Why I Oughta...

Another day, another dahlia cut flower arrangement.  The usual suspects:  Melina Fleur, Wizard of Oz, Avanetti, Mystery Fox.  Along with some Autumn Fern fronds, Garden Ghost Artemesia and a Lucky Charm Anemone stem.  All tucked into a white Milk Glass vase.  This one was put together very quickly and sent out the door to Nat's good friend for her birthday.  

This was a birthday bouquet for a friend that includes a variety of dahlia blooms, a spray of Autumn Fern, some rosemary, Lucky Charm anemone and Artemesia Garden ghost for the upright white colors. The colors of some of the dahlias are changing as the season grows on: half of the Wizard of Oz have gotten much whiter.  The Melina Fleurs are darkening and the Ivanettis are doing what they do best:  showing off.

Dahlia season is just about here.  And, the pace of blooms is picking up.  That is....as long as I can fight off pests.  Mites, earwigs, Japanese Beatles, Budworms.  They're all here and working HARD against me. Year of Cut Flowers continues with this dahlia-centric arrangement.  I tucked in a spray of Ghost Fern and Garden Ghost (Two "ghosts" in our garden), some Lucky Charm Anemone and even a couple of Cascade Hops.

A few days ago, I posted a couple of photos showing some of the latest cut flower arrangements from our garden .  They featured a variety of dahlias and some other perennials for foliage/accent flowers.  Right now, the Mystery Fox (dark red) and Wizard of Oz (pink) are in bloom.  Wizard of Oz is considered a Pompon Dahlia while Zundert Mystery Fox is a Ball Dahlia .   There's (of course) some Garden Ghost Artemisia and Butterscotch Amsonia/Arkansas Bluestar for foliage.   This arrangement is in a Smuckers jelly jar - not a thrifted vase.   Earlier this month, I also showed how I had stored Sarah Bernhardt peonies in the fridge for eight weeks and brought them back to life .  Here, below, are a couple of photos showing the arrangement of these pink peonies along with a couple other things like Limelight Hydrangeas, Blue Fortune Agastache and a spray of Japanese Ghost Fern. These peonies are in a thrifted vase. #18 on my personal to-do/tas...

The most-recent set of cut flower arrangements include a round-up of what is coming into bloom in late July.  This post is going up in early August, but these vases were built in late July.  The first one features some dark red (almost maroon) Mystery Fox dahlia blooms, Oklahoma Salmon Zinnias , Limelight Hydrangeas, Polka dot plant foligae and some upright stalks of Garden Ghost Artemesia.     The second one includes a couple of Wizard of Oz Ball dahlias , some Pablo Gallery Border Dahlias , a bunch of Disneyland Roses and some (of my current go-to accent pieces) like the white Polka Dot plant foliage and sprigs of the white Garden Ghost Artemesia .   Both are in thrifted vases.  My focus at the Goodwill is on small vases that will fit in a cupholder of the car and are priced at 99 cents.  Like shooting fish in a barrel.  

On Monday, I posted my latest cut flower arrangement featuring dahlias and zinnias and some perennials from around the garden .  Today, I'm showing another arrangement - featuring dahlias.  This time, though, it includes a couple of large Pablo Gallery Border Dahlias as the big statement pieces.  I used a few small Disneyland Roses, some snips of Limelight Hydrangea (before they opened up), a couple tall legs of Garden Ghost Artemeisa, and greenery and texture via Butterscotch Amsonia.   This is in a green Goodwill thrifted vase that has the look of Uranium Glass (but it isn't).  I tried to get that look of one side arching up with the other side arching down (via the Euphorbia).   The stand-outs are the Pablo Gallery dahlias - see below for a close-up.   Including the various peony-filled vases , this is the fifth (or so) arrangement that I've put together for the year.  

The Oklahoma Salmon Zinnias are popping off right now.  And, the earliest dahlia - Wizard of Oz - has a few open flowers.  And, the Limelight Hydrangeas are still not-quite-ready to open up their panicles.   Along with a couple of wisps of Garden Ghost Artemesia from the front yard Island Bed, we have another cut flower arrangement.   Below are a couple of photos showing this arrangement off from the front and side.  The Oklahoma Salmon Zinnias are showing up more as 'orange' right now, so do they work with the pink of the Wizard of Oz Dahlia ?  Technically...I'm unsure.  But, for me?  They work together just fine.   Around the edges are a couple of tips from the Limelight Hydrangeas in our garden: Feels like the first of many more to come this Summer.  

As I wandered around the tables at Northwind Perennial Farm, I was stopped-in-my-tracks by this silver foliage plant.  It was new (to me) and named "Garden Ghost" Artimisa.   Here's how they look in their nursery pots below: Here's a closer look at the sign below that highlights it's short height (just a foot tall) and color (silver): I tucked the three plants into the back corner of the Island Bed - behind the Medusa Allium (more on them tomorrow).