Cafe au Lait Dahlia Arrangement

Hello again!  It has been a busy time for me with many creative projects on the horizon, but I am happy to return to blogging and share some new floral photographs and styling tips with all of you...

September brings some of the most stunning early fall flowers and Cafe au Lait dahlias are my one of my absolute favorites.  Their round, billowy blooms range in color from soft pink to ivory and look like ballet dancers pirouetting in the wind. These lovely flowers can get up to 10 inches wide, and as you might expect, are one of the most popular for weddings and special occasions.

Since the flowers themselves are so showy, I decided to keep this arrangement very simple. The heaviness of these large blooms pulls them forward on the stem which means they require some support.  To hold them in place, I made a grid of clear tape on the mouth of the vase prior to arranging.  Using a round fish bowl vase to mirror the shape of the flowers, I filled it with water and inserted the blooms.  Next I added a few sprigs of greenery to fill in empty spaces, draping the foliage near the bottom of the vase to create movement in the design.  A few smaller variegated dahlias were put in for accent.  

To keep the shape of the arrangement from appearing too round, the flowers were layered into an asymmetrical design by clipping the stems at varying heights.  I also encouraged some of the dahlias to show their natural habit and face downward rather than propping them up as one might in a more formal design.

While arranging, I was struck by the grandeur of these blooms and the amazing number of petals on each one.  The way they reflect the light in all directions makes them particularly interesting to photograph.  This arrangement will be a centerpiece to accompany an early fall dinner.  A post about styling the table will be coming soon.  

These flowers were sourced from Kelley Flower Farm where a rainbow of beautiful dahlias are grown.