Dahlias, September’s Plant of the Month

For some reason I don’t take a lot of photos of Dahlia flowers and I don’t have any drawings of them either.

But when I wandered past this particular garden in Naramata I went a bit nuts. The owner was very pleased to show me around and gave me all the names, most of which I have forgotten.It was just after a rain so they all had water drops on them.I have to admit that I have trouble telling a Dahlia from a Chrysanthemum from a Zinnia. Dahlias grow from tubers and Zinnias from seeds. Chrysanthemums have lacier leaves and are more likely to have a strong distinctive scent. These were in the same garden and I have labelled the photos ‘Naramata Mums’. The bush was in the shape of a ball about five feet wide, and the flowers so abundant I couldn’t even see the leaves.Dahlias do vary quite a bit in appearance. I only know this one is a Dahlia because the label says so!These are two photos of a Dahlia in my garden, although it appears I don’t have the same knack with Dahlias as the lady in Naramata.Up on the BC Coast we found Dahlias known as ‘Dinner Plates’ that are as big as our heads – two other private gardens where the gardeners know what they’re doing. The bottom shot was in Richmond on an allotment; some of the flowers had umbrellas over them to shade the delicate blossoms and my friend told me that the woman grows them to enter into garden shows. More on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Flowers or Fun.