Gardening : Dwarf Dahlia Brightens Yard

If midsummer heat has put your flower bed in a tailspin you can perk it up with dwarf dahlia.

The dwarf dahlia is a seedling, varying in color and size more than the tuberous dahlias planted for their award winning blooms. The bedding dahlia thrives in flower beds, producing an abundance of flowers among compact, dark green leaves.

It is a native of the higher elevations of Mexico and Guatemala so placement in the garden is important. They need half-day to full-day sun. A rich soil with good drainage is important and can be easily done with an addition of humus to the soil before planting. You can use fertilizer designed for flowering plants regularly assuring a continuous supply of flowers until the first frost. Be sure to pinch back the dead flowers to keep them blooming. Among the more popular dwarf dahlias are some of the hybrids which have a more open growth pattern and are about two feet tall. These make excellent cut flowers. The colors can even run into the full spectrum of the rainbow with everything except blue to choose from.