Peonies In Bloom

 Our weather has been really nice, but rainy. The peonies were on the cusp of blooming all week and then Friday, with warmer weather, they burst open wide!

We cut the blooming peonies and brought them inside. The scent is so amazing, and there are more peonies to bloom still, including my pink Sarah Bernhardt's. 

I'm going to work on getting some photos of my roses. They are all starting to bloom, too! 

Peonies In Bloom

Finally!

The peonies are beginning to bloom.

These are the ones I forced last week.  I had to help them open up but then they bloomed out nicely.  These are from a bush in the back of the house.

The rest of these photos are from my peony bush in the cottage garden in the front of the house.

I don't know the name of these peonies, but the smell like old fashioned roses! Love them!

I hope you had lovely weekend.  We had a quiet weekend, but it was nice.  Tim planted my new hydrangea yesterday, and I'll show that to you soon.  The roses are going to bloom soon, too! I'm very happy about that!

Peonies

The dark pink have an old fashioned rose scent, and the light pink have a soft scent.  I adore both.  

I think I may look for a white peony to add to my garden.  Oh, if only peonies lasted through summer!

Busy, But Wonderful, Weekend

This past weekend was a really good one.  

It started on Friday, when I hosted my mom and some of her friends for their monthly girls luncheon.  Lindsay had come over in the morning and she made shortbread cookies, and helped me set the table.  

I had decided on blue and white, to use my new plates, and I new I had enough blue and white tea cups.  For the luncheon I made curried chicken salad and served it on a bed of spring greens, and a slice of cantalope.  I made cream scones, and had Tunnock's tea cakes, Lindsay's shortbread cookies, and a gluten free lemon yogurt cake with a strawberry puree' and whipping cream.

Everyone got to choose their own tea, of course.  They all had a delightful time, and I'm thinking that I need to host them again for an afternoon tea in the autumn!

I was proud to be invited to attend Cheryl's daughter Kati's wedding on Saturday.  

Their love story is sweet, and the wedding was lovely.  Full of family, she included all of her nieces and nephews, other than sweet baby Judah!  Cheryl's immediate family all sang the song "Welcome to the Family."  This song was one of the popular 'Psalty, The Singing Songbook' children's series, many years ago.  

I won't share more, as I will leave that to Cheryl, but it was a special day for an amazing young woman, and young man, who waited on God.

In other news, the peonies I cut have opened.  More slowly than when I get them from the floral supplier, so I think I just cut them a tad early.  The ones that aren't open are a different color and tend to bloom just a bit later than the pink.

It's peony season, friends.  Prepare to see lots of photos!

I hope you had a really good weekend.  See you tomorrow!

Friday Five

Happy Friday, Friends!  

It's gloomy skies here, a bit windy, and I think we're going to get some rain today.

Kyle will be finishing up his standardized testing today, going with me to get groceries (he wants to pick out a few snacks!) and then we'll pick up Sarah from work.

1.  Our hens are laying prolifically, in the nesting boxes and one or two like to lay in the barn.  This is several days worth of eggs.

2. Speaking of hens - they love treats and they come running when I call them.  They also come running anytime they see me hoping I'll have a treat for them.  

3. We cut my bridal veil spirea back a lot last year.  It has some flowers on it this year but nothing like in years past.  Next year it should flower well again.  I love its dainty flowers.

4. Coffee Pods Abound - we keep a lot of pods around for when we have guests.  Organic Peruvian, decaf, Hazelnut, even hot cocoa.

5. Peonies - I'm trying something new with a few peonies.  This is how growers cut them for florist and bridal flower designers.  We buy them tight with a bit of color showing, them clean them and put them in warm water.  I'm hoping that my flowers last a bit longer than usual.

Normally, I cut them after they've bloomed.  So we'll see how it goes, and I'll be sure to show you.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

Peonies

The peonies were late to bloom this year, but they've been glorious.

I am enjoying them all around the house, sharing them with friends, and while sitting in the garden reading.

I love having plants that allow me to beautify our home, both inside and out.  Don't you?



ps - I am not receiving any comments in my email, so I will be responding to your comments in the comments!

Garden: Peonies In Bloom

Here near the end of May, the peonies are finally in bloom!  I love growing things in my garden that bring beauty to my home!

How is your garden growing?

Peonies

The week the peonies started to bloom we had three days of 90 degree heat.  That made all the blooms on my first blooming bush to 'bloom' out!  Boo.  I like them to ease their way open so that I can enjoy them longer.

The light pink peonies and a different pink that are in the back of the house (they get morning light verses the front ones that get afternoon light) took a bit longer to bloom, but then the rains started again.

So I picked nearly all of them!

I have some professional flower fresh and I'm still enjoying them!

The girls and I had a great visit with my friends and her daughters.  Later we met up with all the family to celebrate our May birthday people.  

Thursday, I took it easy and read nearly all day.  Then I babysat Klaire (Kamryn was at my mom's house) while her parents went to see a movie.  She was such a good girl and I enjoyed one on one time with her.

Yesterday, was grocery and errands.  Kyle and Sarah helped my dad place flags on Veterans graves, for Memorial Day, at a local cemetery.

Today, I mowed, washed my van, cleaned the horse trough with Kyle, made BLT's.  

My cough is still hanging around, but I have more energy than I did earlier in the week.  Tomorrow Lindsay is hosting an airsoft game in the afternoon, and Rachel is hosting a bonfire in the evening.

Vee, I'm praying for you.  This is a hard weekend.  Know that you are very loved.

Let's Keep Looking to Him!
Luke 12:22-31
 Then  Jesus   said to his   disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your  body, what you will wear.  For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing.  Consider the ravens:  They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds!  And which of you by worrying can add an hour to his life? So if  you cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about  the rest?  Consider how the flowers grow; they do not work or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!  And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven,  how much more will he clothe you, you people of little faith! So do not be overly concerned about what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things. For all the nations of the world pursue these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, pursue his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Resting

Remember how I said I was resting and trying to fight off a cold?  I thought I had conquered it but on Saturday, I realized it had me in its grip.

Its not horrible over all, no fever, just a cough and ear stuffiness.  The cough isn't even too bad.   Its really just enough that I feel tired and in need of rest.

Sunday I stayed home from church - a rare occurrence - and relax.  Today will be more of the same.  I'm sleeping well at night which is helpful.

I must be much better by Wednesday, when I have dear friends coming for a visit.  They've recently moved back to our area after living out of state for several years.  We haven't seen them in just over a year, and since its just the ladies in the family coming, we're pretty excited for the day.

We have two family birthdays coming up - Nate and Rachel.  He'll be 28 on Wednesday, and then Rachel will be 18 on the 31st.  There is airsoft and a bonfire planned for this weekend.

I'm leaving you with some beauty to look at -

My light pink peonies are in bloom!

Peonies In Bloom

Two days ago the peonies began to bloom, so I did what I always do - I snipped a few.

The next day I snipped three more and made this arrangement.

This is how the peony in the front garden looks this morning.

They are so beautiful and the scent is heavenly!

Garden: Peonies In Bloom

One of my favorite times of the year is here - The Peonies are in bloom!

 There are actually two different kinds here.  The ones above are from my front garden and have the most divine scent.  These below are nearly the same color, though if you look carefully you will see the shapes of the petals are different.

These peonies are so gorgeous every year.

The pale pinks are not in bloom yet.  Hopefully in a few days. Those peonies are so beautiful, but don't have much scent.

What's blooming in your garden?

Joining Bernideen and Sandi!