Althouse: Peony.

June 10, 2008

Peony.

It's peony season here now. Such luscious flowers!

Such a fragile life span...

14 comments:

Meade said...: And the deer leave them alone. Yay peonies!; 6/10/08, 8:39 PM
Harsh Pencil said...: Peonies can live to be a hundred years old. I had a house built in 1917 with bunches of peonies in the backyard spaced equally apart. Then I had to have a large tree cut down (it died). By the trunk there was the remnant of a small clump of peonies, pushed out by the trunk, the same distance to the next clump as all other clumps from other. So the peonies were older than the tree, which was at least 50 years old.
The peonies were probably planted with the house.; 6/10/08, 9:41 PM
Revenant said...: And the deer leave them alone. Yay peonies!

How about rabbits? I was looking at some peonies yesterday and wondering how bunny-resistant they are.; 6/10/08, 9:57 PM
AmPowerBlog said...: I was just thinking about lilacs as I came over to visit, so it's neat to see the peonies!

Hope you're not flooding, btw!

American Power; 6/10/08, 10:00 PM
Jim said...: I grew up in my Grandmother's house and I remember cutting Peonies every Memorial Day (Decoration Day in my house) to place on the graves of our relatives. I remember the mason jars lined with aluminum foil and taking them to the cemetaries.

Your pictures have transported me back over forty years ago.
Thanks.
Jim; 6/10/08, 10:40 PM
Ruth Anne Adams said...: Any ants??; 6/11/08, 12:10 AM
cardeblu said...: Jim, very similar childhood experience here wrt to peonies for Memorial Day, which is why the very next comment by Ruth Anne made me chuckle. I remember my mom always saying to watch for the ants. They really love peonies, and they'll bite.

Mine haven't bloomed yet this year--still too cold here in the PNW, but something is definitely chomping on the leaves.; 6/11/08, 1:33 AM
Anonymous said...: Wisconsin seems pretty. Especially the elephants...

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/jbistlin/headlines/026.jpg; 6/11/08, 3:07 AM
Meade said...: How about rabbits?

Rabbits don't like them either. Plant the single varieties and they won't flop over or need staking.

http://www.perennialresource.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=1157; 6/11/08, 6:34 AM
Bissage said...: (1) It's peony season here now.

Wow, here in USDA Zone 6b our singles are long gone.

* sheds little tear *

(2) Thanks for putting those two beautiful photos together -- before and after.

You know, I have many faults. One of them is I can get so fixated on getting nice flowers that I take it as a personal failure when they move on. There’s something important lost in that sort of callow greediness. Henceforth I shall endeavour to see more and worry less.

I think it was Thomas Jefferson who said “Though an old man, I am but a young gardener.”

On point?

Probably not.

So what!

Ha!

(3) Guys, make sure you practice good hygiene so you don’t get botrytis on your
peony!

(4) See ya!; 6/11/08, 7:04 AM
George M. Spencer said...: A peony for your thoughts.; 6/11/08, 7:50 AM
Meade said...: (1)*placing compost-stained hand of comfort on Bissage's sentimental -and I do mean mental- shoulder*

(2)I think it was Bob Dylan who said something like "Ah but I was so much Freuder then, I'm Junger than that now"

(3) Do not put your peony where your peony does not belong!

(4) Ya ta!; 6/11/08, 7:56 AM
bearbee said...: Such a fragile life span...

Yes, but look at all those buds readying to burst open to take their place in the sun.; 6/11/08, 9:08 AM
ballyfager said...: S.J. Perelman said something to this effect;

In my garden I pay particular attention to the peonies because I find if I take care of the peonies, the dahlias take care of themselves.; 6/11/08, 11:31 AM