During 2023 the BBC visited our nursery to film dahlias in the run-up to The Hampton Court Flower Show Operator was a favourite with them and it's also one of our top varieties. It could be said that the name is an odd choice for a Dahlia, but whatever it was called it's a cracker. Very strong bushy plants that grow to around 1m and never need supporting. One thing to watch out for is that the plants like a lot of nitrogen, you will easily see if they are short of it as the leaves will turn yellow, but they quickly go green again with a bit of feed.

Supplied as top-quality homegrown tubers grown in 11cm pots, they can either be started early in a heated greenhouse for producing cuttings or stored frost-free for planting outside in May, where they will grow into full-sized plants. Pot-grown tubers are compact so they don't suffer from broken necks and are gall free.

To view our full list please navigate to our main Dahlia category, where you will find many more varieties which are available as rooted cuttings and Garden Ready plants.