I missed not being able to participate last week because I was spending a few days in the UK visiting family, but I enjoyed seeing all the vases although I was unable to comment on some as I only had my iPad with me and commenting on non WordPress sites was impossible.
Before I left I cut all the flowers from the sunflowers and Dahlias so they would have a chance to produce more flowers for my return home. They didn’t let me down.
So I was really looking forward to joining with Cathy at Rambling in the garden this Monday morning in producing a vase filled with flowers from the garden. There were so many flowers I decided to pick as many as I could and try a large arrangement which I’ve never really done before. I was spurred on by a book on flower arranging that my MIL gave me while I was staying with her.
As usual the best images were taken outside, in this case in front of the fading lavender
I used 11 Dahlia Magenta Star, about 9 Dahlia (not the Bishop of Dover – see previous posts) and an armful of Cosmos Pink Sensation, plus one white Dahlia.
The basket is an old basket I used to take when collecting wild mushrooms
The mauve Dahlia Magenta Star (I may have mentioned before was bought at Lidl for next to nothing) was smothered in flowers again; I don’t want to exaggerate but I believe this one tuber has produced about 50 flowers so far, this is amazing to me as having never grown these blousy large Dahlias before as I was under the impression that they produced only one or two flowers per tuber – how wrong can you be?
Just one white Dahlia contrasts with the mauve and pink hues of the other flowers
A nearly true representation of one of the darker Cosmos Pink Sensation
The basket was finally placed on the glass side table in the dining room
I thought I might want to use some other white flowers, Cosmos or annual dahlias but once I’d used all the pinks I had picked my basket was full. Thanks to Cathy for hosting this increasingly popular meme again this week; visit her to see what everyone else has found in their gardens this week.
Friday is the 22nd of the month and time for GBFD Garden Bloggers Foliage Day, if you would like to join with me in celebrating the foliage in your garden this month please post and leave a comment and link on my post, maybe some of you will have the beginnings of some autumn colour!
The basket is fabulous! How wonderful to arrive home to find so many flowers waiting to welcome you.
Thank you Marian, I really enjoyed doing this large arrangement, quite a challenge for me. I was surprised there were so many Dahlias having cut all the ones on the plant before I left I thought it might be a couple of weeks before the flowers returned.
I love this. Perfect in every way! Your exuberant basket of flowers looks beautiful photographed outdoors with the lavender, but I like that last image especially because it shows off your excellent design work. Very professional Christina. (Is that a weaving shuttle?)
Thank you Susie, I am rather pleased with this; everything just came together. No, it isn’t a weaving shuttle, it was a gift and to be honest it’s difficult to know what to use it for, perhaps it would be nice with some little bottles of single flowers used as a table decoration.
Beautiful 🙂
Thanks Mary.
What a spectacular arrangement – it looks so professional. I love the single white flower in the centre so I am glad you didn’t have room for any more. I agree with PBMGarden in that the last image really shows off the shape and design of the arrangement. If the rain holds off I might have a bash myself now.
Thanks Annette, the book from my MIL was really helpful in getting me started plus there were just so many flowers to pick!
Hush about that autumn color….my veg garden needs more time 🙂
I adore this very professional looking basket full of flowers Christina. My goodness that is one stellar bouquet you have put together as if it was just delivered from a florist. I wish my annual flowers produced like yours but I have intermittent luck with dahlias.
The success is due to the long season of warmth, I started the Cosmos seed on the 2nd of April, the white Cosmos at the beginning of May (not in this bouquet). I was thinking of starting the seed even earlier next year so they are stronger plants when I plant them out.
That really is a fantastic arrangement, I love the color. Did you plan the planting so they would all harmonize so well or just picked with a theme? Great job either way, and it really is perfect with the way the blooms are arranged. Did you use anything to keep them in place?
Thanks for the foliage reminder. I’m going to try and find something this week since it’s always such an interesting meme.
I sort of choose the theme of the colours but mostly it is luck! I used Oasis in the basket inside another container so I can top it up with water as needed.
Spectacular, Christina! I love the flower color. I’m also impressed by your dahlia-growing prowess. I snipped off the fading flowers of the 2 dahlias I planted early this spring several weeks ago but they have yet to produce any additional flowers. Too little water, perhaps, but I may give up on growing dahlias here and just enjoy yours in photos.
Thanks Kris, but I can’t claim any prowess in the Dahlia department; they were cheap tubers; they are on the same irrigation as my vegetables so that’s every night but there has also been lots of rain this summer.
Oh, that is absolutely gorgeous. I used Cosmos ‘Pink Sensation’ as well, but I think I must start growing dahlias!
Thanks for visiting Kimberley, I’m a new convert to Dahlias so do try them next year.
