peony heaven

My passion for peonies grows with each passing year. Their appearance (and fragrance) heralds the official start of garden season in my yard. They are the centerpiece for a two week stretch where my garden is more than spectacular. There are colors everywhere. The green is lush and fills in every inch between the flowers. It’s that time before the insects and weeds bully their way into the flower beds. The goldfinches and indigo buntings add that splash of yellow and blue to complete the color palette.

Sigh. I love late May/early June in the garden. I want it to stay like this forever. I have a hard time staying in doors, even when it rains. I want to not just be in the garden, but be OF it. I want to join in. I happen to discover these peonies by accident, and my life hasn’t been the same since. It’s been a very zen experience for me. Each discovery leads me to a new undiscovered space. Which is how I found all of these little beauties tucked away in corners and nooks of the property. All five acres.

Here we have the traditional white peony. I think she’s Martha Washington, but I’m not sure. I’ve never been fond of white in the garden until now. I’ve really grown to appreciate her over the last couple of years. She’s all fluffy and smells a little of spice.

This one is like a giant pale pink pompom. Sometimes she has little threads of pink on her petals and note the little splash of yellow in the center. She’s long been one of my loves.

This pink one has lighter pink skinny petals in the center ringed with large pink petals. I’d describe the flower as thin for most peonie,s as it’s not as puffy as most. She smells delightful and reminds me of gardens when I was a little girl back when dinosaurs roamed the gardens.

This pink one is similar to the previous pink one with the exception of the overall shape being uber puffy.  She’s fun and smells good, too.

There are a lot of pink peonies, but few as cool as this one. The outer petals frame a center of twisty uh, things. Are they a stamen or pistil? These are my absolute favorite peonies. They don’t offer much for smells but I could lose myself in their gaze.

While we are on the subject of funky peonies, here’s another one. This one has a water lily shape to her with long and simple petals surrounding a tuft of yellow pollen puffs. She’s a messy one but love the bright yellow.

Lastly, we have the giant magenta puffs that most people think of when you mention a peony. I’m fond of them for their smells and the sheer number and size of the blooms. They are truly scrumptious.

So there you have my peonies. I’ll keep my eye out for more fun things around the property. I never know what I’ll find next.

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