Waltzing Mathilda Dahlia

All the streaks of different colors across these petals would be enough to bring this dahlia to the top of the list. But this dahlia has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, and you can see why when you look at the whole plant. These pretty petals are luminous against the dramatic backdrop of deep burgundy-black foliage. The contrast is so striking, and the blooms and leaves both benefit from it. You'll benefit too, planting Waltzing Mathilda in groups around your border, so you can really get the full effect of all these flowers and foliage together. Because it's compact, it also has a nice shape in a container, so you can add a shock of color wherever you need it. These flowers keep coming, which is great for a cutting garden, and making sure your container display sticks around for a while.