Thursday, March 10, 2016

Dazzle-icous Dahlias.......

.....and a host of bright, happy Cosmos!

Autumn has begun to inch it's way around the bend of our country road, bringing with it lovely, soft light and misty mornings which magically transform into balmy warm days.




We have become accustomed to the loveliest of warm Summers this year. Day after day of balmy, warm sunshine which is unusual for Tasmania. But before I deliriously go on and on and on about our Autumn flowers, let me first say the biggest thank you to all you lovelies for the sweet, sweet comments you gave on my blog anniversary post. I have placed all your lovely  names in a 'hat' and my husband's green thumbs have drawn out one of your names........but I will tell you where my little cushion is flying to, just a little later on.

Now to the finale of the Autumn flower show in our garden. It is beginning to cool down now and the Dahlias and Cosmos are in their last flush of flowers.


Cosmos grow like weeds in our garden. Can you believe we didn't plant a single Cosmos seed this year. That's the beauty of living here in this little paradise. The winds scoop up each teeny, tiny seed and plant it where they deem fit. Cosmos grow in profusion giving the appearance of meadows scattered here and there. They are the easiest of flowers to grow and are at their happy best when sashaying with each other.


Cosmos have bloomed every so happily along our side fence. Thirty five metres of happy, smiley faces. This profusion of Cosmos is all thanks to seeds from last year's flowers. Nature really does it best, doesn't it.


Maisie in the early morning mist.


But.....as beautiful as the Cosmos are, the stars of the late Summer and early Autumn show are the Dazzle-icous Dahlias. I don't think there is anything more dramatic in the garden at this time of the year than the spread of vibrantly coloured Dahlias. They reign supreme in our garden.

Yes indeedy.......D......is for Dazzle-icous Dahlias.....with a capital D!!


A carpet of gloriously coloured Dahlias!






























I spy with my beady li'l eye, Dahlia, the exquisite, little flower fairy, sitting amongst the Dahlias. Remember Dahlia who was magically created in my sewing room a long, long time ago; well......she has fluttered by on the crest of the wind, for a quick visit.


Dahlia told me the wind had whispered to her about the Dahlia show this year, down here at the bottom of the world; so seeing as she is rather partial to a pretty Dahlia........or two, she decided she must visit her 'home away from home' once again.


Each morning I pick bunches of these splendiforous flowers to decorate our home or to gift them to a friend. It won't be long now till Old Man Winter unleashes Jack Frost's icy fingers, sheathing the garden and everything else with icy crystals, causing the flowers to scurry down into the depths of the earth where the magic begins in readiness for next Spring.





NOW.....my good husband has delved his green thumbs into the 'hat' and drawn out a name who will soon be receiving my little cushion.

Drum roll please.........my little cushion will be flying over land and several oceans to JoAnn, of Scene Through My Eyes blog. Congratulations JoAnn , I hope my wee little gift makes your heart smile.

Once again, thank you lovelies for taking the time to visit me way down here and leaving such sweet comments. You have all warmed my heart. This blogging community truly is filled with the loveliest  of souls who inspire me each day.

Until the next time......





50 comments:

  1. Dear Kim:
    Oh my goodness how lovely. I didn't realize the difference in seasons where you are. I should of realized it would be different of course. I love you Dahlias and Cosmos - so wonderful. I racked my garden today to get some of the fall leaves out but of course it is winter cold here. I think this week we are having some spring type weather in Colorado but typically it can snow a lot here in March and April. I loved your photos.

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  2. Oh my goodness - such a profusion of flowers - I simply adore Cosmos. There is a house not far from us that has a lovely garden with rows and rows of cosmos that come up every year. And dahlias - what can one say - they are simply the best. I lingered over every photo - thinking of the wonderful bouquets you can pick - and a sweet little fairy in amongst the flowers - what could be cuter? And then seeing my name for the winner - I had to read it three of four times to make sure it was me. Happy happy happy. My heart is already smiling.

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  3. Hello dear Kim, thank you for the gorgeous wander through your garden. I cannot believe how beautiful your dahlias still are ...ours over here have long succumbed to the dry & gone all brown & sad looking. Do you keep deadheading yours I wonder? Thank you for the opportunity to enter your gorgeous give away cushion & congratulations to Joann for her win. Have a super week dear friend x x x

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  4. Lovely flowers! They look extra brave against the mist.
    Amalia
    xo

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  5. Your cosmos and dahlias are so vibrant, truly stunning!
    Dahlia looks quite at home amongst your Dahlias, I know Prunella would love to join her!
    I'm sure JoAnn will treasure your precious gift. Have a wonderful day :)

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    1. I think your Prunella and Dahlia would be the best of friends. =) Kim Xx

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  6. Hello dearest Kim...I just had to stop by and enjoy this beautiful, flowery post from you this sunny March morning! I haven't been about in Blogland for a while now, so I have yet to wish you for your lovely blog anniversary! Oh, blogging is true bliss, and I am indeed delighted to have had the joy of ''meeting'' you!
    Ah...I am in awe at the beautiful flowers in your part of the world - you captured their beauty so wonderfully through your lens, dear Kim - I feel as if I have had a tour in person of the gorgeous cosmos and dahlias gracing your garden! The colours...so rich! I am in the midst of my Autumn planting of Sweet Peas and cornflowers, oh! And not to mention Calendula which I adore!
    Thank you for giving us a glimpse of your world today...hugs and SO much love to you!
    Kelly-Anne

