Flower of the Month: The Dahlia
Just as the July flowers begin to tire, dahlias step in and carry Michigan gardens straight through the first frost. Late summer into early fall is their moment, and it is a generous one — dahlias come in every size from button-small pompons to dinner-plate blooms as wide as your outstretched hand. They are the flower that makes a September arrangement feel abundant and a little bit wild. If you have never given dahlias their due, this is the season to start.
A Local Late-Summer Star
Dahlias do not ship well over long distances, which is precisely why the locally grown ones are such a treat. Because they are tender to cold, Michigan growers lift and store the tubers each winter and replant in spring, so a good dahlia harvest represents real hands-on effort. That is also why we lean on regional growers when the season is on — the freshest dahlias are almost always the closest ones. From roughly August through the first hard frost, usually sometime in October around Genesee County, they are at their absolute peak, and we build a lot of our early-fall work around whatever colors are coming in strong that week.
Why Designers Love Them
Ask any designer about dahlias and you will get a smile. They give you enormous impact from a single stem, which means a few well-placed blooms can anchor a whole arrangement. Their range is ridiculous — moody burgundy and bronze for fall tables, soft blush and cream for late-summer weddings, hot coral and gold for something joyful. The shapes vary just as much, from tidy ball forms to shaggy, spidery cactus types. That versatility lets us do a lot with just a handful of stems, and their layered petals photograph beautifully, which is why they turn up in so many September wedding bouquets.
Keeping Cut Dahlias Fresh
Dahlias have a reputation for being short-lived, but much of that comes down to handling. They are thirsty, hollow-stemmed flowers, so the essentials are cool water, a clean vase, and frequent refreshing. Cut or buy them when they are nearly fully open, because unlike peonies, dahlias do not continue opening much once cut. Recut the stems every day or two and change the water often, keeping them out of hot sun. Handled well, they will give you four to six good days — plenty of time to enjoy that big, layered bloom at its best. Do not crowd them; dahlias like a little breathing room in the vase.
Bringing Dahlias Home
Because they are so seasonal and locally driven, dahlias are best enjoyed while the getting is good. A dahlia-rich everyday arrangement fits our usual $45 to $125 range, and they make gorgeous fall centerpieces from $75 to $250. For couples planning a late-summer or early-fall Michigan wedding, they are one of our favorite ways to get lush color without the peak-season premium of spring flowers. Order through bentleyflorist.com or call 810-742-3174, and if you tell us the mood you are after, we will pull the dahlia colors that fit it.
A Note From The Design Bench
We look forward to dahlia season the way some folks look forward to apple picking. There is real pride in working with flowers grown just down the road, and dahlias reward that closeness with color you simply cannot get any other way. Catch them before frost — Michigan does not give us long.
— The design team at Bentley Florist
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Want this month's best flowers?
Call the shop and ask what is freshest — or order anytime at bentleyflorist.com.
