Dahlia Seniors Hope

Dahlia Seniors Hope, like all the varieties of the Seniors series, is a new decorative dahlia of rather modest size, very flowering, with a truly unique color. It bears double flowers in balls, fully striped and variegated with old rose, garnet, purple and violet with a touch of golden cream, carried by almost black stems. Blooming late in the season, this next-generation Dahlia is also a strong and versatile plant that does not require staking. It has its place in a flower garden, is suitable for pot culture, and its long-lasting flowers can be used to create all kinds of bouquets. For us, it's a real favourite!

Dahlias belong to the aster family and are originally from the high plateaus of Mexico. At present, the approximately 25,000 horticultural varieties obtained by man have invaded, to our great pleasure, gardens all over the world.

The 'Seniors Hope' variety is a semi-dwarf Dahlia, it will not exceed 70 cm (28in) in all directions. It is also classified as a decorative Dahlia, which is a horticultural category defined by the shape of the flower. In this group, the coloured ligules of the head are arranged regularly in a spiral, they can be bent towards the stem or fringed, for example. The 'flowers' or heads of 'Seniors Hope', widely offered to the eye, almost globose, are about 12 cm (5in) in diameter. The ligules or 'petals' are oval in shape, in shells, which allows them to reveal a dark red garnet reverse contrasting with their lighter colour on the top. The overall composition is a baroque harmony combining different shades of pink, cream, and red to purple. The golden heart of the flower only appears late, just before fading. The flowering takes place from July to October. The habit is bushy and dense. The very branched stems are hollow and the leaves are opposite, pinnatisect, meaning they divide into 3 or 5 very toothed lobes. The shiny leaves are dark green, while the floral stems are almost black.

To promote flowering, take care to remove faded flowers, or better yet, regularly make large colourful bouquets by combining it with other varieties. 'Seniors Hope', with its strong personality, will form remarkably colourful spots in flower beds. Plant it, for example, with pink Echinaceas that bloom at the same time, or with Asters. Japanese anemones are good companions for the late season, as are ornamental grasses (compact Miscanthus, Pennisetum, Stipa, Muhlenbergia capillaris, Eragrostis spectabilis). This modest-sized variety is well suited for pot culture, to easily adorn the patio or balcony.

As a star plant in curative gardens, Dahlias are undoubtedly beautiful flowers. They are perfect in flower beds but can also enhance the vegetable garden. In Mexico, this tuberous plant was first cultivated as a root vegetable for consumption. Its poor taste qualities quickly assigned it the status of an ornamental plant. Since then, the interest in their beautiful exuberance has never waned.