My Dad grew lots of dahlias his favourites were spiky deep crimson varieties, they always remind me of him (and earwigs!). He used to insist each autumn on drying the tubers that he’d lifted from the flower bed (to protect them from frost) in the airing cupboard. My Mum was never impressed by this intrusion to her line dried laundry! I snapped these dahlias in the garden at Chatsworth House on Saturday, I nipped over just in time to capture the penultimate day of the Barry Flanagan sculpture exhibition. More photos to follow.
Watching the rhythm of rural life, from the top of a hill in northern England.
Having spent most of my life avoiding writing, I now need to do it!
I am no domestic goddess, but if I were expecting visitors to my home, I would whisk round with the duster and plump up the cushions and generally make the place look presentable. I hope that by putting my words where others may see them it will encourage me to ‘tidy up and push the Hoover around’ my writing.
On the other hand I may just be adding to the compost heap. Only time will tell!
Pull up a chair, sit yourself down, I’ll put the kettle on.
As soon as I read the title of your post, I thought of the amusing Amelia Bedelia books…Bedelia sounding very similar to your bdahlia. I can visualize the scene with your dad and mum from your great description of events. Yes, dahlias do seem to harbour earwigs, and I still give them a good upside down shake before bringing any in the house! You have captured the beauty of the crimson bdahlia, and lovely that seeing them brings back warm family memories.
Amelia Bedelia book link: http://www.scholastic.com/browse/book.jsp?id=562
I can’t wait to see your photos of the Flanagan hares – presuming you post some. I’m besotted even by photos of them – can only imagine what they must look like in person, so to speak . . . lovely, comical things.
I have a feeling I’ll be replaying this story whenever I see a bdahlia. In fact there are a whole lot of things I’d be glad to sweep out of my head in order to make room for that picture.
Australian Traveller that loves to "Roam" our globe, creator of ENDLESSROAMING.COM sharing the experience through word and photography. Heading to the USA this coming June
Uphilldowndale 
November 2, 2012 at 12:02 am
I like dahlias too but their care is quite demanding.
November 2, 2012 at 12:36 am
As soon as I read the title of your post, I thought of the amusing Amelia Bedelia books…Bedelia sounding very similar to your bdahlia. I can visualize the scene with your dad and mum from your great description of events. Yes, dahlias do seem to harbour earwigs, and I still give them a good upside down shake before bringing any in the house! You have captured the beauty of the crimson bdahlia, and lovely that seeing them brings back warm family memories.
Amelia Bedelia book link:
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/book.jsp?id=562
November 2, 2012 at 12:42 am
I can’t wait to see your photos of the Flanagan hares – presuming you post some. I’m besotted even by photos of them – can only imagine what they must look like in person, so to speak . . . lovely, comical things.
November 2, 2012 at 8:33 am
I like some dahlias, but not the really big ones. Sadly here frosts have killed off any that were flowering on the allotments. xx
November 3, 2012 at 1:11 am
I have a feeling I’ll be replaying this story whenever I see a bdahlia. In fact there are a whole lot of things I’d be glad to sweep out of my head in order to make room for that picture.
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