I'm no expert at all. But my stock recommendation is to not spend a lot of money on your first go with anything new. Just buy some inexpensive dahlia tubers at Walmart or Costco. Or just a select few at your local garden center. Try them and see how you do with them. I think, in general, they grow pretty easily. The challenge comes if you want to keep the tubers year to year. I have yet to succeed there. Don't be scared, just go for it! Pick ones you like!

For years I grew a lemon yellow dahlia I picked up at one of the Connecticut plant swaps, as well as some Bishop's Children I grew from seed. So long as you have plenty of sun, they aren't at all difficult plants. The trick is getting them through the winter. I used to just put them in paper bags in the crawlspace, then put them in pots about now. The crawlspace is cool and damp, but not terribly so.

So long as you start with the understanding that you may not get a second year out of them, buy what you like.

dahlias are pretty easy to grow - as long as you stake them. To overwinter, I like to cut down/dig up after a killing frost, rinse off dirt, let dry for a day, then wrap in plastic wrap, put in a labeled and unsealed plastic bag and put them upright in a cooler that lives in a cool place in my basement. The second season you can just plant the whole thing. Once you have some success overwintering you can decide if you want to divide your tubers.

Ooh I am saving all these tips for next time I try tuber storage!

My husband and I have been growing dahlias for many, many years. First the regular sized dahlias, then the dinner plates which we exclusively grow now. We have over wintered the tubers with good success. It isn't really all that hard. With the first killing frost, we cut the stems leaving about a 3" "handle" from the tuber . Dig them up and knock off any loose soil. We don't rinse. Leave them out in the sun to dry for a day or two. The tubers go into LABELED paper bags. Yep, one year we forgot to label them. EEEGad! hahaha. They are put into a huge wicker basket in the cold cellar(we live in Maine) and left until late April. I then start getting ready the big pots that they grow in. Usually two to to a pot, three to a pot if the tubers are small or have been divided. Don't over crowd. Dahlias definitely need staking and a full sun place to grow their best. There are so many sizes and colors of dahlias. There is something for everyone!

One of the big issues in my area is that none of our houses have those great old cold cellars like you have in the East. Our basements are all heated and cozy. So it's likely too warm to keep them in our basements. Conversely, the garage is unheated and probably too cold not to mention the temps in there fluctuate a lot. Also, it's very dry here. So they just seem to dry up. I'm not saying it can't be done, because definitely people do it. But I've tried several ways and had only minimal success here.

I totally agree there is something for everyone with dahlias and they really do give you a lot of large, exciting color!

I use a cooler to moderate temperature fluctuations - so if the median temperature in your garage is appropriate that might be a solution for you too. And the saran wrap method really helps to prevent drying while not keeping the tubers too wet.

I have a warm basement and have had no problems overwintering dahlias and other tubers/bulbs. I dig them up in the Fall, let them dry for a few days. Sometimes I sprinkle a bit of garden sulphur on the tubers before packing them in vermiculite (make sure there are no air pockets). I buy large bags of it from a garden supply store.