We have to pick dahlias as our plant of the month for November.  The autumn has been mild, so they are particularly spectacular in the late borders at Paxton House. Look out for our favourites, the dark red and white, Dahlia ‘Night Butterfly’, and the brilliant scarlet, Dahlia ‘Bishop’s Children’. The first was obviously named for its feathery inner petals and the second, rather prosaically, because it was bred from Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’.  These spectacular flowers have been grown in Britain for about 200 years, having originated in Mexico where their tubers were regarded as a food source. Be careful though, dahlia tubers can be poisonous to dogs. The flowers, meanwhile, rely on their brilliant colours to attract insects for pollination; a late treat for the bees.