Happy Tuesday! After an unusually cool and wet March and April, we have a week of high 80’s and humidity, more normal for spring in the South.
“O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.”
Isaiah 25:1
With our cooler spring, our peonies have performed way above my expectations! With more than one hundred blooms from our four bushes, I have enjoyed cutting and arranging a number of bouquets. I thought the Sunshine Cottage should be graced with a vase of peonies…
…not only a vase, but Ball jars filled with peonies. I pulled a few plates from the shelves to join the peonies…Johnson Brothers “Winchester” salad plates and Royal Stafford “Asiatic Pheasant” dinner plates.
Karl Rosenfield is a classic peony variety with bold double blooms. Fuchsia-red blooms are seven to eight inches in size and mildly fragrant. Their blooms are stunning and after their blooming cycle is completed, it displays attractive foliage throughout summer into fall. We planted two Karl Rosenfields’ in 2019 and if you are looking for brilliant color and a high performing peony, I definitely recommend.
It was my intention to share the Sunshine Cottage dressed for spring, but grouping the peonies on the table is currently the extent of my progress. Having waited so late, I will probably share summer decor soon!
Sarah Bernhardt, an all-time favorite, is one of the strongest growers and most reliable bloomers. The classic double blooms of peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ in pastel pink are dependable year after year. Like all peonies, it is deer resistant, cold hardy, and extremely long lived. We planted this popular peony in 2020 and it has had its best show this year!
My soon to be seven year old granddaughter, EM announced that Karl Rosenfield was her favorite because of its color. My photography doesn’t do it justice.
Festiva Maxima is by far the most fragrant peony that is in our garden. The large pure white double flowers are packed with frilly petals. If cut in the bud stage, it has a long vase life, typically over a week. We planted Festiva Maxima in 2019 and it bloomed the following spring.
Peonies make a grand statement in a Ball jar or any vase. I love that you don’t have to use any other flowers in order to have a stunning arrangement! If you missed my Mother’s Day post last week that featured peonies, you can see it here.
“The peony was unchaste, disheveled as peonies must be, and at the height of its beauty.”
~Robertson Davies
I created this while having a little fun on my iPad!
While writing this post I couldn’t help but think of my blogging friend, Sandra. Oh how she loved her garden and especially her gorgeous peonies. She passed away on February 27 of this year. She asked her husband, Mike, to have a small private graveside and church service when the peonies bloom. Perhaps the peonies are blooming, or at least budding now in West Virginia. We never met, but it seemed that we had. Sandra’s writing was always inspiring and her chosen images were beautiful. She loved all things French and was an outstanding gardener. She gifted me a beautiful set of Crown Linen Christmas tea towels one year and an iris bulb from her garden appropriately named “Stairway to Heaven”. I was doubting it would bloom this year, but I saw evidence last evening that it would and that makes me happy. Sandra was a bright spot in the blogging world and I miss her.
Thank you for your visit and gracious comments. Wishing you a joy-filled week my friends!
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Imparting Grace,Life and Linda
Gorgeous Peonies Pam, in your garden and in your jars! I know your Sunshine Cottage must smell heavenly! Ours have just started blooming and are a little behind yours. We’re warming up to the upper 80s this week too which is going to speed them up. I was hoping our cooler spring weather would last a little longer and in turn make the peonies last longer. Happy Tuesday.♥
P.S. So sorry to hear about your friend Sandra. How wonderful to have an iris from her blooming in your garden.
Thank you, Mary. My last bouquet of peonies has been trashed. I sure hated to see them go!
Peony Heaven! Such gorgeous blooms. The story about your friend shows us how we live on in other’s memories. The iPad picture is so cool. every picture is a delight and your chosen words as well.
As always, thank you Ruthie. You are a sweetheart!
Your peonies are beautiful, Pam. I love how you arranged them among your dishes and also how you played with the photo, creating a silhouette on your iPad. Mine are already blooming, including a fifth variety not seen before (still unidentified). I suspect Sandra’s will be blooming either this week or next, as Clarksburg is about 150 miles north of me. So, I’m betting Mike is planning her celebration of life real soon. I also think of Sandra quite a bit while in the garden. She encouraged me when I transplanted my false indigo (baptisia), as I was nervous about getting the deep roots. Of course, peonies and iris also bring her to mind, as does lavender. She would sad to see my lavender decimated with the Christmas week arctic blast, but glad to know I’m persevering by planting again. I love how our gardens further our friendships.
