Dahlia Serano

This is for my records

How lovely,Klahanie..I haven't grown Dahlias for a while now,but maybe next year..I love the colour of this one :o)

Thank you Bloomer.
I think they are very showy but lots of work for me. I have to pull them out in the fall and replant in the spring. Every year. But they bloom way into the fall if I keep deadheading them. They add lots of colour. Although, you have lots of colour in your borders Bloomer.
Slugs love them but dear does not :-)

The last ones I had,were singles ,from a free packet with a Magazine,and almost out of date,when I found them among other assorted packets in a box..but they germinated and grew really well,and the bees loved them.
At the end of the season ,the tubers were huge! I stored a few for the following year,indoors,and had another lovely display..not bad for freebies,almost out of date A shame the slugs think they are nice too ,nasty little critters !

That is a gorgeous one Klanhanie, I'm starting to like dalias more and more and bought some cheap (£1 each) tubers from Wilkinsons this year, now we ve had rain at last they're starting to look quite good, as you say great for late colour :-)

I've never grown them, perhaps I should!

This is gorgeous and very similar to my Myrtle's Folly ...

Thank you all for your comments and for liking.
Bloomer, free is a "good deal". LOL. I wish.....
Even 1 pound is cheap for a tuber. You girls are lucky to find these deals in UK. The tuber around here runs around $5-6
Sheila they can be grown in the pots as well. as the foliage take lots of room.
I have Myrtle's Folly as well Amy. Just beside this Serano. In a way I think Myrtle's Folly is more interesting.....big colourful puff ball.

You really got me thinking about Dahlia's next year Klahanie. Is there a best place to find them? Ebay?

Hi Stan, I get mine from my dahlia growing friends. Costco in the spring has bags of them. There must be a number of growers in San Francisco area. That is the best way to get them , straight from growers. Or e-mail SF dahlia society . They should know the best place to buy them in your area.
http://sfdahlias.org/

There are also mail order companies (usually growers) like this:
http://www.elkhorngarden.com/mission.html
If you google you will get more.
It is too late for dahlias this year. They usually only deliver in spring and usually have healthy plants. All will have that year's catalog with hundreds of them. You will have hard time to choose :-)

Good luck .