In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl
Summer has been extremely dry and hot which may have affected flower formation in dahlias as well as other plants. We are beginning to get some rain again which should help increase flower shape and production.
An anemone type, Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’ was planted June 25 and offered its first two blooms on Saturday with another on Sunday. I hoped to feature this new addition to my garden in today’s vase but I will have to wait for more flowers and then we’ll see.
Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’
Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’
Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’
Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’
Two Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ flowers opened this week, more luncheon plate than dinnerplate in size—still lovely. Unlike the specimen from last week’s vase, these have the characteristic mocha pale-pink coloring typical of this hybrid.
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl
Materials
Flowers
Cosmos ‘Bright Lights’ Mixed Colors
Dahlia Anemone ‘Totally Tangerine’
Dahlia Ball ‘Petra’s Wedding’
Dahlia Border Decorative ‘Gallery Pablo’
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Zinnia elegans
Foliage
Chrysanthemum
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Container
White ceramic shallow bowl
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl
In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl
Sincere thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.
pbmGarden 
Stunning arrange.
Thanks Judy. Hope all is well with you.
Beautiful. The Totally Tangerine Dahlia is such a pretty colour and so different to all I have seen before. 😃
Totally Tangerine is a bit frilly but I’m excited to have a different form and color. Other dahlias I bought at the same time to be companions with this one haven’t made it.
Oh, I had forgotten how lovely Cafe au Lait is. I have lost mine, it has likely been starved by the fig tree which has spread over the bed it was in. it’s a beautiful arrangement.
Yum, figs sound nice too. My Cafe au Lait is unpredictable and sends out more streaky pink flowers than this more elegant version.
So many Dahlias. They all are so pretty, it is hard to pick a favorite.
Last year the dahlias came easily and early. This year each one has struggled so it’s nice a few are finally blooming.
You do have a nice collection.
Thanks 🙏
Totally Tangerine is really exciting – I’ll have to look for it. My Cafe au Lait has yet to show any buds, let alone flower. The plant is healthy though, growing taller every day with little earwig damage. It’s interesting (and a bit annoying sometimes) how, in the same bed, four dahlias can grow/mature/flower at such different rates. I suppose it just means my September dahlias (and Vases!) will be interesting eh? Question: when you compose your vases, is there a plan? Do you start with flowers at the bottom then work your way up, or vice versa? Or put the ‘stars’ of the vase in first, then fill in holes as you go along?
Yes, September should be a great month for dahlias and whew, September is nearly here!
I do usually try to decide on a plan as I am getting starting. It seldom takes that shape in the end but it’s good to have a starting point (think triangle, round, crescent, etc). I like to use floral foam because it holds the stems exactly where you want them. Florist pins also work well.
The rule of thumb is stems should be no more than 1.5 to 2 times the width (or height) of the container to keep in proportion. I place some outline foliage and/or flowers to “outline” the shape of the design, then use a few concealer leaves to hide the floral foam. Next I add in the feature or focal flowers (usually the large ones or unusual pods, etc) and finally fill in with filler flowers. It’s nice to have some space but I try to avoid gaps. It’s always good to keep turning and/or stepping back to see how it’s looking. Might have to move things around. There’s a tendency to want to keep those nice long stems but sometimes they might need to be trimmed shorter than expected to keep the right proportion. It’s always good to remove most of the leaves from the flowers, especially any that would be in water.
I took a few classes that helped with some basics. IAVOM has been a great opportunity for practicing. Hope these tips help. Nothing is written in stone. Just do it the way it appeals to you.
This is so helpful – thank you!
OMG, I love this. I think it’s my favorite vase of the day. The Dahlia varieties, along with the Zinnias, Cosmos, and other blooms, seem perfect for this arrangement. Happy Monday!
Thanks Beth! So nice. I bought a lot of different types of dahlias this year but they haven’t all made it. It’s nice to see Totally Tangerine make an appearance.
What an effective mix of dahlias Susie – I have a ‘purple’ anemone flowered dahlia called Blue Bayou which hasn’t managed to produce more than one or two blooms at a time, so has not yet appeared in a vase. Your Totally Tangerine is SO striking! I love the way you have used the gaura to extend the shape of the vase
Thanks Cathy, I’m pleased with Totally Tangerine. I’m finding dahlias are temperamental. The first year I think I had beginner’s luck! The gaura has barely flowered but it does work well in vases!
I suppose we must take what we can, when we can! With gauras, I have found them easy to grow from seed but they haven’t overwintered – and yet they are available in nurseries so must be reasonably hardy… must look into it a bit further
I have lost several gauras over the years, but the one I have now comes back every year. It doesn’t seem to be in a good location though, perhaps it’s too wet. It flops. I’ll try to gather a few seeds and place somewhere in more sun.
‘Totally Tangerine’ is intriguing. You have such a wonderful variety of dahlia types. I need to branch out in my selection in the future. I did purchase ‘Waltzing Matilda’ on a last-minute tuber sale (mid-June). While it sprouted quickly and produced wonderful dark foliage, it seems reluctant to actually produce any flowers 😦
Thanks Kris. Totally Tangerine is a bit fancy but I do like the colors in it and it works well with some of the others I’m growing. Good luck with yours as we move into fall.
Absolutely lovely! You have a gift with flower arranging, Susie. 🙂
Thanks Eliza. IAVOM has given me a great outlet for creating vases, very good to practice each week.
I love the Gaura, an inspired touch to accent the fabulous Dahlias. I had no idea the color variation was so extreme.
My gaura is so listless in flowering. I need to relocate it. Arrangements benefit from something light and airy.
Same here, Gaura is a very short lived perennial I gave up on.. The texture is a perfect foil for the Dahlias.
‘Totally Tangerine’ looks like a fat marigold! That is RAD! A dahlia that lived here years ago was described as ‘grapefruit’ colored. Grapefruit is my favorite citrus. (I used to grow citrus trees.) The color is not so impressive though.
Tony, I had the same thought: marigold. Fortunately I love them.
Well, marigolds are nice also!