We love these as companions to our Zone 6 Perennials in New York ... But with showier, fancier dahlia types with extremely curated colors and designs, growing new plants from seed is risky ...

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In zones 10 to 11, you can grow geraniums as tender perennials ... Like dahlias, they grow best in full sun and soil that drains well. They come in many different types and some bloom earlier ...

Several perennials may need pinching a few times – take out the initial bud of a dahlia and then pinch out the resulting side growth. Chopping back perennials in late-spring will make bushier ...