Peonies.
Two years ago, Duane got me four peony plants for my birthday. Last year, as peony season approached, I watched and waited for buds to appear, but no such luck. There would be no peonies to enjoy.
This year I was thrilled when I saw buds starting! I counted 8 buds and planned to cut them all at once for a nice bouquet. It's been so cold and rainy around these parts, it took forever for them to get big enough to cut. Then we went to Kansas for a week and I thought I'd missed out on my peonies blooming.
But when we got home they hadn't bloomed yet. Score!
I used to live in Indiana, where peonies are the state flower. After working the night shift at the hospital, I'd stop at the farmer's market and pick up huge bunches of peonies in late spring. There was a elderly man who raised peonies and would sell them for $5/dozen. I never got a chance to visit his fields (he used to raise and sell them commercially) but it must have been spectacular - acres of blooming peonies. That would be a little bit of heaven, I think.
I love their fluttery, frilly edges - peonies are such a feminine flower, don't you think? And the fragrance is unbelievable - like a rose only more delicate.
My favorite flower in the world. I big-puffy-pink-heart them so!
What's your favorite flower?
these remind me of my neighbor's yard in IL. hers were white, though, and her husband didn't like her to cut them because "a cut flower is a dead flower." since the ants are the ones who make these flowers open, i would wait until they were very open before taking them inside! don't need them crawling around the house looking for more things to peel!
ReplyDeletemy favorite flower is either a tulip or a gerbera daisy. i'm not much for frilly, but peonies are very pretty.
Peonies are my favorite too! I have 8 of them. One was just recently planted, so no blooms, but the rest are full and falling over from the rain (even though they were tied up). Love your pictures!
ReplyDeleteI love peonies too! My grandmothers both love(d) them and they remind me of them. I don't have any in my garden though. Why don't I? Because, because....I don't know!?! :-)
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite flower would have to be either hydrangea or columbine flowers. I love the details of them... Nice photos!
Oh wow! They're beautiful, Karenpie! I envy your horticultural skills! They are beautiful & remind me of my childhood home in Illinois. We had Peonies on two sides of our house. Lovely deep pink ones. Ah, the memories....
ReplyDeleteI prefer wildflowers to garden (or tame;o)) flowers. Peonies are one of the garden flowers I really enjoy, though. They're wonderfully old fashioned. Hydrangeas and foxglove are two other favorite garden flowers.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I love daffodils because they grow like weeds here in Arkansas (even I can't kill them)
ReplyDeleteMy husband bought me a bag of 100 bulbs, and I've had to thin them out twice since then (they multiply so much you have to split them up or they won't bloom anymore)
Aren't live plants the most thoughtful gift? Then you have flowers year after year. We gotta give our guys credit.
Lilacs are it for me or a nice bunch of roses from the store.......
ReplyDeleteYOur pink peonies Rock!:)