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  7. Your post is a real delight for my eyes !!!! The flowers are gorgeous !!! I love cosmos even if I never achieve to have some...
    Have a lovely day !
    Anna

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  8. Hi Kim!! Thank you so much for the reminder that Spring is almost here in Northern Indiana USA!! Your flowers are magnificent. I love Cosmos, but why don't I have any? This year for sure I think I'll get some. They are one of the favorite flowers that I see planted in the farmer's vegetable gardens in the area.
    xx, Carol

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    1. Northern Indiana in the Spring must be beautiful! You will have to plant some happy Cosmos this year, Carol; you will not be disappointed. Thank you for visiting my place. Kim Xx

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  9. Be still my heart...two beautiful flowers in such abundance. Thank you for sharing them. I remember a neighbor when I was growing up that had tons of Cosmos growing in her yard. So free and wispy. I like Dahlias too but never had luck growing them, you certainly have no problem.

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  10. I woke up to fog outside my window this morning too....but ours is a spring fog. So happy to see your beautiful flowers. My mother used to grow all sorts of dahlia's but I could never manage them. Cosmos, on the other hand, were prolific and were beacons for little birds. Congrats to JoAnn!!

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  11. Oh my your post of all your Beautiful flowers has me all excited for spring to come here. That is amazing that you didn't have to plant those flowers and they did so well. Hubby and I have bought a bag of mixed wild flowers and am so excited to see how well they do here, I hope to be able to pick some wild flower bouquets myself and to share them with others is a great idea!

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  12. Congrats to the winner.Your flowers are so pretty. We are heading into Spring here in the States and I cannot wait. Next month I will be out getting the yard ready and going to stores to buy flowers for my pots. I do not have alot of flowers planted here because I know we will be moving in a few years, but we have alot of shrubs and the flowers will be in the pots.

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  13. Such beautiful flowers! I love dahlias but I'm not sure how well they grow here in Florida. As you are heading into your autumn and winter, we are heading into spring and fall. What a contrast! Have a lovely day.

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  14. My grandmother used to love dahlias. It has always been one of my favourite flowers and I have always had at least one pot with a dahlia. Yours are so beautiful, Kim! The cosmos is blooming as free as wildflowers in your garden. Maisie seems to love the morning mist as much as I do.

    Enjoy,
    -Soma xx

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  15. what a wonderful firework of color. Fantastically beautiful are the dahlias and cosmen. Here it is still very cold and it does not want to be spring. Therefore I have enjoyed your wonderful flower pictures . Thank you for sharing. Have a super lucky weekend !!

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    1. "Firework of color"....I love that expression! Thank you for your lovely comments. I hope Spring is not too far off in your glorious part of the world. Have a wonderful weekend. Kim Xx

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  16. Oh what breathtaking photos of flowers! I adored all of them!So much colour!Congrats to the winner!AriadnefromGreece!

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  17. Oh what glorious color those cosmos and dahlias spread over your piece of paradise, Kim. I'd be swooping them up to being indoors to enjoy, too. Congratulations to Joann!! Won't she be happy to receive your darling pillow?

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  18. Congratulations JoAnn!
    Kim, your flowers are so beautiful. Their pastel faces look so joyful!

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    1. Thank you, Gina. They do have joyful faces don't they....but then all flowers seem to bring to joy to one's heart. Kim Xx

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  19. Oh my goodness what beautiful flowers! I have Cosmos seeds to plant. I hope the sprout! Thanks for visiting my Thankful Thurs. post. your comment brightened my evening. I love coming over every time and visiting here your header and background with the cathedral window quilt is gorgeous! Have a wonderful day tomorrow or today. LOL. XXOO

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    1. You are so very sweet, thank you. You must plant those Cosmos seeds of yours, then you too can enjoy their bright and happy faces. Kim Xx

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  20. Stunning...absolutely stunning! Congrats to Joann, the lucky winner too!

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  21. Congratulations, JoAnn!! Your garden is still in full beauty! How wonderful that you get to enjoy those pretty faces in your fairy tale place of abode.

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  22. really gorgeous blooms and colors, your garden is just fabulous. i have some cosmos but they are not reproducing like yours.....i must plant some more seeds!!!!!

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  23. I love your Autumn, my dearest Kim, with mist and still so many colours in your garden reminding you the Summer just ended !
    Congrats to JoAnn, I'm sure she'll be far too happy to receive your so lovely gift !

    Sending blessings of joy on your weekend,
    with much love and thankfulness
    Dany

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  24. What absolutely stunning flowers! We still have snow here in places, but the temperatures are warming up so spring will eventually come. Thanks so much for sharing these gorgeous photos.

