Dahlia Days Are Here!

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First farm bouquets of the season with dahlias, zinnias, cleome, variegated scented geranium and foraged queen annes lace.

Dear Sisters,

They’re here! They’re here!  F.I.N.A.L.L.Y.  Dahlia days are here! Thank goodness, because I’ve got a wedding to do! I’ve been watering, feeding and sweating my fool head off to keep the flowers going in this heat and it’s been worth every drop! Come stroll through the dahlia patch and get a glimpse of my first wedding of the season.

I hope you all had a great August. Can you believe there’s only a few weeks of summer left? If you ask me the best weeks of summer are on the horizon. Here in New England the high temps, humidity and bugs take a hike and we can once again enjoy being outside in comfort. I must admit, for a BEACH farmgirl I haven’t been at the beach much this summer. Our tiny off-grid beach cottage has been rented quite a bit as my hubby started a new job last month and my backyard flower farm has been very needy.

What’s a farmgirl to do? Water. Water. Water. And water some more!

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Antique Anemone Dahlia

Those of you who’ve been reading this blog for a while know that I started growing dahlias in the summer of 2012. I’ve been obsessed with them ever since and I love inspiring others to grow them! There are just too many good reasons not to have these beauties in your garden.

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Cafe Au Lait Dahlia

Whether in a pot on the deck or patio, a flower bed, or, a field dahlias are a dreamy addition to your landscape or flower farm. Once you get the hang of growing them you can add new varieties to your collection every year. WARNING: Dahlias are addictive. They come in ever color under the rainbow so there’s sure to be something to please every flower loving farmgirl. Besides, it’s always fun to create your own backyard bouquets and you might even get the crazy idea to start a  boutique floral business like yours truly. DIY Weddings are all the rage now and more brides are digging the idea of growing their own flowers too!

To help you get started, here’s a post I wrote about planting dahlias on my Dandelion House Blog a while back. Speaking of business…

14117910_1200652569957899_4828595029111039376_nI have flowers conditioning in buckets on my dining room table and kitchen island right this minute for an intimate romantic, vintage-inspired wedding this weekend taking place in a beautiful backyard on Cape Cod, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

I’ll be working into the wee hours of the morning getting the bouquets and centerpieces finished in time for delivery tomorrow.

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The bridesmaids will be wearing soft blush pink gowns so I grew plenty of Cafe Au Lait dahlias along with a collection of dahlias from Eden Brothers called the Bridal Bouquet Mix which includes a large white dinner plate dahlia called, Snowbound and a most beautiful pale pink and yellow dahlia. ( Pictured below ).

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The dahlias below were loaded with bud over the last two weeks, just in time for the big day!

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A corner of the dahlia patch.

Every single detail of this charming wedding was handmade by Robin the mother of the bride or Anna, the bride.

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The bride used vintage mason jars and asked me to decorate them with vintage lace. I snapped the photo below just before my handsome Yankee loaded them up for me in the car after I had finished them. The star flower in the bouquets, and the centerpieces are dahlias of course. Zinnias, dusty miller, and fire and ice hydrangea round out the rest of the flowers for a casual romantic feeling.

14080029_1813700528861300_4920405356322059469_nRobin’s mother works at a thrift store so she gathered vintage trays to use as a base for flowers, candles and table markers on the guest tables.

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The 7 guest tables were marked with a table number featuring a photo of the couple capturing a moment of them in that year of their relationship. How cute is that? Burlap and lace table runners added to the casual, vintage vibe!

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The muted pink and beige tones of Cafe Au Lait play so beautifully with the blush pink bridesmaids dresses. When the mother of the bride and the bride got the first look at the flowers they broke down in tears, then that got me going too. It was a moment I’ll never forget.

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Anna and her beautiful bridesmaids.

 

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Beautiful Bride, Anna and Mother of the Bride, Robin.

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The Wedding Party at sunset, on the beach. It just doesn’t get any prettier… And that sky!

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The Sweetheart table.

Ta DA! The sweethearts!

