In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Duo
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of cuttings from our gardens.
I didn’t have a notion this week about what shape my vase would take this week but flower choices were limited. On Saturday morning I cut all the dahlias I could and placed them in water for conditioning. Stems were shorter than I wanted despite having cut back the plants a couple times this year. That afternoon just as I was preparing to make a vase for today, I found an email from a friend in the neighborhood. She had left us a still-warm peach cobbler to find by the front door—a soon-devoured, delicious peach cobbler I might add. Finding inspiration in the handmade ceramic dish in which she had baked our treat, I chose another dish of similar size and put together a pair of small tabletop designs. I was happy to be able to return her dish with a few flowers from my garden.
Using Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ as outline foliage and a few dahlia leaves as concealers I added the freshest dahlias to the first arrangement, along with a bouncy Buddleja and a sprig of tansy. The effect was a little spare but cheerful.
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Duo
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’ worked nicely with the color of my friend’s dish so they all went into her arrangement.
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Duo
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Duo
I also included the few white Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’ I had been able to cut. Bugs seem especially attracted to these and not many are vase-worthy.
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Duo
Both vases were quickly assembled, little-fussing or second-guessing. This is the second vase.
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Duo
A view from the right corner:
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Duo
This design has a slightly more oval than round shape. This was owing to the fact I had a couple of longer-stemmed ‘David Howard’ to use.
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Duo
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Duo
Materials
Flowers
Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush)
Dahlia sp.
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Foliage
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’
Dahlia leaves
Vase
Pottery bowls, with Lomey plastic dish inserts, eco-friendly floral foam
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower-filled vases across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place in a vase this week.
pbmGarden 
Such beautiful colours to cheer up and wet and dismal Monday
Thanks. Glad these flowers brought cheer today Linda. Where I live we’re dry as a bone.
A most delightful and lively mix, Susie, which has been arranged to perfection. Some of my dahlias were eaten to the ground by slugs in spring so will flower later. They’re always a pleasure albeit a rather thirsty one. Wishing you a good week too xx
Thank you Annette. Ah, slugs! In my case it’s been rabbits eating everything. Dahlias do seem to want a lot of water and it’s been extremely hot and dry here. We finally had a nice rain overnight. Hope you have a good week too.
rabbits are definitely worse! we just have one visiting from time to time. as for rain – we haven’t had any for over a month and yes, I must water the dahlias too…
Love the way you have displayed the different colours of your Dahlias and that great baptisia foliage I admired previously is just the right contrast.
Thank you Noelle. That baptisia has been very useful addition to my vases this year. Glad I gave it a try.
My first thought was just how attractive these low arrangements were, and then I read this was partly the result of short stems! My dahlias have all got incredibly long stems this year, no idea why, but I need to ensure I am not afraid to cut them short. Despite the number of varieties in the first vase, it works just as well as the more muted second one, and as always you have balanced them out really well with the foliage. The surprise peach cobbler was serendipitous in terms of prompting the arrangements, wasn’t it?
Thanks Cathy. It’s great you have long stems on your dahlias as then you get the choice to use them long or short. When I took a floral design workshop the teacher instructed us not to be afraid to cut the stems to match the size of the container. Some of my stems are long but also very thick and hollow, making them poor for using in a vase. I may try cutting them back again.
That’s an interesting point about the hollow stems, Susie, or is it the thickness I wonder…?
Yes, the thickness makes the stem unwieldy to use in a vase. I think hollow stems can’t take up the water well and so won’t last. I have seen a floral demonstration where the designer inserted cotton up the stem of the flower to help the flowers accept water better. But in a quick search I didn’t find a reference for that. I think he was using amaryllis but I’ve had those last fine. Must have been something else.
Oh yes, I think I have seen it suggested for amaryllis. I thought of your comment and checked the dahlia stems when I made today’s vase 😁
Both arrangements are beautifully put together as always, Susie. I envy you the Baptisia (another plant that doesn’t want to grow here), as well as the dahlias, as I continue to wait for blooms on mine. Your comment about the white dahlia is interesting as I had problems with a white dahlia I grew the year before last as well. I skipped white-flowering plants for that reason last year but introduced one (‘Iceberg’) this year – we shall see if it does better.
Great display of dahlias, Susie. The baptisia foliage is a wonderful filler/green, adding a nice texture to the arrangements.
Thanks. I like using the baptisia foliage with these dahlias, Eliza–with its airiness it makes nice contrast to the heavy dahlias.
Baptisia certainly has distinctive foliage. Those dahlias are fabulous (and I never use such big words.).
Thanks Tony. Big words appreciated here!
You are welcome.
Your dahlias are stunning. I have a few starting to bloom, but some have not done so well in this strange climate. Happy to admire yours.
Thanks Judy. Hope your dahlias surprise you and do well. Dahlias are nice when they do well and frustratingly mysterious when they don’t. Most of mine didn’t come up. Hoping to keep the rest alive until fall and maybe they’ll be happier.
Not seen Baptisia foliage before, but it is a perfect foil for your beautiful dahlias.
Thanks. This is the first year I’ve tried using baptisia in arrangements and I’ve been happy with it. Very long-lasting and the texture appeals.
Beautiful flowers Susie. My dahlias never looked much due to insects, so I gave up trying several years ago! Peach cobbler sounds so good, I may have to buy extra peaches at the weekend. I suspect they grow abundantly in gardens in your climate. And how nice to return the dish with such a pretty display in it! 😃
Thanks Cathy! It’s tough to find that balance with enjoying flowers and enjoying insects! Hope you find some good peaches. They do grow well in my state of North Carolina although late freezes sometimes makes them scarce.
Love the Dahlias as always. I have been eating those donut peaches, so weird, I like the shapes of the arrangements and the color combination. Sometimes the plants sizes dictate the design, maybe they know best…You think?
Yes, I think it’s a lot easier to let the flowers dictate. Enjoy those peaches!