Peonies

It's hard to imagine a more beautiful flower, and John's new camera takes fabulous close-ups. Of flowers, that is. This cruel camera also does a great job on lines and wrinkles, but that's another story.

The peony blooming season is so short, you never get tired of them. The bushes take years to get established, and I think mine have been growing undisturbed for over 25 years. I've never seen an aphid or bit of mildew on any of my peony plants-- they die to the ground in the fall and come back each and every spring. Other than a bit of staking during flowering, totally carefree. A vase of peonies lasts almost a week in the house, beautiful till the very end when the petals shatter apart all at once in an enormous mess on the table.

And that is that, until next year.