Garden to Vase – Dahlias

Learn to grow and arrange with dahlias, the floral stars of late summer and autumn.

Invaluable in the cutting garden for a riot of colour from July to the first frosts, dahlias are the most generous of flowers, both in the amount of stems there are to pick and in the choice of varieties. You will learn about what to look for when selecting good dahlias for floral design, how to propagate your favourites, planting and caring for them through their long flowering period and at the end of the season methods for over wintering the tubers.

You will put into practise how to pick and condition for good vase life and strong regrowth whilst you gather your favourite varieties and accompanying seasonal treasures from our fields and tunnels which will including pops of zinnias, supporting berried branches, daisy-shaped perennials and textural grasses.

Rachel will demonstrate how she works with dahlias in her floral designs and what she like to arrange with them to balance and enhance their form and colour. She is a firm believer in the vase being equally as important as the florals and now with her own pottery studio on the farm she has handmade some deep footed bowls to show the dahlias off to their best.

After a two course home cooked lunch made with fresh produce from the kitchen garden we will spend the afternoon arranging in the beautifully restored coaching barn next to our flower fields. Once you have completed your bowl arrangement Rachel will show you how to make a gardengathered style, hand tied dahlia bouquet.

You will take home your arrangement, bouquet, lots of growing and arranging tips and  five packets of seeds varieties that work well with dahlias.

Date: Sunday 7th September

Time: 10 – 4pm

Price: £250