Peony Heaven

Hello Stampers,

I thought I would share my other passion with you (other than stamping, scrapbooking and my husband) – it’s Gardening.  I love my garden and must confess that it hasn’t had all my attention this year as it has in previous years.  The weather was so awful for so long that my favourite flowers, Peony, rotted on the plants faster than they could bloom.

However, here are some of the blooms that did make it – I usually have about 6 different kinds of Peony’s in my gardens with about 400 blooms each year.  The smell is heavenly – some even smell like candy!

These are the earliest blooming ones and appear in May – red isn’t my favourite but don’t tell them that – I don’t like to hurt their feelings. LOL

Several years ago my husband had to dig up the drain tile and these got mixed up together somehow when we replanted – oh well…they live happily together.

This is one of my favourite varieties – I love the delicacy of the outside and the multiply layers – and these ones smell amazing!

This is a simple variety because it’s just a single bloom but check out the center of this one – the simple petals open to reveal this spectacular center – WOW!

Here’s another favourite of mine.  The center looks like little claws.

This white one is hard to see but it is so delicate with it’s slight pink edges.

I wish you could smell them – there have been years where I’ve cut 3 or 4 huges bouquets for the house and still had a huge showing in my garden – alas this year was too wet but there’s always next year!

Okay…this isn’t a Peony but I’m always amazed at nature – this is an Oriental Poppy and it’s petals are like paper – check out the center – ahhh…I do love my flowers.

Happy 4th of July to my American friends (it’s my hubbies 50th Birthday today too!) and Happy stamping, gardening or whatever you do this weekend!

Alison