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Dahlias: A Beautiful Consolation

9.07.2014
Dahlias
Dahlias
Dahlias
Dahlias
Dahlias

A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in...what more could [one] ask? 
A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars. ― Victor Hugo

The other day, I noticed these exquisite dahlias at the market up the street and couldn't resist taking two bunches home. The florist was quick to tell me that dahlias are extremely delicate and should be handled with great care, that I should change their water and clip their stems every day. Doing so would make them last longer, at least a week. So off I went (a half-hearted black thumb) with an armful of delicate beauty.

For the first couple days the dahlias lit up the room, each petal perky and bright,... but around day three I began to see browning. The disappointment that usually follows though, didn't. It was around the period of rentrée (back to school)... and their wilting petals seemed to parallel the ache that always comes this time of year - the end of summer and my boys heading off to school. So this time, I didn't blame my black thumb but accepted the fading dahlias as an act of consolation, mirroring the goodbye to the sweet summer days my boys and I spent together in our new city...


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22 comments

  1. Beautiful photos. I too am always sad to see school start up again.

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  2. I am normally not a great fan of dahlias but seeing them through your eyes they are beautiful. I understand the melancholy after spending the summer with your boys .

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  3. Stopping by from the Simple Things to say hi! Beautiful pictures! xo

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  4. Gorgeous compositions! No need to worry about them wilting away, you've eternalized them here!

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  5. Exquisite light! I feel I can almost smell them! I had a wonderful, long walk in a local community garden today...that quote really expresses how it felt to lazily wander through the flowers and vegetables. I always dreaded the 'rentree' ... it's nice not to have any students in the house anymore - we can easily stretch summer out a few more weeks!

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  6. If you received three days of beauty, then it was all worth it my friend.

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  7. Beautiful photos....beautiful thought about consolation!

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  8. Beautiful photos! I appreciate white flowers so much more from seeing your photos.
    Take 25 to Hollister

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  9. love Dahlias! I keep meaning to get some for my garden :-)

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  10. Beautiful dahlias...! Maybe lasting few days increases their beauty... Great pictures as always!

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  11. Exquisite... and a wonderful comparison to the end of summer holidays

    Alexa from Sydney, Australia http://www.Alexa-asimplelife.com

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  12. The dahlias were beautiful while they lasted and obviously brought beauty into your home. The comparison with the browning leaves and end of summer fun was interesting and poignant, Catherine.

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  13. hello! Your dahlias are just superb, ..I also want such've thought and decided to start buying flowers for myself)
    до свидания

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  14. You slay me with your images every week. There is such beauty in them that I don't feel I could ever recreate. This has to be one of the most beautiful blogs.

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  15. Thank you all so much for your very kind comments :) They really mean a lot to me...

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  16. These are beautiful images that go so well with the words. Summer is coming to an end but you'll always have the images. And your summer of photos was stunning.

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  17. Such beautiful flowers, lovely photos and wonderful words to read beside them! Hope you have a fabulous weekend and the start of school went well, even if bittersweet.

    P.S. Just an FYI I'm hosting a giveaway on my blog this weekend (http://jadekeller.com/2014/09/a-giveaway/)!

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  18. Both sentiments and photos are outstanding, Catherine. I'm catching up with you. I hope the boys are liking school.

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