Dahlia 'Javier G' (WL) (dahlia 'Javier G') — Bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial

Overview

Dahlia 'Javier G' (WL) is a bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial bedding in the genus Dahlia, part of the Asteraceae family, with green, occasionally dark-leaved foliage. Dahlia 'Javier G' (WL) grows best in full sun, and tolerates loam soils and neutral pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H4. Suggested uses include borders, containers and cut flowers.

About

Dahlia 'Javier G' is a tuberous, clump-forming herbaceous perennial that produces flowers from July to October. It carries green foliage that may occasionally flush darker tones. Grow it in full sun on a south-facing, sheltered site in loam at neutral pH. It suits borders, containers and cutting beds.

About the genus

Dahlias come from the high meadows of Mexico, and somewhere in that heritage is the explanation for how they behave here: tender to frost, hungry, generous beyond all reason. No other plant gives you quite so much for so little. One tuber, planted after the last frost, becomes a shrub's worth of flowers by August — and the more you cut, the more they come.The range is faintly ridiculous. Tight pompoms, spiky cactus types, singles the bees adore, dinner-plates the size of your face. Whatever your garden's mood, there is a dahlia that agrees with it, which is probably why every generation falls out of love with them and then, a decade later, falls straight back in.They're at their best when much of the garden is winding down — late summer into autumn, flowering hard until the first frost calls time. I think of them as the encore. And they always play it.

Written by Henry

In the garden

Dahlia 'Javier G' belongs to the Asteraceae and traces its lineage to the dahlia group originally from Mexico and Central America. As a tuberous, clump-forming perennial it regenerates each season from swollen roots and provides an extended display through the summer into autumn; flowering in the UK runs from July to October. Plant in a sunny, south-facing position that is sheltered from strong winds; a loam soil of neutral pH that is moist but well drained is ideal. The rating H4 indicates average hardiness in UK conditions, so choose a site protected from cold winds and avoid waterlogged soils. Keep the soil evenly moist during the flowering period to support sustained blooms and place where stems can be reached for cutting. Use Dahlia 'Javier G' in mixed borders or large containers where its succession of flowers can be shown and harvested. It responds well to regular gathering for vases, and its flowering span makes it a dependable source of cut blooms through July to October.