Dahlia 'Lismore Peggy' (Pom) (Dahlia) — Bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial

Overview

Dahlia 'Lismore Peggy' (Pom) is a bushy, clump-forming, tuberous perennial bedding in the genus Dahlia, part of the Asteraceae family, with green, occasionally dark-leaved foliage. Dahlia 'Lismore Peggy' (Pom) 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 'Lismore Peggy' is a tuberous, clump-forming pompon dahlia used as bedding and a herbaceous perennial. Plants produce compact, well-branched clumps with green foliage that can sometimes appear darker. It flowers from July to October, supplying a run of small, formal pompon blooms. Best grown in full sun on a neutral loam in a south-facing, sheltered spot.

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 'Lismore Peggy' is a pompon-form dahlia grown as a bedding and herbaceous perennial with tuberous roots and a clump-forming habit. The foliage is green, occasionally showing darker leaves, and the plant favours a south-facing, sheltered site where it can get maximum sunlight through the summer months. Expect blooms from July to October, which suit short-stemmed arrangements and mixed border displays. Plant into a moist but well-drained neutral loam and avoid waterlogged positions; the dahlia prefers consistent moisture without standing water. Full sun is essential for the best flowering; place where it will not be shaded by taller neighbours. Its UK rating of H4 (average) means it will do well across much of Britain but benefits from some winter protection in colder spots. Use 'Lismore Peggy' at the front or middle of mixed borders, in containers on a sunny patio, or as a source of cut flowers thanks to its compact pompon heads. Shelter from strong winds to keep the stems upright, and position where the summer flowering period can be enjoyed from July through to October.