Beauty and The Beast
Dahlia Crazy Love
On January 21st 2018 I planted two dahlias, Crazy Love and Snowflake, in a largish pot, or so I thought at the time, cosseted them through the winter and put the pot in the garden. Fast forward to last Summer 2023 and a gigantic Dahlia emerged throwing up one enormous beautiful flower. After flowering it died back and all that was there this spring was a tall, dry, hollow thing and to my shame I couldn’t remember what had been in the pot. I snapped off the dead stalks and top dressed with a little compost and left it in the garden.
This year I have potted up a variety of bare roots and they are here and there round the garden and I have done a daily check for fresh growth on all my pots. For a few days I have seen some new shoots that as soon as they had popped up were being eaten by, I assume, slugs. I decided this morning that action was needed so thinking the slugs were hiding in the pot and popping up daily to eat a breakfast of my plant I emptied the pot and found a monster.
I believe what I found was an enormous clump, obviously pot bound,, of Dahlia. Today I have emptied a large pot that used to contain a Wisteria. The Wisteria simply fell off its perch about a month ago. Simply keeled over. Today I have repotted the monster. I considered splitting it and did a bit of research about how to do this but, whether it was because of the time of year or not I don’t know but it was impossible to budge. Maybe that will be a job for next January.
Crazy Love Dahlias are a new variety that have a truly beautiful flower. Each bloom is a wonderful white kissed with soft lilac at the tip of every petal and they are very easy to grow, perform well in virtually any position in the garden. Dahlia Crazy Love is also a fantastic choice to make a statement in larger planters. The more blooms you pick, the more the plants will produce.
Gardening Express
Ok. Can’t wait to see what appears this year.
We paid a visit to Wilkos on this very snowy morning with the intention of buying a cat carrier. I came back with my first flower buy of this year in the form of a Dahlia Tuber. White Dahlia Pompon Snowflake. According to the package these Pompom Dahlias produce fabulous double spherical blooms and so I am looking forward to seeing them in my garden this year. Each flower head is made up of layers of silky, inwardly curved petals creating a perfectly formed sphere. Tall sturdy stems provide excellent support and give the pompon its iconic habit of bobbing in the breeze. Dahlias are quite easy to grow requiring only well-drained soil and a sunny position. The advice is to dig in manure or compost and top with general purpose fertiliser for best results. Dahlias are invaluable for the summer border, in patio containers or as cut flowers, often flowering until the first frosts. Flowering from July to October these plants can reach a height of 3′. I have grown Dahlias before many years ago at the allotment but this one looks spectacular. I plan to plant these tubers in a large container in March, weather permitting. 
While in growth provide a high nitrogen liquid feed each week in June then a high-potash fertiliser each week from July to September. Stake with canes if it becomes necessary. Dead head regularly to encourage more and bigger flower heads. In mild areas, leave them in situ over winter but protect the crown with a generous layer of mulch. In colder areas lift and clean the tubers once the first frosts have blackened the foliage and allow them to dry naturally indoors. Then place the dry tubers in a shallow tray just covered with slightly moist potting compost, sand or vermiculite and store in a frost free place until planting out again.