How to grow dahlias:British flowers are all the rage as the carbon footprint becomes a growing concern
By
RSS Feed
PostedAugust 31, 2019
Dahlias are the showgirls of the flower garden , emerging in midsummer and taking their final bow well into the depths of autumn . From huge, spiky confections to tight pompoms, they come in all shapes and sizes, are never knowingly understated and make an unbeatable cut flower. Every garden should have at least one to banish thoughts of summer’s end. But which? Afficionados and the simply curious should head to Wolves Lane Flower Company in Wood Green for Dahlia Mania on August 18. Dozens of the most beautiful varieties will be in full glory in a 40-metre glasshouse. Read more The open day is part of the Flower Farmers Big Weekend, over August 16-18, where growers across the country are opening their gates to the public — see flowersfromthefarm.co.uk for a grower near you. British-grown cut flowers are enjoying a revival, now representing 14 per cent of UK cut flower sales, says the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. The increase is attributed to a boom in artisan flower farming with the Flowers from the Farm network championing an exciting new band of mostly female growers showcasing a wilder style. The emphasis is on seasonal native-grown flowers rather than imported blooms, promising zero air miles, fresher flowers and a natural beauty rather than hothouse uniformity. Marianne Mogendorff and Camila Klich are hosting dahlia Mania at Wolves Lane Flower Company in Wood green on August 18 (Martina Klich) Wolves Lane duo Camila Klich and Marianne Mogendorff are leading lights in the new floral wave. They met at Cambridge University and both left advertising and fashion producing jobs to pursue their “life of soil, not a life of toil”, as they put it. “Real garden geeks” but with no formal horticultural training, they learned all they know through trial and error, but were determined from the start to eschew chemicals and to grow sustainably. “We wanted to work with flowers but couldn’t stomach the carbon footprint,” says Camila. “We try not to come across as the flower police, but our generation is more involved with the environment.” Dahlias are […]
