Gallery Matisse Is a Bold, Bright-colored, Compact Dahlia

Virtues: We love 'Gallery Pablo' dahlia for its small plant size and its big, bold flowers that bring changeable color to the mid- and late summer garden. This dahlia is appropriate for small gardens, the front of a garden bed or a large container.

Common name: 'Gallery Pablo' dahlia

Botanical name:Dahlia 'Gallery Pablo'

Flowers: 'Gallery Pablo' blooms from midsummer into autumn, with four-inch-wide flowers that carry shades of yellow, melon, coral and peach. When lit by the early morning or late afternoon sun, these dahlia flowers seem to glow.

Habit: The plant is small and compact especially when compared to other dahlia varieties. This dahlia grows just 14 to 20 inches tall with a more narrow spread. Dahlias in the Gallery line were bred for use at the front of the border, within mixed planting beds and in containers.

Season: Midsummer to frost, for flowers.

Origin: 'Gallery Pablo' is one of several dahlias in the Gallery series, all of which have names that relate to fine art. Dahlias in general originated in Mexico and Central America; breeding has produced thousands of varieties in all sizes and colors.

How to grow Dahlia 'Gallery Pablo': Dahlias grow from underground vessels called tubers, which are similar to bulbs. Plant tubers five inches deep after all threat of frost has passed; or start them indoors several weeks before the expected last spring frost, then transplant them into the garden as spring temperatures rise. The latter strategy will result in earlier flowering. Grow in full sun for the best flowering, though they can take a bit of shade. Provide a rich, well-draining soil. Dahlias are heavy feeders and thirsty plants. Water them regularly, never allowing the soil to dry out. Treat with a slow-release fertilizer at planting time or feed regularly through the season with a water-soluble fertilizer formulated for tomato plants. Dahlias can seem high maintenance but their flowers are worth the trouble. Dahlias are hardy in USDA Zones 8 and warmer. In colder regions, they should be treated as annuals, or the tubers can be dug shortly after the fall frost and stored dormant indoors for the winter.