Dang Dahlias

Are dahlias beautiful? Yes, they're gorgeous! Are they worth the effort? Not for me. I babied two tubers, keeping them warm in spring and watering religiously. Only one bloomed, and that wasn't until September. Too soon, we got cold weather, in the 40s, which they don't like. I cut all the flowers to bring inside (below).

The cut flowers are pretty, but the plant is not (below). The flowers face downward, and the branches are so delicate a squirrel and a stiff breeze knocked them over. Yes, I staked them, but that didn't seem to help much. I didn't like to color, either, which is called "blueberries and cream." After a few days, the color fades to cream, which can be elegant, but I crave bright colors in my garden. I get plenty of white in winter, so I want to embrace as much vivid color as I can in the summer. I'm glad I did this experiment with two tubers, a good learning experience. Breeders are introducing new dahlias with a compact form and lots of flowers, which are sold as plants, not tubers. I'll pass for now. However, I have a new appreciation for those gardeners who grow dahlias.