Dahlia 'Bed Head'

True to its name, 'Bodacious' sports blooms that are a burning combination of colorful, supersize discs on stalks that often grow taller than the advertised 4 feet. The rich color and ruffled effect of the loosely arranged petals make heavy-headed 'Bodacious' a choice cut flower requiring stout staking. A true showstopper, it responds well to lifting and storing over winter.

Fine color, substantial size, and vigorous growth make 'David Howard' stand out from the crowd. Its blooms are a shade of apricot that contrasts pleasantly with its dark foliage and dark-hued companion plants. It is also agreeable both in the company of hot colors, like red and orange, or the cooler shades of blue and purple. It's a tall grower, which means it requires some staking and looks best in the middle or back of a border, where it will send up an endless succession of blooms that require no deadheading.

Heavy-headed 'Zorro' is breathtaking, particularly as a stemless bloom floating in a bowl of water. Its ruffled-looking form makes its dark red hue look deeper and darker than the deepest, darkest red rose. Staking is absolutely required to prevent the stems from flopping beneath the weight of its huge blooms. Get sturdier stalks by pinching back the young shoots; this will promote increased branching. A confident grower, 'Zorro' consistently produces quality tubers for division and, as such, is the perfect cultivar to start or sustain a collection.

'Pooh' possesses all the naive charm its name suggests. The petals of orange-red, thinly outlined in yellow with an inner ring of gold and lemon-colored petal-like sepals, provide a stunning combination of color and form easy to appreciate from a distance. With numerous small flowers borne on tall plants, this dahlia should be placed farther back in a border, where it is sure to stand out.