The French word for peony is pivoine. Apparently, there are more than 30 species of peonies. They are perennial bushes, and they come in varying sizes. The ones in our yard — just two plants — are not big. Both produce big red flowers every spring.
These are what have become my annual photos of peony flowers.
The peonies were here when we bought the house in 2003. We didn't plant them. We're glad somebody did, and who knows how many years ago? The plants' roots are tuberous, I've read. I've never tried to dig ours up or divide them.
The plants obviously like our soil and climate. Today the weather is supposed to be very rainy. We'll see how the flowers look tomorrow.
This is one of the plants. The other grows in a big patch of white daisies. I wonder if somebody planted it there, or if it came up on its own, from seed. Maybe it was planted there and then the daisies spread to engulf it.
Did I mention that I tilled the vegetable garden plot for the third time this week? It's ready to receive seedlings, but if the rains come today as predicted, it will take a few days for the soil to dry out enough for us to be able to plant anything in it.
With iris first, peony is one of my favorite flowers. These are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteReds are really hard to render with digital cameras and computer screens. The images of red peonies looked good on my laptop's screen. They looked good on Walt's monitor too. But on my two monitors upstairs, and on one of my tablets, the red looked very dull, verging on pink. Oh well... Hope they look good on the iPad.
DeleteSpeaking of reds, I'm going to cook red beans today. In eau déminéralisée — distilled water — to see if the skins will be tender.
On my tablet, they look gorgeous; on my laptop they look terrible and I don't know how to correct that!
DeleteThe peony photos look good on one of my tablets but not so good on the other. On my two desktop PCs, I seem to find myself adjusting the screen colors several times a week to get them to look as good as the laptop screen or one or both of the tablets.
DeleteWe've had a steady rain fallng for most of the afternoon.
This morning was beautiful and sunny. I went to Monoprix for groceries. Yesterday was equallly pleasant and sunny and my walker and I went to the gsre Montparnasse to see where I should check to get Accès+ to take me to the train on Thursday morning. That station is a mess; no elevator for handicaped persons!
DeleteI love peonies, they're such a grand old fashioned flower. Seeing them brings back lovely memories of my grandmother's garden in Derbyshire.
ReplyDeleteThey are glorious. Simple leaves, but oh the flowers.
ReplyDeleteThe color looks glorious on my monitor...wish the scent would come through. Didn't you mention the other day that Walt had planted some Romano been seeds already? In the greenhouse? Doesn't look like they're in the garden.
ReplyDeleteNo, he planted the beans in the garden but only one has come up, as far as I know. There are also some snow peas growing out there, in the back of the garden along side the beans, so they can climb up the fencing between posts. I have kale in the greenhouse but it is growing very very slowly. Don't know why.
DeleteYes, the color and detail are coming through beautifully on my Mac's screen. Gorgeous flowers.
ReplyDeleteMine usually bloom just before some kind of torrential downpour, which ruins them.