Doesn't it seem like everything is always in season in NYC? Among the endless rotation of flowers at the shops and delis are the seasonal specials, the ones that will only be around for a short time. Right now DAHLIAS are making their presence known, but will become scarce once Thanksgiving is upon us.
Dahlias have wonderful color. The may remind you of certain chrysanthemum varieties, and with good reason: they both belong to the aster family. When you look closely their buds are waxy and vibrant green, as if their textures and veins have been carved from soap. The petals, which begin green, are layered up in a tight ball, much like a peony. When the outer five or so green petals open from the ball the appearance is very much like that of tiny green persimmons.
If you love these flowers, now is the time to enjoy them cheaply. If you want to grow them you definitely can, but these natives of Mexico and Central America need a little help to survive the winter. - Matt N.
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One of my favorites, may be because dahlias are of the few that retain sentimental value - they are more "garden" flowers, not commercial, the kind that's still seasonal and mostly local.
And the safran-colored are the best (I took that photograph in BBG)
word, tat.
every week when i shop for my weekly flowers, i always try to find something that looks vaguely like something someone would really grow in their garden. i think this week dahlias are it. though one of the produce stands at my neighborhood greenmarket often has bunches of real live wildflowers, which are hard to pass up.
i was so sad that dahlias were not growing when I wanted them for my wedding (Thanksgiving weekend) why didn't I know about that sooner? :(
Has anyone ever heard of putting sprite in the dahlia's vase? Does this work?
my roll of paper towels ia printed with household tips & says to add a bit of ginger ale to fresh flowers to make them last longer. I've also heard of adding and aspirin to the water.
my Dahlia's that I bought Sunday nite on the way home died by Wed....boo!
...maybe I need Ginger Ale...
i add a wee handful of sugar and a slug of vinegar to the water. though i guess if one has sprite and ginger ale on hand, the effect is similar. it's the combination of sugar and acid that does the trick.
though i think it also ferments things by the end of the week -- when i empty my vases, they always smell very yeasty...
which reminds me.
i hate all my vases, most of which are of the cheapo flower shop arrangement variety. where is a good place to look for funkier, more interesting vases that won't break the bank?
and by "won't break the bank", what i mean is definitely no more than $15-$20 per vase. and that's the high end.
I reuse pots/alcoholbottles/old glasses into Vases
*opoponax, try trift stores and Salvation Army.
I bought some beautiful ones at Viva Terra, which were gorgeous and cheap.
Separate question - are artificial flowers ever ok? I'm preparing for the loud "NO!!!!!" but hear me out - I love fresh flowers but they often die the day after I buy them and I'm left with gently rotting vegetation and that smell. I've seen some nice faux ones (http://www.gracioushome.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&categoryId=65012&langId=-1&top=Y), and treasonously have thoughts about getting a few. I am also concerned about the environmental impact of flower farms in third world countries, where most of my supermarket flowers hail from.
Any tips on where to get inexpensive nice faux ones? Or if they are absolutely infra-dig, please let me know how to prolong the lives of the flowers I buy, and where best to get environmentally sound seasonal flowers especially now as winter approaches...
I add a 1/4 cup of sprite and a scant teaspoon of bleach to the water in the vase. I find this keeps the flowers happy and the water clear and odor free for the week. It seems the flowers last a little longer.
Actually, I usually use 7 UP. I don't drink pop but I keep a bottle in the fridge for the flowers.
I LOVE Dahlia's and I planted one in my front yard, but the dang deer seem to nip the blooms in the bud. Literally! Arggggghhh so frustrating! They were able to bloom one year and believe me they were fantastic, but the poor things haven't stood a chance against Bambi since then. ~Monica
Here's a pic of one of the blooms from the first year. :)