Walking the Dahlia Fields, Weaving the Beauty: A Fall Bouquet Story
- Debra Flaming
- Aug 31
- 3 min read
There’s a certain magic that happens when you walk through a dahlia field with scissors in hand and creativity on your heart. This week, that magic belonged to my daughter Ashley—our family’s bouquet artist—and my niece Nikki, who captured every moment in photos, video, and gentle questions as the arrangement came to life.
Gathering in the Dahlia Field
The morning began with rows of dahlias sparkling in the late-summer light. Ashley wandered slowly down the pathways, pausing at each plant to take in its form and color. Her hands reached for a few favorites:
Awe Shucks—a playful coral-orange that always makes us smile.
Brown Sugar—a rich, moody dahlia with cinnamon-red tones.
Jowey Chantal—soft blush petals with a romantic glow.
Crichton Honey—warm apricot sweetness in bloom form.
Camano Sitka—sun-kissed and stately, Camano Sitka glows in cantaloupe tones, each soft peach petal opening toward a golden heart that seems to radiate warmth. Its refined form makes it a natural centerpiece in bouquets, while its luminous coloring shifts beautifully from dawn to dusk light.
Each bloom was carefully cut, stems trimmed, leaves removed to reveal clean lines for arranging later.
Companion Blooms from the Garden
Next, Ashley and Nikki wandered into the cutting garden to find companions for the dahlias. Their baskets filled with the textures and hues of the season: trailing amaranth, airy cosmos, cheerful zinnias, golden yarrow, and even a sprig or two of mint for fresh fragrance. These supporting players would frame the dahlias, adding layers of contrast and softness.
The Art of Arranging
Back at the arranging table, the time-lapse camera rolled as Ashley began the quiet dance of building her bouquet. She thought out loud: which flower should take center stage, which tones balance each other, and how texture and form weave together.
Camano Sitka anchored the bouquet, luminous and regal was the showcase flower she chose.
Awe Shucks and Brown Sugar played off one another like sunlight and shadow.
Jowey Chantal whispered romance between them.
Crichton Honey warmed everything with a honey-kissed glow.
She tucked amaranth for drape, cosmos for whimsy, and yarrow for structure. A touch of mint added both fragrance and surprise. Slowly, stem by stem, the vision became reality.
The Grand Reveal
At the end, the time-lapse revealed the full transformation: from empty table to armful of autumn beauty. The finished bouquet was everything fall should be—warm, layered, vibrant, and alive.
Ashley’s gift reminds us that arranging flowers is more than combining stems; it’s storytelling in petals. And with Nikki’s lens capturing each step, we get to share that story with you.
Something for You: The next time you walk your garden, let your flowers “speak” to each other. Pair bold with soft, tall with airy, fragrant with textural. You may find that arranging a bouquet is as much about listening as it is about placing.
A Bouquet, a Memory, a Legacy
What Ashley and Nikki created that day was more than a bouquet—it was a memory woven from petals, laughter, and the quiet joy of working side by side in the garden. Every stem carried a story: of family, of beauty, of God’s creation overflowing in color and form. And when the bouquet was finished, it wasn’t just flowers in a vase—it was a reflection of gratitude, creativity, and love shared across generations.
As you gather blooms from your own garden or pick up a bundle at the market, may you find that same joy—pausing to notice how beauty has a way of bringing us closer together.
With blossoms and gratitude,
Debra Flaming
🌸 SHOP
