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Tuesday, August 9, 2011

I Can't Stop Myself!

My days revolve around my flowers, which is a helluva lot better than revolving around economic tumult. The dahlias are coming into their own, in all shapes: balls, anenomes, cactus, decorative, lacinated, collarette, waterlily. In the photo above, in a wonderful vase I bought in New Mexico, are an anenome dahlia, "Lucky Ducky," a waterlily named "Giraffe," a couple of ball dahlias, "Ruskin Gypsy," and a pair of anenomes named "Riverboat."


Life isn't all about flowers. It's about having courage and faith in the winter seasons, when life hands you killing frosts and death and other creepy things. It's about having faith in the future and being willing do the work required today. Here's the same vase a few days earlier, with the ball dahlia and a lacinated dahlia, "Pinelands Pam."


I must like the red palette, or else they happen to be strong varieties that thrive for me, because here are some more of a different type:


With some of my prize money from the regional fair's floral competition, I hunt down vases in thrift stores. Here, in a vase I found at Goodwill, are a red waterlily dahlia and a pink semi-cactus, "Heather Marie."


Most of my dahlias are three to four inches, a size I like for flower arranging. But a few larger varieties are blooming now. Here, in a tall pilsner-shaped vase from a local thrift shop, are "Spartacus," an informal decorative dahlia, "Grand Finale," a semi-cactus, and "Curly Que," an incurved cactus.


As I tend the garden and mess around with the flowers, I think about how courageous are some of the people I know. I see a lot of hope and resilience. I think about grace and mercy, how they keep marriages intact and help us all forgive each other. I think about the nature of faith; I've been told it's an active verb. I think about shit: did I use too much? not enough? Funny how shit is a word we use for fertilizer, which is a good thing, and for lousy things that assail us. Then I hum a few bars of some unidentifiable tune, and there's my day: part shit, part grace, and full of flowers.

14 comments:

steveroni said...

Don't you EVER stop!
These 'flower-and-shit' posts are inspiring, girl.

Serenity!

Lolamouse said...

Your dahlias are gorgeous!!! And I love all the vases you found too.

The Bug said...

Full of flowers is a fabulous way to spend the day.

We are new to the gardening business & the question of shit is a mystery to us. So Mike just puts his coffee grounds in the tomato bed. :)

Brian Miller said...

the dahlias are very beautiful...that last littlebit about the resilient...we need to recognize that more...

Unknown said...

Your dahlia's are gorgeous indeed!!! They are amazing to look at and I love the vase you found!!!
As you know I am very partial to Dahlia's since it's a part of my name!!
xo

TAAAF said...

Dahlias were the very first flower I grew when I tried gardening - they are still a great love. Beautiful pictures!

Louise said...

Most enjoyable post I've read today. Thank you for making me smile!

Unknown said...

your photos are beautiful :) I like the waterlily ones the best. The reds are fabulous! And this warmed my heart -


I think about grace and mercy, how they keep marriages intact and help us all forgive each other. I think about the nature of faith. I think about shit: did I use too much? not enough? Funny how shit is a word we use for fertilizer, which is a good thing, and for lousy things that assail us. Then I hum a few bars of some unidentifiable tune, and there's my day: part shit, part grace, and full of flowers.

Lou said...

I wither flowers with one glance..so I'm VERY impressed with these pics.

And you made me smile!

Magpie said...

Your flowers are amazingly beautiful! I'm glad you're spending time with them and sharing the fruits of your labor with us.

Monkey Man said...

They are beautiful.

CiCi said...

I like that you threw the part in here about forgiving each other. Oh yeah. I can't get out in the garden lately; thunderstorms and plenty of rain. But it is cool and refreshing.

Syd said...

Beautiful flowers. I wish that we could grow dahlias here, but they just don't do well.

moondustwriter said...

mmm the shots are beautiful - reminds me of my mother's garden
grace is a big word filled with hope for each day we face
Hugs!!!!