12/10/2026
As our Flower season moves to a close, I'm noting carefully the 'performers' & 'the wasters', especially among the Dahlias. There are 350 plants in the field this year & storing them through till next Spring is a huge job - I want to invest time storing only those worth growing again.
This one ('Jennifer Mary Ellen') was a new variety for this year - I bought 2 tubers. just to try.
Colour is fabulous 10/10. Dark, rich & velvety. More purple than the burgundy expected. The centre is almost black & would be lovely for a witchy wedding.
But it's very short - plants barely reach 50 cms. First flowers came only in last couple of weeks, so not productive enough to cover the cost this year.
To be fair, it's been a tough year for Dahlias - not enough water early on & maybe planted in a slightly shady spot. I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt, another try next year.
That colour is just fabulous & if I could just persuade it to be productive too... To grow flowers for sale you have to be an eternal optimist!
If you've tried this one, I would love to know how it performed. (And suggestions for similar colour Dahlias that might do better would be appreciated too!)
