Dahlia pinnata ‘Gardenetta Velvet Crush’

The Gardenetta series was bred to stay small and flower its socks off, and ‘Velvet Crush’ is a lovely example. The fully double blooms have a real velvet depth to them, opening soft pink and deepening to a rich plum-purple, each one set off against dark green foliage.

It stays compact at around 35 to 40cm, so it earns its place in a patio pot, a window box, or right at the front of a border. Give it full sun and a fertile, well-drained soil, keep it watered through summer, and it will flower from midsummer until the first frosts.

Deadhead regularly to keep the buds coming. Dahlias are tender, so in colder spots lift the tubers once the first frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere frost-free over winter, or keep the pot in a sheltered, dry place.