Dahlias: Beauty from Late Summer into Fall

Nowadays many flowers are available all year around. Yet there's something special about the flowers with definite seasons. Dahlias bridge the period when the lazy days of summer wind down, the calendar picks up after Labor Day and the signs of fall become unmistakable. Herewith, some of our favorites.

Beloved by Hummingbirds ... and Shamans

Perhaps the hummingbirds spotted over in Strawberry Fields this week will venture over to enjoy the plants one of our favorite suppliers just delivered. The orange flowers of Leonotis nepetifolia, aka lion's ear, are supposedly the hummingbird version of liver treats for dogs. The flowers emerge from spiky balls that form as the slender stems shoot up. A fascinating late summer, early fall bloomer, it's one of two leonotis varieties with some intriguing properties that we are unable to verify personally. The dried leaves are used in shamanistic rituals and, reportedly, for other more recreational pursuits. Hmmm. Suppose those hummingbirds are getting a buzz on?

Potato, Potahto, Tomato, Tomahto

As Ira Gershwin wrote and Fred Astaire memorably sang, "You say eether and I say eyether, you say neether and I say nyther, Eether, eyether, neether, nyther." But how do you say V-A-S-E? Whether you rhyme it with C-A-S-E or C-A-U-S-E, you'll find somewhere here at Gotham Gardens who agrees with you. Some of us learned from our mothers (who learned from their mothers who learned from mothers) to pronounce it VAHZ, reflecting, we suspect, a Victorian era penchant for equating British English with culture and class. Some of us just always figured the word was no different than c-a-s-e, b-a-s-e, l-a-c-e, and so on. And some of us are inconsistent, depending on how the mood strikes us. Yet when it comes to the work of Adam Aaronson, the astonishing English glassblower who uses precious metals, or Colin Schleeh, the Canadian artist determined to find out how thin he can shape wood, the word inevitably comes out as VAHZ. 

Get Your Vegetables

In flower arrangements, color, shape and texture don't always have to come from flowers or foliage. We've been having great fun with this botanical element. Can you guess what it is? Southerners will probably recognize it sooner than those of us who live north of the Mason-Dixon line. If you don't like okra on your plate, use it in your vase.

The Dahlia: New Name for a Celebratory Cocktail?

Major cause for celebration! After three years, the scaffolding in front of the shop finally came down this week. Sunlight flooded the store once again. We rejoiced. The fish in our window fountain freaked out. All but one disappeared under the rocks until this shocking experience was no longer deemed a threat. We toasted with a refreshing blend of Campari, orange juice, club soda and fresh lime and orange slices, then realized the color exactly matched some of our gorgeous dahlias. Should we christen this luscious drink the Dahlia? 

Sunflowers of Summer

The petals on this "Ring of Fire" sunflower are still unfurling yet you can still see the distinctive circle behind the name. We're still trying to get a decent photo of another favorite: the black sunflower. Maybe it's our lighting but, once downloaded, it looks red.