in article , Bob Hobden at
wrote on 23/10/03 4:49 pm:


"Sacha" wrote in message after me.........
p.s. my 8ft+ Dahlia imperialis (thanks Hill House Nursery) took last
nights
frost without problem much to my surprise so you can never tell. All the
Dahlias down the allotments died back because of frost a couple of weeks
ago. I leave them in too year after year.(planted deep)

Ray planted one of these outside last year but the winter got it, I'm
afraid. I imagine that at 8 feet yours hasn't flowered yet, though? Our
indoor ones have to have their heads poking through the roof of the big
double greenhouse before they do that! ;-)


This one and the cutting I gave a friend stayed outside in the ground all
last winter and survived, both now at about 8 ft and both have survived the
recent frosts that have killed other tender plants on our allotment nearby.
We both planted them deeply and in sheltered spots.
They do look very tropical with their big leaves, especially when they grow
more than one trunk, but , as you say and told me when you and Ray gave it
to me, unlikely to flower outside in the UK due to the short season. My
homemade lean-to greenhouse is only 7ft tall and Ray said it needed about
18ft so no point in trying to flower it in there either, besides which it's
always full of plants anyway as you would expect. :-)

Build more greenhouses!! ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the 'x' to email me)