Myrtle's Folly Dahlia Tubers

Myrtle's Folly: Fimbriated Decorative Dahlia Tubers

If you want a Dahlia that the neighbours will be jealous of, try Myrtle's Folly - she's a showstopper! Apart from her huge size, up to 20cm wide, it's the form that is really different. The narrow twisted petals are split at the ends, giving a fuzzy, powderpuff-like appearance. This sets off its fabulous blend of colours, from deep pink and mauve to light orange, gold and coral, with a yellow centre as the bloom ages. These fantastic flowers are set above dark green foliage.
Browse our other Decorative Dahlias or our full range of Dahlias here.

She has excellent stems for cutting and the flowers are long-lasting, if you pick them fully open - imagine three of those blooms in a large vase or arrangement.

Features

• Colour: A blend of pinks, oranges and yellows
• Foliage: Green divided leaves
• Flower Size: 20cm
• Type: Fimbriated Decorative
• Cutting: Yes
• Height/Spread: 1.2m x 60cm
• Flowering: July to November
• Outdoor Planting Months: March to July

Growing Myrtle's Folly Dahlias

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.

She is tall and her stems aren't the strongest, so be sure to choose a sheltered spot away from strong winds and stake well.

It is generally more convenient to put support stakes in at planting time, rather than leaving it until there is foliage in the way.

Planting Companions for Myrtle's Folly

You can use her in the middle/back of the border. It's best surrounded by dark or plain green foliage or tall grasses, as the flowers can be too much when mixed with lots of other shapes. It's best in groups of five for a good show.

Did You Know?

Introduced in 1998, and widely used as an exhibition dahlia, this American variety it is extremely popular with judges and growers alike. She is the second of five Myrtle sisters from the same breeder, the others being Bloom, Brandy, Lace, and Love.

She is a member of the Decasplit or Fimbriated group of Decorative Dahlias meaning the end of its florets (petals) are split in two.

If you ignore seed, Dahlias can be planted at three stages: as tubers, rooted cuttings and pot-grown plants.

Tubers can be planted at any time from March onwards. The hole should be at least double the diameter of the tuber laid out on the ground. Incorporate about 25% well rotted compost and if drainage is in any way doubtful then add plenty of horticultural grit as well. Plant one tuber per hole, leaving 60-80 cms between plants (depending on final size) and make sure the tuber is covered with 10-12 cms (4-5") of soil. This is important as it will insulate the tuber against frosts in March-May as they will take a couple of months to show.

Rooted cuttings, which are available from early April onwards, will need to be potted up and kept in a sunny and frost free place until they are ready to be planted out in mid May. Their treatment then is the same as for tubers except they are planted level with rather than 10 cms below the surrounding soil level.

Pot grown plants are not delivered until June, and are then planted out immediately in the same way as an established rooted cutting.

The more you deadhead, the more flowers you'll get.