Dahlias have always been edible — it’s just that over time they’ve been bred to have such beautiful and bountiful flowers, that in Europe we’ve forgotten they’re also a valuable vegetable.

But there’s something of a revival going on at the moment, the latest sign of which is the launch of DeliDahlias by Lubera (www.lubera.co.uk; tel: 0845 527 1658).

There are six newly developed varieties in this enterprising and exciting range, which come as young potted plants for £4.90 each, all with different flavours and blooms.

A packet of mixed seeds is much cheaper, but of course less predictable.

It’s thought that all dahlias have edible tubers — if you discover otherwise, please try to leave a note — but they vary in quality, with the worst being watery and bitter while the best are crisp and slightly spicy.

There seems to be a cautious consensus that dahlias of the “cactus” type make the finest eaters.

Sown indoors, in gentle heat, in February or March, dahlia seeds germinate freely.

When the seedlings are about 2 tall, move them into individual 3 pots.

Keep them somewhere light and frost-free, potting them on as necessary and plant them out when you’re confident there’ll be no more frosts.

Dormant tubers for planting are widely available online, in catalogues and in garden centres and in price fall somewhere between seeds and plants.

Dahlias need a sunny site, with well-drained, rich soil. Dig in as much manure or garden compost as you can before putting the plants in two or three feet apart, with the tubers about 6 deep.

Knock a sturdy stake in right from the start — dahlias can grow tall and are vulnerable to wind damage if the stems aren’t supported.

Having planted your dahlias, soak them in with a full watering-can, and keep them well watered throughout the summer.

An occasional liquid feed is also worthwhile. Alternatively, dahlias will grow well in a large tub.

The flowering display will end only when the first hard frost of autumn blackens the foliage.

Now cut the stem down to about four inches and carefully fork the plant out of the ground.

Put it upside down in a cool place for a fortnight to let it dry out somewhat, then rub off any excess mud.

To overwinter clusters of tubers for replanting, bury them in sand or potting compost, with just the old stems showing and keep them in a cool but frost-free place like a garage.

Next spring you can replant whole clusters or, to get extra dahlias, either plant individual tubers or take cuttings from the new shoots.

I find the easiest way to store tubers for eating is to separate them from the root cluster and bury them in a box of sand, again in a cool place. They’ll keep for months.

Dahlia tubers can be used as if they were small potatoes, but I like them best treated as root crops in long-cooking dishes such as stews, casseroles and pies.