peonies are my BFF

So I kind of lied. There is one plant that I like and it likes me right back: Peonies.

In the house where I grew up, we had peonies in the side yard. They were beautiful, smelled fantastic, and never needed any maintenance. (They were also held in place by old tires but that’s another story.) They just bloomed and bloomed–a pale, soft pink. They are without a doubt my favorite flower.

Our first fall after we bought our house, I planted peonies along our driveway. Our driveway doesn’t recieve much sun but must get just enough for these babies to hang in there. While it took a couple of years, they are now in full swing. Obviously, they are hard to kill and yet still pretty. Even once the blooms fade, the dark green leaves stay nice and healthy looking.

I planted these from bulbs my mom bought for me. I have no idea what kind they are. All I remember is that I had to plant them in the fall and that I had to use manure which is gross. You buy it at the plant store and I mean it isn’t like there is a cow or something standing by doing its business but still–yuck. Circle of life and all that stuff.

A couple of days ago, I planted one in the back yard that I bought at Behnke’s. According to the label, the blossoms will be all white. The backyard gets much more sun so hopefully this one won’t have to strain so far to find some sunshine. In fact, I would kind of be happy if we had a backyard full of peonies. Maybe if the other stuff doesn’t work out, I’ll dig it all up and just plant peonies along the fence. And yes, that brick work needs some love. I was hoping you would be distracted by the flowers.

Book Recommendation:

Peonies by Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall.