After writing about dahlias earlier today, I found myself in the garden with a pair of scissors, the resulting arrangement enough to dispel the gloomy day completely.

In the arrangement are Dahlia 'Myrtle's Folly' with 'Purple Haze', 'Love 15', Otto's thrill, also some very bright Aster (now known as Symphyotrichum) 'Andenken an Alma Potschke', and a few sprays of Grapefruit mint to scent the kitchen.