A Dahlia Called 'Esther' © 2010 Bo Mackison

What a great morning! Sherpa and I spent several hours this morning at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens on the east side of Madison. The place was really busy: there is a temporary exhibit called Blooming Butterflies in the Bolz Conservatory. We didn’t visit the butterflies this morning – I can do that on a thunderstorm-y day – but if you are in the area, I highly recommend checking out this special show.

We had a great morning in the outdoor gardens. Even though we were out early, these gardens don’t open until 8 a.m., so we brought the giant diffuser along with all the other gear. It folds into a small package when not in use, but fully opened it is 36″ in diameter. I had a very enthusiastic 12 year old ask me if it was a Frisbee! I told him “no, but as light as it is, it would fly a long way.” I’d hate to chase it if it was picked up by a gust of wind, but my new friend would have enjoyed the chase. I did decline when he asked if I’d like to give it a toss.

I think the favorite flower of the morning was this dahlia, properly named ‘Esther’ and really showing off her bright colors. I photographed the dahlias in many poses, but do like this particular dahlia, not quite fully open, but strikingly beautiful in her youth.