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Are dahlias really worth the effort?

in Plants
Im interested in your views, as trying out dahlias in two big pots for last couple of years has been a lot of effort for not much return.
Year 1: munched to a ragged, slimy mess by miniature snails, flopped all over the place, flowers underwhelming
Year 2: infested with black fly all season, despite constant hose blasting, flowered Ok, but not until late August. Flopped again. Both times gave them lovely soil, regular feeding, watering and this year will stake them, but I am thinking that they are the most high maintenance plants going (don’t forget the over wintering palaver) and roses trump them hands down.
So dahlia lovers, are they really worth the hype??!
Year 1: munched to a ragged, slimy mess by miniature snails, flopped all over the place, flowers underwhelming
Year 2: infested with black fly all season, despite constant hose blasting, flowered Ok, but not until late August. Flopped again. Both times gave them lovely soil, regular feeding, watering and this year will stake them, but I am thinking that they are the most high maintenance plants going (don’t forget the over wintering palaver) and roses trump them hands down.
So dahlia lovers, are they really worth the hype??!
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Try to work with nature rather than fight it.
Love them.
the old ones, left in the ground all year are shooting now. Can’t wait.