Eye candy

DH in his ongoing efforts to spoil me silly, took me out to the Swan Island Dahlia Farm (Which is now located in Canby, rather than on Swan Island, but not to worry. Everyone can find it.) I took 152 photos which will be turning up from now on whenever I want something bright and cheery to go with a post.

The weather was perfect. We couldn't have gotten a nicer day if we hadpicked it out of a catalog. Warm, not hot, sunny, not windy. Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, acres and acres of colors!








We wandered through the fields, then went in to the display barn. I was amazed at the variety of sizes and shapes that dahlias come in. This one was about the size of a cookie.










Here's my hand to give some perspective with this shaggy monster. I have a vision of taking just one of these. floating it in a bowl of water and using it as a centerpiece on a nicely set table. VaVOOM! In the display barn, they had beautiful arrangements, and hundreds of people walking around with catalogs in hand, husbands and wives arguing hotly over which to order. "That's the wrong color to go in that part of the garden!" "Yes, but Becky's getting married next August and it's the perfect color to go with her bridesmaids dresses. We could save a thousand dollars if we could grow their bouquest ourselves." - - -" Another red Dahlia? How many red dahlias do you need?" - - - "I put an x by the ones I want, then he goes around and circles the ones he wants, then we buy the ones with both xs and circles."

It wasn't too crowded.

I would have ordered masses of dahlias, but they need lots of sun. Our yard has lots of shade. And trying to make a choice would have driven me mad. Anyhow, Dahlias take a bit of tending. It would be a shame to make them submit to my black thumb.

But as you maight guess from the tilt of the horizon here, I was quite giddy with joy when we left.