I have a deep and abiding love affair with peonies. Their many petals and luscious fragrance capture my heart and surely must incite jealousy in their cousins, the roses. Peonies for me evoke thoughts of old gardens and abundance. When they blossom, their joy can barely be contained, spilling over onto all other nearby plants and paths. There are several peonies growing in my gardens, but they are not yet established. I had read somewhere that peonies resent being uprooted and replanted, which seems to be true, as it takes several years for them to allow even a single bloom to form once this has happened. My generous neighbor has oodles of peony bushes lining the flower beds scattered around his farm, and they have been happily intact for almost 100 years. He offered to let me pick as many as I desired. With bucket of water and sharp scissors in tow, I headed up the hill to pick to my little heart's content.
The shelf in the entry way is filled with blossoms and whispers welcome to all who enter.
I love using porcelain pitchers to hold cut flowers, even if they happened to be damaged or handle-less.
The ever-changing coffee table display in my living room.
I added some florals to sweeten the black and whites on my mantel.
A grouping of my favorites-- sea shells, candles, white ceramics, a sparkly mirrored obelisk, and, of course, peonies.
Happy Mother's Day to everyone. Wishing you and your loved ones a day of bliss and connection.
Until next time...
Anne
Oh Anne, you DO have the TOUCH. Many of those images could be in magazines, they are so lovely. Lucky you to have a generous farmer with peonies as a neighbor! It's not peony time here yet... still enjoying the lilacs..... but I love them, too, as they are another old-fashioned, American flower. {Sorry Brits, they just seem like little patriots, to me!} I am wishing you a day of peace and contentment, dear friend. Happy Mother's Day. xx P&H
ReplyDeletehi anne,
ReplyDeletei love peonies but they are very difficult to grow here. during the summer the nurseries will carry them as annuals and they are very expensive. so i will be content to enjoy yours.
happy sunday,
~janet
Peonies are simply my favourite flowers of all time - I just adore them - you have reminded me now to go and buy some, the question is whether I can make them look as beautiful as they do in your home.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous Anne! Wishing you a beautiful Sunday!
ReplyDeleteKristin
Hope you had a wonderful mother's day. I too love peonies. I planted one last year and it looked so pitiful I wasn't sure it would make it, but happily it's back and now in bloom. I recently added 6 more to my gardens and will soon add more so I'll have enough to feel I can cut them and bring them inside. If you know of any tips for making them last longer inside do tell. Take Care, Carrie
ReplyDeleteDear Anne,
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to have been able to go and pick all of those peonies. ...one of my favourite flowers too. We have some red peonies that were planted in Victorian times when our house was built. I have also planted some but, we don't really get enough to pick, so I leave them in the garden where they look lovely.
They look beautiful, in all of the different places in your home. XXXX
Hi Anne
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful, I love all the pictures especially the very last one. How lucky for you to have such a generous neighbor!
Janice
Anne, so nice that you stopped by my blog! Yours is lovely too!
ReplyDelete