Also I have gotten alot of mixed information... are they perennials or not? These we bought last year and they came back this year along with our gerber daisys. Or is it because I live in zone 8?

I am hardly the dahlia expert on this forum but I do have years of experience growing them.

With a few exceptions, dahlias are perennials. One exception, of course, is they could rot over the winter and never come back but that goes with the territory.

Some dahlias are 'early bloomers', some summer bloomers but I suspect most are late bloomers. Here in San Francisco, my first dahlia 'sprouted' in Feb., budded in April and started blooming in May. I have at least 5 though that haven't even started blooming though and a couple haven't even budded and they are all leftovers from prior years.

While the May dahlia is still blooming, it is definitely on its' last legs (er, stems).

I think you simply have an early bloomer and I would venture that this is why some of the people on this forum have HUNDREDS of dahlias (hi Poochella!) and most have dozens. We want a variety of colors from May until October and dahlias fill the bill.

Good luck.

IF you have blooms not opening or blooming dahlias that are wilting, there is something else wrong. Are you feeding them? Did you throw any Miracle Gro on them at some point?

You could have a disease or a pest problem, lack of water (once budding), bad soil - any number of things. One definite no-no is Miracle-Gro or high nitrogen fertilizers. Dahlias don't like that.

And don't be fooled by garden store blooming dahlias. Their growers could purposely cold store tubers to grow and bloom when then the stores know you can't plant tubers. What may be blooming in August now may start to bloom in May next year.

Your best bet if ordering tubers from growers is check their catalog. Places like Swan Island will often tell you which are early or late bloomers so you can plan ahead.

Good luck.

IF you have blooms not opening or blooming dahlias that are wilting, there is something else wrong. Are you feeding them? Did you throw any Miracle Gro on them at some point?

You could have a disease or a pest problem, lack of water (once budding), bad soil - any number of things. One definite no-no is Miracle-Gro or high nitrogen fertilizers. Dahlias don't like that.

And don't be fooled by garden store blooming dahlias. Their growers could purposely cold store tubers to grow and bloom when then the stores know you can't plant tubers. What may be blooming in August now may start to bloom in May next year.

Your best bet if ordering tubers from growers is check their catalog. Places like Swan Island will often tell you which are early or late bloomers so you can plan ahead.

Good luck.