Blooming Peonies

In the past,  by mid May,  my garden is full of blooming peonies.  Lovely, fragrant, big peonies.   So,  I was waiting for May with lots of expectation.  Well, May has brought us hail storm, days and nights that felt like winter was here to stay on, rain galore.  My peony buds are so little.  You’d think they got frozen in time from the first time they showed up last April.  

Tree Peonies

Some of the tree peonies like Hana Kisoi, High Noon, and Koukamon did blossom and gave us a wonderful display of big blossoms. Some are just now budding. The itoh Morning Lilac blossomed while the development of 4 buds seemed to have gotten arrested by the recent hailstorm and winter freeze. Visitor (graciously concurring about the weather), still walked away disappointed at not having seen a big display of blooming peonies.  And I share their feelings. 

Itoh Morning Lilac

A close up of High Noon.  Am having fun taking a real close shot at the centers of the flowers.  A new way of taking pictures for me. Hope you like it.

A tree peony – Hephestos.  Lovely velvety red!

Hana Kisoi, tree peony, when it just began to open.

Broken down chair with Hat showing parking direction at the entrance of the Peony Farm

Sales at the Peony Farm

Since opening the Peony Farm on May 1st,we were blessed with lots of visitors (from all over the country) who also purchased plants and made roots reservations. I was surprised at how many people do want to create a peony garden and were so gratified at the large selection of varieties and colors we carry. This makes me happy because it validates my decision to have a peony farm.One visitor even said, “I don’t have to go as far as Salem, Oregon tofind  choice varieties of peonies!”. My sentiments as well when I first started my hunt for a greater selection of peonies for my own garden.

The Garden

The garden, however, is a “park like” vision. Visitors kept commenting on how beautiful the garden looked.The lawn has not looked as green as it did this year!  And the rest of the perennials have grown big it seems like.   The shrubs are bushier.  Is it the rain? or is it the fact that they are at that stage now where they shoot up?  You know – the old truism – first year sleep, second year creep, third year leap! My flowering cherry “Mt Fuji”, with its umbrella like branches, was loaded with flowers for the 1sttime. The daffodils, crocuses and tulips are now faded and regenerating.   The alliums are waving in the air with the hummers zooming in and out of it. The rose bushes are loaded with buds,  the poppies are glorious in colors of orange, salmon, red and pink!  The hostas are growing healthy,and  the ligularia growing taller.  The poor Japanese Maples’ leaves are heavy with rain water. And of course, I can’t hardly keep us with the wildly growing weeds! 

Although the plants in the  vegetable garden are still trying to grow,  the strawberry plants are sporting little tiny fruit buds.  The blueberries have little flowers, the raspberries are full of new growths and the grape vines are doing well.  Oh, and the potatoes and the asparagus are doing very good.  I wish I can say that my fig tree is doing well. 

Overall, the garden is doing good.  Now, let’s hope for a sunny June.  We’ll be enjoying peonies well into July, I think.  That’s a big plus, isn’t it?