Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Our neighbor sells seeds and plants to stores and plant nurseries all over the Pacific Northwest. The other day she gave us this plant. It’s a new type of dahlia that hasn’t been sold to the public yet (I don’t even know the name of it).
It’s interesting how plant growers can create different varieties of a specific flower. Changing its color, shape, size, etc. I did a little research to see how many varieties of the dahlia flowers there are, and it is shocking. Here are the facts I was able to collect – there are approximately 42 species, and within those species, there are over 40,000 varieties (and counting). That’s a lot of variations for one type of flower!
Each year, new varieties are created, and gardeners continue to add to their collection – bigger, smaller, brighter, more and more unique. One article I read mentioned the term “Dahliamania”. They are one of the most popular flowers for gardeners and florists, thus sparking innovation for creating more and more of them.
When God created us, we were a new creation – a very unique and special creation. Unlike the dahlia growers that feel the need to continue to create new varieties for consumption, God created us in His own image and was satisfied with the very first results.
Don’t get me wrong, variety can be a very good thing, but I do appreciate God didn’t feel like He had to continue to refine or improve us. He made us and He accepted us. Clearly, we all have faults, but because of His love and His mercy, we are enough. Thank you, God, for making us and most importantly, accepting us as we are.