On our way south to Green Cape a few weeks ago we stopped near Bermagui to visit a friend. He lives there part-time, in a gracious mud-brick house designed by Stuart many years ago. The place was looking wonderful, and he told us he has a gardener two days a week to look after things while he is away in Sydney.
His latest interest is dahlias! They are safely caged to keep the possums and other hungry bush creatures at bay. 
John and his gardener planted them underneath tall gum trees, and close to a dam from which they are irrigated. Surprising where dahlias can grow!
Of course I was fascinated, trailing behind with my camera as John continued to show us around the property. We have never grown dahlias as Stuart is or was allergic to them, but I have always thought they were a rather marvellous flower, looking like starbursts of colour.
This is just the beginning of his collection, so I am determined to return next year and see how it has grown. I did wonder how John could enjoy his flowers, when he was based primarily in Sydney, but he has all this worked out, as you will see.
Last stop on our tour was the new shed, built large enough for boat construction. It looked rather grand, but inside there was no boat, just a bucket of dahlias, ready for the trip back to Sydney.
Here he is, adding a few more to the bucket, for his enjoyment over the next fortnight. So even gardening in absentia has its pleasures. This post is for Frizztext’s Tagged G so pop across and check out the other wonderful G entries this week.
Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace. May Sarton, thanks to brainyquote 🙂
Tagged G for Gorgeous also. I love the individual pics of the dahlia’s but amassed you don’t even notice they are in a bucket – scene stealers. Such wonderful classic flowers never go out of style – the colours I think 🙂
I thought of gorgeous but I was sure someone would have beaten me to it … and they had! Luckily the idea of gardening crept upon me and out came the dahlias 😀 They do have fabulous colours, and they are big and showy!
Very nice! They look like fireworks during a night celebration! 🙂
so true Thomas, thanks for your comment 🙂
G for gorgeous, indeed, Christine! They really are fabulous flowers, aren’t they, though I’m a little uncomfortable about the idea of gardening where things have to be caged to protect them from the natural environment. 🙂
Most of us down here have our edible gardens caged or at least fenced well…. if it is not possums etc it is birds or bats helping themselves 🙂
stunning!
glad to please you Cindy!
These are beautiful. Enjoyed viewing them.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
some colour for your winter weather Francine 🙂
These dahlias are so gorgeous! Beautiful colors!
yes, I was really impressed … and will definitely return 🙂
Great set of flower shots!
those dahlias were perfect models … there were even a few bees buzzing about, but I missed hem!
I think I’ll just sit here a few moments and sun myself in these photos.
oh you are so welcome dandyknife, soak up some colour and warmth for as long as you like 🙂
“Everything that slows us down
and forces patience,
everything that sets us back
into the slow circles of nature,
is a help…”
I learned this by my cat
(how she is strolling
through the garden daily).
wonderful Frizz, the genius of nature 🙂
On Thu, Feb 20, 2014 at 4:43 PM, dadirridreaming wrote:
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Great photos Christine, I hope that John sees them. It willbe interesting to his collection develop.
don’t think he will … he supplied me with two laptops long long ago before I went to Macs but he does not seem very connected now … it was real joy to catch up with him again after a long absence during which his wife was very unwell … and he was caring for her, he is a sweetie 🙂
Such beautiful flowers. I admire dahlias in our neigbourhood but don’t grow them in my garden; not enough space. As you say they trigger allergies, it’s just as well I have no room for them. Do you have posts on your blog on Stuart’s house designs. The mud brick house sounds so fascinating.
Hi Gallivanta, he is just that sort of person who does not keep good records, modesty I think … I would love to do a blog of his sustainable passive solar houses over 40 years!
And I would LOVE to see them! Oh well….I am glad they have been made, anyway.
I have often thought I would love to document them, maybe I will try sometime 🙂
just google his name, stuart whitelaw architect and you will find some of the recent houses around here
Oh excellent! Thank you. I will.
so funny .. he just came in to tell me he had a comment from you … did I know you?! I reassured him 🙂
Well! I found some of his architectural work but there were lots of references to the art work too; one of which was the blog so I couldn’t resist a peek.We used to live in Nepal and my husband travelled to Bhutan for work but I didn’t get there.
we loved Bhutan, such integrity, a wholesome life … with an ethic of happiness 🙂
Yes! I have heard such good things about Bhutan.
he has been trying to switch over to ‘artist’ for years, almost succeeded now that he refusing architectural work… he has painted and drawn all his life and taught art at Sydney Uni ..
Blessed to be so multi-talented 🙂
Glorious, Christine 🙂 Gladdens the heart.
thanks Jo, I thought my northern hemisphere friends might enjoy the dahlias!
Lovely dahlias! I love that flower, especially the one calle pompom here in Sweden. I do not grow them myself though. The winter quarters indoors are too troublesome.
I know the pompom kind, very cute and smaller than the tall dahlias I think 🙂
A wonderful collection of live art!
a thoughtful observation tiny, live art with an audacious palette!
Yes indeed!
that house looks perfect…loved it, and all those beautiful flowers…what a feast
oh yes…. you can imagine my eyes sparkling at the sight!
I can.
Gorgeous dahlias, and you’ve captured their beauty so well. These were my dad’s favourite flower. 🙂
thanks for telling me AD, I love to think of dahlias in the temperate English climate and those who grow/love them 🙂
The dahlias are quite luminous. You have made me see the dahlia anew. I’ve always before thought that they were show-offs, but you’ve captured a quietness. My grandfather used to show dahlias – and chooks – at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney when I was, long ago, a child.
such an interesting comment Meg, those dahlias were both, a noisy party as a whole, and yet each one quiet and self-contained when approached individually, some shy, peeping out of the foliage … what an accomplished grandfather to show his flowers and chooks, you must have been proud of him 🙂
Very nice Dahlias 🙂
A visual feast Christine! The peachy orange is such a gorgeous hue.