October means dahlias
From late summer until the first frost, dahlias are the flower of the market. Why they are worth the short vase life, and how to make the most of it.
Every autumn the buckets at the flower market change colour. The roses and lisianthus are still there, but the tables are taken over by dahlias: peach, coral, wine, a pale pink that looks almost white in the morning light.
Short life, big moment
A dahlia lasts five to six days in the vase, shorter than a rose. Florists love them anyway, because no other flower gives so much colour and shape for the price. We cut them the day they leave the studio so you get every one of those days.
Pair them with something green and soft, eucalyptus or a few stems of grass, and let the heads face in different directions. A dahlia bouquet should look generous, not tidy.
If a dahlia drops its head, it has a bubble of air in the stem. Recut it under running water and it will usually lift again.
