Tag Archives: Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Dahlias

29 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Dahlias

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

Several late-season dahlia surprises guided the direction of today’s vase. Last week I had written off ever seeing Dahlia ‘Fairway Spur,’ but it turned out to be a true “late bloomer.” Over the weekend a single flower, one large peachy specimen emerged on an elegantly long stem which I stubbornly refused to cut, making the vase a little top-heavy I realize in retrospect.

Dahlia ‘Fairway Spur’ (Dinnerplate)

Dahlia ‘Fairway Spur’ (Dinnerplate)

Another dinnerplate, Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’, had bloomed earlier but I thought it had died back completely in the drought of summer. Then yesterday I discovered one stem in its best iconic coffee-colored form.

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Semi-cactus type Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ seems to take all summer to get going. Its autumn blooms are usually larger, better formed (and with fewer pests) and this year is continuing that trend.

Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ (Semi-cactus)

Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ (Semi-cactus)

There was a good variety of foliage to explore this week including gaura with a slight tinge of red and itea leaves with their unmistakeable redness.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Dahlias

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Dahlias

Materials
Flowers
Button Chrysanthemum
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ (Dinnerplate)
Dahlia ‘David Howard’ (Decorative)
Dahlia ‘Fairway Spur’ (Dinnerplate)
Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’ (Decorative)
Dahlia ‘Petra’s Wedding’ (Ball dahlia)
Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ (Semi-cactus)
Zinnia ‘Cactus Flowered Mix’
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Zinnia ‘Senora’
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Gardenia jasminoides
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Itea virginica ‘Sprich’ LITTLE HENRY (Virginia sweetspire)
Spirea
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

Thank you for your continued good wishes for my husband’s health. It’s not a straight path but he is doing better. The garden has carried on since mid-August on its own, literally no rain since Hurricane Ian brought a small amount here at the end of September.

A college friend brought a wonderful gift on Friday—dark and light purple, white and apricot pansies which I actually got planted the same day and watered. The earth in the meditation circle was so dry I couldn’t plant them along the paths as I’d planned. Instead I placed them around the dahlias which will soon be dying back.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Dahlias

As always 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

26 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’ is classified as a decorative. Its flowers are expected to range 6-8 inches. Mine are smaller, about 4 inches across, but as promised this dahlia is a prolific bloomer.  New to the garden this summer its color is variously described as butterscotch, peach, even copper-orange. These petals have some soft peachy tones.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

But as I study it the color shifts.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Once placed in today’s vase, the flowers appeared more bronze or maybe a bit like butterscotch—either way, a bit too reminiscent of fall for these hot August days.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

I went back and forth as to whether these zinnias with their pure bright hues work as suitable companion flowers for the subtly-colored dahlias. In the end I stayed with them.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Though I had picked many more flowers in different sizes and colors for today I never got back to experimenting with this arrangement.  I suspect switching the vase color to blue might make it feel more summery and in turn would make me feel less distressed at seeing summer’s end inching closer. The heat, I know, will be with us a long while, but every day I sense the change in light.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia Decorative ‘Noordwijks Glorie’
Zinnia ‘Cactus Flowered Mix’
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Angelonia ‘Serena Purple’
Cosmos ‘Bright Lights’
Foliage
Italian Oregano
Container
Glazed ceramic pottery vase, circa 1980.

As always 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Nature’s Pulse

28 Replies

In A Vase on Monday – Nature’s Pulse

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

After a sere month, the rhythms of nature were heard and felt during the last week of July as storms at last brought rain into the garden. Sometimes pounding, thunderous. Often, hurried and incomplete. Yet, rain did come.  Sensing nature’s quickening pulse, the garden’s response was a swift burst of color—pace, pattern and purpose all restored for a time as we enter August.

In A Vase on Monday – Nature’s Pulse

I first planted dahlias a few years ago and had enough success I came to believe they were easy to grow, only to discover it was beginner’s luck phenomenon. Each season now they become more of a mystery. Some have returned, some are new, some old and new failed to appear.

Usually advertised as buff or cream color in my garden the well-known dinnerplate Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ more often throws out pinkish with purple striped petals. (A version of this streaky form is sold as ‘Café au Lait Royal’.) My D. ‘Cafe Au Lait’ does occasionally produce the classic coloration, but not so far this summer.

