Newby Hall plays host to the National Dahlia Society’s annual show
These beauties were once purely confined to the show bench – let these prize-winning dahlias inspire your late summer and autumn garden plans. Pictures by Gary Welford
Not so long ago, dahlias were considered so unfashionable that they remained the preserve of the dedicated enthusiast. They were grown on allotments or in cut flower beds, never in the ‘proper’ garden. However, they’ve undergone a renaissance in the last few years. The huge dinnerplate-sized blooms are hard to work into an informal garden. However, the rise in smaller varieties, which are much easier to look after, has seen them popping up in gardens everywhere.
The final seal of approval has to be the one-off September RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which dahlias have dominated. Harrogate Autumn Show at Newby Hall, near Ripon (here’s my review of the event), plays host to the National Dahlia Society’s annual show, which revealed some stunning blooms.
My favourite prize-winning dahlias
I’ve whittled down hundreds of photos to my favourite five. They’re not necessarily all top medal winners, but they are all prize-winning dahlias. Whatever your taste, lose yourself in the rich, velvety petals. The pure shapes make dahlias such a worthwhile plant to grow. If the big blooms put you off, look for the pom-poms or the star dahlia like Midnight Star.
If you’d like to give dahlias a try next year, you can’t do better than North-East legends Halls of Heddon. They’re a family-run nursery celebrating 100 years in business in 2021. Based in the beautiful Hadrian’s Wall country in the Tyne Valley, it’s a lovely run out.
Read about this popular show bench and culinary parsnip. For more on growing dahlias for beginners, here’s my full guide.
