Along the Garden Path: Dramatic Dahlias

Just as summer reaches its sizzling peak and many plants fizzle, dahlias rise and shine, flowering until the first frost. They do more than produce eye-catching blossoms for all kinds of arrangements and serve as nectar fonts for butterflies. Dahlias also inspire the passion of gardeners like Kathy and Ed Whitfield, who “grow for show.” The couple devotes much of their garden to nurturing heat-tolerant beauties such as Bo-bay, and they judge regional dahlia competitions.