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Fleeting Beauty

June 25th, 2011

Last year I added 6 new peonies to the garden. They didn’t bloom last year, but this year they all provided me with at least one blossom each, some with many. Peonies are lovely flowers, you’d never know how tough the plants were by looking at the flowers. They’re wonderfully hardy plants, taking just about anything you throw at them after they’re established. The blooms on the other hand are delicate. They don’t last long in the garden, especially if the weather turns hot.

Right about the time the peonies started to bloom here in NE Ohio the the temperature climbed into the 90’s. As a result the peonies lasted only a few days. I was hoping to take a photo of the first bloom on the heirloom peony I got from my grandma’s house. I spotted it late one afternoon and by the next morning it was already past prime so I missed it. At least I got a few photos of the many of the other peonies in the garden, save a white one. Here are a few of the fleeting beauties in my garden from this spring.





A few weeks ago I added four more peonies to the garden. They were growing in an area of my mom’s garden that became shady because of the growth of other plants so she gave them to me. I can’t remember what the blooms will look like, but they’ll be beautiful whatever they turn out to be. It’s always nice to get peonies for free!

Do you grow peonies in your garden?

22 Comments to “Fleeting Beauty”
  1. Jennifer Fisk on June 25, 2011 at 6:26 am

    Peonies are my favorite. Around here, once they get beautiful a thunderstorm beats them down so I usually bring a big bunch in doors to enjoy.

    Reply to Jennifer Fisk's comment

  2. Melissa on June 25, 2011 at 7:12 am

    So beautiful, I definitely need to add some to my garden next year!

    Reply to Melissa's comment

  3. pam on June 25, 2011 at 7:14 am

    I love peonies! For a few weeks every room in my house is filled with them, they are so prolific!

    Reply to pam's comment

  4. Grace on June 25, 2011 at 7:14 am

    Yes, I have a some a in corner of one my flower beds–not blooming here yet. They do start to turn brown pretty quickly, but still worth having. I have to stake them because they flop right over in the rain and wind.

    I love getting free plants from other people’s gardens when they run out of space etc. I also love giving plants from my garden as gifts, too.

    Reply to Grace's comment

  5. Kathi on June 25, 2011 at 7:31 am

    Peonies are my favorite! There is a peony farm called Cricket Hill in next town over. Gorgeous display gardens. I have 2 peonies from them and one double pink we divided from my mother’s garden. They are a flash in the pan for blooms but then I think they add nice structure to a be. They are very hardy and reliable.

    Reply to Kathi's comment

  6. Alyssa on June 25, 2011 at 7:46 am

    I do have peonies in my garden and love the way they look. Mine are soft pink and add such a nice class to the garden. I can’t pick them though, they are always full or bugs, usually ants. Love the pictures you took!

    Reply to Alyssa's comment

  7. KimH on June 25, 2011 at 7:58 am

    I have 4 peonies in my garden.. 3 light pink double ruffles and a white double.. They’re definitely one of my favorite plants too. In Texas we call them “Pee-ony”(ony rhymes with pony) or at least the old timers do.. I’ve learned to say it the proper way.. but in my heart they’re called Pee-onies. ;)

    Reply to KimH's comment

    • Susy on June 25, 2011 at 8:01 am

      That would be a great question – how do you pronounce peony!

      My grandma and a friend from KY always called them “pine ees”

      Reply to Susy's comment

  8. Allison on June 25, 2011 at 8:10 am

    Peonies are beautiful. I planted one 2 springs ago — last year it accidently got hit by the lawn mower :/ This year it is looking good so hopefully NEXT year I will finally get a bloom ;)

    Reply to Allison's comment

  9. Fawn on June 25, 2011 at 8:31 am

    Susy-

    Beautiful pics! I was wondering if at some point you can do a post showing us your entire yard…more of the panoramic view. I am playing around with designs for my yard and love reading about your individual plants/ veggies but would like to see a few photos of everything! Just a thought!

    Reply to Fawn's comment

    • Barefeet In The Kitchen on June 25, 2011 at 8:47 am

      I love this thought. I was just looking at your gorgeous blooms this morning, thinking that it all was so beautiful. I’d love to just walk through your garden, even if it’s just a virtual tour. For this southwestern born and raised girl, your pictures truly look like paradise. Me, I’m simply thrilled to have thriving vegetables this year!!

      Reply to Barefeet In The Kitchen's comment

      • Susy on June 25, 2011 at 9:40 am

        I’ll have to try to think about how I can do this someday.

        to Susy's comment

  10. Daedre Craig on June 25, 2011 at 9:52 am

    There are a couple peonies that came with my house. They are gorgeous…until it rains. Then they flop over and all the petals fall off.

    Reply to Daedre Craig's comment

  11. Barbara on June 25, 2011 at 9:54 am

    We inherited a lot of peony plants with this property, but last summer only one actually blossomed – a small, anemic looking thing at that. Someone told me this spring that the peonies aren’t getting enough light, so the end of next winter we’ll arrange for some serious tree-branch pruning and see if that makes a difference. I do love peonies. :)

    Reply to Barbara's comment

  12. goatpod2 on June 25, 2011 at 10:25 am

    We have some peonies here.

    Amy

    Reply to goatpod2's comment

  13. SixBalloons on June 25, 2011 at 10:26 am

    I love peonies too, so lush and delicate at the same time. Have you tried drying them? I noticed at a garden club volunteers’ room that they had peonies hanging from a rack next to roses, and they were vibrant and beautiful!

    Reply to SixBalloons's comment

  14. tj on June 25, 2011 at 10:29 am

    …Beautiful photos! :o)

    …Never without fail my peonies bloom and then we get the torrential rain and high winds that just blow the blooms to smithereens. I’ve even thought about situating a small tarp above them when they’re calling for rain just so I can save their beauty for a while longer… I know I just need to cut the blooms and bring them inside to enjoy but there’s just something about having them outside and sharing their beauty… :o)

    …Blessings…

    Reply to tj's comment

  15. mavis on June 25, 2011 at 11:19 am

    I’ve tried several times to grow them… But I’ve had no luck :( For some reason I have no problems growing every single vegetable under the moon… but peonies… no such luck.

    Reply to mavis's comment

  16. Diane on June 25, 2011 at 11:26 am

    I have only two peonies here, and one of them doesn’t bloom. I asked a neighbor how she cares for hers — she must have 20 that bloom beautifully every year — and she said: “Don’t ask me. I leave them completely alone. They were here when I moved in, 10 years ago, and I’ve been afraid to touch them.”

    Reply to Diane's comment

  17. Kristen @ More Than Mulberries on June 25, 2011 at 12:29 pm

    I have three in my front beds….a light pink and two deep hot pink and they are gorgeous!!! I think the number 1 thing that confused people about them is how to pronounce they!

    Pee-ony?
    Pee-o-knee?

    All I know is that I love them, I look forward to their blooms every year and they make me smile….what a gorgeous flower!

    Reply to Kristen @ More Than Mulberries's comment

  18. sarah on June 25, 2011 at 4:19 pm

    Absolutely gorgeous!

    Reply to sarah's comment

  19. MAYBELLINE on June 25, 2011 at 7:50 pm

    Wish they would survive.
    Yours are beautiful.

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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