I like nothing more than getting the message ‘ do you fancy coming over for lunch today’. Hello. We arrived late last night to the cottage and we have made no plans. Let me think for a minute – yes. Yes. Yes.

My yes was two fold. Yes for lunch. But yes. Yes. Yes to be able to have a wander around the flower farm and check out what was still in flower. Those that know me know how much I love Common Farm flowers.

Social media has a lot to answer for. We had lived down the road from Georgie for years but our paths had never crossed. Until we met over twitter. The rest is history.

Georgie is also the reason I love dahlias.

As a child I hated them. My parents grew a few. A few Pom Pom. A few cactus. All had ear wigs in them. I used to shake them so hard that sometimes the flowers dropped off. That got me into trouble. So I had a hate hate relationship with them.

But now. I’m a convert. The dahlias at Common Farm are always fabulous and Georgies bouquets are simply gorgeous.

So it was a delight after lunch to don wellies and walk around the gardens. It’s not just dahlias of course. I’m staggered at what Georgie grows and what she uses in her bouquets. In her button holes. In her jam jar posies. Her table arrangements. The list goes on. And on. She taught me very early on that you can put anything in with the flowers. Some rosemary. Grasses. Foliage from whatever you have in the garden – there is so much foliage around the garden that there’s a huge choice.

There was still plenty of colour in the garden. Fading in places but still beautiful. Well it is October after all.

There were still roses in bloom – not as many as many as high Summer but I suspect she’s had a wedding or two. There’s nothing better than a basket of rose petal confetti. I know. I’ve picked many a basket for her. I came back to the studio smelling of. Roses of course.

The dahlia garden was still full of colour. There had been no frosts. Still plenty to pick and oh. Oh. Oh. I could have picked them all. The colours. The shapes. Imagine if they had a scent. Now wouldn’t that be fabulous.

I love dahlia Tartan. I wasn’t sure at first as it’s so bold but it’s a real stunner and looks fabulous in a bouquet or in a vase.

The thing about dahlia is the choice of colours. The shapes. Pom Pom. Cactus. Dinner plate. There were Pom Poms . I just didn’t photograph them. I don’t know why.

The orange is fabulous. The red. Very dark. The pink and yellow. So subtle.

There was an amazing selection of reds. Dark almost black.

I could go on and on- Ian says I usually do. I was in my element – if I can’t grow them myself what is better than being in a garden surrounded by so much beauty.

Ian had already headed back to the house!

The dahlias are still going but come the first frost – bang – they will have gone in a blink of an eye. Until next year.

Thank you Georgie for indulging me.

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