>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by... Albertsons Companies... with additional support from the following companies... CalFlowers... Design Master Color Tool... Smithers-Oasis... Sunshine Bouquet.

♪ >> On today's "Life In Bloom," we're visiting Hope Dahlias and learning about the positive effects flowers can have on people.

Sage does double duty as a tasty appetizer and a spiritual cleanser.

I'll make arrangements with our featured flower, dahlias.

And we'll learn the potential health benefits of elderflower.

♪ I'm J Schwanke.

Welcome to "Life In Bloom."

♪ Even for those of us who are lucky enough to have extensive gardens, the trend in local flower-farming is a wonderful way for us to broaden our range of flowers.

♪ And for those of us who have little outdoor space or who are green-thumb-challenged, local flower farms and farmers open up a whole new world of possibilities.

The wellness benefits of arranging cut flowers, sharing bouquets, growing plants, or cooking with herbs and even flowers are evident.

Flowers brighten our home and enrich our lives.

Today on "Life In Bloom," we'll explore how to incorporate more local flowers into your life.

♪ Dahlias are a sure way to brighten anyone's day.

Today we're going to see the magic that happens before we buy these beautiful dahlias at the market and learn the story behind Hope Dahlias.

This is your passion job, but not your day job.

>> No, it is not my day job.

I am a dental hygienist, and my mom, who I do this with, is a full-time nurse, and I'm a full-time mom, as well, so we juggle a lot of different things around here, but, as a family, we really can do it, you know, functionally, because we do it together.

>> At Hope Dahlias, how many dahlias do you have?

>> We have around 144 different varieties spanning from, you know, getting them locally and otherwise, you know, other parts of the world.

We've had them shipped in to have, you know, specific varieties that I feel people down at the farmers' market would really like.

The ones we really focus on are small, you know, more manageable cut-flower varieties that are strong stems and will last in a vase for, you know, almost a week.

>> What are the most popular ones for people at the market?

>> A lot of the formal dec.

It just has a pretty, kind of formal petal form to it -- some of the spiky ones, but I'd say some of the, like, the smaller ones that last the longest, kind of longevity.

Yes.

And then the different colors -- you know, reds do okay at the market, but a lot of, like, coral, because coral is so big this year, and burgundy, as well -- burgundy.

And for fall, you know, usually after Labor Day, we do so much more of your burgundies and oranges.

>> Oh, wow.

Interesting.

You got inspired by this local flower-farming idea, but this is a private residence.

>> We are not, you know, an open farm to just come and visit.

We do allow you to call and maybe make an appointment if you want to take pictures and things like that, but we really are market-growers, and we're part of this whole, you know, local farm, local movement of, you know, flower-farming.

We are still, you know, definitely a small scale.

This is my parents' house, and this is their backyard, so we just do this as kind of a family operation, so, yeah, it definitely is more of a private thing.

>> One of the things that we talk about these is that they're octoploids... >> Yeah.

>> ...which means that they have eight chromosomes as opposed to -- Look at the little bee.

He's right inside there, and he's -- what you call that is "opening it up."

>> Yeah, yeah, opening that center.

>> You don't like that.

>> No, because it makes stuff -- Yeah.

[ Laughs ] >> We don't want to see the center so much.

>> He's not gonna do it anymore.

But you don't want to see the center, but they go down in there after the pollen.

>> They do.

>> But how great this is for all the pollinators, so there's butterflies, there's bees, there's hummingbirds.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> All of that out here.

So, back to our octoploids.

>> Yes.

>> So they have eight chromosomes, which means that, that way, we can have different types like this.

We can have ones that have speckles.

We can have one that have different shapes like this.

We can have the ball shape.

We can have the daisy shape, the collarette.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Those three little yellow petals are on that same petal, so these eight chromosomes allow the diversity of color, shape, and petals in all these different things.

Now, people believe that, "Well, there's no other flower that is an octoploid."

>> Right.

>> So they wonder where they came from, and so someone told me one time that they thought maybe they came from aliens... >> Oh, geez.

>> ...that aliens dropped them off for us, which, if they did, thank you very much!

>> Thank you.

>> Because they're beautiful.

But I don't know.

I don't -- That's fine.

You started this because your mom and dad found that they could take their passion and do it and also make a little bit of extra money.

>> Absolutely.

Yeah.

We used to travel down to Fulton Street Farmers Market every week to buy Dahlias.

And that's kind of where the obsession started, and I say obsession because, I mean, it is, sort of.

[ Laughs ] >> Completely agree.

I am obsessed.

I come every week because I'm obsessed, yes.

♪ You know, it's got orange.

It's got purple.

It's got pink.

They're so beautiful.

Well, Kristen, this is a beautiful bucket of dahlias, and thank you so much for having us here at Hope Dahlias and sharing the story.

