Brian Minter: Dahlias' heat tolerance well suited for a changing garden

Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.

Native to Mexico and Guatemala, dahlias were declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963 and have become one of our most iconic garden flowers.

David Jack is a third-generation dahlia grower with Ferncliff Gardens in Mission, so I asked for his insight on why they had gained such popularity. He said that few other flowers offer such a wide range of vibrant colours and colour patterns in so many flower forms and sizes. Not only do they make a great show in our gardens, but they also provide magnificent cut flowers.

The current, and growing, appreciation for cut dahlias is certainly verified at United Flower Growers in Burnaby, the world’s second largest flower auction. Dahlia stems make up a significant portion of all the cuts sold at this time of year.

I was curious if certain flower forms make better cuts and Jack said varieties with flower heads from the 10-20 centimetre size are ideal for florists. He also mentioned that probably 75 per cent of all dahlias grown in the garden or on dahlia farms are used for bouquets. While commercial growers will often disbud small side shoots to encourage longer, sturdier stems, the home gardener can simply harvest the longest stems for a continuous supply of beautiful cut dahlias well into late summer and fall.

I mentioned that, traditionally, you put fresh cut flowers into quite warm water at first so they will drink quickly and last longer. He laughed and agreed, adding that floral preservatives also help, but that for many years they have just cut them, put them in water and enjoyed their beauty.

When