New Dahlias

This is an exciting time of year, when we get to see what new varieties of Dahlias we’ve produced. At the end of every autumn, when the first frosts have begun to make the plants unsightly, and the flowers are no longer worth picking, I stop de-heading the Dahlias, and start to collect the seeds.  The seeds are planted out in the spring and the plants come into flower in July and August.  Every one is different, and an entirely new hybrid.  The flowers in these photos are from seeds taken from our own Margaret Denby Dahlia (see link) which is a tall plant with unusually large leaves, and a slight scent.  Its only disadvantage is that the flowers are singles.  These new plants are equally tall, but are doubles.  None of them is perfect, but we’ll take cuttings next spring, and see how they turn out.  Progress!