SEVERAL YEARS AGO my friend Steve gave me some dahlia tubers.
I looked at the ugly, dried pieces of root and wondered if he was crazy. How could something so drab transform into a beautiful flower?
Steve assured me that would happen and even pointed to the tiniest of sprouts emerging from the tubers.
Well, he’s made a believer out of me.
Into my third year of growing dahlias, I am already passionate about this prolific plant that produces pedestrian-stopping blossoms. Seriously. Last year a guy paused to photograph a saucer plate-sized red dahlia with his cell phone. Granted, he was from China, so in reality he was a tourist, but still…
I’ve received numerous other comments about my beautiful flowers.
Like those many admirers, I am simply smitten by the showy dahlias. Not only do they fill my yard with color, but my house too. These make great, long-lasting cut flowers.
That’s why I need to tour my friend Steve’s dahlia patch soon. When I visited his spacious dahlia garden last autumn, he sent me home with armfuls of dahlias.
There’s something simply romantic and delightful and inspiring and wonderful about a house overflowing with dahlia bouquets.
© Copyright 2009 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Do you know the name of the “purple and white” dahlia you have a picture of on this page? I am trying to find some of the same bulbs I bought last year and this picture is the closest I’ve gotten! If I know the name maybe I will be able to order them from somewhere online.
Thank you!
Claire, I am so sorry. I have no idea what this particular dahlia is called, or any of them for that matter.