Peonies

Over the last few years I've collected up most of my peonies and planted them together in one place - in the Birthday Rose Garden. What a great idea - and what a beautiful flowering display they've put on this spring.

There's been continuous flowering from late spring right through into summer. The first peonies to bloom are a peachy apricot colour - they're named Hawaiian Coral. The flowers fade to a disappointing pale cream almost immediately they open, though. So as for picking for the house vases - forget it! Colour lasting almost as long as a Hawaiian sunset, petals dropping off one by one...

Sarah Bernhardt (who I brought home from the supermarket) is the last peony to flower, and the only other whose name I've recorded. I've looked at all the clumps of mid to pale pink peonies, in a Google search - is my peony Sarah?

Pink and Fluffy

Pale pinkness and extreme fluffiness seem to be the common look, though - and she blooms late in the season. So I think I've got her labeled correctly!

Blast. I've gone through my journal checking for other peony details. Several of my darker pinks and cherry coloured ones came from friends (some of whom I've sadly lost total touch with). And I'm sure the white one is very common, but I'm not keen to guess its name - I bought it from a market stall.

Memories...

And I remember buying the very first deep magenta flowers from a neighbour grower - but there's no record of the name, and that was way back in the Moosey Garden history - at least ten years ago!

Still - peonies don't need names to be totally enjoyed and marvelled at. They're beautiful, generous plants, and I'm lucky that my climate is so suitable. Next time there's a frosty winter morning I'll give thanks!

Footnote:

I'm sorry I don't use the name 'Peony rose' - it's always seemed rather silly. But while I'm in a nitpicking mood I should get the spelling correct? Paeony? Hmm...