Peony Début ...

Well, just in time for severe storm season, our Peonies have just begun to bloom! And despite the pounding and flooding we took from that storm last night, they were looking less beaten down than I expected this morning. Fortunately we only had a few open yesterday, so it could have been a lot worse. We do plan, however, to cut quite a few tomorrow, as more severe storms are forecast again tomorrow night and through Sunday. We're keeping our fingers and other appendages crossed in hopes that they won't affect the Dragon Arum (see previous entry) which is hurtling forward to blooming in the next few days.

So, this shot (taken on 5 June) is a preview of more to come ... and though I often feel guilty for cutting them and bringing them inside, this year, I'm not going to worry a bit about it. They are unequaled for infusing the whole house with their delectable fragrance, not to mention their sheer beauty. But as many a midwestern gardener knows, their time is brief and their top heavy blooms so often end up getting knocked to the ground by the heavy rains of late May and early June. Every year we vow to get some of those peony "trainers" or "cages" or whatever they're called ... just to see if they really can prevent the inevitable disappointment of seeing one's gorgeous peonies hitting the ground instead of standing tall and spreading their beauty and fragrance around ....

Just a quick shout out to my blog mentor Olivia (la reine des roses Canadienne) who has finally spoken (and even posted!) from her undisclosed location in the Adriatic Sea, after a sojourn in Old Europe. Here's pinkin' at you, toots!

And a hearty Welcome Back! to Family Man, who's been absent far too long from the blogging scene for various reasons. It's so good to hear from you again FM! I hope your problems with the laptop are only transitory ... we've missed you!