It's official, dahlias are back in all their

loud and bright glory! They are brilliant

for a pot display (smallish varieties) or to

add lots of late summer colour into

borders and the bees love them!

Some find growing dahlias a daunting

prospect but there really is no reason to,

yes they look a bit weird and scary but give

them a go, they really are quite obliging and

so worth the effort come summer!

Whether your bought tubers have just arrived or you've dug out those overwintered

in your shed, now is the time to pot them up togive them a head start. They look

extraordinary,a fascination to a inquisitive

4 year old and apparently rather like a bunch

of old sausages!

Pot them up in a large-ish 2 - 3 L pot per tuber bunch in some multi purpose compost with their stem poking an inch or so above the surface of the soil. If any of the tubers look rotten just cut them off and discard before potting up.

Water them in well, keep moist and place

somewhere light and frost free - a cold frame

is ideal of you have one.

Wait until May - June when they are a

healthy bushy plant and plant out into a

sunny spot with rich soil or a handsome

large terracotta pot.

Water well, especially when hot and enjoy

their glorious colours from July all the way

through to November.

#Pottingupdahlias