The daffodils are blooming, and their cheerful, yellow faces will brighten our days for several more weeks, but after the daffodils fade, what will bring color to your garden?

Have you tried dahlias? I haven’t, because I know they can be high maintenance plants, but I am beginning to think that the huge array of color, height, and petal size and shape would be worth the extra work.

Native to Mexico, where it is the national flower, dahlia (Dahlia variabilis) is a tuberous rooted perennial that blooms from early summer to frost. Flower colors include white, yellow orange red, scarlet, pink, and purple, so there is a shade to please every gardener.

Dahlias are classified by flower shape and petal arrangement. Ten different classifications or groups have been developed to describe the huge number of dahlia hybrids on the market today. Since most dahlias are hybrids, they cannot be grown reliably from seed, only from tuberous roots and cuttings.

Dahlias require full sun and pr...