In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Still Life
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.
My Cafe Au Lait Dahlias seem distant cousins to the luscious creamy ones I’ve seen on other garden blogs for a few years. The description from the vendor suggests “lovely, cream and pale pink flowers” but these are not the dreamy ones I expected. Has anyone else seen this much variation or do I actually have a different dahlia? An imposter?
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Still Life
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
I am enjoying the semi-cactus Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’ although this one struggles a bit in my garden. It probably would like more water, which it may get if Hurricane Dorian arrives as expected this week.
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Materials
Flowers
Canna ‘Semaphore’
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Foliage
Canna leaves
Containers
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches); white glass globe.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.
pbmGarden 
Imposter or not, the Cafe au Lait is really beautiful. I really like the faint purple streaking on the petals. Beautiful arrangement. Stay safe with impending Dorian!
I should just be pleased with my first real attempt at growing dahlias that I have had a lot of blooms this summer. Dorian definitely has everyone’s attention here. Thanks Chris.
What a beautiful arrangement of dahlias. You’ve made them look so stunning in the way you have displayed them. Very lovely!
Thanks Cindy. I played with the design later but came back to this original version in the end.
I don’t think it is Cafe au Lait, but whatever it is, it’s beautiful! I love the way you’ve arranged them, yet again you’ve made something look elegant when I don’t think if it in that way. Keep safe, I’ll be watching all the news to check where Dorian is. I do hope it passes you by. Wouldn’t it be great if it just hit Mar-a-Largo.
Christina, I admit to having the same thought!
Christina, same here, Palm Beach Island has been evacuated.
I flowers are beautiful and the leaves make a great background for them. Hopefully, Dorian will head out to sea.
Thanks. Hope you’re not in Dorian’s path. You’re not in Florida are you?
No, I’m near the Texas coast. We got hit by Harvey, but this one is not coming close. We will not even get any rain from it.
Ah, ok. Well glad you don’t have to worry about Dorian.
We are suffering from lack of rain right now.
A great way to show off perfect blooms…even though it is not Cafe au lait. Dahlias just keep on giving..and to my slugs too!!!!! Hope you get just rain and not anything more from the bad weather.
Thanks Noelle. I’ll try again for Cafe au lait. Some nice rain would be welcome.
Yes, the ‘real’ Cafe au Lait would not have as much pink as this, if at all, Susie – but this is still very pretty. There is a ‘Cafe au Lait Rose’ which sounds more likely although I haven’t seen a picture of this. What a gloriously elegant display you have created Susie, whatever its name, and ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’ is a striking dahlia too. Hope all turns out well weather wise…
Many thanks! Appreciate you suggesting ‘Cafe au Lait Rose’ Cathy. Just looked it up but this doesn’t seem to be that either. I’ll check with the vendor. The white dahlia hasn’t had a lot of blooms but I really like its form.
I have a David Austin rose that isn’t what it should be, but they have replaced it with the ‘real’ one. They think the rogue one it is probably a sport – I wonder if your dahlia could be?
Perhaps. I’ll try to contact the vendor and report back.
They do look like a piece of artwork and all due to your skills arranging them. Nice. 🙂
Thank you Judy! I hope you’re not bombarded this weekend by candidates!
I think it is an impostor, but it is a lovely lavender color and the arrangement flows beautifully. The white cactus-bloomer is like lace, exquisite!
Thanks Eliza. Yes, that white one thrills me. I like flowers with that cactus form. I have a few cactus zinnias this year too.
A stunning arrangement as always. I have been miss sold Dahlias, I sent a picture to the supplier who gave me a refund.
‘Cafe Au Lait’ that I have seen have been more creamy in colour.
Thanks Brian. Yes, should be that creamy color. Good idea to send a photo. I’ll try that too.
Very dramatic. Love the foliage and flower combo!
Thanks Marian. Hope you’re having an exciting time this year.
Your ‘Cafe’ may be an imposter or a mutant but I’ve found significant variability in some dahlia blooms. My own Dahlia ‘Labyrinth’ is dramatically lighter in color than most (although not all) of the photos I’ve seen of the cultivar on-line. My ‘Punkin Spice’, slow to get its bloom on this year, showed a lot of variability in bloom color on the same plant last year. Variations in temperature perhaps? Remembering Chloris’ report of all the variations she got from her seedlings, it may be the pollinators working in the grower’s fields also got up to some mischief. In any case, your lavender-flushed flowers look great against those impressive Canna leaves.
P.S. I hope the worst of she-devil Dorian misses you! Stay safe.
Kris, thanks for sharing your experience with the dahlias. I must go back and find Chloris’s dahlia post. She’s a wealth of information too.
Lovely even if Cafe au Lait is Cafe au less, I love the Canna leaf in there, inspired addition. The Cactus variety looks a great deal like a Bromeliad I have in my garden. I am hoping Dorian goes out to sea and leaves all of us alone.
Yes! Cafe au less! The canna leaves are two weeks old. I cut them for an earlier project and didn’t need them so finally found a use for them this week. Stay safe.
My Café au Lait is not as pink but they do seem to vary if you google images. I also have Café au Lait Rose which is disappointingly dark pink. I have the white cactus with the name I can never remember too. It is so striking. Dahlias are wonderful for arrangements.
Heard back yesterday. The vendor believes I was sent Dahlia ‘Labyrinth’ by mistake. I do like the white one a lot.
These look stunning but I am not convinced that yours is Cafe au Lait. It is a beauty but not coffee coloured or milky. An impostor
Heard back yesterday. The vendor believes I was sent Dahlia ‘Labyrinth’ by mistake.
Ah all becomes clear! Still a beauty
Nice Dahlias, and I like how you use the Canna leaves.
Thanks. Big leaves are so useful. Texture. Background. Color.
Actually, it seems that everyone who grew ‘Cafe au Lait’ wondered about such variations; and they were different variations.
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