There’s something delightful about dahlias. Once considered flamboyant by the “prim and proper,” dahlias are roaring back into favor, capturing the hearts of gardeners of all levels.

Their many colors — yellow, purple, burgundy, pink, white, pink and blends — provide style and color to a late-season garden.

And, while people love them, you’ll be happy to know that deer don’t seem to.

“Dahlias are robust plants that deliver big color in all shades,” says Hans Langeveld of www.longfield- gardens.com, a new online retail resource for bulbs and perennials, in a press release.

Longfield’s dahlia offering features 43 different varieties and 15 mixed color combinations, including flower types ranging from cactus to dinner plate, ball, mignon, decorative, anemone and waterlily.

In Gloucester, Va., Brent and Becky’s Bulbs — www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com or toll-free 877-661-2852 — you’ll also find about 45 types of dahlias.

Dahlias are truly the “love flower” because the more flowers you cut and give away, the more flowers the dahlia produces for you, according to Brent and Becky Heath.

Dahlias grow best in warm soil, according toLangeveld. Plant them out once garden soil warms to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the threat of frost is long gone. To get a jump on the season, plant them earlier in containers or indoor start-up pots, where soil is more readily warmed.

In warmer areas (USDA zones 8-10) dahlias overwinter where planted. In colder climates, remove the bulbs in early fall and cut off any foliage and flowers; wrap each bulb in newspaper and store them in a cool, dark, non-freezing place until it’s time to plant them in the garden again.