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    1. You are most very welcome! Your place sounds beautiful...melting snow and the onset of Spring flowers. Thank you so much for your lovely comments.

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  25. Oh my Kim, your Dahlias are to die for! Do they come back, or do you plant them each year? We have to plant ours each year and I will be picking up a couple bags at Costco. How would it be to have a basket of such lovelies? I have Cosmos and Larkspur that seeds randomly and and I love it! Last year I didn't have as many Cosmos so thinking I may need to plant a few more seeds this year. Your garden truly is heaven. Congrats to JoAnn!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  26. I tried to visit yesterday but your photos wouldn't load so I'm back today! Gorgeous, gorgeous pictures of your flowers and the beautiful Dahlia fairy. It seems like no time since you were bursting into Spring. Congrats to JoAnn. I'm sure she'll be delighted to receive your beautiful cushion :)

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  27. {{{grinning}}}---it had totally slipped my mind that you live 1/2 across the world, lol. BEAUTIFUL...thank you for the beautiful flowers, just plum lovely.

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  28. YOu inspire me to add A LOT of flowers to my front garden this spring. With me luck:) :)

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  29. Hello Kim,

    Congratulations JoAnn. The one thing I remember about our trip around Tassie was the lovely gardens like yours and all the manure for sale at garden gates. I couldn't bring any of it back home so thank you for the memories.

    Have a lovely week.

    Bev.

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  30. Oh my goodness Kim. Cosmos as far as the eye can see! How lovely. The dahlias too. Just wow. Just a thought, but me thinks your beautiful garden should grace the pages of a magazine that the rest of us can enjoy year round. Or perhaps it has, or does, and we just don't know about it??

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  31. i know i already left a comment but today i am enamored with the dahlia. i had them in my garden once and they were hard to maintain, always falling over. when i cut them and brought them inside they had tiny slug like bugs on them.....so i pulled them out. now i wish i hadn't!!!! they are beautiful flowers!!!

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  32. I would love to have a garden as colourful as yours, but I do not have a green thumb. I need plants that can survive despite my gardening skills, not because of them :) That pretty much restricts me to draught tolerant Australian natives, succulents and other hardy plants, luckily they are the types of plants that mostly appeal to me.

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  33. What gorgeous Cosmos Kim, you must wake with a smile on your face each morning to see such beauty. Congrats to JoAnn for winning your lovely cushion

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  34. Dear Kim, I do believe you must live in heaven; for it is the prettiest place I have ever seen. You are blessed with all those beautiful flowers. They must be a part of your inspiration to all your wonderful and colorful quilts and crafting projects. Thank you so much for sharing all this with us.

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  35. Replies
    1. Thank you, Heather. God and his masterful paintbrush does paint the most beautiful and colourful artworks, doesn't He. Kim Xx

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  36. Those cosmos are so beautiful, and I can just imagine their pretty heads dancing and swaying in the breeze :) Dahlias are my husband's favourite flower, but we only ever seem to get one or two blooms each summer. They don't seem to like it in my gardens. Also, they don't survive our harsh winters and we'd have to dig up the corms each year if we want them to continue (a chore I never get to). I LOVE all your beautiful blooms Kim! Such a riot of colour! And the misty shots are just stunning ... hugs to Maisie :)
    Wendy

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  37. The Dahlia infused photos are just what I needed right now! Fantastic photos Kim - Thank you for sharing with us and beautify this day!

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  38. You certainly live in a lovely place, such beautiful misty mornings and flowery fields (or so it seems like a field of flowers). I never knew that Tasmania was so lovely.

    :)Hope

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  39. Such pretty flowers! Our spring is just starting now. We have loads of daffodils, red bud trees, dogwoods, and yesterday the first iris came out. I hope to see cosmos this year too. Sometimes they volunteer in great numbers, sometimes just a few.

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  40. Kim, congratulations on your blog anniversary! I missed it, actually I've missed a lot lately. Trying to get back to what may be normal in blogging, but it's been slow. I'm having to keep off the electronics and do a little at a time.

    Your flowers are amazingly gorgeous! Every photo just captivated my heart. You could enter those in a magazine and share them with the world. Beautiful, just beautiful, Kim.
    It seems like you were just going into summer and now the fall weather is approaching. Time goes by quickly.

    It was such a joy to stop in for a visit and see your loveliness once again.
    Bless you~

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  41. JoAnn at Scene Through My Eyes posted pictures of the cushion that she received on her blog today. It is lovely!! I followed the link from her blog and have been wondering around your site to admire your beautiful flowers and your wonderful blog posts. Have a wonderful day.....your newest follower, Candy

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    1. How lovely to have you visit my place, Candy; it is lovely to 'meet' you. Thank you so very much for your sweet comments and thank you for following my li'l ole blog. =) Now......I am off to discover your part of the world and see what you get up to. Kim Xx

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  42. Sarah, Your flowers are gorgeous and I noticed you have a fairy visiting you.
    I was searching for the information of what type of surgery you DH is having so I could be more specific in prayer. I remember you mentioning it before but could not find it. I'll put him on a prayer list if you want to share what surgery or tpe of prayer needed.

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