Dahlia Yellow Perception

Dahlia 'Yellow Perception' is distinguished by its waterlily-like open flowers. They measure 10cm (4in) in diameter. They are pale-yellow with a darker heart, slightly tinged with green. It flowers from July to the first frosts. It is a marvel for flower beds and 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.

'Yellow Perception' is a waterlily dahlia. The inflorescences are approximately 10cm (4in) wide, composed of numerous ligules, which are broadly ovate and almost flat on the periphery and more curved towards the centre. It flowers throughout summer, bearing pale-yellow blooms enhanced with darker yellow-green heart.

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

Create a bed of dahlias or plant several varieties in the vegetable garden. Combine 'Yellow Perception' with the bright yellow of Dahlia 'Kennemerland' or the purple of D. 'Arabian Night'.

Decorative dahlias go well with gauras and cleomes with their light appearance. Also consider echinaceas and perennial sunflowers like 'Lemon Queen' with their pale-yellow flowers.

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.