Dahlia Arrangements for My Home

August 29, 2024

When it comes to dahlias, I love the big, bright, colorful blooms most of all.

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 bloom in stunning colors, sizes, and forms. Yesterday, my housekeeper, Enma Sandoval, picked some to make several summer arrangements for my home.

Enjoy these photos.

: Here at my farm, we all love seeing the gorgeous dahlia flowers in summer. New ones open every day. Dahlias come in shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, purple, white, and various combinations of these colors.

: Dahlias produce an abundance of blooms throughout early summer and again in late summer until the first freeze.

: This white dahlia recently opened with striking yellow markings. It is several inches in diameter.

: 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.

: The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies.

: 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.

: Dahlias can grow on both tall and shorter stems, so Enma makes sure to look both high and low for the best looking blooms. She also looks at the entire flower before cutting to make sure the back leaves have not started to fall off. The petals should not be wilted or discolored.

: Enma picks enough dahlia blooms for several arrangements. They are placed in plastic bins topped with simple baking cooling racks from the kitchen. The stems just fit through the holes and are free to dangle underneath without getting damaged.

: This day is especially warm, so once the dahlias are indoors, Enma carefully pours water into the vase as quickly as possible.

: For the first arrangement, Enma chooses shades of salmon pink.

: 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.

: Here is the finished arrangement. I often display cut flowers on my servery counter, where I can enjoy them every day.

: Next, Enma starts an arrangement in darker pink. Dahlias need a lot of water to stay hydrated and vibrant in a vase. Dahlia stems are hollow, so they absorb water through the outer layers. Keep the vase filled and change the water regularly.

: Enma selects the largest and most striking flowers to be the focal point of the arrangement and then adds other blooms to fill surrounding spaces.

: Out in the garden, cut the stems long and then trim to adjust for the vase being used. Enma cut these just right to fit my vessels.

: 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.

: Here, Enma gathers the lightest colored blooms of pink and cream.

: This arrangement is on another counter in my servery – just a handful in a vase. Flower arrangements do not have to be huge or elaborate to be stunning.