After a blossoming romance this summer? Let me introduce you to the delightful dahlia. If you've had enough of those needy, high-maintenance varieties, dahlia might just be the fresh start you're after.

After all, this vibrant plant isn't looking for much - just a dry, exposed area of your garden with well-drained soil. It's also partial to being placed in the middle of a simple pot where the soil is also dry.

If it's colour you're looking for, our dahlia has it in spades - reds, oranges, yellows and pinks...in fact, most hues except blue.

And if that isn't appealing enough for you, the Mexican native is also a resilient young thing, which tends to fend off diseases with ease.

Interested? Simply grab a few Awapuni Nurseries bedding dahlia seedlings from your local supermarket, The Warehouse or Bunnings store. Or order some from our online shop and get them delivered direct to your door.

To get started, dig a small hole and plant your seedling. Space each plant about 200mm apart. Then sit back, play it cool, and in about eight weeks you'll be rewarded with an array of floral fervour that will last the entire summer - even when it's hot and dry.

Pick off any dead heads to encourage flowering and, as long as you've chosen the right spot for planting, your dahlia will get to about 200mm high.

Worried you may not be the perfect match for your plant? Don't worry - the dahlia will get plenty of long-time love if placed next to lavender, delphiniums, irises and roses. It also works well if you're on the rebound from spring bulbs, flowering about the same time as your bulbs die down.

Oh, and one last thing: if you want to treat your dahlia to be a bit of something extra special - try a touch of fertiliser or compost.