Island Dynasty dahlia in the front yard

This is its second year with me. Nice plant, dinner plate size and showy.

Hi, Penny! Welcome back! This is one beautiful dahlia. It even looks sunny on an overcast day! I never have much luck with dahlias, but Wilma Lind has beautiful dahlias every year.. so it must be me, not the climate! Do you have to dig yours up in the fall?

I refuse to grow anything that has to be dug up every year! HA! Actually, around this area, "purists" will say DIG, but I have yet to dig these, or my glads and hardy fushia. I simply pile compost on top to shelter them a little, usually arond Dec. Last year I never got around to that either! Now in your climate, there is no question. They would either need to be dug, or what I suspect happens up there, they are grown in containers that are stored in a "no freeze zone." I think that's must be how she keeps them going. Or she could just start new tuber each year, I guess, early in the house.

Well, Penny, leaving them in the ground probably contributes to their size, considering they get more time to develope and their roots don't get disturbed. Wilma plants hers right in the ground, so she must bag them up or pot them for indoors. Hers are all a lovely violet purple color. She offered me some tubers this spring, but I was afraid I'd kill them! If she has extra next spring, I'll get some and send them to you!