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Mr. and Mrs. Kurtzman

Every year of this flower farming journey teaches me something new and brings new people into my life I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I love that as much as I love growing flowers. I never dreamed I’d be doing weddings with my flowers. To think that I grew these flowers from seed to wedding is just crazy. It’s the stuff of dreams. Now I understand what it means to truly be a farmer and to see something I grow have such a positive impact on others is a gift I wasn’t expecting when I planted that first dahlia tuber back in 2012. I’m enjoying the harvest and I hope you are too!

Until our next shoreline visit~ Don’t just dream your dreams, cultivate them until they sprout and grow then share the bounty with everyone. It’s the farmgirl way!

Beach Blessings and Much Love,

The Beach Farmgirl

Deb # 1199

PS. Do you remember the Robins nest from my last post? All three eggs hatched and flew the nest healthy and happy!

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  1. Mary Rauch says:

    I’m sure it must be a big job to take and edit all these great photos and write such interesting informative articles,….but….it sure is a great TREAT for me/us to be able to view and listen to what you have to say. I’ve already viewed this piece on the dahlias 2 times. Feel sure I will be back. Just fascinating…beautiful…great… I don’t know how you can keep the “faces” of your flowers unblemished? The bugs in my area (Ohio) just go crazy for the dahlias. Again, thank you, thank you, for the joy you share with us!

    • Deb Bosworth says:

      Hi Mary!
      How nice to return to my blog and find your note. Thank you for your kind words. I’m so happy you enjoyed this piece on dahlias. As far as those bugs go, I spray them regularly with a product called Captain Jacks. It’s a great preventative. If I see one earwig or beetle that chews, I’m out there spraying away. I just can’t afford to let the bugs take over and ruin all my hard work! 🙂 I do have a few with blemishes so it’s not perfect, but what garden is, right? Happy Gardening! Deb

  2. Krista says:

    Your flowers are beautiful! I can only imagine how heartwarming it is to grow your flowers into such beauties and see them used, enjoyed, and loved in a wedding! There is nothing better than fresh flowers from the garden. I wish I lived closer and could have some of those flowers for my kitchen table! I love your post, it’s such an inspiration for small businesses!

  3. Very Pretty flower conditioning in the home brings back memories. If you would like to know what I did for a inexpensive cooler send me a message when you get a chance. The wedding flowers are beautiful – I think you’ve found your nitch.

    • Deb Bosworth says:

      Hi Carole,
      Great to hear from you here! I knew you would appreciate this post. 🙂 Blessings to you and all of your creative endeavors!
      Deb

  4. Brenda Towsley says:

    How wonderful! My blooms this time of year are many different colors of summer phlox. My oldest daughter just got married a couple of weeks ago at the Justice of Peace so her Australian could stay here in the states. New will be having a wedding in our yard next year end of August. Will Dalias grow in sandy soil? Because it sounds like a later bloomer that would help our boarder when so much of my blooms are starting to fade. Your bouquets were beautiful!

    • Deb Bosworth says:

      Dahlias need a soil rich in organic matter. If you can get a couple raised beds in I recommend growing them that way. You can order in a horticultural mix from a landscape supply company. Same soil mixture as if you were planting veggies. They’ll love it! How exciting… a backyard wedding… Love it!
      Happy September, Brenda! Deb

      • Brenda Towsley says:

        Yes it will be the second one we have held in our back yard. 3 daughters. This one may be a little higher maintainance that the last one. Wish you were closer I would sure love to use your blooms! Have a great fall. Will be coming your way in a weeks time, best friend and I driving from Michigan to Rhode Island to visit her daughter. Yeah girlfriend road trip!

  5. Laura R. says:

    Gorgeous flowers !! And such great wedding memories, that is something to be proud of! How rewarding :))))))))))))))

  6. Bonnie Elllis says:

    Well done farmgirl! The flowers are beautiful and you are really filling a need. The wedding pictures are awesome (almost makes me want to have another wedding. Ours was 54 years ago in March) I love hearing what you are up to and seeing the beautiful flowers you grow. Thanks.

  7. Marilyn says:

    Your dahlias are beautiful. Anna is a lovely bride. Thank you for sharing this post. Quite enjoyable.
    Marilyn

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