I very much like the dark pink of that cosmos.
It is good isn’t it? I’ve already purchased a packet of Dark Cosmos for next year with the hope that there will be lots of this shade, the pink sensation mix is predominantly a mid-tone.
What an apt title, Christina, and you’ve photographed it so beautifully with the lavender backdrop. Very joyful and dreamy at the same time!
Outside is still the most successful place for photographing my vase each week. Glad you liked the title.
That is insanely awesome. What a fantastic photo you took outside. The movement of the lavender behind the basket is beyond words. You need to frame that print so you can enjoy those flowers year long. Stunning and well done!
Thanks for visiting My Hesperides Garden and for your very kind comments.
What a lovely collection of flowers! It must have been great to arrive home and find everything in your garden looking so well.
Yes, it was lovely to find so many flowers, cutting off all the flower stems before going away was a very good idea.
Lovely! Those colours and shapes look so pretty in your basket…. beautifully arranged too. You are getting very professional at this Christina!
There were so many flowers to pick I felt I should try to do something special.
Wow, that is gorgeous Christina – and what a performer that Lidl dahlia is! The cosmos make a brilliant combination with them too. Hurrah for your basket of joy!
Thanks Cathy, and thanks for being the instigator of my newly found passion for having flowers in the house, they do really bring me joy.
I, too, like the indoor photo. It shows off how airy and ethereal the cosmos are, floating above the mass of dahlias. A basket full of joy, indeed!
Hi Ricki, I must try harder with the indoor photography. Perhaps I’ll dig out my very old digital SLR and practice a bit with that before deciding if it should be up-graded.
What a beauty. When I grow up, I hope I will be able to arrange flowers even half as well as you do, Christina.
I’m sure you will Cynthia.
What a lovely basket!
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment Julie.
Love those mauve dahlias.I think they are a very neglected flower- I suspect because of their garish reputation in the past. I have a single white with dark dark foliage- Twynings After Eight-that performs brilliantly every year, and attracts lots of bees too.More next year I think.
Good to hear from you Linda, I saw Twynings After Eight on another blog and thought it looked very interesting, I feel a spring order for Peter Nyssen coming on! I am getting so much pleasure from the cuttings bed where I can grow things that need more water than I can usually give them in the garden. its a way of enjoying flowers even in August for me.
A lovely arrangement Christina and what gorgeous colours. Your Lidl dahlias are gorgeous. I think we will all be looking for more dahlias next year.
It is interesting, isn’t it? Dahlias were considered a complete no, no for many years; i don’t think I’d like these large ones in the garden but they do make perfect flowers for arrangements. I can hardly believe how many flowers this one not very large tuber has given me so amazing value for money!
A glorious basket Christina. ‘Magenta Star’ is indeed a veritable star. Lidl have just opened within easy reach here so I will have to look out for their dahlias in due course. Hope that you enjoyed your time in the UK and were not too disappointed by the weather.
The weather was OK, we go to visit family and friends so it isn’t too important. I also bought some seeds in Lidl for about 40 p and they have done amazingly well too!
Wow! What a beautiful arrangement! It definitely benefits from the addition of the touch of white. The setting with the lavender in the background is stunning. Lovely!
Thank you, I’m pleased there was one white Dahlia available, I don’t think it would have looked as good without, maybe I would have added lots of white Cosmos instead.
Looks fantastic Christina. What a treat to come home to. Hope you had a good time back in the UK.
Thanks Louise; it’s always fun to catch up with friends and family.
Wow! I have never grown dahlias; I never liked them, too gaudy for me I thought. But you are rapidly causing me to change my opinion. Your basket arrangement is gorgeous. 50 blooms from one tuber? I am slow to commit to plantings for my limited sunny spots, but perhaps I should give dahlias a try…if I do you can be sure I will think of you when they bloom!
I shared your opinion of Dahlias completely. I almost didn’t even plant these tubers which were in a mixed pack of colour themed bulbs, I’m so glad I did! they should thrive in your conditions.
Veramente fantastico!!! sei bravissima!
Grazia Lidia, sono molto contento con questo! I fiori da reciso mi hanno dato molto soddisfazioni.
Absolutely stunning! I’ve just returned from Victoria, BC and a visit to Butchart Gardens, and saw many of these gorgeous flowers pictured in your vase! You are so fortunate to have such an abundance of flowers. I love your vivid arrangement. What good cheer.
Thank you Alys; I hope you had a good time away and found your squash safe and sound when you returned home.
Christina, it was 50/50. The trip was fantastic; the squash is history.
😉
But at least the ones you harvested will be OK.
Absolutely beautiful! You have such an amazing selection of flowers to choose from.
A really beautiful arrangement of flowers, Christina, what a joy to come home to.