New Dahlia Varieties For 2026
Hello friends,
Today I wanted to share with you the dahlia varieties I purchased this past autumn and winter. As you know, I'm completely obsessed with dahlias, and I've even started breeding my own dahlia varieties. This year I decided to only buy anemone and collarette varieties, as they're my favourite types to grow.
But as always, life happened, and I bought a few other varieties as well. They include some wish list varieties, a few replacements for dahlias that rotted last year, and even some varieties I've purchased for an experiment I want to try this summer.
So, here is the full list of dahlias I've added to my collection this year.
First up we have the anemone dahlia varieties:
- Antonia Prebble (NZ)
- Blue Bayou
- Inca
- Jive
- Josie
- Lifestyle
- Octopus Sparkle
- Platinum Blonde (replacement)
- Poodle Skirt
- Que Sera
- Richard's Fortune
- Rural Goldfinch (NZ)
- Soulman
- The Phantom (replacement)
- Toto
There are quite a few red and purple anemone varieties included, as I don't have many of these in my garden right now.
Next, we have the collarette dahlia varieties I've bought this year:
- April Heather
- Bumble Rumble (replacement for one with gall)
- Gore Blimey
- Liquid Desire
- Pooh
- Rural Jenny (NZ)
- Rural Lady (NZ)
- Sarah Raven
- Teesbrook Audrey
Most of these varieties are red collarettes that I don't currently have in my garden. The dahlia I'm most excited about growing this year is April Heather. Last year her tubers were selling for over $350 a tuber, and this year I did a targeted strike at an online store pre-order, and bought a tuber for $50. She hasn't arrived yet, but I'm eagerly awaiting to see her flower in my garden this summer.
I also bought three miniature ball dahlia varieties for my garden, which I'll be using for an experiment in my garden for this summer.
- Koko Puff
- Rocco
- Small World
- Daisy Duke
- Night Silence
- Sharnis Suprise
Night Silence has been on my wish list for years, but I always seemed to miss out whenever Mount Mera held a sale. Daisy Duke came into my collection as a replacement for an anemone dahlia that one of my suppliers couldn't provide this spring. Fortunately, she's in a colour range I love, so I was happy to accept the substitution.
Sharni's Surprise was a last-minute purchase from our local garden centre. Released by Fiesta Bulbs this spring, she's an unusual ombré dahlia, and I haven't been able to find any information about this variety online. The current theory among New Zealand dahlia growers is that she may be a sport or mutation of another variety that Fiesta Bulbs grows each year, although this hasn't been confirmed yet.
And finally, I bought one dinner-plate dahlia, 'Café au Lait'. Every year I've tried growing her, she has rotted in my garden, but I'm giving her one last chance. I love her beautiful creamy shades and would really like to add her to the other 'Café au Lait' varieties growing in my garden. Fingers crossed I have better luck this time.
I'm really looking forward to growing all these new dahlias this season, and especially the anemone and collarette varieties that I've added to my collection. I'm also excited to see how the new additions perform in the garden and whether any of them turn out to be promising candidates for my dahlia breeding program.
Now I just need to get them all planted and wait for summer to see them in flower...
Have a wonderful day,
Julie-Ann
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Some of My Favorite Dahlias This Summer Season
Hello friends,
Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite old and new dahlias for the 2024/2025 summer season that I didn't get a chance to do a dahlia profile on, because life is always crazy busy in the garden over the summer.
First up is Strawberries and Cream, a decorative dahlia I bought on a whim after a couple of dahlia tubers died last spring, and I needed to replace my Cafe Au Lait dahlia. The shades of white and pink are just so pretty and girly, and the flowers have nice long stems, which make them perfect for cutting.
Next we have one of my favorite old dahlias, Protegee, which is a pretty single dahlia bred by Dr Keith Hammett. This dahlia is a bumblebee magnet all summer long, and really stands out in the garden.
Next we have another old favorite, Penhill Dark Monarch, which is a huge dinner plate dahlia with just wonderful shades of purples, pinks, and apricots.
Next we have another new decorative dahlia, Iced Tea, which I've really fallen in love with over this summer. I am quite happily keeping this dahlia for next year, and can't wait to see it with lots of bright peach flowers.
Next up we have one of my first new anemone dahlias, The Phantom. It's pop of bright purple flowers is a great sight to see in the garden over the summer. Unfortunately I planted it in the wrong place, so I'll move it to a better position in winter.
Fenna Baij is another new anemone dahlia, with very pretty light purple and gold shades.
Pink magic is a floriferous waterlily dahlia which brightens the garden all summer. I've really fallen in love with waterlily dahlias this summer, so I think I'll invest in more next season.
I replaced my Cafe Au Lait dahlia this season, after the old dahlia tuber rotted last spring in October. I replaced it, and this dahlia has the purple-tinged shades my previous dahlia didn't have. I'm very happy about this, and will be moving this dahlia to a better position over the winter.
Next we have Silver Years, which is a mostly white decorative dahlia with pink vein striping, and a cream center. I really like this dahlia as a pop of white in the garden, and am quite happy to keep it for next year.
Dutch Pearl is another new waterlily dahlia, and it really is stunning next to my Little Miss Perfect rose. I can see why this dahlia is very popular in dahlia circles right now.
Next there is my new Cafe Au Lait Royal dahlia, another dinner plate dahlia to add to the Cafe Au Lait dahlia family. The light pink colours and striping are just stunning. I need to find a better way to stake the plant though, the flower heads are huge, and the dahlia has some trouble holding them up.
And finally we have another new dahlia, Pinky Swear, which is another large dinner plate dahlia, and the striped pink shades, along with yellow are just florescent. I'm very happy to have this dahlia in a darker part of my garden.
I'm just so pleased to have so many beautiful old and new dahlias flowering this summer, and hope to have some more new ones next season...
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
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Dahlia Profile - Caitlins Joy
Hello friends,
Today's dahlia profile is for the ball dahlia Caitlins Joy, which I got from Bulbs Direct a couple of years ago.
From Bulb's Direct website: "Iridescent raspberry compact blooms. Very long stems, beautiful shape, and a great vase life. A real work horse and a great arrangement flower. A must grow. Flower size of approx 10-14cm wide. Height 90 - 120 cm."
Flower bud opening:
Caitlins Joy Fully Flowering:
Caitlins Joy is a stunning raspberry red ball dahia, with long stems. This dahlia is bred for bouquets and vases, and it a super popular variety over the last few years, you have to get in quick to pick up a dahlia bulb when they go on sale in winter.
I'm so pleased to have Caitlins Joy in my garden, and get so many positive comments about her from our neighbours who see her in our front garden.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
Want to discuss my post? Feel free to chat with me on Instagram or Mastodon or Bluesky.
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