More Peonies

There is something about peonies. They are just so extravagant: big, blowsy and beautifully fragrant. They swirl into spring, elegantly dressed in pinks, first these ones, then my deep rose-coloured variety and finally the creamy ones which are still tightly bound buds in the front garden. In the collage above are the old-fashioned kind that fall over with their own weight and dance along the surface of the grass. Especially today, with heavy rain this morning and more to come later. My mother always said a downpour was guaranteed when peonies were in bloom.

I wonder what readers who live in warmer climes think about the adoration so many northerners have for peonies, these hardy plants that will live for a hundred years. Maybe that is a significant part of their appeal; they not only cope with the seasons, they appreciate the cold weather.

Yesterday found me sitting on the ground and breathing in the scent from these lush beauties. I was supposed to be weeding. I get the strangest things taking up residence in my yard, uninvited. At one point, my hands were stinging after grabbing a mystery plant to remove it and finding the little hairs on it had the inclination to fight back. There is a reason why people wear gardening gloves. Lesson learned.


Some of my peonies have wandered indoors, one by my bedside and a bouquet by the apple tortes that were cooling for a potluck dinner in the countryside at the animal rescue site. (You met my new foster, Purl, in my last post.)

I hope you're enjoying whatever is blooming at your home or in your region.

With pleasure, I'm joining Judith for Mosaic Monday.

Thank you for visiting. 

Karen

Peonies, Dames Rocket and Introducing Purl

There is nothing like the start of peony season, at least in my garden, to motivate a person to produce a blog post. Poppy, from Poppy View, recently mentioned in an email that she hoped I'd share some soon. She is such an encouraging and thoughtful person.

Being a bit mad for peonies, more will follow. I'll wait till they are wildly abundant before I pick any. Although, perhaps just one on my bedside table might be an idea . . .

In the "silly me" department, I'd thought these were phlox and had been purchased as such at a plant sale some years ago. Claudia, from Mockingbird Hill Cottage, recently showcased hers and identified them as Dames Rocket. One distinguishing characteristic between the 2 plants, she wrote, was that Dames Rocket has four petals and phlox has five.

Either way, it is pretty.

One more peony photo before I introduce you to my current foster cat, who moved in about five weeks ago.

Meet Purl, a 6-year-old lovely girl, mostly gleaming black with a touch of white below her throat and a couple of white patches on her underside. Purl, for various reasons unrelated to her sweet self, has been in a few foster homes and has been with the animal rescue group for over a year. Needless to say, I've been slapping up pictures of her on the animal rescue Facebook page in an attempt to catch the eye of someone who can offer her a wonderful home. I'll keep you posted.

Thank you for visiting!
Karen