Dahlia 'Dinner Plate' collection named 2014 Summer Bulb of the Year

A plant promotional company based in the Netherlands has named Dahlia 'Dinner Plate' collection its 2014 Summer Bulb of the Year. The Dahlia ’Dinner Plate’ varieties make up an exclusive collection selected from the decorative dahlia group. They were chosen by iBulb as Summer Bulb of the Year for 2014 because of their extra large, massive flowers that can easily reach a diameter of 30 cm. Dahlias ‘Kelvin Floodlight’ and ‘Fleurel’ are good examples.

The Dahlia is a member of the Asteraceae family that also includes daisies. The many varieties of dahlias also produce a wide range of inflorescences, the characteristics of which are used to classify the varieties into groups.

The varieties in the Dahlia ‘Dinner Plate’ collection were developed from the group known as decorative dahlias. The inflorescences produced by this group are entirely double and consist entirely of ray florets. Each petal is broad and flat; the tip of the petal can be rounded, slightly pointed or even a bit fringed. The International Dahlia Register, in which more than 2,300 European dahlia varieties are officially classified, contains around 130 decorative dahlia varieties that produce flowers larger than 20 cm in diameter. These varieties can then qualify as ‘Dinner Plate’ dahlias.

All dahlias will bloom and keep on blooming to lend colour to the garden from July until the first touch of frost which often means sometime in November.

Dahlias prefer a sunny location. This could be in the border, but they will also thrive in pots on the terrace or balcony. If planted in containers, however, they will require large ones filled with enough potting compost for proper growth.

These plants will also require sufficient quantities of water during cultivation, whether in a container or in the garden. This is important for their development as well as for the initiation of flower buds. A soil that retains moisture is definitely an advantage. When watering with a watering can, adding a little liquid fertilizer can’t hurt. The plants will then produce even more flowers.

Photo: Dahlia 'Fleurel' courtesy of iBulbClick here for more.