A well-planned garden is the key to growing healthy, vibrant dahlias that flower successfully throughout the season. From selecting the right dahlia varieties to preparing your soil and timing your planting, each step plays an important role in ensuring success.
Whether you're new to dahlias or looking to improve on last year’s results, taking the time to plan ahead will save you effort later and help you achieve the garden you envision.
With these 5 practical tips, you’ll be on your way to a thriving dahlia garden that you can be proud of.
1. Pick Varieties That Match Your Goals
When planning your dahlia garden, the first step is to consider what you want to achieve. Dahlias come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colours, so it’s important to select varieties that align with your garden’s purpose.
If you’re growing dahlias for cut flowers, tall varieties with long, sturdy stems, such as Temple of Beauty, Sweet Love and Great Silence are ideal for creating striking bouquets. For border landscaping, you might want to consider dahlia varieties with smaller heads that fit neatly into existing garden borders, such as Burlesca or Ivanetti, which provide a dense burst of colour.
If your goal is to encourage more pollinators into your garden, you'll want to have a look at the single varieties such as Waltzing Matilda and Bumble Rumble which are also naturally shorter and very effective in pots.
You might also want to consider that some varieties, such as Strawberry Cream and Genova flower earlier than other varieties to give more successional planting. If you're overwhelmed with choice, we offer beautifully curated collections of dahlias and cut flower seeds in striking combinations. Click here to check them out.
2. Border vs. Raised Beds
Choosing between planting dahlias in the border or in raised beds depends on your space and preferences. Raised beds offer better drainage, more control over soil quality, and less strain on your back when planting, weeding and harvesting. It also makes it easier to spot if your dahlia plants are under attack from slugs and snails and to control them with nematodes or beer traps.
However, your borders might be able to accommodate more plants, and with the right planning, can create a seamless, natural look that blends with the rest of your garden. Try mixing dahlia with grasses and other annuals and perennials to achieve a stunning display like this one at Aston Pottery in Bampton.
3. Potting Up vs. Planting Directly Outside
One of the first decisions you’ll need to make is whether to pot up your tubers in spring or plant them directly outside once the frost risk has passed. Potting up gives you a head start as it allows you to grow strong plants before they go into the ground and you don't need a greenhouse as the tubers will thrive on a sunny window sill or conservatory. You do however need to factor in time for putting them outside and bringing them in once they get a bit taller to avoid them getting leggy.
Planting directly outside can be easier and saves time but when they start to shoot they'll be more susceptible to slug and snails which can eat them before you've even noticed!
4. Find the Best Spot
Dahlias need full sun to thrive, so choose a location that gets at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day. If you’re planting in a border or raised bed, ensure it’s in a spot with minimal shade and isn't overshadowed by already established plants. Consider that planting against a wall or fence can also offer protection to your dahlias and less chance of wind damage. If you're considering growing dahlias in pots, there's a blog post here with all the information you need.
5. Prepare Your Soil Early
Healthy soil is crucial for growing vibrant dahlias and I always mulch my beds in the spring. Mulch is a layer of material placed over soil to suppress weeds, retain moisture, and protect plants from wind and sun. Organic mulches, such as Apsley Farm Mulch, provide slow-release nutrients, improve soil structure, and attract beneficial insects like worms and beetles, which help make the soil more fertile and support local wildlife.If you’re growing in raised beds, this is a great time to refresh the soil mix and add any necessary amendments.
I hope that these tips will help you make informed decisions about your dahlia garden, setting you up for a successful season. This year we're launching a range of dahlia themed journals, notepads and 'to do list pads' which will definitely help keep your dahlia planting plans on track.
Don't forget that if you have ordered tubers from us, you'll receive lots of tips, videos and community advice from our private Dahlia Beach Club on Facebook. (*please note that this is a private group, exclusive to Dahlia Beach Customers. You will only be able to access the group by entering your order number which will be on the confirmation email you received when you placed your order.)
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