Dahlias are Autumn's Flower...More in Flowerography

It's not typical to consider dahlias to be an autumn flower.  To me, though, this seems to be the time when they are at their best in the glorious garden of Ralph Suttell of Beamsville Ontario.  He grows competition dahlias, and they have been wonderful over the last 2 weeks.  Grown in a hoop house, they are protected from winds and insects with screening, and during hotter times umbrellas shade the most prize blooms. It's all a perfect setting for a photographer.

Here are a few of Ralph's beauties.  I've named this one 'The Shadow of Your Smile':

This is 'Demure':

This is 'The Yellow Shines Within':

These images are part of the Flowerography Series.  The Flowerography series derives from the Victorian tradition of using flowers and floral arrangements to express emotions that otherwise could not be spoken or were not allowed.  It is known as floriography or the language of flowers.   

The tradition remains today - red roses still imply passionate, romantic love.  Pink roses represent a lesser affection; white roses suggest virtue and chastity and yellow roses still stand for friendship or devotion. Gerbera (daisy) means innocence or purity. The iris, being named for the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, still represents the sending of a message. A pansy signifies thought, a daffodil regard, and a strand of ivy fidelity.