Dahlia Josie

Dahlia 'Josie' is a very recent variety of anemone-flowered dahlia. It charms with its natural, slightly nostalgic flowers, with a light architecture and warm colours. Tall and elegant, the Dahlia Josie produces an abundance of flowers composed of a collar of petals in a fairly bright orange, displaying a large fringed heart of red with a touch of golden yellow. It flowers from summer until the first frost, in a flamboyant harmony that suits blue flowers and purple foliage, for example, both in flowerbeds and bouquets.

Dahlias are tuberous plants from the large aster family, originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. At present, the approximately 75,000 horticultural varieties obtained by humans have invaded gardens all over the world, much to our delight. Dahlias are classified according to the shape of their flowers. 'Josie' is classified in the category of decorative dahlias with anemone-like flowers. In this group, the colourful ligules of the head are arranged in pompoms in the centre and surrounded by a wider collar. In this variety, the heads are 10 to 11cm (4in) in diameter and the outermost ligules, orange in colour, are almost flat, arranged in a single collar. Those in the center are shorter, tubular and fringed, displaying a bright red, packed closely together like a large cushion. The flowering takes place from July (sometimes as early as late June) to October. The plant will reach a height of 1.20m (4ft), with a bushy and dense habit. The highly branched stems are hollow and the leaves are divided into 3 or 5 leaflets, which are toothed. The leaves and stems are of a medium green colour.

To promote repeat flowering and extend the flowering period, take care to remove faded flowers. Even better, regularly create attractive colourful bouquets by combining various varieties. The warm flowering of this Josie variety deserves to be highlighted by the foliage and the delicate spikes of grasses (Briza media, Panicum, Molinia, Calamagrostis), to emphasize the contrast between the delicacy of tall grasses and the more refined character of its flower. The flowering of Amaranthus and Echinaceas is perfect as a complement to that of dahlias, as they occur simultaneously, as well as the flowering of Cosmos or perennial salvias, for example.

As the star plant of cottage gardens, dahlias are undoubtedly beautiful flowers. Impeccable in flower beds, they can also enhance the vegetable garden. In Mexico, this tuber was initially cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste qualities quickly relegated it to the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never wavered.