With a wide choice of flower shapes and colours, dahlias are unrivalled for giving a showy display from summer into autumn. You can combine them with other late-flowering plants like salvias and grasses to boost late-season borders, add dwarf cultivars for colour in summer containers or grow them in rows to give lots of cut flowers for your home.
 
Dahlias dislike shade, as well as cold, wet soil and very dry sites. They’re not hardy, so in all but the mildest areas of the UK it is best to dig up the root tubers and store them in a frost-free place over winter. These tall and often top-heavy plants don’t stand up well to strong winds, so need staking.