Beautiful till the very end...............

I cut my hollyhocks down today.  They were a total joy all summer and this was their first year.  Every time a new color opened it was a day of celebration and they thrived on my love and hope for them- some of them reaching 11 feet high.  These are the very last blooms that were clinging to the stalks waiting their turn to sing their colorful song.  I couldn't bear to not give them a chance.
         
This beautiful dish was made by Amanda (Bean) of stinkpotstudio.  That's the best thing about her pottery - it's great for a pie or a quiche as well as displaying hollyhocks.     Diane