The blooms measure about 2 inches wide, and are packed with petals for an angular look that is eye-catching in the garden and delightfully distinctive in the vase! The flowers arise in hot pink, rich burgundy, peach, golden, salmon, bright red, lemon-yellow, white, and even white-and-pink! Many are splashed, streaked, and otherwise decorated with a second color, so you can really expect that no two blooms will ever look just alike. What fun!

Many cutflower lovers avoid Dahlias because of the work involved with staking these weak-stemmed plants, but Star-Gazer puts an end to all that with a naturally dwarf habit (just 12 to 16 inches high). It's also self-branching, so you can forget about pinching back the young plants to encourage side-shoots. In other words, all you add to this super-easy Dahlia is sunshine, food, and any good garden soil!

Star-Gazer blooms from midsummer into fall, and is adaptable to container growth as well as beds, borders, and of course the cutting garden. In the garden it radiates bright color and interesting texture among the Tithonias, Black-Eyed Susans, Daylilies, and Butterfly Weeds, among many others. In the vase, Dahlias are unparalleled all by themselves, but if you like big, mixed arrangements (as I do!), try them with something uncompetitive, such as a background of frilly white Shasta Daisies or Red Cauli Sedum.

Start seeds indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before the last anticipated frost, and set out the plants when the soil has warmed in spring. Like all Dahlias from seed, Star-Gazer will grow a tuber during the season, which you can dig up and store for replanting next spring! So although it's hardy only in zones 9-10, this plant can bloom for years in your garden! Make a special place for this one-of-a-kind delight! Pkt is 50 seeds.