Dazzling Dahlias

They can resemble peonies, water lilies, cactus flowers or orchids. With more than 50,000 variations in size, form and color and with blooms from June until frost, dahlias are a late-season gardener's best friend.

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Surging in popularity

The 'Ben Huston' dahlia is one of thousands of beautiful varieties of this flower. "Dahlias are on a huge upward rise in popularity," says Scott Kunst, owner of Old House Gardens in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a mail-order nursery specializing in heirloom bulbs. "Dahlias are as easy to grow as tomatoes and, like tomatoes, are worth the effort."