Hello hello!
You wouldn't believe it seeing as we've had a lot of rain and mostly cooler days, but we're coming to the end of Summer haha. I've always claimed that around February/March months are when the least of my favourite seasonal flowers are around. I'm not sure why I had this thought for a while when there are clearly some beauties out there including Lisianthus, Sunflowers, Scabiosa, Snapdragon and of course the ever gorgeous Dahlias.
So this week for #APRflowerEd I thought that it might be time to share how to care for cut flower Dahlias. Gosh I love them! They don't last very long but they're a really interesting flower coming in so many colours and many shapes and sizes. I've noticed that flowers that are native to Mexico are so vibrant and also come in beautiful, bright colours! It seems very on par with Mexico don't you think?! Even the first image in my infographic below gives me those gorgeous Mexico vibes.
Dahlia flower care infographic
I recommend pinning these infographics onto a board on Pinterest to refer to later!
Facts
Dahlia are typically round with tubular, ray or even rounded petals surrounding a central yellow core. They do come in a range of shapes and sizes including pompom, cactus and anemone. They originate from Mexico and are their National flower. Dahlias symbolise inner strength and long lasting bond. They come in a variety of colours including bi-colours, pastel to vibrant colours, pinks, reds, oranges and more!
Availability
Their natural season is from Summer to Autumn and are extremely suitable for wedding designs for this reason. They’re popular due to the many colours they come in as well as their varying shapes and beautiful texture.
Vase Life
They have a short vase life and typically last between 5 to 8 days depending on when they were picked and especially how well hydrated they’ve been from harvest to consumer. It is said that putting them into a vase of hot water can help extend their vase life by a couple of days but this may not always work.
Selecting
Select bunches with the flowers more than half open, green leaves and stems with no wilting or browning of petals. Due to their short vase life it would be best to buy locally. Perfect in sympathy designs and wedding designs such as vase arrangements and bouquets.
Care
Put in a clean vase of fresh water with some floral preservative. Snip at least 2cm off the stems at 45 degree angle and top up the water every day. Ensure that no leaves are below the water line. Keep in cooler temperature, out of the sun and away from ripening produce and wilting plants.
I hope you learnt something new and that this helps with your next bunch of Dahlias! If any of you are interested in attending any of my workshops, I've got an expression of interest form that I'd love for you to fill out. It'll help me better plan my workshops, in particular times and dates. Until next time, have a fab week!
xo rose