Dinnerplate Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ with white D. ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ and reddish-orange ‘David Howard’

With nice color and form Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’ is a fresh addition to the garden this year.

Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Also newly purchased this year, Gladiolus ‘Flowering Performer’ popped into bloom this week. Brushstrokes of white along the center of each petal are punctuated here by tiny flowers on sprigs of Italian oregano.

In A Vase on Monday – Nature’s Pulse

As an aside, I’ve never had pests attack gladiolas but I blame the rabbits for this shocking treatment of a beloved summer mainstay. These would have been deep red.

Zinnias are blooming with more vigor after a slow start. More seeds sprinkled early in the week germinated within two days.

White ball-type Dahlia ‘Petra’s Wedding’ peeks out between a pair of Zinnias

In A Vase on Monday – Nature’s Pulse

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia Decorative ‘Noordwijks Glorie’
Dahlia Decorative ‘Great Silence’
Dahlia Semi-Cactus ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’
Dahlia Ball ‘Petra’s Wedding’
Gladiolus ‘Flowering Performer’
Zinnia ‘Cactus Flowered Mix’
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Foliage
Italian Oregano
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

As always 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Flowers In Black Vessel

35 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Flowers In Black Vessel

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 – Summer Flowers In Black Vessel

This is one of my favorite arrangements of the summer. It began as a different concept, lighter in weight, more airy, but ended up a round, tightly-packed, solid form with an arc of white flowers moving horizontally and an arc of pink flowers cascading vertically.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Flowers In Black Vessel

Five Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’ opened all at once. This is a creamy white semi-cactus dahlia. I cut them and the other flowers Sunday afternoon when it was already 93°F.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Flowers In Black Vessel

Three of the large flowers forming the pink arc are an unknown semi-cactus dahlia and one is D. ‘Cafe Au Lait’.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Flowers In Black Vessel

Stems of a small white ball type, Dahlia ‘Petra’s Wedding’, along with salvias, gaura and common lantana fill out the arrangement. There are also a few sprigs of Angelonia AngelMist ‘Spreading Berry Sparkler’.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Flowers In Black Vessel

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Flowers In Black Vessel

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Flowers In Black Vessel

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia AngelMist ‘Spreading Berry Sparkler’
Dahlia Ball ‘Petra’s Wedding’
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Penhill Watermelon’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Dahlia sp.
Lantana camara (Common lantana)
Salvia nemorosa ‘Blue Hill’ (Meadow Sage)
Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)
Zinnia
Foliage
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Container
Black Matte Dish With Red Interior

As always 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Tropical Drink

27 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Tropical Drink

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

I decided to create an Ikebana-style design today and ended up with what reminds me of a tropical drink one might be served at a touristy resort—full of citrus and rum and topped with parasols and blossoms, slightly awkward when it arrives.

In A Vase On Monday – Tropical Drink

I added a couple of lavender stems for straws and decided to offer it up. Although I have not travelled anywhere this summer here is a nod to enjoying an end of summer fling.

In A Vase On Monday – Tropical Drink

In A Vase On Monday – Tropical Drink

In A Vase On Monday – Tropical Drink

In A Vase On Monday – Tropical Drink

In A Vase On Monday – Tropical Drink

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Pablo’
Lavender
Zinnia
Foliage
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

So far Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’ is ungenerous with its flowers but they are striking when a few appear. I cut them this morning in hopes of encouraging more buds.

In A Vase On Monday – Tropical Drink

In A Vase On Monday – Tropical Drink

As always 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl

29 Replies

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Three Weeks Ago

19 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Three Weeks Ago

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages garden bloggers to share a vase of cuttings gathered from our gardens. I haven’t had time to put together even a quick one this week so I’m sharing one from three weeks ago when the dahlias and zinnias were overflowing. That week I prepared two vases from among the same materials and settled on a calm Ikebana-style vase titled Autumn Mood. This one is the opposite, unrestrained, spilling from an egg basket I wove years ago.

In A Vase On Monday – Three Weeks Ago

In A Vase On Monday – Three Weeks Ago

In A Vase On Monday – Three Weeks Ago

In A Vase On Monday – Three Weeks Ago

In A Vase On Monday – Three Weeks Ago

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia sp.
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Foliage
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
Container
Egg Basket

The dahlias are no longer blooming but a few zinnias are still going. These last pictures are digital painting using Waterlogue.

