Aztec Dahlias:Two Workshops: Casual & Composed and Windowbox Arrangements August/September 2019

A return from England to a busy fall put me behind in term of editing and loading photos of your beautiful arrangements taken in the workshops.

Catching up now and must say it is a wonderful opportunity to review these lovely pieces- made just 5 short months ago!

Enjoy the memory of late summer again. I was out cleaning up the garden yesterday and noticed shoots from snowdrop bulbs poking up among the decaying leaves. Spring is not very far away here in California. But not yet. The wait makes the abundance to come all the more sweet.

These photos are work from Casual/ Yet Composed and the Window Box Workshop from Aztec Dahlias taken two weeks apart.

Casual,yet Composed

From my journal back in early September after the Window Box Workshop:

2:00pm on a hot September afternoon in the fields at Aztec Dahlias Flower Farm during clean-up, post workshop

This morning,shortly after dawn, I walked the fields, chilled despite my down jacket, choosing what to cut for the workshop today. I was just a smidge annoyed as a team of people walked up and down the rows spraying the plants with a non-toxic remedy for those green beetles that are kissing cousin to ladybug. I do prefer be to Alone with the flowers at the farm pre- workshop. Its a short time of peace and appreciation before the hectic day.  
But the bugs must go. Oh well!

The flowers have been unusually prolific this year. In the morning light I admire the coveted Cafe'O Laits flowering so profusely that it appeared to be no space between the flower heads from plant to plant- just long, undulating rows of cream/blush ruffles.

Now, hours later, the sun is hot and strong. The daily afternoon wind is blowing through the fields. The Cafe's now look like wilted mop heads. It's somewhat alarming, knowing that these flowers are product to be sold and need to be converted into dollars. But returning to the fields over and over the past 4 years, I know that they will perk back up in the evening. The water stored the roots during the heat of the day travels back up into the flower heads when the temperature and light drop. Perhaps these rather harsh conditions of heat and wind, combined with enriched soil and just the right amount of water actually make the plants and thus flowers, stronger. It is an awesome dynamic  of nature playing out in this flowering field.

Now to-
Windowbox Arrangements:

This is the first year I've offered this workshop and I think we all agreed that it is a keeper! The results are beautiful and the boxes offer so much flexibility from season to season.