Monday, February 4, 2013

Dahlias in flower

These Dahlias are now in flower in the Parkville garden. Dahlias are herbaceous perennial plants of the Asteraceae family (which includes sunflowers, daisies and zinnias). It is native to Mexico and is Mexico's national flower. Dahlias are very popular flowers and as such people have produced numerous different cultivars. 99 cultivars have achieved the Royal Horticultural Society's award of merit. This society offered a prize of $2000 pounds in 1846 for anybody who could produce a blue Dahlia. To this day a blue Dahlia has never been propagated. One particular type of Dahlia I want to grow is called the 'cactus dahlia'. It is a double with curious petals that roll backward giving it the appearance of a star. There are 36 different species of Dahlia. I haven't been able to identify the Dahlia pictured below but will endeavour to do so.





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