In A Vase On Monday – Three Weeks Ago

In A Vase On Monday – Three Weeks Ago

In A Vase On Monday – Three Weeks Ago

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 surprises she and others found to place in a vase this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Mood

23 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Mood

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of cuttings from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Mood

Yesterday, on a rainy Sunday morning, I actually gathered zinnias for today’s vase, but only one shows up in this Ikebana design.  Featured are dogwood branches with berries. A large dinnerplate dahlia whose name I do not know makes an interesting foil for the colorful autumn leaves.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Mood

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Mood

The dahlias which have carried the garden through the summer and fall are finally , sadly, slowing down. Only one D. ‘Cafe Au Lait’  was usable for today but it was perfect in the way it relates to the color of the berries and its subtle stripes of pink connect to the leaves and larger flower.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Mood

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Mood

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Mood

The small red zinnia is a somewhat daring addition but I tried it and liked it.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Mood

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia sp.
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Zinnia
Foliage
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
Materials
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Mood

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 surprises she and others found to place in a vase this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

30 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of cuttings from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

I planned to showcase zinnias today but after a heavy day of rain on Friday the dahlias needed trimming back and re-staking. I collected so many dahlias I never made it back around to the zinnias. I passed along some flowers to neighbors and then spent a few peaceful moments arranging.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

Later I spent a few minutes chasing daylight, even resorting to artificial light in the dining room.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

Finally I placed them by a sunny window in the living room where we can enjoy them all day. The sunlight exaggerates the color of the left-most white Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’ to nearly lemon-yellow.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

A wedding present not used often enough, the Paul Revere bowl measures 11 inches in diameter by 5-inches tall. The flower arrangement is approximately 21-inches wide by 14-inches high.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

Objectively speaking I think some careful editing would allow breathing room and would enhance the design, but overall I am happy to see this huge bowl of dahlias brightening the house.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia sp.
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Foliage
Asiatic lily
Materials
Paul Revere bowl, large

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Silver Bowl

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 surprises she and others found to place in a vase this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Glow With Pink and Creme

38 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Glow With Pink and Creme

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of cuttings from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Glow With Pink and Creme

In A Vase On Monday – Glow With Pink and Creme

Prepared a few days ago two jars of Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ brighten our home on a rainy Sunday afternoon as remnants of Hurricane Delta pass through North Carolina.

In A Vase On Monday – Glow With Pink and Creme

The dark blue jar is 6.75 inches tall, the botanic one is just under 6 inches.

In A Vase On Monday – Glow With Pink and Creme

In A Vase On Monday – Glow With Pink and Creme

The dahlias range from 4 to 6.5 inches in diameter, some with hints of yellow.

In A Vase On Monday – Glow With Pink and Creme

In A Vase On Monday – Glow With Pink and Creme

In A Vase On Monday – Glow With Pink and Creme

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Foliage
None
Materials
Dark blue matte ceramic jar
Portmerion- Botanic vase made in England

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 surprises she and others found to place in a vase this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Last-Of-Summer Orb

27 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of cuttings from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

Tomorrow fall officially begins. Autumn equinox arrives on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at 9:31 A.M. EDT.

Today, on the last day of summer, this spherical floral design features zinnias and dahlias circling round a supportive framework of gardenia stems and a sheaf of oakleaf hydrangea leaves.

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

Although summer is ending, I expect dahlias and zinnias to serve as the mainstay of color in the garden first frost.

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush)
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’
Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower), Seed heads
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Zinnia
Foliage
Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Vase
Melon Bowl, Vendanges (Blue Trim) by Ceralene, A. Raynaud et Cie, Limoges, France

One more vase today

This is a different arrangement I prepared especially for my husband who is recuperating after an illness. Increasingly he has admired my In A Vase On Monday posts and over the past months he has commented many times how nice it is to have flowers in our house all the time. While the materials used are nearly identical in both arrangements, I actually prefer this one. The proportions and scale feel more balanced, the flowers are looser and more energetically placed, the supporting gardenia foliage buoys and lifts the design. As these are imbued with healing and love I hope these flowers serve to cheer and uplift everyone today.

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

18 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of cuttings from our gardens.

