With my Dahlia Collection launching this month with Sarah Raven, we also thought it was the perfect opportunity to ask Sarah about her favourite dahlias, gardening, last suppers & moreโฆ
Favourite 3 dahlias?
- Dahlia โMolly Ravenโ - subtle and beautiful colouring, good vase life and just about compact enough to be sensational in a pot so even if you donโt have a garden you can pick from this one to surround yourself with it, inside and out.
- Dahlia โRip Cityโ - the 1st dahlia I grew 30 years ago and itโs still a leading-lady with rich chocolate-crimson flowers and incredible texture
- Dahlia โLabyrinthโ - soft, curvy, romantic and beautiful. Iโd miss it so much if we didnโt grow it.
Top three tulips?
โGreen Waveโ - incredibly perennial, reappearing with us now for over ten years, and long-flowering with a vase life of over ten days. I love its colouring and shape.
โWhite Valleyโ - good and early to make me realise spring - and a new growing year - is truly on the way. I struggle when things arenโt growing here - the garden sustains me so much - and when I see the first โWhite Valleyโ I know weโre through to colour and flower abundance. Yeah! It also happens to be beautiful, a double white with great stripes and washes of green ad ivory and tastes good in tempura.
โBallerinaโ - just the most wonderful classic tulip with elegance, grace and wonderful perfume.
โSarah has always been the person to go to for anything garden in my eyes. She has the best taste and her plants have always been the best quality.โ
Willow Crossley
Which five people, dead or alive would you invite to you last supper?
My dad John Raven - he taught me pretty much everything I know even though he died when I was 17; Vita Sackville-West - my husbandโs grandmother and creator of Sissinghurst. She had the BEST eye and way of loving and writing about plants and flowers and she made incredible places. The other 3 would be my immediate family - two daughters and husband Adam. Weโd then be able to have a good catch up and learn from their perspectives in each generational direction. And, mainly, Iโd love my dad to meet my girls.
And what would you be eating?
Start with garden Frito Misto/tempura with sage leaves, basil, aubergine, Paris Market carrots, flat-leaved parsley and just-caught mackerel - with 3 dips 1. green mayonnaise 2. home-made honey chilli dipping sauce and 3. tamari. Then fillet of beef in ginger dressing over Perch Hill salad leaves - and just dug new potatoes, peeled but still warm. Something fruity - probably with meringue and cream, but just picked fruit being the main story.
What should we be doing in the garden this weekend?
Looking. Walking around and looking closely at whatโs coming out and picking mini sprigs of this and that with scent as a big requirement - so sarcococa, Daphne, plus the pink willow (not scented) Mount Aso. If you donโt have any/all, make a plan to plant them so you do have them next winter. And if you want to do more, prune your roses.
Visit sarahraven.co.uk to view my special Dahlia collection!
My Dahlia Collection at Sarah Raven
The Collective at Sarah Raven is a curated group of tastemakers who have chosen their favourite dahlias, all who have pioneered within their respective fields, often setting the standard of whatโs popular ahead of anyone else. I am honoured to be included in The Collective to select my favourite dahlias, alongside Shane Connolly, Mili Proust, Savannah Miller and Cath Kidston Padgham MBE. Check out The Collective here, and my own Dahlia collection here.
โI am always led to the maddest, stripiest dahlias and love this mix together. Itโs pure, unadulterated joy.โ Willow Crossley




Visit sarahraven.co.uk to view my special Dahlia collection!