First dahlia in bloom – and it’s a goody

I picked my first dahlia yesterday, 11 weeks after I planted a heap of tubers of varying varieties. It’s quite the show-off, I think you’ll agree, with its pure white blooms forming a perfect pompom. The heads aren’t too big (8cm in diameter) but they’re quite exquisite, and they’re meant to be excellent cut flowers. This variety is called ‘White Knight’. Here it is with sweet peas, the rose ‘St Paul’s Cathedral’, and chincherinchee (Ornithogalum thyrsoides), which has white, starry flowers.