Monday, May 19, 2014

Flowers in the House

Jane's call to arms sent me out to the peony bed.  Despite heavy - and I do mean heavy! - rains and way too much wind over the past week, the peonies have just bloomed their little heads off!  Way too many blossoms have ended up on the ground, but I have been out cutting them as often as possible.
Even Mitchell noticed how good the house has been smelling. 
Am learning to cut them a little sooner than in previous years, and they seem to be doing well inside.  Today I added some native penstemon [penstemon digitalis] as well as agastache 'Ava' and some leaves from Solomon's seal.  There was one "odd" Dutch iris.  It's not one that I have ever planted, so must have been bird-planted or blown in, but I like it and it lasts longer in the vase than the rest that I have. 
 
There's one peony that I'm particularly interested in seeing "open".  It's the dark bud that looks a bit like a rose.  It has never bloomed before and so I don't know what it really looks like.  The bud is nearly as dark as the 'Scarlette O'Hara' peony that I love so much.  That one bloomed briefly, but got pounded by the rains and didn't make it to a photo shoot this year. 

Thanks to Jane at Small but Charming for hosting and organizing us!






10 comments:

  1. Beautiful arrangements. You lucked out that the rains didn't destroy them, heavy rain does such a number on peonies.

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  2. What a gorgeous arrangement! I wish I could grow peonies but I was not even successful in the PNW. I had no idea they were fragrant too. Just lovely, Webb!

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  3. Glorious--reminds me of a Dutch still life.

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  4. It seems like I can smell your peonies but actually tit's my peonies I'm inhaling.

    What a lovely thing to share, scented beauties.

    Your arrangement is just perfect.

    Where were you Mothers day?

    xo J

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    1. Mother's Day is actually our wedding anniversary, so we took a couple days off and just relaxed. Took in a bit of Shakespeare and had a couple of good dinners. Life is good.

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  5. Pretty, pretty pink and purples! The green leaves are the perfect accent! Stunning arrangement, Webb!

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  6. The rain always seems to know just when the peonies bloom. And if it's not rain, it's the 90-degree temps that make them fall apart in a day. But it's that heavenly scent that makes us try year after year to get just one more whiff.

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  7. That is a gorgeous arrangement, Webb. The color combo is very sweet. AHHH, I can smell it! I grow lots of peonies because I absolutely adore them.

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  8. Gorgeous! I adore peonies... I am curious about the rose-looking one too.

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