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    Home » Garden Stuff » Flower Gardening

    Flower Arrangements To Say FU to February

    January 31, 2024 by Karen 49 Comments

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    This is just a pretty post with pretty flowers that I grew in the warm weather and sunshine of my garden last year. Take that February, you wretched, wretched month.

    Near the end of last summer, when the flowers were blooming faster than a teenage girl at a Bon Jovi concert (how's that for an incredibly modern reference?) I decided to start taking photos of all the arrangements.

    This summer, when I'm smarter and more organized, as future me ALWAYS is, I'll try to start this project a bit earlier in the season so it isn't ALL dahlia arrangements.

    I welcome you to February with these 18 arrangements that'll help us stick it to the month of waxy chocolates and scratchy lace underwear.

    There isn't a single red rose in the bunch.

    Mixed flowers in silver jug

    Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
    Celosia - Wheat celosia (formerly flamingo feather)
    Sunflowers ~ gifted unknown variety
    Dahlias ~ Alfred C, Hamilton Lillian, Sweet Nathalie, Cornel Bronze, Black Satin, Rock Star

    Dahlias & Cosmos in white vase

    Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
    Dahlias ~ Alfred C, Rockstar, Cornel Bronze, Hamilton Lillian, A La Mode

    Mixed Flowers in tomato jar

    Celosia ~ Crested Cockscomb, Wheat celosia (flamingo feather)
    Amaranth ~ Hot Biscuits
    Dahlia ~ Wanda's Aurora, Cornel Bronze, AC Paint, Alpen Cherub
    Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade

    Dahlias & Amaranth in copper vase

    Amaranth ~ Hot Biscuits
    Dahlias - Alfred C, Cafe Au Lait, Cornel Bronze, Wanda's Aurora

    Mixed Bunch in dahlia vase

    Snapdragon ~ Doubleshot Orange
    Dahlia ~ Rockstar, Cornel Bronze, Yvonne, A La Mode, Unknown (pink)
    Sweet Peas - White perennial

    Floating Dahlias in silver serving bowl

    A La Mode (x2), Hamilton Lillian, Jess-Lynn

    Mixed Arrangement in Oh Flora Cove Vase

    Dahlias ~ A La Mode, Yvonne, Cornel Bronze, Dollarama Black, Black Satin, Rockstar
    Sunflower - Unknown gifted variety (Liked them so much I saved the seed for this year)
    Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
    Celosia - Wheat celosia (formerly flamingo feather)

    Would you like to save this stuff?

    We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.

    Mixed Bunch in tall white vase

    Dahlias ~ Alfred C, Rockstar, A La Mode, Cornel Bronze, AC Paint, Wanda's Aurora
    Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
    Amaranth ~ Hot Biscuits
    Celosia - Wheat Celosia

    Cosmos & Dahlia in small vase

    Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
    Dahlia ~ Alpen Cherub

    Mixed Arrangement ribbed vase

    Dahlias ~ Alfred C, A La Mode, Alpen Cherub, Cornel Bronze
    Sunflowers ~ Unknown variety
    Amaranth ~ Hot Biscuits, Opopeo
    Tomatoes ~ Candyland, Unknown yellow variety
    Queen Anne's Lace
    Carrot greens

    Mixed Arrangement in oval white vase

    Dahlia ~ AC Paint
    Cosmos - Apricot Lemonade
    Celosia - Wheat celosia (pink, red, yellow)

    Single Flower Arrangement in bud vase (thanks Lynne Knowlton!)

    Dahlia ~ Rock Star

    Dahlia Arrangement in glass vase

    Dahlias ~ Rock Star, Black Satin, A La Mode, AC Paint, Alpen Cherub

    First attempt at a curved arrangement. (in Oh Flora vase)

    Hydrangeas, snapdragons, apples, sweet peas

    Peonies & Sage in black vase

    Peony ~ Purple (unkown variety), Pale pink (Shirley Temple)
    Greenery ~ Sage flowers, apple branches, sweet pea greenery

    Dahlias in glass jar

    All the dahlias in this vase are the same variety from the same plant - AC Paint They're quite the magical dahlia.

