I have followed Cee Neuner’s photography blog – Ceenphotography for some time now, and I would recommend anyone with an interest in photography to take a peek at the great challenges, great photos and great tips she has. This week her Fun Photo challenge is ” White flowers”. This is a white rose I spotted in Varna, Bulgaria.
white
All posts tagged white
The nights are drawing in, and the cold damp weather is taking a grip on Exmoor. To bring back some of the colour of the brighter months, I have decided on a series of posts celebrating some of the wild and cultivated flowers that bloom here.
The first flower I have chosen is the dahlia. A flower that is out of favour generally, but is beloved by amateur Flower show exhibitors and my next door neighbour in particular. At 87 he lovingly tends these big blousy flowers which bloom without fail in time for the local village show in late summer.
Here are 10 fun facts about dahlias :
- Dahlias originated as a wild flower in the high mountain regions of Mexico and Guatemala. That’s why they naturally work well and bloom happily in cool Autumn breezes.
- The Aztecs utilized the dahlia for medicinal purposes.
- There’s no such thing as a black dahlia. They come in just about every shade under the sun, except true blue and black. “Black” dahlias are actually burgundy.
- A compound known as Atlantic starch, an extract from the dahlia tuber, was once used to treat diabetes.
- The dahlia is Mexico’s national flower and San Francisco’s official flower.
- Dahlias belong to the Asteraceae (Aster) family along with daisies and sunflowers.
- There are more than 30 species and over 20,000 cultivars of dahlias.
- Well-draining, rich and fertile soil that is slightly acidic is a must for growing dahlias. Dahlias cannot abide soggy roots.
- Dahlias range from dwarf plants which are ideal for bedding, to giants such as Dahlia imperialis found growing in the wild from Guatemala to Colombia where it can grow upwards of 6m tall.
- Dahlias attract butterflies to your garden.
The Weekly Photo Challenge from the daily post is “Afloat”.
The Daily Posts Weekly Photo Challenge is “Wall”. This worked out well for me as I took this photo recently when it was wet and miserable outside and I was looking around for something different to photograph.
I think this white Bulgarian rose is the most perfect flower , a real treasure
There it lay, crisp and white
Fresh and pure from the fall last night
hear the gleeful squeals of children at play
Eyes bright at the sight
of untrodden virgin snow
Small feet kick the dusting white
carefree play in their colours so bright
small foot prints follow
the games they play
in virgin snow of that day
It does, you know touch us
their innocent laughter so infectious
Snowballs fly
high in the sky
they run and slide
across ice they glide
cheeks so red
tired and off to bed.
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