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Colour: Orange with red undersides to the petals Flower Size: 10cm Type: Decorative CuttingFrom £4.45
Colour: Red with yellow tips on petalsFoliage: GreenFlower Size: 25cmType: (Giant) DecorativeCuttingFrom £3.84
Colour: Bright redFoliage: Dark greenFlower Size: 6.5cmType: PompomCutting: YesHeight/Spread: 1m x 5From £4.45
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If you like your flowers to have show-stopping impact, then Checkers Dahlias are for you! Up to a metre tall, with rich, velvety deep burgundy-red petals, each of which are tipped with pure white. Its chequerboard effect is highly unusual, and is one of the most reliable bi-colours available. The flowers grow up to 10cm wide and are plentiful, held above handsome shiny green, divided foliage.
Browse our other Decorative Dahlias or our full range of Dahlias here.
It will bloom from midsummer until the first frost when the foliage will blacken and die down. The plant is compact, suitable for a large pot.
All dahlias do best in deep rich soil with good drainage in a sunny spot. If it is windy they will need staking. They are greedy, thirsty plants so will need watering in dry spells, and they will always flower that little bit better if there is a bit of soluble food in the watering can once every couple of weeks.
It is generally more convenient to put support stakes in at planting time, rather than leaving it until there is foliage in the way.
It is ideal for growing in the middle of a mixed herbaceous border, and associates well with flowers like pink or white Cosmos (Purity is perfect) and toning Surfinia (Petunia) varieties. Try it as part of an exotic border, backed by big-leaved cannas, gingers or bananas.
They also make excellent cut flowers - you may recognise them from your florist if you're keen on flower arranging. Cutting the flowers encourages the plant to produce more, so have at least one in your cutting bed.
This American variety was bred in 2001 by the Gitts family, who run Swan Island Dahlias in Oregon.
If you want to try your hand at exhibiting, Checkers is a highly popular variety on the show bench, as it is so eye-catching and reliable, whatever the weather - much easier to grow than the huge dinner plate specimens.