Peonies At Sunset
Our peonies, after surviving 40 mile per hour winds, and unseasonably cold spring temperatures, are finally in full bloom. Tuesday, I had been working in the vegetable garden setting out some cucumbers, and was ready to go in for the night, when I noticed the peonies in the light of the setting sun. I just had to get a few pics.
Once planted, peonies will continue to bloom every year for decades. Our farm has been occupied since the late 1800s, and someone who longed to have peonies blooming all over the yard planted them at some time in the past. There’s no telling how long they’ve been here.
This one was a gift from my mom. I planted it near the front door a couple years ago, and this is the first time it has bloomed. Just love pink- it’s my favorite.
It’s common to see ants on the buds and flowers. They are attracted by the nectar on the outside of the buds, but the ants don’t serve any purpose to the peony.
Check out the view in between the petals when a peony is lit from behind by the sun:
Peonies come in many different shades of red, pink, white, and even yellow.
Do you have peonies in your yard? If so, what color, and what is your favorite?
I planted peonies (from my Grandparent’s yard) a couple of years ago. Unfortunately I planted them too close to the wood line, not knowing (any part of a green thumb I have is earned through trial and error) that they need good sun to bloom. I need to move them back out into the sunshine, I guess…they come up, they just don’t make blooms. I suppose that is the problem. Not sure if I should do that now, or in the fall? I’d love to see (and smell) peonies of my own. Yours are absolutely beautiful 🙂
Hi Janet,
That would be my guess- that they aren’t getting enough sun. They like full sun, so you’ll probably have to move them. But the good news is that once they find a happy place, they will bloom there forever.
Thanks for stopping,
Suzanne
Hey Janet,
I forgot to answer your question, sorry. The best time to transplant peonies is in the early fall.
Take care,
Suzanne
Stunning photos with the setting sun. I have one peonie plant. It’s a deep burgandy color. It’s finally of the age to bloom well.
Hi Gardener,
Oh Burgandy….I would love one of those. So pretty.
Thanks for dropping by,
Suzanne
Thanks for the invite~Your photos are wonderful. Peonies are a great plant to have in a border or anywhere in a garden. gail
Yes I do. Your photo shot of them is really amazing.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
The golden light of sunset is perfect for the peony pictures. I have one that is a dark red with yellow in the center. It and the dark red are my favorites.
Beautiful pictures. Incredible that the plant (or is it a tree) can go on for years! But how sad, I can’t grow those lovelies in my hot and humid, tropical, coastal location. I wonder if they are fragrant, too?
Hi Shailaja,
My white peonies are very fragrant, but the pink have no odor, so I suppose it depends on the variety.
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks for your comment on my wildflower post, and for letting me know oxe-eye daisies are from Europe. I hope your wildflower seedlings do well. I’ve never tried butterfly milkweed from seed.
I love your peony photos. I have 2 light pink and one darker pink one, all planted by my mother-in-law over 30 years ago.
Hello Suzanne, thanks for the visit to my blog and sorry it has taken me so long to pop over here!
I haven’t tried growing peonies, although I belive they do grow well where I am. Your photos with the sunset warming their petals show them off beautifully!
Suzanne,
those peony shot are fantastic with the light growing thru them. You have quite the eye!– Randy
Beautiful photos!!
Beautiful photos! I’m a fan of peonies too ~ only have two varieties ~ ‘Bowl of Beauty’ and ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ but am eyeing another & a tree peony right now!
Hi Kathleen,
I’m not sure what the names of our peonies are. I would love to have a red peony. Sometime I’ll get one.
Thanks for visiting,
Suzanne
Suzanne:
I just love peonies. They are so beautiful and fragrant! I have three: one I don’t know what it is; it is white. The other two are raspberry sorbet and sarah bernhardt.
I would love to fill my farm with them…
~Gena
Hi Gena,
Isn’t it amazing that such a beautiful flower requires so little care?
Thank you for stopping by!