Thank you, Rita! I hope you will include your peonies in a garden post. Gardening is a great way to further friendships. I would also add dish collecting!
Your peonies definitely deserve their own special post. Beautiful beyond words and you have captured their beauty in bud and flower. I have one blooming now. I have four transplanted from Mothers that have about 70 buds. So sorry to learn of your friend’s passing. So special to have a peony blooming from her.
Thank you, Dianne and I can’t wait to see your peonies in a blog post!
Good morning Pam, and what a show of peonies. Ours have pushed through the frozen ground. All of them belonged to my husbands mother. So they are very old. Cutting them to have in the house is something to look forward to every year.
I would love to see a photo of your peonies in bloom. It must be very special to have your MIL’s peonies. Thank you, Alice!
Yep, there’s nothing like those old blue Ball jars for vases. The colors of glass and flowers nestled together give each other a special zing!
Yes, Bell jars are perfect for peony blooms!
Peonies are a June flower for us but the bushes here are coming on. Yours, of course, dazzle. I do have trouble bringing them in, though. It seems like no matter how careful I am, the ants win!
Ants do love peonies. I shake them real well outside and then use a gentle spray of water to take care of any leftover ones. Happy Tuesday, Jeanie!
Absolutely stunning Pam! I love all the beautiful vignettes and arrangements! They look gorgeous with the Johnson Brothers and Royal Stafford china …A real flower show everywhere you look~I’m so sorry about losing your friend…
Thanks so much, Jenna. They have now finished their bloom cycle and now onto hydrangeas!
Pam, Your peonies are fabulous! They are just gorgeous! It’s so sweet of you to remember Sandra. I didn’t read her blog, but she seems like a wonderful lady. Our peonies are still small but hopefully they will continue to thrive. We have 2 out of 3 still hanging on. I planted them only a couple of years ago. Enjoy your day. Clara❤️
Thank you, Clara. I hope your peonies thrive ♥️
This is a beautiful post, Pam. I love love love Peonies. Yours are absolutely beautiful! Love to all.
Thank you dear friend!
Your peonies are stunning! They make such a statement in the jars grouped together. I think of Sandra often, too. Especially, when I am gardening. I miss her beautiful photos and inspiring words. How wonderful that your gifted Iris bloomed! Have a wonderful day, my dear friend!
Thank you, Shannon. Sandra was a special lady!
With all the talk about the recent Kentucky Derby, I first thought your title was, Celebrating “Ponies.” A Pony may be fun, but your peonies smell much better, I’m sure. I’ve never tried to grow them and wonder why. I don’t see them much around here, perhaps it’s too humid. I need to look into this mystery. I’ll get on my pony and get busy!
You are hilarious, Leslie Anne! Peonies like cooler temps. Our spring was cool up here in NE AL and I think that made the peony blooms happy!
I miss my peonies at the old house. I love seeing yours. They are just gorgeous. Happy New Week.
Thanks Kris. I know you miss cutting a bouquet of peonies.
Alas, I left my peony garden back in CO and am getting around to soon creating a space here for another. Yours are superb and I appreciate knowing which ones to seek. Our Iris beds have performed magnificently despite the frigid spells. So sorry to hear about Sandra and can appreciate the loss you feel. How lovely that the
remembrance of her is expressed through her flowers. Just love the way you assembled your peonies and dishes in the cottage … you did great justice to Spring,
Pam dear.
I just know your irises are beautiful, Mary. I hope you find the space for a peony or two. Thank you dear one!
Your peonies are beautiful! I too love them. I am actually burning a peony candle right now that is so lovely to smell. Awe, what a sweet blogging friend Sandra was. I am sure you treasure the gifts from her. I hope you have a lovely week. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
Thank you, Cindy. Wishing you a lovely week!
Thanks for the peonies displayed so perfectly. They brought back fond memories of my Minnesota gardens.
Thank you, Mary!
Pam I have peony envy! I grew peonies in the Midwest…loved the “Kansas” deep pink peony, Sarah Bernhardt, Karl Rosenfield and the Festiva Maxima and have you seen the lovely yellow Bartzella peony? Stunning! But alas as I have stated before…we can not grow bulb producing plants (altho we can grow gladiolus here in SW Florida). :(….It just gets too hot and they can’t go dormant. I miss the Iris, daffodils, hyacinths, forsythia, lilacs etc.
