Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Wednesday Vignette: Checking out the Dahlias

I'd been planning to stop by my local botanic garden to check out its dahlia display for well over a month.  Last weekend, the garden had an orchid show so I popped over.  There were lots of pretty orchids but nothing to swoon over; however, before I left, I swung by the dahlia garden to see what there was left to see.  The plants, like those in my own cutting garden, were on the decline but there were still a few fabulous blooms.  I wasn't the only visitor, though.

This was my first praying mantis sighting this year - I've yet to see any in my own garden

This one was fairly small yet and clearly hadn't mastered the art of camouflage


The praying mantis is my Wednesday Vignette.  For more images that caught someone's fancy this week, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.

I'll close with a few of those fabulous dahlias.  If they were labeled, I was unable to make out these out behind their screen of mildewed foliage.








All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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22 comments:

  1. danger gardenSeptember 20, 2017 at 9:13 AM

    I haven't seen a praying mantis for years! Only one ever here in this garden, but we used to see them all the time on the land I grew up on. Great photos!

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    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 20, 2017 at 7:10 PM

      I wonder why the mantises are in such short supply? Maybe I need to start buying the eggs the local garden centers sell occasionally, although I don't recall seeing those recently either...

      Delete
  2. Anna KSeptember 20, 2017 at 9:19 AM

    Great shots of the flowers, but especially of the Mantis. They are such fantastic creatures!

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    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 20, 2017 at 7:11 PM

      They're good little hunters and, as far as I know, they don't bite humans.

      Delete
  3. AlisonSeptember 20, 2017 at 9:41 AM

    Like Loree, I haven't seen a praying mantis in years -- decades, really -- since I was a child, I think. Great shot of him peeking out of the flower.

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    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 20, 2017 at 7:12 PM

      He couldn't have picked a better flower to show himself, Alison. He really does need to work on his camouflage skills.

      Delete
  4. SallySeptember 20, 2017 at 7:58 PM

    I'm always so amazed at how many beautiful and unique Dahlia's there are out there.
    For the first time in 7 years, I've seen praying mantis. I was very excited because I was always told they were good for your garden but, after posting some pictures on garden pages in FB I got an education. They will eat any critter they can including Hummingbirds! There is only one Mantis native to the US and not on the east coast....what I'm seeing are Asian and European bugs! How disappointing!

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    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 20, 2017 at 8:19 PM

      Yikes! I knew that they don't discriminate between "good" and "bad" bugs but I'd never heard of them attacking hummingbirds. I ran an on-line search after seeing your comment. Audubon.org has an article on the subject, which says that, although it's rare, it has happened; however, the article notes that mantises generally eat other insects and are themselves prey for birds.

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    2. SallySeptember 21, 2017 at 10:16 AM

      Good to know. I didn't do a search, I took the word of several in a New England wildflower page because they are usually very knowledgeable. I hate that they exaggerated the situation.

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    3. Kris PetersonSeptember 21, 2017 at 11:15 AM

      I was surprised that an insect smaller than a hummingbird could actually attempt an attack like that, Sally. It's more evidence of just how brutal nature can be at times.

      Delete
  5. outlawgardenerSeptember 20, 2017 at 9:29 PM

    You found some beauties. Must make space for at least a couple of dahlias in my own garden next season.

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    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 21, 2017 at 11:16 AM

      I admit I've fallen head over heels over dahlias this year, Peter.

      Delete
  6. M/S DesignSeptember 21, 2017 at 1:19 AM

    Always nice to look in here on your side !!
    Mariana

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    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 21, 2017 at 11:16 AM

      It's good to see your posts appear again, Mariana!

      Delete
  7. Rock rose September 21, 2017 at 5:52 AM

    I'm not sure we could grow dahlias here-maybe in a pot. That first one is really a stunner. I could just imagine it in a low firepit planter simulating fire.

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    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 21, 2017 at 11:20 AM

      The dahlias can take the heat here but they do need ample water during the growing season and I don't think they care for high humidity.

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  8. MDNSeptember 21, 2017 at 4:53 PM

    Dahlias are so beautiful! my grandfather love them so much, there were so many of them in his garden (now my garden) I hope to plant some Dahlias this spring.

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    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 22, 2017 at 9:46 AM

      There are so many to choose from! I hope you find some just perfect for your garden, MDN.

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  9. Eliza WatersSeptember 21, 2017 at 5:30 PM

    Dahlias are the most perfect of flowers - how do they do it?

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  10. Hoover BooSeptember 22, 2017 at 7:37 AM

    I plan to get several new Dahlias next year. They are really fun.

    There was a mantis hanging out on one of the Dahlias here for weeks, growing larger and larger, so I guess it was good hunting territory. They like the roses and Salvias, too. I bought one seed case about 10 years ago and luckily they've been around ever since--not sure that's because of the seed case or not.

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    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 22, 2017 at 9:51 AM

      Coincidentally, a friend sent me a book this week on "good" bugs, prominently featuring the mantis; however, after Sally's comment (above) about the danger they may pose to hummingbirds and despite the Audubon's partial reassurance on the topic, I'm now just a bit more wary about purchasing some egg cases.

      Delete

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