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Flowers have a romantic history with their honey sweet aromas, silky soft textures and cheerful appearance. The Dahlia flower is one of the the most enchanting and elegant of all flowers. The name itself conveys an image of mystique. One theory of the origin of the word “Dahlia” suggests a beginning in Eastern cultures. The “Dah” sound is remarkably similar to many Hindu Indian words. In the Hindu language, this part of the name signifies a certain godly essence, while the “lia” indicates an effeminate quality, an apt portrayal of the flowers’ gentle beauty. With these two combined, it’s likely that the word Dahlia means, roughly, “strong divine feminine”.

With over 1,800 varieties, the Dahlia flower is among the most easily recognized kinds in the world. So special and important was the Dahlia flower in the horticultural circles, that an international conference was held to determine what is, and what is not, a Dahlia flower.

In 1962, at the International Horticultural Congress in Brussels, a conference was held to determine what could be classified as a Dahlia flower. Color and shape were out of the question, as those descriptors were both open to interpretation. Instead, it was decided that the center disk must be double and not visible. The disk could either be curling inwards, outwards, or both.

What makes the Dahlia flower unique is the fact that it consists of two or more flowers within one. That may sound confusing, but let us describe this lovely piece of nature’s art. In the single layer Dahlias, the flowers spring forth from a central disk, with the tips either perfectly rounded, or sharply pointed. Some varieties have each individual petal divided into up to six sections.

The Anemone flowered Dahlia is a wonder of mother earth. While the central disk does indeed exist, it is not visible, due to the enormous number of petals embedded within. These are classified as a “Fancy Flower”, as they are indeed, quite elegant. One of the most attractive Dahlia flowers is known as the Ball Dahlia. The name does not do it justice. The flower is large and honey comb like. With eleven layers of petals, each layer piled on top of another, the overall design is a spiral shape, which tapers towards the top of the Dahlia flower.

So entrancing are these flowers that films have been named after them, and authors have written about them. Most recently, the big screen adaption of “The Black Dahlia Murders” was released. An indie film, called “The Black Dahlia” is currently in production. The plot centers around the enchanting beauty and fragility of the Dahlia flower, and was written by, and stars, the world renowned guitarist, Gidget Gein. This goes to show just how amazing this flower is, with an international conference held to study and define it, and with the admiration of a rock legend.

If you have yet to notice, our children are spoiled. I should narrow this down a bit by specifying American children. I guess I can’t really comment on kids from other countries. All I know is that in America, kids get most of what they want. I’m not saying it’s a good thing either. In all honesty I believe it has created a problem. The problem is called SPOILED CHILDREN! I am just as guilty as the next parent. I look at my seven year old and all the toys she has. It’s absurd if I compare it to the toys I had growing up. Basically they were few and far between. I recall my parents buying us new stuff on our birthdays and Christmas. That was pretty much it. We didn’t complain either, because it’s all we knew. When you never had it, you don’t really miss it. Of course if you flip that statement, the opposite is true. I know how my child acts when she doesn’t get something. And then there are outdoor playsets. Who can even afford these?

One summer day, my daughter was sprinting through the backyard. She was entertaining herself, as she does a lot of the time. Then she approached me with a query about outdoor playsets. She was apparently noticing how great the neighbor’s was and she wondered why we didn’t buy one too. It must be a “Keeping up with the Jones” thing. Anyway, I wasn’t totally opposed to the idea of outdoor playsets. I did like them and have always loved the fact that my daughter prefers to be active and play outdoors. This is when my wife any I began looking into things.

After a bit of surfing on the web and flipping through the yellow pages, we had a place in mind that sells outdoor playsets. Unfortunately no prices are listed on the net or in the phone book. Well, we took our daughter with us and ventured out to speak with the company we’d found. The man showed us a few different models of fine wooden outdoor playsets and we actually liked them all. Any one of them would do. I inquired about the price of one and was dumbfounded when he told me $6500. YIKES! I like outdoor playsets, but not that much.

What are you willing to spend? This is clearly an issue at hand when shopping around for outdoor playsets. I may have been willing to spend around four grand on one in the past, but my daughter is already seven. Maybe if you’re going to invest in an outdoor playset, you should do so early on. This way it will get used to death.