Dahlias

Oh this photo I saw on Coco + Kelly is so lovely!  The light makes me think of those fresh early mornings, when you know it is going to be a hot day, and you try to soak in the cool, humid air on your skin and the gentle diffuse light for as long as you can.  As pretty as they are, those chairs don't look so comfy to me - give me a nice cushioned chair and a latte, the paper or a good book, pray the kiddies sleep in, and you have a recipe for the perfect way to greet the day.


Obviously, the star of this shot, besides the light, are those amazing flowers!  I think they are dahlias, but could be wrong.  I always thought of dahlias as old-lady flowers, but since I am slowly but surely turning into an old lady... I am starting to develop an old lady aesthetic, and dahlias (and zinnias) are really doin' it for me!  They also make me think of the flower shows at the ex each fall - the biggest dahlia right next to that 50 lb pumpkin.  But in a nice, loose arrangement like this, they are just so dramatic.

photo from Southern Living

Did you know that dahlias are native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia, and that the Aztecs gathered and cultivated the dahlia for food, ceremonies, and decorative purposes?  Or that they are named after Swedish 18th-century botanist Anders Dahl?  I didn't know this, and this info is from Wikipedia so it could be incorrect, but um, so what?  They are fall flowers, which generally, I don't like (I HATE Mums) but some of these are just so lovely.

So what do you think - should I order my support hose tonight, or wait for the morning?

The above gorgeous photos are from American Meadows, and shows the importance of fantastic photography in marketing!  They also have a wealth of information on dahlias, which are apparently very easy to grow, on the site. Maybe in a few months I will have some of my own photos to show!