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5.13.2015

Peonies!!



I absolutely love peonies.  Their amazing large blooms with tons of ruffles just suck me in.  Maybe it is the fact that they are only available for such a short window of time, but I can not get enough of them when they are in season!

I did a little research on the history of the peony and found this ... 

The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower. (wikipedia)



The peony is among the longest-used flowers in Eastern culture and is one of the smallest living creature national emblems in China. Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where the Paeonia suffruticosa is called 牡丹 (mǔdān). It is also known as 富貴花 (fùguìhuā) "flower of riches and honour" or 花王 (huawang) "king of the flowers", and is used symbolically in Chinese art.[16] In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the peony as the national flower. (wikipedia)

I think I love them even more now!



I would love to have a row of peony bushes along the side of the house to be able to walk out in the am and cut a few for my vases.  Sadly I have a complete black thumb when it comes to gardening so I would have to ask the master gardener in our neighborhood for her assistance on placement and care.  The Hubs jokes that Home Depot must love me since everything I buy from them comes here to die a long slow death.



I lucked out last Saturday and found that Whole Paycheck had their peonies on sale for Mother's Day.  I may or may not have grabbed every single pink peony they had in the store.  I brought them home and put them in my favorite vintage yellow tea pot and sat by on Saturday evening and watched as they opened up.  

This was our first evening on the porch this year.  My gift for Mother's Day was a clean porch ready for summer and fall use.  My sweet children washed every inch of that porch for me while the Hubs lovingly hand washed each piece of blue and white pottery.  I felt horrible watching him scrub each piece ... next year I must pack it away during pollen season.  #oops


I got up the next morning and was greeted to a vase full of open and glorious pink flowers.  Happy Mother's Day to me.


Aren't they just amazing!!!  

Give me all your advice for growing and caring for peonies!  Do you have them?  

Shade or sun?  Specific dirt?

Clearly I need all the help I can get if I am to grow them for myself!

Happy Hump Day!!


7 comments:

  1. I have found great luck with old peonies. Find someone who will give you ones from their yard... Much hardier than newer varieties.
    Happy planting....
    Kelly (aka mermaidgirl20 on insta)

    ReplyDelete
  2. My grandmother had a huge bush of them so I think of her every time I see them. They would not grow well in our yard.

    I'll bet the master gardener would love to help you plant some. She'd probably love to see more peonies established in the neighborhood.

    What a great gift from your kids!

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  3. About 13 years ago when my FIL passed away, a neighbor brought us a potted peony. We planted it by our back door and it has gorgeous white flowers that smell divine! It seems to bloom earlier than most other varieties.

    I have always heard that cut peony flowers often have ants on them…I am thrilled to know that it is not always true. Yours are beautiful!

    Enlisting the help of a master gardener who is also a neighbor sounds like a win-win! Enjoy!

    Maybe your One Room Challenge this Fall could be a Backyard Retreat complete with a glorious pink peony hedge!!! xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/gardening/g2302/peony-facts/

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  4. My dad has a row of pink and white that is spectacular!! I took them for granted. He gifted me with a few starts that we have at our home. I agree that the older varieties are hardier.

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  5. I bought peony rhizomes from Michigan Bulb catalog for $6.99 each, stuck em in the ground and voila, beautiful blooms annually. They're my favorite flowers too!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I bought peony rhizomes from Michigan Bulb catalog for $6.99 each, stuck em in the ground and voila, beautiful blooms annually. They're my favorite flowers too!

    ReplyDelete

 

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