>> This is so amazing having you here and to share all this with you.

>> I appreciate it.

Thanks so much, honey.

>> Thank you.

♪ >> So, it wouldn't be a visit to Hope Dahlias without arranging some of their beautiful dahlias.

Kristen gave me a selection of gorgeous dahlias that we can create in some arrangements that would be easy for you to make at home.

We're going to do a bubble bowl.

We'll do another vase, and, remember, you can use a mason jar.

That would work really well for a few dahlias.

And we'll also use this frosted cylinder vase.

The other important thing is, when you go to get your dahlias, make sure that you bring a bucket with you when you go to the market.

I always like to do that so I can slip them right into water for the travel home.

When I get home, I have my flower food water that I've already mixed up using my packets of flower food.

I place those in the refrigerator in a container like this so it can be nice and cold.

We'll add that water to our vases, and I've already added it to the bubble bowl and to this one, as well.

We're going to use about 2 liters of water.

♪ And then we also want to use a chlorine tablet.

I found that using a chlorine tablet helps reduce the bacteria level inside the water, and that makes the dahlias last longer.

So, now we're ready to arrange.

We'll use a single blossom here.

We'll make one that's strictly pink in this, and then we'll do a nice mixture using different assorted dahlias from Hope Dahlias.

♪ A single large dahlia can fill up a bubble bowl.

♪ I frequently use different foliage from the garden to create a structure before adding my dahlias.

Be sure to cut flowers at a 45-degree angle, and remove any leaves that would fall below the waterline.

♪ I like using tints, tones, and shades of one color for impact.

♪ ♪ ♪ One large bloom on the edge of the vase creates a focal area in the bouquet.

♪ Fill in spaces between larger flowers with smaller blooms.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Sage is a versatile herb that we can use throughout the house.

Today I went out early in the morning and harvested my sage.

I love it because it's a perennial, and it comes back year after year.

I also grow it organically so I can govern that it's edible.

We'll bring it back inside, and we'll sort through it.

We want pretty leaves for our sage crisps.

If you've not grown your sage organically or get it from a different resource, you'll want to wash your leaves and then pat them dry.

They need to be dry when we turn them into crisps, and we'll do that by using butter and our frying pan.

We're going to melt the butter, and then we'll cook the leaves quickly, about 30 seconds each side, and then bring them out, put them on our paper towel, and use our salt on top.

We're almost making a little potato chip out of our sage leaves.

♪ Be sure to add salt while the crisps are still warm to ensure it sticks.

♪ So, now we've got stems and leaves with holes in them left, and we can do a great project with that.

We can make a smudge stick.

Sage is used to create a smudge stick that we can use to cleanse the interiors of our home.

This is one that I bought at a store, and they even make big ones like this if you have a big project you want to smudge.

We're going to make one like this today, and we'll use our leftovers.

We have leaves with holes in them and stems like this.

Those will be perfect for this!

We're going to line them up, and then we'll lace them over the top this way, the opposite direction.

We want to make sure that we have leaves at both ends.

We'll wrap our twine around this tightly and tie it into place.

You want to use a cotton string that's going to burn.

Wire isn't a good idea because it's going to heat up, and it won't burn away, but this cotton string will dissolve as it burns.

We're going to make sure that this all winds up at the other end.

We're going to wrap it around tightly.

You'll notice that I'm going at an angle up the stems.

When I get to this end, I'm just going to turn around and do an angle back down.

♪ Now we'll tie it into a knot.

As this dries, it could deplete, and with this one, I started with a big one this size.

After it dried for a couple days, I cut this string and undid it, and then I folded it in half and rewrapped the string around the outside.

It makes a smaller, tighter bundle that's going to give us a better result when we smudge.

It's important that you wait to let it dry completely before you're going to do your smudging.

Smudge sticks are used for many purposes -- to heal, to bless, to cleanse.

Smudge sticks wash off the outside world when entering a sacred space or special ceremony.

Sage is a lovely incense with a pleasant aroma, pure and simple, yet also works great as a chemical-free air freshener or odor controller.

White prairie sage is both antimicrobial and antibacterial.

This means it may keep infectious bacteria, viruses, and fungi at bay.

A 2016 research-study project for the University of Mississippi established that white sage is rich in compounds that activate certain receptors in the brain.

These receptors are responsible for elevating mood levels, reducing stress, and even alleviating pain.

♪ Here's yet another way to use sage from the garden.

We can cut it and use it as a foliage in our flower arrangements.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Elderflower is used most often for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, most notably for sinus infections, colds, and respiratory illnesses.

Elderflower can lessen allergy symptoms and boost the immune system overall.

♪ Let's take a look at a fun and simple way to repurpose bottles and use the beautiful dahlias from the flower farm.

