. On the show bench, the ‘Diane’ family dominate, with ‘Winholme Diane’ being the most popular and a variety I’ve won more prize cards with than any other. These need a little more control of the plant to achieve f
