Dahlia: dignity, instability Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico. A member of the Asteraceae family of plants, related species include the sunflowers and zinnias. There are 42 species of dahlia and over 50,000 different types. Flower forms are variable, with one head per stem; these can be as small as 5cm in diameter or up to 30 cm-these beasts as called dinner plates for obvious reasons. This vast variety is due to dahlias being octoploids—meaning that they have eight sets of chromosomes whereas most plants have only two. The stems are leafy, ranging in height from as low as 30 cm to more than 2m! The majority of species do not produce scented flowers. Like most plants that do not attract pollinating insects by their scent, instead they use their brilliant colours to attract them. The flower heads vary huguely from small pom pom shapes to huge spiked petals. Its been too long since i wrote about flowers. Summer blooms have certainly gone to sleep until next year but there’s a few hardy characters still hanging on down here. The majestic dahlia can flower until the end of November- a true autumn beauty and what a sight to behold! Often aptly referred to as Queen if the Autumn garden.They are one of those flowers that captivate people due to their jaw dropping beauty. Of the thousands of cultivars, the most popular is probably cafe au lait, a pale pink with tinges of beige. Favoured by brides and florists for its muted and easy to match colour. There are some fantastically named dahlias, a few of my favourtes are Rip City, Jowey Nina and Thomas Edison. I think it would be helpful if they were named a bit more descriptively bit what fun would that be?! If there was a lime green dahlia (dont think there is but could be wrong) i’d like to name Green Jungle fire burst. There would be a bright orange centre in my invented dahlia. I’ve worked with dahlias on a few occasions. At the manor in Oxfordshire i spent hours sorting through tubers checking for signs of growth (tiny shoots), further hours planting untagged bulbs into pots, preparing beds and digging holes, planting and finally staking them when they grew large and bushy. Cutting them is a true joy as the stems are strong and straight and the blooms are just spectacular. In canada this spring i again sorted through tubers and split those that has multiple growth points, prepared beds and took cuttings. It was incredible to see the tiny cuttings we took grow large enough to be planted, eventually those cuttin will form a bulb of their own.Nature is freaking amazing! When i get my own cutting patch, i will certainly grow some dahlias; i look forward to the day when i can go through the seed catalogues and choose what flower babies i want to nurture and grow. I will want them all. Except tulips. No more tulips ever. Dahlias are tubers, the root is an ugly gnarled thing, quite the opposite of the flower it produces. Dont judge a flower by its seed! They must be dug up before the frost hits to save the tuber for use next year. Not all survive the winter so ive had the job twice of sorting through and selecting the ones that have little shoots vying for life. Once planted they grow very bushy with strong straight stems. The Victorians were right to attach the meaning of dignity to them-they do look proud and regal. The other meaning is also instability which could stem from their tendency to grow top heavy and topple over. I reckon that you would have to be a very confidant and self assured flower to have the ability and will to grow such large and fantastically flamboyant blooms. Maybe they can be a little over confidant which can cause their demise. Balance little flowers, balance. When the plant is large enough they must be staked to avoid the stems snapping- those flowers can be massive! The flower heads remain in a tight ball until they are ready to show themselves to the world. Dinner plate dahlias are enormous and dont even look real. It is such a thrill to watch a flower you planted finally bloom! Even just to see the shoots poking up through the earth is a joy.
That something so exquisite can grow from such an unassuming source is in itself an important thing to realise. Where someone comes from is not necessarily an indication of where they will go. We are not all born beautiful, we have to become it through our choices, our words, our actions. We leave the twisted bulb in the earth and flourish into the flower we truly are. If dahlias believed that they were ugly and would never be able to bloom as brilliantly as other flowers then we wouldn't get the chance to enjoy their splendour. We can observe our past, accept what was and move on. Who you were is not as important, as who you are and hope to be. Our beauty was never in our looks anyway, what makes us brilliant is the things we cant see; our passions and virtues, skills and kindness. Believing in and embracing ourselves, we grow and flourish and that is what is beautiful. Life in Cornwall is good but not without its many challenges. I’m trying to work through all my crap but theres a lot. I have an inherent belief that nothing i do is ever enough and its really holding me back a lot. I dont even want to try sometimes for fear of being as crap as i believe i will be. Its causing more anxiety and feelings of self doubt and loathing so i realllyyyy need to break free from it. I havent been very creative but I’ve been reading some books, going for walks and working quite a lot which takes a fair amount of energy and often i just want to come home and eat chocolate on my bed. so i do. The dark chilly nights set the scene for such lazy comfort. Come spring i’ll be ready for action (a little bit). An excerpt from a book i read recently that i wanted to share and remember “Maybe staying in one place makes our monsters loom too large. Travelling gives them something to do. When we travel we take our troubles for a walk.” Well mine certainly get plenty of exercise. I should really have tired them out by now. Being in this new place, learning a whole new way of living has led me to reflect on my travels and yearn for them. I dont miss the travel as such, i miss the person i was when i went on those journeys. Joy and peace came a lot easier to her than they do now, though in truth i’ve always struggled with feelings of panic and self doubt; they are not new just louder and bolder. What i do yearn for is the exotic scents, bustling markets, tropical jungles and the vibrant energy. My memories attach themselves to many seemingly unrelated things, be it a song or an image so i often find myself transported back to a place from my past while being in the present. Its an odd thing to be pulled back to the past by something that is totally unrelated. Not sure i totally understand it yet, its like a false deja vu. I love being here though and for the first time in a very long time, i feel like ive made a good decision, one that is right for me. I was born in scotland, my roots lie deep in the mossy damp earth so it will always be my home but for now i needed to leave and try to root myself down in the sandy shores here. Its all a bit mad at the moment with my 2 jobs and my depression/anxiety which is pretty much a full time job in itself. I look forward to quieter days and normality, whatever that is. Taking heed from the dahlia by moving on from what i was, growing out of my twisted shell and emerging as who i want to be. A strong, colourful, proud flower. I mean person, im a human, not a flower in case that wasn't clear. Bloom on.
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LittlebirdJenna. Free spirit, flower enthusiast, seeker of truths. Archives
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