Dahlia 'Dame Deirdre'

Dahlia 'Dame Deirdre' bears vibrant semi-cactus flowers from summer to mid autumn. It is perfect for growing in a mixed herbaceous border and makes an excellent cut flower.

The flower was bred by dahlia breeder Ken Stock and is grown by the National Dahlia Collection. It's a charity dahlia - a percentage of the sale of each cutting is donated to the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund.

For best results, grow Dahlia 'Dame Deirdre' in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil. Deadhead regularly and feed with a potash-rich fertiliser to prolong flowering. Lift tubers after the first frosts and store them in a cool, dry situation until March. Then pot them up and keep them in a temperate greenhouse before planting out in late May.