Latin or Botanical Name of Flower:
Dahlia
Common Name:
Dahlia
Origin and Meaning of Name:
The original Dahlia grew in Mexico and was brought to Spain in 1789. The flower was named in honour of Dr. Anders Dahl (1751-1789), a Swedish botanist and pupil of Linnaeus.
Description:
Dahlia is a genus that has about 30 species and some 20,000 cultivars with wonderful names like 'Rip City', 'Arabian Night' and 'Pink Diamond. Dahlias come in a wide range of colours, sizes and forms. The blooms vary from small pompoms to to very large dinner-plate size. They also come in almost every colour except green, brown and true blue. Some of my favourite colours are the dark crimson and the pale pink.
Availability:
Dahlias are available as cut flowers from florists and flower markets in summer and autumn.
Grown in a garden they are at their peak from July for about four or five months. The more you pick the more they flower.
Conditioning and Care:
Use a clean vase with fresh water and remove all leaves that will end up below the water line in the vase. Some people suggests using lukewarm water. Use a sharp tool when you trim off the ends to prevent bruising the stems.
Dahlia petals are quite delicate and will easily bruise - so they should be handled with great care. Once Dahlias are cut any tight green buds will not open so make sure the buds show some colour. They last for about five to seven days.
How to Use:
Dahlias like Gypsophila was out of fashion for a long time even viewed as vulgar. They are now back in fashion and and used more then ever by top florists, stylists and designers.
Dahlias look good used in a row down the middle of a table - single stems cut quite short in coloured glass vases. Try them with even shorter stems floating in a shallow bowl maybe in combination with some floating candles in a similar colour. Larger arrangements with Dahlias in similar colours also make dramatic arrangements. Dahlias come in a blaze of colours and mix well with other flowers, foliage and berries. Dahlia is a perfect flower for late summer and autumn arrangements.
I hope you've liked my second Floral Favourites - the first one was about Gypsophila and you'll find it here.
Have a lovely floral day!
xoxo Ingrid
7 comments:
Bonjour,
J'ai beaucoup aimé votre billet qui met en valeur le dahlia qui, à la fin de l'été fleurissait orgueilleusement dans le jardin de mon grand-père...
Il est vrai qu'on le voyait plus communément dans les jardins que chez le fleuriste. Ou alors nous le trouvions sur le marché. C'était le petit paysan du coin qui en vendait en même temps qu'il proposait ses fromages ou les légumes de son jardin.
Il fut juste de le mettre à l'honneur et il mérite amplement sa place au même titre que les autres fleurs... Je crois que le glaïeul vit le même souci... Il finit souvent sa vie dans un vase sur la banque d'une boucherie !
Gros bisous et merci pour vos belles photos.
Wonderfull pictures of a besutiful flower.
Anna
Beautiful, Dahlias belong to my favorites too. Especially the first picture is just gorgeous.
Ingrid,
Dahlias are the BEST! I love your Dahlias; they are beautiful. I like the way you arranged them.
Christa
My goodness, these are beautiful, Ingrid, and I surely have never seen one as dark a color as the one here. Really stunning.
Hi Ingrid!
Great post on such a terrific flower. Those colors are incredible! And the names are always fun, aren't they?
The only thing keeping me from loving dahlias wholeheartedly is their lack of fragrance. But I love to photograph them even so.
Hope you are having a great week!
G
Beautiful dahlias!!
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