Dahlias

Dahlias.  You can't say their name without saying, "ah".  Their abundance of petals, circling symetrically around a sunny centre, may draw you inward, and, like the mandalas of India, encourage meditation, and thoughts of yoga.  Dahlias, however, are from the New World.  Early in the16th Century, Spanish Conquistadors "discovered" them in Mexico, and brought them back to Spain.

The dahlia is Mexico's national flower.  Painter Frida Kahlo, the daughter of a gentle, German photographer and a Mexican mother is an iconic modern figure, with black braided hair, often decorated with dahlias.  She once said, "I paint flowers so that they will not die", and dahlias are in many of her self portraits and still life paintings.     

Dahlias are part of the Asteraceae family of flowers which includes sunflowers, chrysanthemums, zinnias, and daisies.  Think of the word, astral.  These flowers have a starlike appearance, with rays extending in all directions.  Hardy, and gorgeous, they are stars of the garden.  There are more than 40 varieties of dahlias, ranging in width from two inches, to dinner plate size.  The colours range from cream, to yellow, pale pink, lavender, and fiery salsa red.  Dahlias radiate energy! 

These long lasting flowers are lovely in any arrangement, and work especially well with snapdragons, lilies, and deliphiniums, which bloom at the same time of the year.  Dahlias are showy, and dramatic, although they can be old fashioned and demure, depending on the softness of the colour.  To paraphrase Frida Kahlo, bring dahlias into your home, and make the Summer last longer.     

Portrait of Frida Kahlo Fiery Dahlia of Mexico, by Oksana Gruszka Sanaj
Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.