This is just a pretty post with pretty flowers that I grew in the warm weather and sunshine of my garden last year. Take that February, you wretched, wretched month.
Near the end of last summer, when the flowers were blooming faster than a teenage girl at a Bon Jovi concert (how's that for an incredibly modern reference?) I decided to start taking photos of all the arrangements.
This summer, when I'm smarter and more organized, as future me ALWAYS is, I'll try to start this project a bit earlier in the season so it isn't ALL dahlia arrangements.
I welcome you to February with these 18 arrangements that'll help us stick it to the month of waxy chocolates and scratchy lace underwear.
There isn't a single red rose in the bunch.
Mixed flowers in silver jug
Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
Celosia - Wheat celosia (formerly flamingo feather)
Sunflowers ~ gifted unknown variety
Dahlias ~ Alfred C, Hamilton Lillian, Sweet Nathalie, Cornel Bronze, Black Satin, Rock Star
Dahlias & Cosmos in white vase
Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
Dahlias ~ Alfred C, Rockstar, Cornel Bronze, Hamilton Lillian, A La Mode
Mixed Flowers in tomato jar
Celosia ~ Crested Cockscomb, Wheat celosia (flamingo feather)
Amaranth ~ Hot Biscuits
Dahlia ~ Wanda's Aurora, Cornel Bronze, AC Paint, Alpen Cherub
Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
Dahlias & Amaranth in copper vase
Amaranth ~ Hot Biscuits
Dahlias - Alfred C, Cafe Au Lait, Cornel Bronze, Wanda's Aurora
Mixed Bunch in dahlia vase
Snapdragon ~ Doubleshot Orange
Dahlia ~ Rockstar, Cornel Bronze, Yvonne, A La Mode, Unknown (pink)
Sweet Peas - White perennial
Floating Dahlias in silver serving bowl
A La Mode (x2), Hamilton Lillian, Jess-Lynn
Mixed Arrangement in Oh Flora Cove Vase
Dahlias ~ A La Mode, Yvonne, Cornel Bronze, Dollarama Black, Black Satin, Rockstar
Sunflower - Unknown gifted variety (Liked them so much I saved the seed for this year)
Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
Celosia - Wheat celosia (formerly flamingo feather)
Mixed Bunch in tall white vase
Dahlias ~ Alfred C, Rockstar, A La Mode, Cornel Bronze, AC Paint, Wanda's Aurora
Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
Amaranth ~ Hot Biscuits
Celosia - Wheat Celosia
Cosmos & Dahlia in small vase
Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
Dahlia ~ Alpen Cherub
Mixed Arrangement ribbed vase
Dahlias ~ Alfred C, A La Mode, Alpen Cherub, Cornel Bronze
Sunflowers ~ Unknown variety
Amaranth ~ Hot Biscuits, Opopeo
Tomatoes ~ Candyland, Unknown yellow variety
Queen Anne's Lace
Carrot greens
Mixed Arrangement in oval white vase
Dahlia ~ AC Paint
Cosmos - Apricot Lemonade
Celosia - Wheat celosia (pink, red, yellow)
Single Flower Arrangement in bud vase (thanks Lynne Knowlton!)
Dahlia ~ Rock Star
Dahlia Arrangement in glass vase
Dahlias ~ Rock Star, Black Satin, A La Mode, AC Paint, Alpen Cherub
First attempt at a curved arrangement. (in Oh Flora vase)
Hydrangeas, snapdragons, apples, sweet peas
Peonies & Sage in black vase
Peony ~ Purple (unkown variety), Pale pink (Shirley Temple)
Greenery ~ Sage flowers, apple branches, sweet pea greenery
Dahlias in glass jar
All the dahlias in this vase are the same variety from the same plant - AC Paint They're quite the magical dahlia.
Dahlias & Cosmos in glass vase
Dahlias ~ AC Paint, Wanda's Aurora, A La Mode, Rock Star
Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
Mixed Bouquet in glass vase
Dahlias ~ AC Paint, Alfred C, Alpen Cherub, Rockstar, Dollarama Black
Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
Sunflower ~ Unknown variety
Celosia ~ Wheat celosia
Amaranth ~ Hot Biscuits
Mixed Arrangement in Ironstone jug
Dahlias ~ Colleen Mooney, Yvonne, Rock Star
Snapdragon ~ Doubleshot Orange
Celosia - Crested Cockscomb, Wheat celosia
I'll be planting many of the same, plus this year I'll remember (because again, future self is SO much better at stuff than present or past self) to plant more greenery.
All I had were flowers but to make nice flower arrangements you need as much greenery as you have blooms.
You can learn more about the varieties of dahlias and the other flowers in these posts.
I had pretty good luck with everything, other than the Henriette dahlia which turned out to be not a Henriette dahlia but something else entirely. Which is why labelling your dahlias when you dig them up right away is important.
Spring starts in ...
From owls to flowers, I just smiled and smiled. I missed your can-do energy lo these many months. I will remember to be refreshed like the wilted blossoms by reading your posts more often.
Love your articles/stories. On rough days I simply read your articles, laugh and learn and the day turns out just fine - thanks for sharing your thoughts and sense of humor - it feels great to laugh and it is energizing.
Well that makes me feel like I'm being useful in this world. Thanks! ~ karen
A Jigidi of the last arrangement please!!! Beautiful!
I never even thought about turning any of these into puzzles, but you aren't the first to request it sooooo ... :) ~ karen!
Karen, Showcasing your flowers in outstanding vases with the backdrops that you chose is a real inspiration. I have scrolled through several times, shown my husband (he’s better at flower arranging than me) and also enjoy your friends comments🩷. I refer to …the artofdoingstuff often! Thank you!
Thanks! I'm going to try to get better at photographing the flower arrangements this year. ~ karen!
Hey Karen. I have tried to source some of the beautiful dahlia varieties you have, to no avail. I am in Winnipeg and must order online. Can you recommend vendors for me?
Thanks so much Karen!
Hi Gayle. My own dahlia society, The Hamilton Dahlia society, holds a tuber sale once a year in the spring. Members of the society are given first choice (you can become a member no matter where in the world you live and it's a really robust dahlia club with incredibly helpful members and monthly ZOOM meetings/lessons). Or, as a non member you can buy tubers from them (they will ship), you just don't get to buy them until after everyone else in the club has had their pick. :) You can also sometimes get really good tubers from local Facebook groups. ~ karen!
Thank you so much Karen for your response; much appreciated!
These photos would make a lovely calendar!
Bravo, Karen, bravo!