Burford Talks: Arthur Parkinson on Dahlias

There are certain things that we are really passionate about, and Dahlias definitely fall into this category; so we were especially pleased to welcome a good friend of ours - Arthur Parkinson - to share with us his unique insights into growing Dahlias.

Arthur has long been hailed as a rising star of the gardening world, recognised for his flamboyant planting schemes (and love of chickens!), but above all he is a down-to-earth gardener, whose talent and creativity have quite rightly created a media sensation.

Arthurs’s talk celebrated Dahlias and growing for the border, pots and the cutting garden. We learnt all about successfully starting Dahlia tubers, all the way to eventually lifting them in the autumn, covering mulching, feeding, watering, staking and snipping along the way.

We were inspired by his 'recipes’ for glamorous planting schemes, including suggestions for herbaceous companion planting as well as appropriate annuals to grow alongside Dahlias from seed, like Salvias and Black Eyed Susans. As a highly mindful gardener, Arthur helpfully pointed to varieties that appeal to native pollinators, like our Bishop of Llandaff and Waltzing Matilda.

We would like to thank Arthur and everyone who attended the first of our 'Burford Talks'; we hope you found it is enjoyable and insightful as we did. To be the first to hear of other upcoming events and Burford Talks, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter below.