Semi-Cactus: Fully double, typically with pointy ray florets that are revolute for between 25% and 65% of their length, wide at the base, and either straight or involute for the rest. Decorative: Fully double, with no visible disc in the middle. The ray florets are normally wide, and either flat or twisted, and typically have a blunt end. Dahlias are tender Central American plants. A light frost will cut down the plant and probably damage the tuber, and a hard freeze will kill it. So, remember to lift the tubers for storage before winter comes, pot them up, and keep them in a sunny room, greenhouse or conservatory until after the last frosts. Plant them out again promptly so that their roots establish well. This yearly removal and replanting process means that, from a garden designer's perspective, Dahlias in practice behave like annual bedding plants. Native to Mexico, it's no surprise that dahlias like a sunny spot. Give them fertile, free-draining soil and you'll have happy tubers. Dahlias vary widely in their flower shapes and colours and offer huge interest for any gardener growing them. Ball: Fully double, and form either a near-perfect or flattened ball. The ray florets are rounded at the tips.

Harden off, ready for planting outdoors in late May / early June when the danger of frost has passed. For the biggest flowers for the show bench (or just because size always matters), pinch off all buds on a stem except for the main one. Alternatively, for a balance of bigger flowers and filling up your vases around the house, reduce the number of buds on a stem to two, three or four. If your garden display is the most important thing, then leave them be and just deadhead them as soon as they begin to fade. Dahlias are a "must-have" summer plant and you won't be at a loss for choice with our top quality, field grown dahlia tubers. These showy and stylish flowers are wonderfully productive making them an ideal plant for growing your own cut flowers. The excellent quality we supply means they have strong stems which adds to their longevity. Pompon/Pompom: Fully double & spherical, with florets largely involute along their length (longitudinal axis).Double Orchid: Fully double, no visible disc, with triangular centres. The ray florets are narrow, and all of them are either involute or revolute.

Earwigs are the dahlia grower's number one enemy. Earwigs also eat huge numbers of greenfly, so we suggest trapping and relocating them. Fill little pots with newspaper, dry grass or straw and put them upside down on bamboo canes amongst your dahlias. Empty the traps wherever you have greenfly, or as a public service, onto roadside Lime trees (Tilia species). At Peter Nyssen, our range of dahlia tubers and bulbs are carefully field-grown, ensuring quality blooms that radiate vibrant colour from summer through to autumn. Once bloomed, dahlia flowers boast a spectacular variety of sizes, shapes and colours, making them an ideal addition to any garden setting. Whether you're looking to populate a large garden bed or add a splash of colour to a small corner, you'll find the perfect dahlia tuber to suit your needs from our extensive range.We supply flower bulbs in quantities large and small, for all types of gardener from the cottage potterer through to the professional landscaper There are a number of dahlia types and varieties to choose from. Here are a few varieties of dahlias that are popular among gardening enthusiasts: Plant in good, thoroughly prepared soil, enriched with well-rotted compost, in a sunny spot with good drainage. Making a low raised bed is a good tactic on heavy clay. Fill it with a mix of compost, leafmould, worm castings and something like coconut coir to retain moisture. Break up the clay a bit underneath the bed, add some grit (not sand) if you want to improve drainage, you don't need to mix compost down into it. More compact varieties are used for bedding plants, but the ones that really take your breath away are the taller specimens with large blooms, bound to impress. In autumn lift, dry and store the tubers for winter, in dry peat, or sand, in a cool frost free place.

Star (formerly Single Orchid): One outer ring of florets around the disc. All the ray florets are either involute or revolute. Dinner Plate' Dahlia: As the name suggests, these flowers bloom to be approximately the size of a 8" dinner plate.

Why you should order your dahlia tubers from Peter Nyssen

For early flowering, start tubers in pots of compost during March and April, keep in a greenhouse or windowsill. Waterlily: Wide but shallow, fully double, open blooms with wide ray florets. The depth of the bloom is not more than one third of its diameter. Collarette: One outer ring of ray florets (usually flattened) that overlap, and an inner ring, or collar, of small florets, with a visible disc in the middle. The dahlia on every high-end horticulturalist's list is 'Cafe au Lait' - a true beauty - a creamy coffee colour - it is much prized as a cut flower and very respected in the industry. Sophisticated and stately, one not to miss.