A SUSPENDED DAHLIA DISPLAY

This statement piece is ideal for a special occasion, either hanging from a branch outside, from a patio pergola, or suspended from a ceiling indoors.

PERENNIALS You will need around 50 stems of various sizes and colours of dahlia. My favourites include Dahlia ‘Perch Hill’, ‘Waltzing Mathilda’, ‘Jowey Winnie’, ‘Preference’, ‘Karma Choc’, ‘Berner Oberland’, ‘Labyrinth’, ‘Cornel Brons’, ‘Gypsy Night’ and ‘Leila Savanna Rose’.

PLUS 20 stems of berried honeysuckle – I used Lonicera periclymenum ‘Graham Thomas’

▪ Create a ‘mossage’. Do not gather moss from the wild as this is illegal. Instead, scrape a handful or two out of your lawn or alternatively buy sphagnum moss from a reputable source. Wet the moss in water, squeeze out the excess and firm into a suitable shape. Wrap with a layer of chicken wire, folding the sides and ends of the chicken wire into itself to hold the shape. Suspend the mossage using strong fishing wire or cord. Cover the floor with something waterproof. Your mossage may drip for a while.

▪ Begin to add the honeysuckle trails to create an outline shape, then add in the dahlias, ensuring the stems remain in the damp moss. Layer up the dahlias, using different heights and angles to create interest and to cover the mossage. Step back occasionally to check you are satisfied with the shape.

▪ The display will last 24-48 hours in a coolish room out of direct sunlight. Spritz with water occasionally to keep it fresh.

Brigitte’s garden is chemical free and a haven for wildlife. To find out about her designs and workshops, go to mossandstone.co.uk