I plants glads too. The advantage is, as BackyardBouquets_17 says, the bloom timing is ideal. Also, the stiffness of the glad plants adds another layer of support in my dahlia netting. The disadvantage is that they share some pests (thrips) and diseases (or so I read…). I’ve kind of veered away from deliberately planting them together anymore for those reasons, although I still have babies pop up here and there and I still have some around the perimeter areas of my garden.
I too have had trouble with low-growing plants establishing themselves in time to be vigorous at the feet of dahlias. Last year I grew eucalyptus and scented geranium at the ends of my walking paths. I think I may stick more scented geraniums right in my walking paths this year. Occasionally I would step on the one last year, and that was delightful! 🤣. I want to step on more this year. And they’re so sturdy it doesn’t seem to bother them.
I have cilantro that reseeds itself in my dahlia garden beds every year. It always bolts so quickly that I’m not really able to use it, but beneficials and pollinators really seem to love it so I just let it do its thing.
I try every year to get celosia going amidst the dahlias because it seems to be a big attractor for beneficials and pollinators, but I think it’s one of those that gets going too late to have a foothold before the dahlias start taking over.
I often think yarrow might be a good choice, but do worry it could be overly aggressive.
I had great luck with marigolds one year, but haven’t been able to replicate their success. I think it was probably a very vigorous variety, but I didn’t pay enough attention and don’t know which one it was…