    Dahlias & Cosmos in glass vase

    Dahlias ~ AC Paint, Wanda's Aurora, A La Mode, Rock Star
    Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade

    Mixed Bouquet in glass vase

    Dahlias ~ AC Paint, Alfred C, Alpen Cherub, Rockstar, Dollarama Black
    Cosmos ~ Apricot Lemonade
    Sunflower ~ Unknown variety
    Celosia ~ Wheat celosia
    Amaranth ~ Hot Biscuits

    Mixed Arrangement in Ironstone jug

    Dahlias ~ Colleen Mooney, Yvonne, Rock Star
    Snapdragon ~ Doubleshot Orange
    Celosia - Crested Cockscomb, Wheat celosia

    I'll be planting many of the same, plus this year I'll remember (because again, future self is SO much better at stuff than present or past self) to plant more greenery.

    All I had were flowers but to make nice flower arrangements you need as much greenery as you have blooms.

    You can learn more about the varieties of dahlias and the other flowers in these posts.

    New Varieties from 2023

    Dahlias I grew in 2023

    I had pretty good luck with everything, other than the Henriette dahlia which turned out to be not a Henriette dahlia but something else entirely. Which is why labelling your dahlias when you dig them up right away is important.

    Spring starts in ...

      

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    1. Connie C.

      July 09, 2024 at 9:29 pm

      From owls to flowers, I just smiled and smiled. I missed your can-do energy lo these many months. I will remember to be refreshed like the wilted blossoms by reading your posts more often.

      Reply
    2. Barbara Smith

      February 09, 2024 at 1:36 am

      Love your articles/stories. On rough days I simply read your articles, laugh and learn and the day turns out just fine - thanks for sharing your thoughts and sense of humor - it feels great to laugh and it is energizing.

      Reply
      • Karen

        February 09, 2024 at 11:02 am

        Well that makes me feel like I'm being useful in this world. Thanks! ~ karen

        Reply
    3. Christie

      February 03, 2024 at 3:40 pm

      A Jigidi of the last arrangement please!!! Beautiful!

      Reply
      • Karen

        February 03, 2024 at 9:48 pm

        I never even thought about turning any of these into puzzles, but you aren't the first to request it sooooo ... :) ~ karen!

        Reply
    4. Lauraluby

      February 02, 2024 at 6:41 am

      Karen, Showcasing your flowers in outstanding vases with the backdrops that you chose is a real inspiration. I have scrolled through several times, shown my husband (he’s better at flower arranging than me) and also enjoy your friends comments🩷. I refer to …the artofdoingstuff often! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Karen

        February 03, 2024 at 12:45 am

        Thanks! I'm going to try to get better at photographing the flower arrangements this year. ~ karen!

        Reply
    5. Gayle

      February 01, 2024 at 5:49 pm

      Hey Karen. I have tried to source some of the beautiful dahlia varieties you have, to no avail. I am in Winnipeg and must order online. Can you recommend vendors for me?
      Thanks so much Karen!

      Reply
      • Karen

        February 01, 2024 at 11:57 pm

        Hi Gayle. My own dahlia society, The Hamilton Dahlia society, holds a tuber sale once a year in the spring. Members of the society are given first choice (you can become a member no matter where in the world you live and it's a really robust dahlia club with incredibly helpful members and monthly ZOOM meetings/lessons). Or, as a non member you can buy tubers from them (they will ship), you just don't get to buy them until after everyone else in the club has had their pick. :) You can also sometimes get really good tubers from local Facebook groups. ~ karen!

        Reply
        • Gayle

          February 02, 2024 at 11:35 pm

          Thank you so much Karen for your response; much appreciated!

    6. Allison

      February 01, 2024 at 4:13 pm

      These photos would make a lovely calendar!

      Reply
    7. Marie

      February 01, 2024 at 3:46 pm

      Bravo, Karen, bravo!

      Reply
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