Dahlia dalliance…

I hope you’re having a happy and safe Labor Day. We have left the islands and the Salish Sea to spend Labor Day at home in Seattle. I love the stillness of the city on these big weekends when many leave town to savor the final days of summer. They are the kind of days that provide time to slow down and contemplate some thing like these Café au Lait dahlias.

I’ve been enjoying many dahlia bouquets on the islands but I especially love the subtle color variations and dramatic petal patterns of these large, creamy pastel blooms.

Dahlias symbolize elegance, inner strength, creativity, change, and dignity.

They are also known to represent one who stands strong in his/her sacred values.

I think this flower with the curly-cue florets in the collar is my favorite.

They are native to Mexico and Central America where they were originally cultivated as a food crop, because the tubers are edible.

They were named for 18th century Swedish botanist Anderson Dahl.

Hope you’re finding some natural beauty to enjoy in these final days of summer…