Picking Beautiful Dahlia Blooms
It's dahlia season and here at my Bedford, New York farm we have lots of gorgeous, bright, and colorful dahlia blooms indoors and out.
Dahlia is a genus of tuberous plants that are members of the Asteraceae family and are related to the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia. They grow from small tubers planted in the spring. And from late June until the first autumn frost, these flowers give off a stunning show with blooms ranging from small to giant dinner-plate size. Earlier this week, we cut some of them to make bright summer arrangements for my home.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Here at my farm, we all love seeing the gorgeous dahlia flowers every summer. This year, we have many, many blooms – new ones open every day.
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- My dahlias grow in a bed behind my vegetable greenhouse. This location gets great sun. Dahlias grow more blooms when they get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. And because this spot is behind this large structure, it is also protected from strong winds. In addition, these dahlias are planted in well-draining soil, which is crucial to keeping the tubers in good condition.
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- The array of flower colors, sizes, and shapes is astounding. Dahlias come in white, shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, shades of purple, and various combinations of these colors – every color but true blue. In the 19th century, a London newspaper offered a pound, or a little more than a dollar, to the first breeder to create a blue dahlia—the reward was never claimed, but there have been many attempts that are near-blue. Like many flower varieties, there is also no pure black variety—only dark red and dark purple. Here is one in pink with a cream center and one in off-white.
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- Dahlias are named after 18th-century Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. He actually categorized dahlias as a vegetable because of their edible tubers. The tubers are said to taste like a mix between potatoes and radishes.
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- The genus Dahlia is native to the high plains of Mexico. Some species can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador & Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced.
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- Currently, there are about 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. It is a member of the Asteraceae family of dicotyledonous plants.
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- Dahlias produce an abundance of wonderful flowers throughout early summer and again in late summer until the first freeze. This large bloom is another beautiful creamy white with a hint of yellow and pink in the center.
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- These tuberous plants have slender erect stems which are not always capable of supporting the large flowers, so they must be well-supported. We use strong metal and wood stakes to keep them up through the season.
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- The various forms range from charming single, daisy-like flowers to the popular double varieties which can range from the two-inch-pompons to 12-inch dinner plate size. They are divided into 10 groups: single, anemone, collarette, waterlily, decorative, fall, pompon, cactus, semi-cactus, and miscellaneous.
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- Dahlias are classified according to flower shape and petal arrangement. This single dahlia has purple and pink petals with a bold yellow center.
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- This is a big favorite here at the farm with its striking pink and white colored petals.
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- The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects. When cutting, to prevent wilting, cut only in the early morning or late afternoon. And only cut them after they open to mature size – dahlias will not open after cutting.
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- Enma picks enough dahlia blooms for several arrangements. Experiment with the varieties – dahlias look great arranged in different colors.
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- Once the dahlias are indoors, Enma carefully pours water into the vase as quickly as possible.
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- For the first arrangement, Enma chooses shades of pink.
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- And then adds a few cream flowers – the color combinations look so pretty in these glass vessels. When arranging, always strip off all the leaves that would be below the water line in the vase. This is true for all flower arrangements, not just dahlias. When leaves stay underwater, they decay and release bacteria that shorten the vase life of the flowers. And change the water daily so they look fresh and last longer.
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- Here is another arrangement all complete. I love displaying arrangements on my servery counter, where I can enjoy them every day.
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- Here is one in all dark burgundy and purple – so many different kinds of dahlias and every one of them pretty.
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- And this arrangement is on another counter in my servery – just a handful of light pink dahlias in a vase. Flower arrangements do not have to be elaborate to be stunning.
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- These dahlias are on my kitchen counter, which like yours is the hub of my home, where I often take calls, have meetings, and gather with guests – everyone can enjoy them as soon as they come inside.
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- I also display flowers in my entrance hall just inside my enclosed front porch.
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- This arrangement is placed on a side table in my sitting room under an arrangement of beautiful Wedgewood drabware.
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- And nearby is this arrangement on a coffee table tray in the same room. At the end of the growing season, dig and store dahlia tubers for the winter to replant next year. If you don’t already, I hope this inspires you to grow your own dahlias. You’ll love every one.
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