DAHLIAS
OUR DAHLIAS
Here at St Leonards Nursery, we specialise in growing our own dahlias. We pride ourselves on our expertise, having grown dahlias for over 60 years, in a wide variety of styles and a beautiful array of colours. Not only do we stock a selection of our finest cut dahlias in store, we also supply our famous flowers to other florists around the Colchester area.
Our dahlias are a seasonal flower and are usually available from around mid August right through until November. See below for more information on our varieties, as well as how to care for your dahlias.
POMPOM DAHLIAS
These dahlias are one of the smaller varieties that we grow on the premises, growing to only a couple of inches wide. Their heads have a real classic look to them, being almost perfectly spherical in appearance. Typically their petals are small and slightly curved inwards at the ends to create this rounded look.
CACTUS & SEMI-CACTUS DAHLIAS
These striking plants are uniquely identified by their 'spiked' petal formations. The semi-cactus variety is usually defined as having a full double bloom with sharp petals that are broader than its Cactus counterpart. Much like the Waterlily variety, these can range in size from a few inches (miniature) to over ten inches (giant).The Cactus style is exactly how it sounds: sharper petals, although not as broad as the Semi-Cactus, and are either slightly curved or straight. Again, this variety can vary in size but is roughly that of the Semi.
MINIATURE DECORATIVE DAHLIAS
These intriguing dahlias are very similar to the Pompom variety, however they are not always completely spherical in appearance and generally have wider florets and less curvature to their petals. As the name suggests, their heads have a more decorative style and usually do not grow much larger than the Pompom variety.
WATERLILY DAHLIAS
These exotic looking flowers are identified by their broader heads and large, slightly flatter petals. Although this variety almost always has a double flower to its head, it is usually a very delicate bloom. These dahlias can range from just a few inches (miniature) to over ten inches (giant).
DAHLIA CARE
Being a strong, vibrant bloom, dahlias naturally require a strong foundation in order to survive and grow to their full potential in your garden. They should be planted into clean, well drained soil which should be mixed with a multipurpose compost or other fertiliser of choice for optimum results.
For cut flower blooms, the best way to keep your dahlias flowering for longer is to cut stems down at a slight angle using a knife (not scissors as this will damage the stems) and place in clean warm water as soon as possible to avoid wilting of the petals. Keep flowers out of direct sunlight and out of the path of draughts of air for a longer lasting arrangement.
DAHLIAS GALLERY
We grow so many varieties of dahlia and in such a spectacular array of colours - we just can't help but show them off!
