Gardening: Dahlias to die for, dahling

A group of committed dahlia growers around the country push the flowers to the limits of their performance – and here’s how you can plant the seeds for competition too

Dahlias are a splendid and spectacular addition to any garden

If you found your garden lacked much-needed colour and vibrancy last summer, now is the time to do something about it. This year may well be the “year of the dahlia” as gardeners crave colour and with dahlias you can have a bit of fun too.

Dahlias are easy and rewarding to grow, so long as you follow a few simple guidelines.

While they shouldn’t be planted out until all risk of frost has passed, ...