There is a scene in one of the Miss Marple short stories where Dolly Bantry, wife of Colonel Bantry and accidental hero of A Body in the Library, is distracted from a key plot twist moment because the seed catalogues had arrived in the post that morning.

Ah, I thought. It must be January.

The Chiltern Seeds catalogue is the first, but it is the Halls of Heddon one that makes my heart flutter this year. I seem to be the only person who hasn’t lost all of their dahlia tubers over the winter (an accident of having to dig them up early so I could mulch, and forgetting to pack them away in boxes, so ventilation has been abundant) but even so.

My discussion with Philippa Stewart of Just Dahlias, carried out as it was with her surrounded by incredible, new (to me) varieties, has reignited my passion. Also, the Halls of Heddon catalogue is fantastically retro, and rejects any new-fangled graphic design. If I can muster up a cup and saucer for my Earl Grey, I can almost imagine myself as Mrs Bantry. The Joanna Lumley variety, obviously.

And so, with the kettle on, I have found a notebook, opened the catalogue and also Just Dahlia’s gallery page (click on the tab marked ‘flowering now’) and I am making lists. I have genuinely no idea where I am going to plant them all, but rooted cuttings come in at less than a fiver each from H of H, and I just cannot resist.

Maybe 2023 is the year I finally get my hands on a Senior’s Hope.

Just Dahlia’s recommendations:

1. Burlesca- Coral coloured ball variety.

2. Nuland’s Josephine - Large ball variety, the colour of rhubarb and custard sweets

3. Cornell Red - Ball variety, medium sized purple-red flowers.

4. Cornell Brons - Soft peach Ball dahlia with a hint of bronze

5. Zundert Mystery Fox - Ball variety - opens orange and fades to terracotta

6. Cafe au Lait - Large decorative dahlia with Ivory peach colouring, sometimes more blush pink in summer

7. Black Jack - Decorative dahlia with reddish black colouring

8. Sweet Natalie - Formal decorative dahlia with medium sized pale blush blooms.

9. Otto’s Thrill - Giant decorative dahlia with soft pink blooms

My new ones for this year

1. Labyrinth – glorious gold dinner plate, also try Hamari Gold

2. Wine Eyed Jill - ball-shaped made up of layers of gentle peach petals, each flower blends to wine purple in the centre. 

3. Minley Carol – Very small but a great filler. A perfect blend of orange and coral.

4. Hugh Mather – The only waterlily dahlia I adore, soft tones of gold.

5. Market Joy – A semi-cactus which I usually avoid, but I love the unusual turned up tips of this variety, and its soft colour.

6. Bryn Terfel, or Spartacus – both fabulous dinnerplates in scarlet, Joanna Game also recommends Labyrinth in red.

 Sources of dahlia tubers:

Rose Cottage plants – beautiful quality

Peter Nyssen - great range and reasonable prices

Sarah Raven

Parkers wholesale – great prices but you run the risk of receiving the wrong colours, usually acid yellow…