Fragrant Peony Bouquets ...

Late this afternoon, Fernymoss took a few shots of the peony bouquets now gracing and fragrancing our dining room ... these particular flowers escaped being beaten into messy submission by our recent heavy rains because we cut most of the open blooms Saturday night before another round of heavy rain roared through. The ones still left on the bushes, however, didn't fare so well ... but there are still quite a few unopened buds on the plants, so I'm hoping we'll get a second wave (even if sparse) of blooms yet this week.

Currently, we only have two varieties of peonies blooming, and we're really not exactly sure what cultivars we have. The red ones I bought about eight years ago as three very small plants at Osco for $5 each and the only information provided was "French Peony -- Double Red." They weren't exactly stellar plants at the time, but as Peony growers know, it's extremely rare to get blooms the first year anyway, so patience and a more long-term view are essential.

I have tentatively identified the pink variety as (Paeonia lactifolia 'Sarah Bernhardt'), though with the myriad of Peony cultivars out there, it could be just about anything. We just refer to them as "Elaine's Peonies," in gratitude to the friend who originally gave them to us back in 1999. Whatever they are, they bloom in promiscuous abandon every year, with the bushes literally covered in fragrant blossoms. Of course they smell wonderful and are just downright gorgeous (well, aren't most peonies?) and don't mind being photo subjects! Unfortunately, they're usually the first to 'go to ground' after a heavy rain, so we try to cut as many before that comes ... well that is, if we have advance warning! After last week's multiple rounds of severe storms, we weren't taking any chances ... they're that precious to us!

Back in May we bought three new bushes to add to the Peony family here, Paeonia lactifolia 'Karl Rosenfeld,' which we found at a garden center on sale for $9.95, which if you've ever purchased Peonies, you'll recognize as a great value. These new members are very sturdy, healthy, and poised to take off ... in fact it was the healthiness of the plants that made us snap up three while we were there. We're also in the market for a Tree Peony and are on the lookout locally for a potential specimen, but we did some preliminary research at Van Bourgondien, and selected one of the varieties they offer, Rimpoh. Unless we happen upon something even lovelier here locally, we'll probably be ordering this cultivar this summer. I know it might be a bit of a wait to see it bloom, but as with all Peonies, it's worth the time invested to be regaled by their wonderful blooms in late Spring!

With any luck, a few will still be around when the Dragon Arum opens in another couple of days! If it's not open tomorrow, we'll get another shot of the now 2 ft + unopened bloom stalk, which is plumping up daily and already showing the telltale deep red stripe along the edges, its prelude to opening up and liberating the peculiar stench it emits that attracts flies by the droves! If you recall having seen its first bloom last year, you'll understand why this is such an eagerly anticipated garden event here at Casa IVG. And with any luck (e.g. NO rain) tomorrow, we're going to be planting the 'Voodoo Lily' (Sauromatum venosum) that my sister so generously shared with us. Of course we don't expect it to bloom this year, but given the Dragon Arum's affinity for where it's planted, this one won't be too far away from it. Something to look forward to next year ... along with the Karl Rosenfeld Peonies also slated to go in this week!

UGH ... I saw this coming on the radar, but didn't want to believe it ... we're getting another round of thunderstorms, but at least it looks like they'll be brief this time around ... still, we'd like to dry out just a bit here ... please?

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!

Prepping the Big Peony Unveiling

A lot of people really complain about having ants in their gardens ... and they really shouldn't, because as anyone who's ever had Peonies knows, you'll never see a bloom if you banish the ants from the vicinity. And since the species of ant that flocks to Peonies (what I call carpenter ants) isn't the kind to invade your house and raid your food, I see no reason to discourage them from doing what comes naturally to them ... nibbling away at the protective layers of the bud above the Peony flowers, thus allowing them to burst forth into bloom and perfume the environs with their unique and delightful fragrance.

Traditionally in our area, people expect Peonies to really come into full bloom around Memorial Day weekend, and it looks as if ours will be right on schedule this year, despite the April cold spell. I've already seen a few open in the neighborhood and it's just a matter of days before ours start their annual performance.

Though I'm not the most knowledgeable person with regard to Peonies, I do know that they figure prominently in Chinese symbolism and flower culture (see the Wikipedia link above), and that in the realm of the perennials, they are the closest flower to anything that one could consider an immortal. I can remember seeing some stands of Peonies (when I was younger) who were growing in odd spots in vacant lots, until I realized that a house had once stood there. The house may have since disappeared, but the Peonies prevailed over time ... and I like the thought of a flower much more tenacious than the works of humans. It gives me hope that even if human kind's plans don't last in the long run, there are beautiful plants who are willing to stake their claim on a space and continue to flourish, long after human traces have disappeared. I see no better reason than that alone to justify dedicating ample space to these magnificent flowers!