Your Sunshine Cottage is a perfect setting for your fragrant blooms. Your arrangements are lovely, especially in the ball jars ….When I lived in the Midwest, we would go to the cemeteries on Memorial Day and we would take peonies (and peony buds mixed with floribunda roses) in mason jars, and we were armed with tools to “clean up” the tombstone area. We wanted to semi-bury the jars so they would not tip over in the Kansas wind. Now I have to rely on family members still in Kansas to decorate the gravesites. Thanks for the wonderful memories and all your lovely blossoms! Hugs and Blessings
Kari, I always enjoy reading your comments. I am not familiar with Bartzella peony. I know it is beautiful! Your memories you shared are so sweet. Thank you my friend!
friend Pam, just my presence to praise this post dedicated to the peony. Beautiful and emotional. A big hug to you and your husband.
Dolores
Gracias nuestro amigo. Las peonías son tan hermosas y fragantes.
Bendiciones Pam
Pam, I am so happy for you that your peonies did well this year. The colder weather probably helped so much. Your arrangements are all beautiful.
That was a very sweet tribute to Sandra. I miss her also and hope we will hear from Mike before long about her Celebration of Life service and her peonies.
We got home last night so I am catching up after being away for 8 days.
I’ll be pinning your lovely photos.
Thank you, Bonnie. I do think the colder weather was the key to so many peony blooms. Happy Mother’s Day!
Wow! Those are impressive! Obviously you are a gardening guru, but your plants are about the same age as mine, and far outperformed mine. My Sarah Bernhardt has been really disappointing. Do you fertilize annually, or just let them do their thing? I’ve hoped they would thrive on benign neglect, so all I’ve done is clean the foliage in the fall. Maybe I need to do more?
Thank you, Cheryl. We haven’t fertilized. We had a colder February and March which helped, I think!
Love,love, love peonies! Yours are all gorgeous!
Thank you, Liz!
What gorgeous peonies my friend. Their fragrance is glorious!
Seeing your peonies all set up in your Sunshine Cottage is a delight to my eyes. My neighbor in Pennsylvania has Peonies and I look forward to seeing them.
I loved the fun you had on your iPad creating the silhouette. 💗
I am so sorry to hear about your friend Sandra. I am so glad you have an Iris from her. Hugs.
I am so late in commenting. We just got home from a short get away.
Enjoy your weekend dear one!
Thank you, Nancy! I am happy you enjoyed another getaway. Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day!
Thank you ♥️
SO beautiful Pam! I love peonies, and can’t wait to get some into my own garden! So nice that you can remember Sandra with a lovely plant. Thanks for the beauty, and hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Thanks so much, Barbara. Happy Mother’s Day!
We planted our first peony plant last autumn, here in Vermont. I was so happy to see it come up this spring. I appreciate all your advice and information here. We hope to get more plants over time. Your flower displays are absolutely lovely. It is so nice that you were inspired by your friend Sandra and her gardening. I did not know about her blog but I am sure I would have enjoyed it. God bless you!
Thanks so much. I hope your peony gives you beautiful and fragrant blooms!
You brought back memories of the peony bushes our neighbors had during part of my growing-up years. Such luscious, full blooms with that unmistakable light fragrance! You’ve certainly done yours justice, Pam, with the stunning vignettes (as always)! / I too am sorry you’ve lost a good blogging friend. Judging from your comments and those who knew her, she left a legacy of thoughtfulness and kindness–an inspiration to all of us.
Thank you for your sweet comments, Nancy! Peonies are a favorite of mine!
Oh my goodness Pam. Those peonies are gorgeous and they look perfect in the ball jars with your pretty plates. Love the pic of the silhouette too. I am sorry to hear about your friend Sandra, but I’m happy that the peonies bring back such fond memories of her – they really are a beautiful flower. Some peonies will actually grow here in Calgary although I’m not sure which types. I might have to check it out. Wishing you a lovely week!
That is very sad about your friend. I’m sorry for your loss. I can’t believe EM will soon be seven years old! Where does the time go? They grow up way too fast. God bless you and your family.
Thank you, Cheryl. Blessings, my friend!
A breathtaking post…Sandra’s blog was adorable, sending prayers for her … Blessings.
Thank you, Maristella!