Dahlia
Cultivated by the Aztecs before Cortez’s arrival, introduced to Europe in 1784 and named after Andreas Dahl, a student of Carl Linnaeus, these Mexican and Central American natives have a fascinating past. Promising stylish pizazz for today’s landscape, the following new Dutch introductions stem from the widely popular “Bishop” series, which originated in the 1920s.
Long blooming and fantastic as cut flowers, Dahlias favor moist well-drained bright abodes and require deadheading, regular feeding and frost protection. If the tubers are grown in a garden bed, they should be lifted and dried before the first hard freeze, stored throughout the winter and planted outside after frosty nights have subsided, or remain in sheltered containers until warmer weather arrives.
Opulent color is this glamorous Dahlia’s calling card. Like a cherry-laced dark chocolate bar, ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ seduces us with lavish Peony-like dark red blooms above a sumptuous strong growing mound of deeply lobed, dark bronzy purple foliage. Surround with Kniphofia ‘Bee’s Sunset’ or Crocosmia ‘Mistral’ and a summer-time celebration of sizzling flowers are yours for the viewing.
Blooms July–October
Size: 3' 0" high x 12" – 16" wide.
Zone 7b/8.
Inclusive to the Dutch Bishop series, this must-have, Paeony-style Dahlia sprouts mahogany-colored stems dressed with pinnately divided raisin-purple foliage. Multitudes of single, 4 in. coppery orange flowers unfurl for months, casting a bodacious splash upon the rich glistening foliage. ‘Bishop of Oxford’ can be premiered in terra cotta pots, mixed plantings and cottage gardens, while its flashy aspect entices florists, pollinators and daring gardeners.
Blooms July–October
Size: 3' 0" high x 12" – 16" wide.
Zone 7b/8.
Flaunting the same sensuous purplish black-flushed foliage as our other “Bishop” series selection, this vigorous Dahlia’s upright and compact leafy clump becomes a rich dark backdrop for perfectly round bright yellow flowers infused with a touch of orange. A one-man show, ‘Bishop of York’s dynamic contrasting colors inject compelling accents to a container, cottage garden or a more formal venue.
Blooms August–September.
Size: 3' 0" high x 12" – 16" wide.
Zone 7b/8.
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