Usually at this time of year, we're overwhelmed with Dahlia blooms, and can fill buckets of stems each week. But after last year's disastrous winter conditions, when we had wet, then cold before we'd stored the Dahlias properly we lost almost a 1000 tubers and have had to start again.

Today we went through the tubers we had and started the process of ensuring we only take through to next year the winners.

For us this mean 

Strong tubers that create strong plants

Floriferous, so we get lots of stems

Long straight stems which hold the flowers upright

Clear colours, and long lasting in the vase.