It has been smuggled from country to country, admired, cultivated by seed and by root since at least the 1600's. Several varieties emerged in Russia, Germany, Spain, England and Sweden as well as being the national flower of Mexico.
They can be as small as a common daisy bloom but as large as one-foot; yes, the BLOOM can be as big as one foot in diameter which resulted in the common name of "Dinner Plate" dahlia.
I love the visual depth that occurs because of the number of petals to a bloom and the way they curl in making all those tunnels for bees and other pollinators to come in for a dip.
You can plant them in sun or partial shade and they come in so many varieties and colors that you could do an entire garden full of them and never tire by monotony. They start blooming or 'coming on' as the expression goes around these parts and last until frost. The catalogues say you have to dig or lift the tubers out after frost, knock the dirt off and store them. If you do that, you need to let them rest on paper until they are completely dry and then put away. Avoid plastic in case you were off in your estimation of dryness; any moisture inside of a plastic bag or in the plant itself will cause it to rot.
You can also pile a some mulch on top of it and mark the spot with something so that you remember what is there. You can also just leave them alone, unmarked in the spot, and if they come back, they do, and you will be surprised as to what it is next year!
"What is it?" Is a game most gardeners play. I was surprised by this one growing by hot side of my house but under the eaves so that tells me I got it on sale or "rescued" it from the half-dead rack at that big garden store that starts with an "L" and put it in that strange place after I cut it back, put fertilizer in it and left it there as a nursery area to protect it in its first winter.
I have recently re-connected with a friend that I used to spend a lot of time with and then life intervened, I moved to a smaller town and we did not see each other as much.
I have liked a lot, rediscovering her in my life's garden of friends! She's been that dahlia over there just waiting to bloom; seeing her was a delightful surprise and I will enjoy being in the garden of life together for however that plant is around.
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