![]() In place of a reef’s bright fishes, a dozen human competitors are primping, trimming, shuffling and rearranging their best blooms in green plastic vases. The flowers take on the hues and forms of a coral reef-here a spiky, fluorescent sea urchin, there a ruffled nudibranch, a jewelled polyp, a tiny, plump seastar. But while a new wave of cut-flower growers are making dahlias desirable among the Instagram generation, growing the perfect dahlia for the show bench is a dying art.Īt the Waihi Memorial Hall early the next morning, the sun slides through a crack in the curtains, illuminating the wooden stage, plastic folding tables and a multicoloured sea of dahlias. It’s a 200-year-old British tradition that has flourished in New Zealand since the 1930s. “I’ve got them up on the champions table, but I haven’t got that big ribbon.”Įvery weekend from late January to the middle of March, dahlia enthusiasts around the country get up early, clip their most promising blooms and meet in small halls to vie for glory. “My dream was always to get the Champion of Champions at the national show,” she says. Now she’s 75, and dahlias are the remaining outlet for her competitive spirit. For 50 years, she was a regular at the Waihi netball courts, playing and coaching rep teams, until her health deteriorated two years ago. Chappel was a top equestrian from the age of 13, wallpapering her bedroom with prize ribbons. It can even happen suddenly on the show bench, as the flower sits waiting to be judged, and is a disqualifiable offence, rendering the bloom’s beauty useless in this blood sport.įor, make no mistake, flower shows are a sport, one that attracts people with a love of competition as well as beauty. ![]() A few ruffled florets curl away from its centre, revealing the yellow disc beneath. That means the dahlia is a fraction too mature. Chappel snips off a gorgeous pink confection, gives it a cursory glance, and throws it disdainfully to the ground. The plants are taller than she is, and some of the flowers are the size of her head. Jennifer Chappel, a former competitive horserider and netball player, and current the president of the Waihi Dahlia Club, sometimes uses her “coach voice” on her dahlias. Her friend and rival Peter Burrell from Te Puke, 84 years old, gave her a load of manure-“we met in Katikati and he handed it over”-and Chappel suspects it may have been too much of a good thing. Many of the flowers have peaked too soon, ripening weeks before any of the competitions. A storm earlier in the week damaged some of the plants before Chappel went out into the wind to protect them with netting. It’s a golden January evening, and Waihi Dahlia Club president Jennifer Chappel is armed with secateurs, selecting the most perfect specimens for the first show of the summer circuit. Remain truthful even when it is hard to do so.Written by Kate Evans Photographed by Lottie Hedley If you lie about something, and your loved ones discover your lie later, they are going to be hurt and disappointed. It represents being truthful and letting others know about your feelings. Dahlia wants to remind you that it is not the right way to comfort others. You may resort to lying at times because you don’t want to hurt others. They are also used to represent inner strength, creativity, and elegance. During the Victorian era, dahlias were a symbol of commitment and an everlasting union. It also means finding one’s inner strength to succeed in adversities but at the other end, it also signifies commitment to someone or something.ĭahlias are common wedding flowers, not only for their looks but also for their symbolic meaning. ![]() ![]() The dahlia symbolizes grace and kindness in the midst of pressure and life setbacks. ![]() It’s a perfect flower to express your love! For the Aztecs, Dahlia was a religious symbol, besides food the flower was used in different types of ceremonies. Dahlia Symbolism Dahlia has a rich symbolism: the flower stands for wealth and elegance, and also for love and involvement. ![]()
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