Devotion, love, beauty and dignity. Let's talk dahlias!

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Dahlias are one of the last flowering summer flowers. The Victorians associated them with devotion, love and beauty and dignity.

Dahlias are easily found in buckets outside corner shops, greengrocers, butchers and florists, usually from local growers.

I picked up a couple of bunches recently and thought I'd share with you an easy display to make.

They come in all shapes and sizes, from spikey cactus shapes, to tiny tight pompoms in most colours except blue, black and green.

Varieties such as Cafe au Lait have helped to revive dahlias popularity and they are often requested in wedding bouquets.

A dinner plate sized Cafe Au Lait dahlia with a beige/pink centre and cream outer edged petals.

A dahlia arrangement you can make in about an hour

What you need

1. A watertight container. I used a vintage stoneware jar which you can often find in charity shops. You could use anything similar but it needs to be about 20cms tall.

2. Chicken wire to support your stems, this is available at DIY stores.

3. Scissors, secateurs and wire cutters or pliers.

4. Florists' pot tape which you an buy online or at places like Hobbycraft.

Suggested flowers

For the flowers I chose autumnal shades of dahlias, white cosmos from my garden, late flowering cow parsley I found in the hedgerows and some foraged yarrow.

Method

1. Cut all stems with clean scissors or use secateurs if the stems are woody. Cut at a 45 degree angle to give a larger surface area to allow the stems to take up more water.

2. Remove all foliage that will sit below the water line, this will help prevent the build up of bacteria and increase the longevity of your display.

3. Scrunch up a small amount of the chicken wire and insert in the neck of the vessel being used. Secure it with pot tape.

Florists pot tape securing the chicken wire.

4. Start arranging your flowers.

To create an asymmetrical design I have placed taller stems of the cow parsley slightly angled over to the left side of the arrangement.

Shorter stems of yarrow are placed to the right of the design falling forward and the flower blooms are slightly more compact.

Creating the outline for the asymmetrical shape.

5. Choose your stems carefully as some of them will lend themselves to being placed in a certain position as you can in the picture below.

This dahlia stem lent itself to being placed just off centre and towards the right, helping to create the the void area that can be seen in the finished display.

6. Continue arranging the stems ensuring the colour is evenly spread throughout the design and using more flowers to the left of the design to create the symmetry.

7. Spray the finished arrangement with a mist of water.

8. Keep the design fresh by regular misting and adding fresh water to the container if required. Keep away from direct sunlight and heat.

Stand back and admire!

I hope you have fun and enjoy making this arrangement. If you do, I'd love to see the results, please send me a picture!

Make a scary wreath with me to celebrate Halloween

Join in the spirit of Halloween by making a fun and spooky wreath for your door.

I'm running a relaxed evening on Friday 27th October at 6.30pm where I'll lead a workshop including all materials and refreshments for a small group.

Come along with a work colleague, bring your Mum or relative, or ask that friend that you've been meaning to catch up with for months!

I'll be serving mulled wine, pumpkin cake and tea and coffee.

The cost of the workshop is £45, including all materials and refreshments.

Venue: Woolwell Centre PL6 7TR. Book here

Join me for my popular Christmas wreath workshops

Lots of you have been asking about my Christmas wreath workshops. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than getting some family, friends, or work colleagues together to create your own bespoke door wreath.

I provide all the materials required, and demonstrate each stage of the process and then help if needed. Stopping halfway way through for a mince pie and mulled wine before finishing your design and accessorising it with ribbon and seasonal materials.

It's such a fun, relaxing and creative experience, I have repeat customers coming back each year from when I started over six years ago.

What a lovely morning making Christmas wreaths. Emma was really helpful and so patient, everything needed was provided and it is now taking pride of place on the front door. Trixie

Such a lovely way to feel festive and get ready for the Christmas preparations last week I went to one of Emma’s Christmas wreath making workshops! Emma (and her lovely mum) had gone above and beyond to make it a lovely evening and it definitely got us all in the festive spirit! Emma guided us through each stage of wreath making and was so supportive and attentive and as a consequence we all made amazing wreaths! Already looking forward to next years workshop. Thank you x Sophie

Today I attended a Christmas Wreath making session. Thoroughly enjoyed myself. Emma was excellent at showing what to do and how to add more detail/foliage and went home with my very own Christmas wreath. Such a lovely way to feel festive and get ready for the Christmas preparations. Lucinda

I have two evening workshops at the Woolwell Centre, Darklake Lane.PL6 7TR.

Tuesday 28th November from 12.30pm - 3.30pm. Book here.

Wednesday 29th November from 6.30pm - 9.30pm. Book here

That's all for this month, I hope you have enjoyed reading this month's newsletter.
As usual please forward the link for this newsletter to anyone you know that loves flowers!

Love Emma x