Dahlias have always been a popular choice for late-summer colour in our borders but they can also can also make great plants for pots.

The different flower types and the kaleidoscope mean you can match whatever look you have on your patio from the tropical reds and oranges to the classic creams and whites.

The dahlias best suited to growing in pots will have bright flowers, neat foliage and a tidy habit that means it won’t need staking.

These tubers were started off and after checking them over for any soft or rotting tubers they were potted up into new fresh peat -free compost and kept the pots in the greenhouse for a month or so before putting the pots in a cold frame until June.

During the summer the plants began to flower and kept flowering into autumn Dahlias can be a real magnet for pollinators and in late summer bees and butterflies will flock to feast on pollen and nectar.

It is best to avoid complicated flower heads such as where pollen is difficult to get to.

Single flowered or collarette dahlias have wide, pollen -filled centres for attracting insects, especially if they are planted in full sun.

It is a great idea to add some perlite to improve drainage and use some slow release fertiliser granules to allow nutrients sustain the plants.

Keep a regular inspection of the plants to ensure there are no blemishes taking place.

Keep the pots up off the ground by using proprietary pot feet or a couple of old bricks.

During should the compost freeze then any excess water may cause a pot to crack.

One advantage is because the pots do not contain tall growing plants, wind does not cause damage to the flowers unlike outdoor growing dahlias which are sometimes snap during strong winds.

However, plants can still be damaged by earwigs and other pests and watch out for vine weevil which may leave their eggs under the compost.

The cream/white coloured eggs, resembling a small letter ‘c’ in shape, can feed on the roots of the plants.