Dahlia Misses Dutch

Dahlia 'Misses Dutch' produces semi-cactus flowers with richly coloured tubular petals of pink-red revealing a light pink inner face. A few small yellow petals appear in the centre of the heads. The double flowers bloom in abundance from summer until the first frosts, on a medium-sized bushy plant. This variety produces beautiful flowers for bouquets.

Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. There are currently thousands of horticultural varieties that have conquered gardens worldwide. They are tender perennials with fleshy tubers.

'Misses Dutch' is a very recent creation, launched in 2021. The plant forms a clump 1m (3ft) tall and about 60cm (24in) wide. It is classified as a semi-cactus dahlia, a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head incompletely curl up on at least 1/3 of their length. This dahlia has ligules curled up along their entire length. They are slightly flared at the edge. The flowering of this variety starts in July and ends in October-November. The heads measure 17cm (7in) in diameter. The habit is bushy and erect, and the branching stems are hollow. Its leaves are opposite and pinnately compound, meaning they divide into 3 or 5 toothed lobes. The leaves are a medium green and the stems are green with purple tones.

Remove faded flowers to encourage new blooms. You can use cut flowers to make colourful bouquets, combining them with other varieties.

Dahlia 'Misses Dutch' is an exceptional cut flower that pairs particularly well with peonies and lilacs. In the garden, it can be placed at the back of perennial borders, where it can lean on other bushes for support. It will complement pink, red, purple, and white blooms, especially those of roses and perennial salvias. In a mixed border, it will blend perfectly with large "thistles" (cardoon and artichoke), fennel, cosmos, and lady's mantle, for example. It will also combine beautifully with tall sedums and miscanthus.

Dahlias are stars of borders and ornamental gardens, confidently accompanying the most beautiful flowers. However, they are also appreciated alongside vegetable plants. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was first cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste qualities quickly saw it categorised as an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.