My tall snapdragons have been very nice. Long-lasting, too, since they keep opening new buds up the stalk. Nice shape contrast with the round dahlia forms.

I have used lilies, roses, button mums, hydrangeas, just about anything you can imagine in dahlia arrangements. I just did a wedding for a customer & did some pretty hi-style arangements using the dahlias as paving at the bottom & the other blooms going up to some curley willow & lily buds at the top. Another wedding last week I used dahlias as topiaries & put them in tall pots. With the smaller ones I taped 4-5 together under the bottom petals & at the bottom then just popped them in containers & covered the oasis with Spanish moss. I'll try to get some picts. of these 2 weddings in our albums this weekend. Last year for our daughter's wedding I used all dahlia arrangements on the tables, on the wine bar (the wedding was at a Winery) & some huge arrangements at the doors. I put hydrangeas, grape clusters & Curley Willow as well as Harry Lauder's Walking Stick in them. These arrangements would be great in a church, too. You can see them in Nat & Steve's Dahlia Wedding album at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wynne's Dahlia Albums

Our pictures are elegant. Thanks for all the ideas. Of course you have a real talent for the task; I'm just a beginner.

I'm all for snapdragons too: "Rocket" series for height and longevity. Stagger-planted gladioli are good for height too: delphiniums, some tall lobelias. I also mix in with 'peasant' cottage flowers: rudbeckia, daisies (ick-compared to the elegant dahlia,) phlox beaten to a pulp so they drop their little loose florets, somethings with more texture: echinops and crocosmia; cimicifuga, buddleia for scent.

But I am never ever opposed to an all dahlia vase.

I put some pictures of the newest dahlia wedding arrangements in the Weddings with Dahlias album (changed the name of the albun now that it has more than just Nat's wedding in it!. As you can see. some take a bit more time than others but there's not much talent in making a dahlia topiary- just tape 'em together & stuff 'em in oasis in a pot! They were really cute & you can do a few groupings for a bigger display in a church- I've put 3 to 5 of them on alters before & 7 grouped around on the floor in front-- It's that "Florist's Uneven Number" thing that makes things look like you know what you're doing >:) In the other wedding the dahlias were used as pave & then you just bring some other stuff up to as high as you want it- you could use any tall flower & some medium ones & pretty soon they're looking professional as all get out. My theory is-- if anyone doesn't like them- they can volunteer to do the flowers next week! The new picts. start on p. 6 of the album.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wynne's Dahlia Albums

GROW YOUR OWN CUT FLOWERS, by Sarah Raven features a number of Dahlia arrangements. Her suggestions include Chinese Lanterns both green and orange: nice for fall; Amaranthus, Snap Dragons, Nicotiana, and Euphorbia. She also shows Dahlias in contrasting coloured glass containers, which look very simple and striking. The photography is very beautiful and her advice detailed and practical.

Sharon

Here is a link that might be useful: Grow Your Own cut flowers