Create Your own Lovely Dahlia Bouquet

If you love dahlias, you know their time with us is short this time of year. 

Cold weather makes their leaves and flowers turn brown. The plant may look dead, but if you dig beneath the soil you will find a tuber that is very much filled with all the life to give more blooms next year... but growing dahlias can be a discussion for another day. 

Right now, I want to discuss some of the best ways I have learned to design with the gorgeous flowers. a bowl full of dahlias looks opulent and luxurious. Because these marvelous flowers can stand on their own, you may or may not want to add foliage. I am a self proclaimed foliage lover. I love the wispiness that lends to me feeling like I have taken a trip to a English country village. Anyway....

Here are my top 3 tips.

1- Choose colors that either compliment each other or are similar hues and saturation. (Colors are deeply personal, so whatever you choose will be unique to your likes) I like to chose colors that are on the same side of the color wheel.

2- Choose dahlias of differing sizes or shapes. If you really like one particular dahlia, perhaps choose the most of that one. I love the idea of the the 3, 5, 8 rule, but you will see in my example that I don't necessarily follow it. Bouquets using a 3, 5, 8 rule have three of the largest size flower. Five of the smallest size. Eight of the favorite. Play around with it and share pictures by tagging me on FB or Insta.

3- Vary the height of your flowers. Fitting those large blooms all at the same height can make some of those beautiful faces get smooshed. Give each bloom room to breathe a bit by making them at different lengths. I love it when I see implied lines created with round flowers. It takes a bit of practice, but once in a while the implied line points directly to where you want all viewers or passersby to look. 

Good Luck as you create your own dahlia centerpiece or bouquet to share with a friend, family or simply for yourself to enjoy. 
Flowers bring joy and smiles so go out and enjoy yours today!