Well it's a cheapie, but I still love the darning mushroom! I actually enjoy darning, it's contemplative, fiddly, and has a nice defined point (haha) to aim for. With darning you know where you are and what's going to happen. And when it's done you've got a useful item again. Satisfying on so many levels :P
On the way out into the yard to try and photograph it in the last of the remaining light I was assaulted by a cloud of passionfruit vine hoppers that errupted from one of the hydrangeas, dashed around the corner of the house wildly waving my arms without somehow dropping the camera, dislodged the one that had made its way down my cleavage, and was greeted by this dahlia in the light of the setting sun (bigger image if you click on photo)
I was actually trying to include some of the dahlias in the shadows beyond but I think this first attempt actually captures the glow best. Then I thought the position was odd; but again, I think it's actually quite successful. The next image manages what I had in mind but is just kind of meh.
I'm not usually a huge fan of dahlias, but I'm coming around to them gradually. This one is a beauty. I still don't like the very regualar pompom ones though.
Yeah, so that's what happened to me on the way out to photograph a darning mushroom.
i too think the first picture is the best out of all three....what is a vine hopper?
ReplyDeletePaul bought a cashmere dress coat for work, and already two buttons are loose. He was going to take it to an alterations place just for the buttons because this coat's so expensive, but I insisted on sewing on the buttons *myself*. He was literally amazed I could do a good job at what he thought of as magical.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he's never considered asking me to darn a sock before!
Vine hoppers are these evil little sap-sucking insects that infest passionfruit vines, but also lots of other plants. They almost killed our passionfruit last year because we weren't paying attention and it was infested. This year they're on the hydrangeas, flax and are about to infest the jasminoides. Much as I hate it, I'm about to get out there with the nasty stuff and do them in otherwise they'll damage the plants. When I first moved here I thought both the juveniles (who have fluffy bums) and the adults were cute, little did I know...
ReplyDeleteIf you can believe it I have never darned a sock. No idea what you are supposed to do. It's rather strange.
ReplyDeleteI had a dahlia very similar to yours several years ago and thought it was lovely. They make great cut flowers but I hate the big dinnerplate ones and the pom pom ones. I would grow them more but you have to dig them up in the fall and store them over the winter which is not always very successful. They do fill up lots of gardne space and are prolific in the right spot.