I'm very fond of Peonies; they are the Flamenco Dancers of the floral world.
Lady Magnon planted this one about 3 years ago, and this is its first flowering. Very beautiful.
Peonies always remind me of when English artist Ivon Hitchens invited me to tea at his rather ramshackle home near Petworth, Sussex, in around 1970.
My two main memories of the afternoon were firstly the fact that his house was overflowing with paintings; one could hardly get from room to room. And secondly, his lovely wife, Mary, gave me a Peony when I left, which sadly fell to bits before I reached home.
The two flowers, above, lasted for just two days.
27 comments:
Yes, very short lived but so beautiful. Since they are my wife's favorite we have many. My favorite are hydrangeas and they last quite a while in the garden.
We have no Hydrangeas; I don't know why, they grow very well here.
I love peonies too but think they don't earn their keep enough to be in my garden - two or three days and then the rest of the year when they give nothing - rather like poppies.
Lovely, we are too far north to grow them successfully.
Congratulations on your flowering success. It's nice to have one's patience come good.
Here I buy peonies (as cut flowers) which last well. Have to ask my florist the name of the variety. They are rather elegant, neat tight tennis size balls which open up very slowly. Truth be told: I prefer them in their "ballsy" state before they turn into "Flamenco Dancers".
U
That is their problem; 5 minute wonders!
They seem to do well here.
I've not heard of them being sold as 'cut flowers', I can imagine them falling apart before one reached home.
Weaver, they give plenty.
One of my earliest childhood memories that of poppies and their fleeting beauty. Here today, gone tomorrow. Probably my first lesson on how short life is, appreciating it whilst it lasts.
U
PS I shall bake some poppy seed cake today (the minute seeds are black) and think of you.
Remember; Drive safely. If you are pulled-over by the cops, and are tested for alcohol/drugs; Poppy seeds will give a heroin reading!
These plants survive for decades, my biggest plant was dug out of my parents home back in the 80's, but I have photo's of myself as a child in the garden with the plant in full bloom, from the 60's. I love them.
Ours is in a big pot; maybe I'll plant it out into the ground. It pouring here; the first 'proper' rain we've had for months.
They are a beautiful colour. Such a pity they don't last longer
Peonies are fleeting beauty I suppose, like my own.
They really should be at the back of a border, so they don't dominate. Then simply admired for a few days whilst in flower.
Like us, Andrew; fleeting beauties!
We have one peony that must have been in the garden since Edwardian times !!! It’s just the common one but lovely …. They are beautiful flowers, one of my favourites. I planted another one a good few years ago but it’s never flowered ! I don’t think peonies like our garden much, more’s the pity. XXXX
Interesting that they last so long in the ground. I think I'll have to find a permanent home for it.
They are so beautiful but completely untidy in habit, bring them in as I do, and they drop their petals with no regard. Today, I saw the wild yellow Welsh poppy (though it is not Welsh) and welcomed it back into the garden.
You brought back a childhood memory. There was a peony planted beside our house. My mother really loved it. There was never money to have plants and pretty things, but we had bought a house which had a beautiful garden, and my mother maintained it carefully.
It's such a shame that they are so fleeting.
My people loved their gardens, in fact I think they bought gardens rather than houses.
We inherited several peony shrubs, including a tree peony, in our garden here. I love them, although the tree peony suffered a little from the frost this year.
I'm learning a lot here; I've never heard of a Tree Peony. Is it how it sounds?
They are woody and just a bit bigger and taller than the shrub version. Ours also flowers much earlier than the other ones.
How beautiful Cro!
Lovely, aren't they. I'm sad to say, they've now both dropped their petals.
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