Last chance! Is this the love-child of the great ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ and luminous ‘Clair de Lune’? Could be! Its abundant flowers are small enough to avoid being garish but brilliant enough — like tiny flames — to add a jolt of excitement to any garden or bouquet. 2-3”, 4-5’, re-introduced by us from the British National Collection, and grown for us now in Oregon. Chart to compare. (We’re sad to say this is the LAST spring we’ll be offering this treasure, so get it while you can! Learn more.)

Preserved by a Kentucky farm family since the 1930s, this remarkable dahlia is hardy enough to survive most winters in the ground in mid-zone 6 and then bloom weeks before any other. A tall, lavender rose beauty, it came to us from 80-something Joyce Dowell who inherited it decades ago from her dahlia-loving grandmother, Fannie Williams. You can read their whole wonderful story here. Then plant this rare relic and when it blooms, remember Joyce and Fannie. 5-6”, 5-6’, from Oregon. Chart to compare.

When a Japanese dahlia collector offered us this rare jewel, we were thrilled. Much like the old ‘Seven Sisters’ rose, it blooms with flowers ranging from almost white to vibrant rosy lavender. Praised and pictured in Gordon’s 1912 Dahlias, it’s the only one of hundreds in that classic book that still survives. Pompon, 3-4’, from Oregon. Chart to compare.

It may not be flashy or ancient, but this sublimely simple waterlily dahlia is one of the most beautiful flowers we’ve ever grown — yes, ever. Bred by the Lombaert brothers of Belgium, it’s a baby-fresh masterpiece of white, pink, and lavender, on a plant that’s not too tall, with wiry stems that practically beg you to cut them for bouquets. 4-6”, 3-4’, from Oregon. Chart to compare.

In his celebrated poem “Pied Beauty,” Gerard Manley Hopkins praises all things dappled, stippled, brindled, and freckled — so you know he would have loved ‘Nonette’. Set against dark green leaves, its apricot petals are intricately speckled and streaked with burgundy for a look that’s as natural as a finch’s egg yet totally sumptuous. Wow! Waterlily, 4-6” 4-5’, from Holland. Chart to compare.

Martha Stewart Living has featured this burnished beauty in the garden and stylish, hand-made vases of our good customer Frances Palmer. Brush-stroked with ruddy orange on amber, its flowers have a lively, almost flickering effect in the garden and improve any fall bouquet. 4-5”, 5-6’, from Oregon. Chart to compare.

Fringed dahlias like this glamorous lavender beauty are called “laciniated” in the US, “fimbriated” in England, but the French say it best: dentelle or lace-work dahlias. They first came into vogue in the ’50s, and ‘Popular Guest’ — with its echoes of Sputnik lamps and starburst Formica — has a mid-century vibe that’s enduringly cool. 4-6”, 4-5’, from Holland. Chart to compare.

Tall, dark, and handsome, this ‘Black Prince’ offers up armful after armful of ruffled, semi-cactus blooms of deep, dark burgundy that are just the right size for bouquets. (Try it with ‘Andries Orange’, if you dare.) We grow lots of great dahlias here, but this one seems to be on everybody’s list of favorites. Reintroduced by us in 2004 from the UK National Collection. 4-5”, 5-6’, now grown in Oregon. Chart to compare.

We rediscovered ‘Prinzessin Irene’ in Germany and fell in love at first bloom. With a heart of gold and fewer, longer petals than most modern dahlias, it has a serene, languid look that’s charmingly antique. Try it paired with soul-mate ‘Jersey’s Beauty’ — ahhhhh! Formal decorative, 4-5”, 4-5’, from Oregon. Chart to compare.

Last chance! This frilled, award-winning, mid-century classic is a soft pastel yellow that has great carrying power in the garden. It’s also a fine flower for bouquets, where its delicately fringed tips make for an almost sparkling effect. It’s strong growing and floriferous, with 4-5” laciniated flowers on 4-5’ plants, from Holland. Chart to compare. (We’re sad to say this is the LAST spring we’ll be offering this treasure, so get it while you can! Learn more.)