I gathered as many flowers as I could Friday during a brief foraging opportunity and left them to condition overnight.

This Week’s Garden Bounty

Dahlias color the garden this month, and especially striking right now are the dinnerplate varieties.  I find these large flowers compelling but I long for more interesting and compatible outline and filler materials to set them off.  Russian Sage and Verbena bonariensis are not vase-happy for long but they’re what I had on hand.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

Stems of Baptisia foliage are energetic and lively but I overdid their use initially and ended up removing quite a lot.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

My late crop of Zinnias needed dead-heading and so were not at their best. I added just a few for a splash of surprise and texture variation, along with one faded D. ‘Gallery Art Deco’.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia sp.
Salvia yangii (Russian Sage) , previously known as Perovskia atriplicifolia
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Zinnia
Foliage
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’
Vase
Dark blue matte ceramic jar

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Floral Harvest

28 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Floral Harvest

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of cuttings from our gardens.

Today’s arrangement is an overflow of dahlias accented with a few zinnias. Staging the flowers atop a crystal pedestal vase suggests tradition and formality.

In A Vase On Monday – Floral Harvest

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Dahlia ‘David Howard’

Lycoris radiata (Spider Lily)

Zinnias and Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Lycoris radiata (Spider Lily)
Foliage
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Vase
Crystal pedestal dish

Zinnia

In A Vase On Monday – Floral Harvest

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Dinnerplate Serving In Pink

27 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Dinnerplate Serving In Pink

My maligned dahlia

Update. July 14, 2020

Note:  I am red-faced as I make this confession. After fussing below about this dahlia not looking like Cafe Au Lait, I think I simply forgot that I planted another variety alongside the replaced dahlias.  I’ll have to check back to see if I can find a label for it.  Meanwhile the “imposter” has opened into a lovely form (semi-cactus?) with a white center.  I actually love it. Apologies for my confusion.

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase using cuttings from our gardens. After what seems like a month without rain passing us by, we finally had a fierce, full-blown thunderstorm Friday night. Temporarily refreshed, the garden must brace for extreme heat this week.

I am not a huge fan of pink but with fewer flower choices today I decided to showcase a couple of dinnerplate dahlias in an Ikebana vase. 

Last year I ordered 9 Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ tubers.  I was disappointed when they bloomed. Not all but most seemed imposters—so unlike the photos of the soft coffee cream blush ones I have admired. The company where I purchased them suggested I might have been sent D. ‘Labyrinth’ by mistake and offered a refund or replacements this spring. I chose to receive replacements.

Now dahlias that overwintered from last year along with some replacements planted this spring are in bloom.

The replacements so far look even more distantly related, although I’ve heard from some of you there can be a range of color variation in the flowers of ‘Cafe Au Lait’ and also there are pink ones such as Café au Lait Rosé  and Café au Lait Royal.   

This is from the new tubers. Since the photograph was taken this flower has begun opening to a somewhat paler center. I am curious to see how the other replacements turn out.

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ (replacements planted this spring)

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ (replacements planted this spring)

Ironically this one is from last year. Still not the iconic look I seek, but beautiful and definitely less pinky. It is about 6 inches in diameter. I will keep feeding.

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ (planted last year)

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ (planted last year)

A small hydrangea cluster, pale pink in color, became the third element in today’s design. Would I prefer it be blue, yes, but I haven’t taken on the task of adjusting the soil pH.  The hydrangea is perfect for today’s study in pink.

Hydrangea macrophylla

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Hydrangea macrophylla
Foliage
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

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. Peace. Be well.

In A Vase On Monday – June Coda

40 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – June Coda

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share cut flowers from our gardens.

Days of generous rains are gone, but we did get a thunderstorm Sunday evening. Heat and humidity are settled in for summer.  Fireflies are out. The month of June has flown quickly past but not before ushering in a host of summer blooms.

In A Vase On Monday – June Coda

With gladioli nearly finished, dahlias and phlox pick up the pace.

Phlox, Dahlia, Gladiolus

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Dahlia ‘David Howard’

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ and Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’

Materials
Flowers
Achillea filipendulina (Fern-leaf Yarrow)
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘Labyrinth’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Gladiolus, unknown white
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Lathyrus latifolius (Everlasting sweet pea)
Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid)
Phlox paniculata ‘Robert Poore’ (Garden phlox)
Foliage
Vase
Black-glazed ceramic square

Two grocery-store moth orchids, each purchased several years ago, began reblooming in late February. One finished last week and I decided to go ahead and cut the other’s flower stalk for today’s vase. Its color details are picked up by other materials in the vase.

