Local Color Flowers

It’s the first day of fall and I LOVE IT. The second the summer heat backs off, I feel like I can breathe again.

For a lot of us in the local flower world, fall means one thing: Dahlia season is ON. Buckets and buckets of them, coming in fast… and disappearing just as fast. Some folks are teetering on frost, while others are cranking out every last stem they’ve got.

And when there are THAT many dahlias around, obviously we want to put them in everything.

But dahlias can be a little tricky to design with. Huge heads. Flat faces. ALL the colors. And then there’s the vase life. 🙃

Still, I love them. I can’t get enough of them. And I will use them until the very last dahlia gets cut from the very last field.

I’ve just had to learn a few tricks along the way to make them work.
That’s what today’s YouTube video is all about: how to get the most out of dahlias when you’re designing with them.

If you love dahlias but sometimes find yourself staring at a bucket of them thinking, “Okay…now what?” — this one’s for you.
Check out this weeks video all about using dahlias in design!

Stop The Insanity! Make Beautiful Dahlia Arrangements Hello Flower Friends! I'm Ellen. Sign up for my FREE weekly newslet...

I love the look of zinnias! I love their shape, their colors, and the fact that they’re easy to grow and relatively inexpensive to buy as a cut flower. I love that our local growers can grow them and sell them, and that they’re not generally available through wholesalers.

But I don’t love using them in designs. 😱

Today’s YouTube video is all about my personal struggle with zinnias.

Comment STRUGGLE below and I’ll send you the video. And after you watch it, I’d love to hear what you think — am I totally off base, or do you have some of the same struggles?

Why I Don't Love Using Zinnias In My Designs Hello Flower Friends! I'm Ellen. Sign up for my FREE weekly newslet...

Foam free mechanics are the key to creating sustainable floating designs. Check out my newest YouTube video and tag a friend that might like it!

The Florist Secret Behind the “Floating” Flower Arrangement Hello Flower Friends! I'm Ellen. Sign up for my FREE weekly newslet...

September is here and with it ORNAMENTAL GRASSES! There are so many ways to elevate what you have in your yard and garden. Watch my new video all about how to use grasses in design! Tag a friend that might like to watch too!

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You KNOW you've seen gross water and gross jars like this at market. Here's a video on how to create market bouquets that SELL and LAST!

Why Some Bouquets Sell Out and Others Just Sit There Hello Flower Friends! I'm Ellen. Sign up for my FREE weekly newslet...

Bits & Pieces are the one design element I think many florists overlook.

Maybe they seem too expensive. Maybe they don't feel essential. Or maybe they're just hard to find if you aren't sourcing locally.

But these small details are often what take an arrangement from beautiful to memorable.

In this week's YouTube video, I'm sharing the final installment in my Six Elements of Design series and showing you how I use Bits & Pieces to add texture, personality, and that little bit of magic to an arrangement.

One viewer summed it up perfectly:

"It was a lovely arrangement to begin with, but your bits and pieces took it to a whole new level. Thank you."

I'd love to know—what are your favorite Bits & Pieces to design with? Watch the video below and let me know in the comments!

The 6 Elements of Floral Design: Bits Pieces Are The Finishing Touch Hello Flower Friends! I'm Ellen. Sign up for my FREE weekly newslet...

Will you be there? I will!
Come learn about dahlias with the best farmers, designers and creatives around! Early bird registration ends August 10!

https://thefloweringfarmhouse.mykajabi.com/dahlia-design-summit?rootabl=ellenfrost&lid=aNXZLk5r

I know creating elevated color palettes for your design can feel hard- especially if you're growing your own flowers and you're trying to figure out what goes with what and what customers will pay for.

I have a simple framework that will take the guesswork out of creating color palettes.

Check out my new YouTube video where I explain the very simple process of creating fancy color palettes even if you feel like you know nothing about color.

Stop Guessing Flower Colors! Try the 60-30-10 Rule Hello Flower Friends! I'm Ellen. Sign up for my FREE weekly newslet...

OBSESSED with Scented Geranium for design work. Are you?
Get my FULL list of favorite foliage for design for FREE today! https://www.ellenfrost.com/favoritefoliage