Dahlias are half hardy, so keep them protected from frost. Pot tubers individually between February and April and grow them on in a greenhouse or bright indoor position. Alternatively, start them outside in May, once the risk of frost has passed.
Out of season
New
Dahlia
'Garden Desire'
Colour has a lovely way of travelling across the petals of Dahlia 'Garden Desire'. Each flower opens in warm salmon-orange, softening to apricot and pale golden yellow at the tips, while little flashes of brighter yellow glow near the centre. The petals overlap in generous, slightly irregular layers, giving the fully double decorative blooms a relaxed, almost hand-painted finish. At around 10–11cm across, they're surprisingly substantial for a plant that reaches only 40–50cm tall. A succession of blooms appears from midsummer into autumn, with fresh green foliage providing a pleasing backdrop for all those peachy shades. Dahlia 'Garden Desire' has an easy warmth that makes a summer planting feel instantly inviting.
That compact habit is exactly what makes Dahlia 'Garden Desire' so useful. Group several plants at the front of a border for a lovely sweep of colour, or give them a generous patio pot where you can enjoy the shifting shades up close. Lavender-blue salvias, pale cream flowers and wispy grasses make particularly lovely neighbours. Grow Dahlia 'Garden Desire' in a sunny, sheltered position with fertile, well-drained soil, watering containers regularly in dry weather. Remove faded flowers to encourage new buds, and start tubers under cover in spring or plant outside after the last frosts. Lift and store them somewhere frost-free in colder UK gardens. For such a modest-sized dahlia, Dahlia 'Garden Desire' brings a wonderfully generous helping of summer colour.
Quantity
Plant profile
Plant calendar
For planting out later, use a snug-fitting 15–20cm pot filled with peat-free multipurpose compost. For a patio display, plant directly into a container at least 30cm wide and keep it somewhere bright and frost free until it can move outdoors.
Position the old stem facing upwards, with the tubers covered and the stem stump level with the compost. Tubers naturally vary in size and shape and may arrive without visible buds. Bent necks are usually fine if they remain firmly attached, so do not remove them.
Water after planting, then allow the compost to become almost dry before watering again while the tuber remains dormant. Once shoots and leaves are growing strongly, water more regularly, always allowing excess water to drain away.
Plant out after the last frost, once the plant is around 20–30cm tall and its roots hold the compost together. Space dahlias approximately 30–50cm apart in borders, allowing less room for compact varieties. Water thoroughly after planting.
Water regularly during active growth and deadhead or cut flowers often. Dahlias usually bloom from July or August until the first frost, although later-planted tubers may start in late August or September. In autumn, lift, clean and dry the tubers, then store them somewhere cool, dry, airy and frost free.
- Botanical name
- Dahlia 'Garden Desire'
- Flower colour
- Pink, salmon, apricot
- Tuber size
- 1
- Established height
- 70cm-1m
- Established spread
- 30-50cm
- Growing skill
- Easy to grow
- Habit
- Upright
- Hardiness
- Half hardy
- Leaf colour
- Green
- Mouse resistant
- No
- Plant spacing
- 5 tubers per m2
- Pollinator friendly
- No
- Position
- Sheltered
- Rabbit resistant
- No
- Scented
- No
- Soil acidity
- Any
- Soil moisture
- Free draining
- Soil type
-
Loam
Sandy
Multipurpose compost
Loam-based compost - Suitable for
-
Large containers
Borders
Gravel gardens
Coastal gardens
Cottage gardens
Low maintenance gardens
Cut flower gardens - Sunlight
-
Full sun
Partial shade - Toxicity
- No report
- Years to establish
- 1st year
Good for cutting
Thrives in full sun
Perennial
Packed in paper
Low maintenance
Top-size tubers
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