I love to trial new varieties- in fact it’s hard to keep up with so many varieties most of the time! But in doing so, I always find some gems. I’m mostly on the hunt for good cut flowers varieties that give lots of blooms in my Southern heat. But occasionally I find some that make great Garden Dahlias.

What makes a Garden Dahlia versus a Cut Flower variety? Most dahlias are good cut flowers but there are definitely some that are better than others. And you can grow most dahlias in a landscape style garden setting too! But when I say “this is a garden dahlia” - What I mean is - This variety stands up well on it’s own or with very little support (they are usually shorter varieties) and they also give a steady supply of blooms. Some dahlias throw all their blooms at once and then you don’t see another bloom for 6 a month. Steady color is an important aspect of a garden dahlia.

My Top 5 Favorite Garden Dahlias for 2023:

Muchacha:

You gotta love this one for the name alone— say it multiple times, you’ll love it! This dahlia is around 3’, beautiful darker foliage and strong stems. The blooms are darker, more purple toned in warm weather and then the colors begin to soften and merge into one another more as it cools. It also occasionally throws an off color like the mainly white pictured above. (I think blooms like that are fun in the garden because they are a nice surprise!) This one has a growth habit that produces stems long enough for cutting so it works as a cut and a garden dahlia. It’s a mid season bloomer and then keeps going until frost. It’s color allows it to blend easily with other tones in a bouquet or your garden.

Totally Tangerine:

Totally Tangerine- What a great anemone dahlia! Beautiful color and so many blooms! This dahlia began early August for me and bloomed her head off for a month. Then I cut it back by half and within about 3 weeks she was blooming again! This is a variety that benefits from deadheading a bit more regularly than other garden dahlias because it produces so many blooms. Doesn’t hold up well in a vase- I could really only get 2 days, occasionally 3. But it you want a dahlia to attract pollinators to your garden, this is the one. It’s also not super tall 2.5-3’ Needs little support- you could plant it between other plants and it would be just fine. Good tuber maker too so you can multiple your own stock!

Esli:

Esli was brand new for us this year! And I’ll have to admit I was a bit disappointed at first— she was short! Such a pretty bloom but barely long enough to cut. But then I began to watch her and boy, did she pump out the blooms! She only grew to about 2.5’ in my field - she put all the energy into bloom production. This dahlia would be fantastic in a border. And she’s does make a good cut flower- just not really a production cut flower (stems just aren’t quite long enough). Her bloom begins med pink with a darker center and then fades to a nice pinky salmon as it sits in the vase. It’s a beautiful progression to watch.

Valley Rust Bucket:

This one is definitely a good cut flower but I’m putting her on the garden list because I think she makes a really good garden variety too! (She pairs well with Brown Sugar as shown in the group picture above. Valley Rust Bucket is the smaller bloom) I like the 2 tone reverse coloring but I wish the bloom was a bit bigger. But she’s prolific, has a nice upright growth habit with strong stems that make it ideally suited for a garden. It also begins blooming early which means you are going to get a nice long season of blooms!

Mystique:

I know there are going to be some people who disagree with me on this one. That’s ok! I absolutely love the color on Mystique — which is why I’ve grown it for 4 years, hoping it would make the grade as a cut! But it just doesn’t have it— as soon as I cut this variety, the stems get floppy. I’ve grown it in different conditions every year. But this year, I stopped cutting it after about 2 weeks and just let it bloom. And— I noticed it’s a great dahlia- for the garden. This one is taller than most “garden dahlias” but it has a nice upright habit and would look great at the back of the border. It definitely deserves a spot in your garden but not the production field.

Now, I know that’s 5 but I’m going to throw in an honorable mention for one of the 2022 varieties: Yvonne! I grew this one again for the first time in a few years. I gotta admit, I love it! It’s petals can be a little delicate but I think it’s worth a bit of extra special care. The blooms are so beautiful!

If you’d like to see the 2022 list, click here, enter your email and it will be emailed to you!

All the above dahlias will be available in our upcoming dahlia tuber sale. Sale begins November 17. Make sure you are on the Dahlia Lovers Newsletter for all the details!