11 Stunning Dahlia Flower Varieties To Grow In Small Backyard Gardens

Fairway Spur

I once made the absolute mistake of planting a Fairway Spur tuber right next to my back porch steps because I wanted to show off its blooms to anyone who visited. What I forgot to factor in was that this spectacular dinnerplate grows nearly five feet tall, and by August, my guests were literally getting duck-and-cover lessons just to get to the screen door!

It was a hilariously chaotic summer, but it proved that you can absolutely grow massive flowers in a tiny yard if you manage their vertical space correctly.

Giant Drama on a Tiny Footprint

The Fairway Spur is an absolute showstopper, boasting massive, 10-inch blooms drenched in a soft, luxurious peach tone with subtle hints of apricot. Even though the flowers are completely humongous, the plant itself grows in a relatively tight, upward column rather than sprawling outward.

This unique vertical growth habit makes it a dream candidate for small space gardening where horizontal ground real estate is at a premium. You get all the dramatic, head-turning impact of a giant dinnerplate dahlia without sacrificing space for your other favorite plants.

Mastering the Upright Anchor

Because these blooms are so incredibly heavy, they will eventually try to bow down to gravity if they don’t have proper structural support. I highly recommend driving a sturdy stake into the ground at the exact moment you plant your dahlia tubers to avoid damaging the delicate root systems later on.

As the stalks shoot up, use soft garden twine to loosely tie them to the stake every 12 inches to ensure they stay perfectly straight and elegant. Giving them a steady dose of a low-nitrogen fertilizer mix every few weeks will also keep the stems thick and strong enough to carry those massive peach crowns.

Honestly, watching those giant peach plates open up vertically is just incredible, so go ahead and hit that next button below because we are moving on to Franz Kafka, a perfectly round pompom variety that acts like a tiny living sculpture!