Dahlias are grown from tubers (similar to a bulb, but thin-skinned like a potato). Plant tubers in the springtime, about the same time as you would your vegetable gardens or when the ground is warm enough to work up and play in daily. Plant them in a full sun location (giving them 6-8 hours of direct sunlight) and enjoy blooms all summer long. They will bloom and provide you with color and abundant flowers for cutting and enjoying throughout the summer.
The more you cut a dahlia plant, the more it will bloom. Most cut dahlias will last up to 5 days once cut and treated.