The Lost Dahlia

A gardener's pride in one brilliant dahlia becomes a search through neighbouring gardens and nurseries in Mary Russell Mitford's humorous country story. Her narrator begins by recalling a long history of lost possessions and wandering pets. Then comes a loss that troubles the whole household: the disappearance of Phoebus, a prized dahlia whose golden scarlet blooms have attracted admirers and inspired promises of cuttings. Its missing root prompts several competing explanations.

Travelling in her pony carriage, the narrator examines other growers' flowers and describes her favourite to a sympathetic nurseryman. Her search brings out the enthusiasm, fine distinctions and elaborate naming habits of dahlia collectors. The surrounding scenery supplies pleasures of its own as the hunt continues. Readers interested in English country life can enjoy the domestic comedy and the close attention to flowers, alongside the narrator's amused account of her own persistence.