I'm fascinated with dahlias.

I -- There's a little manic craziness that goes along with it because there's so many different kinds of flowers.

I think my first impression that I remember about dahlias is the one time I saw one that was half one color and half another color.

There's so many different colors, and we can pair them with different-colored vases.

Let's talk about painting the bottles.

Any type of clear bottle will work.

I have a whole assortment of different types of reclaimed bottles, and what I did was I just soaked them in the sink so that I could remove the labels.

Then we have a beautiful clear bottle to work with.

I'm using a translucent paint that you can get at any craft store.

Applying the paint is easy.

We have to make sure that the surface is clean and dry.

We can coordinate the color to the vase, or we can complement it or contrast it.

Sometimes we're cutting the stem shorter so that the dahlias rest right on the lip of the vase, and, other times, they're taller.

Since we're using different-sized vases, we'll have different heights for our tablescape arrangement.

When I see a bucket of them, my thing about it is, I want them all, and I will go to the farmers' market, and I will buy all the dahlias because I want them all.

I want them in all those vases.

I want them all around the house.

I want to give them to other people, and the dahlia growers that I know, every one I've ever met has a really special soul inside them that makes them a really unique and fun person.

I think there just must be something about the dahlias that grabs hold of you and won't let go.

♪ A dahlia has eight chromosomes.

Others have two.

Daffodils only have two, so they're always going to look similar.

They're always going to have those five leaves on the back, and they're always going to have that little trumpet out the front, but a dahlia can be -- It can look like a spider.

It can look like a firework.

It can have laciniated petals, which look like they've been torn and shredded.

Not only does the shape and form of the dahlia change, but the color can, too, and so it's just so miraculous, but that's because of those eight chromosomes, and it's a unique flower.

There aren't other flowers like that, so that was a special gift, however that occurred in nature for us, that dahlias are that unique and interesting.

As you place the dahlias, you might decide to make the stem shorter.

Remember, leaving your stem long is always better because you can always shorten it up.

You can also accent the bottles with a ribbon.

An orange shear ribbon looks beautiful on our mango vase.

♪ Depending upon the size of your dahlias, you can choose to put one blossom or two in the vases.

This is a beautiful tablescape centerpiece, and it's great because it breaks away.

You can use a couple bottles here or a couple bottles in a different location, and the other great part is that you could send them home as party favors after your event.

Flowers from your garden or beautiful dahlias like these look great in these recycled containers.

It's a fun way for you to use color for your next flower project.

♪ Dahlias are native to Mexico.

There are over 40 species.

The dahlia was named after Anders Dahl, a botanist born on March 17, 1751.

Dahlias are tall plants with flowers.

Most varieties grow 4 to 5 feet tall.

The root of the dahlia are tubers, not bulbs, as they're often called.

The tubers can be replanted each spring, but must be dug out and stored over the winter.

The tubers were grown as a food crop by the Aztecs, a practice that largely died out after the Spanish conquest.

Attempts to introduce the tubers as a food crop in Europe were unsuccessful.

Dahlias represent dignity and elegance.

♪ Here's a great idea for adding a bit of garden foliage to your fresh flower arrangements.

I love planting different types of hostas around the yard.

They're perennials, and they come up every year, and I can use their foliage as part of my flower arrangement.

They're hardy, and they're sturdy, and they look great.

Be sure that you give your hostas time to harden off.

In the spring, when the new leaves come on, they're soft, but as they mature, they get nice and leathery.

Then they're perfect for your arrangement.

Hostas -- a great way for you to add garden foliage to your arrangement.

We hope you'll agree that a stop at a flower farm is the perfect way to experience more flowers in your life.

For "Life In Bloom," I'm J Schwanke.

See you next time!

Why are flowers important?

>> I believe that flowers are important because it brings a certain type of joy.

It's always, you know, somebody giving flowers.

It's always somebody, you know, making somebody cheer up, making their day and, you know, to me, I feel like joy and hope, and that's where Hope Dahlias came from, you know?

We had a lot of hope, but we needed it, too, to start this, and, you know, we create, joy for other people.

>> Kristen, what's your favorite flower?

>> Actually, it's two of them.

Well, dahlias have names.

It's the person that cultivated that seedling that can name it.

With having two little girls, I went out, and I found Clearview Lila, and I found Bracken Lorelei, and those are my little girls' names, and those are their flowers.

>> "J Schwanke's Life In Bloom" is filmed in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by... Albertsons Companies... with additional support from the following companies... CalFlowers... Design Master Color Tool... Smithers-Oasis... Sunshine Bouquet.

♪ Closed-caption funding provided by Ocean View Flowers.

♪ For everything flowers, recipes, projects, and more information, visit ubloom.com.

♪