Ever since I saw the dinner-plate dahlias at the botanical gardens in Mendocino (seriously. Go there. In August.) , I have wanted to grow them. I don’t, however, have the time and care that they take. Digging them up every fall? We’re lucky if the garden is (ever) weeded.
My peonies, however, thrive on neglect. I may not have dinner-plate dahlias, but I *do* have dahlias the size of a kid’s face:
She’s saying “come ON already, I want to play with these flowers and my ball!”
But back to the botanical gardens in Mendocino. The hummingbirds there are also pretty awesome, and fearless. As you’re walking through the main gardens which branch off into the side areas, you hear this angry grumbling and … grizzling… sound from the trees, then you hear an angry hum and some seriously pissed off hummingbirds will zip by your ear as they try to chase each other down and show each other who’s boss. If your eye is in the way of their sharp, pointy, beaks, well, too bad! It was funny and a little scary to have them fly by your tower like tiny befeathered and armed Mavericks, but I think it was OK as long as you stood still so they could just do their fly by.
Definitely take some time to look through the gallery of the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, especially if you love flowers. This place, which also had a walk down to a promontory on the coast, soothed my soul. I dream about it, sometimes.
Spark a conversation!