Many people treat the Dahlia varieties whose seeds are readily available as annuals. Examples: Unwin’s Dwarf, Redskin, Figaro, Collarette, Harlequin, and Stargazer. Actually, they’re perennials. If the season is long enough, they will produce tubers that you can dig up in the fall and plant again in the spring. If you are in Zone 8,9, or 10, you can safely leave the tubers in the ground through the winter. I’m in Zone 7, and I haven’t taken up my tubers in the fall for several years now. One winter, we may have an extreme cold snap, and I’ll be sorry. The past few winters have been much warmer than the ones when I was little.
If a nearby retailer sells Livingston Seeds, then look on the rack for a pack of Collarette Dahlia seeds. They are unusual-the outer petals are one color, with an inner ring of petals of a contrasting color. There will be plenty of seeds in the pack, and this is the cheapest way to obtain these lovely plants. The seeds will keep for several years if you put them in a cool, DRY place.
