Dahlia 'Pianella'

Cactus dahlias produce large, spiky 'cactus' blooms in a range of attractive colours. They are quite tall plants, making them ideal for creating a statement in bedding displays or herbaceous borders, where they are particularly useful for filling in gaps that appear as other plants go to seed. They are frost tender, but can be re-used each year if they are lifted in the autumn and stored in a frost-free place.

Dahlia 'Pianella' produces tightly rolled pink petals with white tips. For best results, grow in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil. Stake plants from June onwards. 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.