Dahlia Beds

Staked rows run the length of the square in tight color blocks, from dinner-plate blooms the width of two hands to pompons barely bigger than a marble. Every one of these came from a tuber lifted, stored, and replanted by hand — dahlias won't survive in the ground here, so the beds are rebuilt from scratch each year. Look closely at the labels; the varieties have some of the best names in horticulture, and the gardeners are not immune to picking a few for that reason alone.