In A Vase On Monday – June Coda

Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid)

Today’s flowers were inserted into a large florist’s pin set in a plastic black tray, and tucked into a deep, square black saucer.  I had trouble with the composition and rearranged for more than an hour. After many iterations I ran out of time. I had planned a spare Ikebana-style design, but was too wedded to using as many of the collected flowers as possible. Lesson learned.

In A Vase On Monday – June Coda

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. Peace.

In A Vase On Monday – Summertime Sunset

22 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Summertime Sunset

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of cuttings from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Summertime Sunset

Today’s flowers include the only one of 15 Lily Asiatic ‘Royal Sunset’ the rabbits did not eat last week. The salvaged lily stem had 3 buds, 2 of which opened. Petals are a bit tired now but by bringing them inside early at least I got to see the color—it is a bit of sunset. In fact all the colors in today’s vase would be right at home in a sunset.

Lily Asiatic ‘Royal Sunset’

In A Vase On Monday – Summertime Sunset

Gladiolus

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘Labyrinth’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Gladiolus ‘Espresso’ (dark red) and unknown white
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Lily Asiatic ‘Royal Sunset’
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Dahlia leaves
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Itea virginica ‘Sprich’ LITTLE HENRY (Virginia sweetspire)
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)
Vase
Crystal pedestal dish

In A Vase On Monday – Summertime Sunset

In A Vase On Monday – Summertime Sunset

The flowers were styled into a plastic 6-inch Lomey dish. Afterwards I tried several vases before settling on the low crystal pedestal. Below is the vase from last week’s ‘Espresso’ gladioli. I didn’t want to use it again so soon, but it does show how the vase affects the final design. The large vase fits it well but I had in mind a lower design.

In A Vase On Monday – Summertime Sunset

In A Vase On Monday – Summertime Sunset

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. Peace and be well.

In A Vase On Monday – Café au lait

17 Replies

 

In A Vase On Monday – Café au lait

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

Finally a Dahlia ‘Café au lait’ bloomed true to its promise. We are very close to our first freeze in central North Carolina and so this may be the only one the garden produces this year.

In A Vase On Monday – Café au lait

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Café au lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Foliage
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Blue Wave (6.5″W x 6.5″L x 2″H)

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

27 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

First an update from last week: Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ was indeed mislabelled. The vendor suggested Dahlia ‘Labyrinth’ mistakenly was shipped instead. In spring I will receive a replacement for the order. Thanks for your helpful comments and suggestions about it.

This week’s vase is a mixed bouquet of late summer flowers presented in a basket.  Reflecting the shape of the basket, I fashioned a (mostly) round table design.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

Zinnias predominate.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket. This dark wine-colored zinnia is a stand-out.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket.  A dahlia peeks out in front among a sea of zinnias.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

Most of my vases are designed to be viewed in front. That takes less time and requires fewer flowers. But there were lots of dahlias and zinnias available this week, so it was a good chance to experiment with creating a view all around.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

I should have considered stem length of the materials on hand in relation to the size of the basket and cut longer stems, especially dahlia stems. In trying too hard to preserve future blooms, I had skimped. The result is most of the dahlias I gathered were too short to be included, so they are scattered in little vases outside of today’s feature. They are still enjoyable but my thrift left me shy of flowers needed to assemble the design easily.

I had to compensate by using all the zinnias in bloom with less choice about color. Some of the zinnias were also too short, but I think in the end the basket of flowers turned out fine—an explosion of seasonal color.

The irregular heights lend a more casual, informal quality to this week’s vase, in keeping with the basket theme. That’s my story anyway, though I see no reason to resort to using a Sharpie to prove it.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

I purchased baby’s breath for use as a light and airy filler. Included along with it from my garden are sky blue salvia and rosy gaura. Underpinnings of silvery artemisia and lavender serve as concealer foliage.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

 

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Gypsophila (Baby’s breath)
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)
Zinnia
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Ellagance’
Container
Round woven basket with handle

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Still Life

40 Replies

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.