Dahlias and pelargoniums

Ruth reveals how to propagate these summer favourites

- Ruth

IT is almost impossible to picture a summer garden without dahlias and pelargoniums, those warm-weather stalwarts whose vibrant colours belie their tender nature. Although they bloom in brilliant shades, these hot favourites don’t take kindly to our sullen, wet winters and need to spend the colder months undercover somewhere frost-free.

Those that successfully survived are getting ready for this year’s show and throwing out new shoots. Some of these can be removed and used to create new plants – it’s a simple and economical way of keeping your garden and containers stuffed with colour.

Throughout this mild winter, I have been pinching put any pelargonium shoots that have grown too large. I stopped a few weeks ago so that the latest growth can be harvested for cuttings (see panel below).