DAHLIA

THE DEETS

This beautiful bloom is a Grace & Thorn favourite. Its stunning colour ranges from vibrant, vivid and sometimes almost neon to variegated and muted. It blossoms from midsummer through to the first frost of Autumn and produces many flowers in the process. They are your statement BIG BOLD BLOOM. The bigger the bloom, the greater the impact. They pack a big punch. With thousands of different varieties, dahlias range in all different shapes: from the pom pom to the spiky and everything in between.

 Photo by Nik of one of our 2016 summer weddings.

BACK TO THE ROOTS

The first Dahlias originated from the hills and mountains of Mexico. They were discovered by the botanical explorer, Alexander von Humboldt who sent the seeds to the Botanical gardens of Madrid to be cultivated. The original French diva, Marie Antoinette, fell head over heels for dahlias when they were a new arrival in Europe, and now there’s a variety named after her. In Geneva, J.Wallner cultivated the dahlia for over forty years eventually amassing a personal collection of almost 3,000 varieties. This new-world flower soon caught the imagination of Britain with over 1,400 cultivars blossoming across the country. Summer borders, patios and vases curtsied gracefully to this versatile flower.

  Photo by Nik of one of our 2016 summer weddings.

GREEN SKILLS

Arrange dahlias with mixed wild foliage, creating large exaggerated gestures for impact. Try playing with three different colours and styles of the flower, combining rounded florets with spiky varieties to create depth. If using brighter coloured dahlias temper them with rich deeper blooms and one more coloured variant. We will be using this beauty of a flower from August through to September in our 'In Bloom' bouquets. Remember, they are a water-polluter – change the water in your vase regularly.