Paean: n. a song of joyful praise.
Paeony: Peony (genus Paeonia)
‘Christmas Velvet’
Commanding attention, amid fanfare and adoration, Madame Peony arrives, with a swish of her flouncy skirts and frothy petticoats and her almost-too-strong perfume.
‘Bartzella’
And well she knows, though she may grace humble gardens, and sumptuous bouquets, she rightfully belongs at the court of an emperor, esteemed beyond value, graced with songs of praise.
‘Charlie’s White’
But, though filled with spectacle, her visit is tinged with sadness, for she knows, as do her admirers, that her time is brief, all too brief.
Those who adore her re-order their lives, shunning other distractions to remain by her side.
And once she is gone, no traces will linger – no straggling blooms, no fragrant reminder.
‘White Sands’
But she leaves us a lesson, taught in dazzling fashion, to cherish each moment and to not waste a day.
‘Adonis’
Though Beauty is fleeting and flamboyance will fade…
there is wonder to be found in the simplest of ways.
• • • •
Thank you, as always for your visits and kind comments. Mid June approaches – may it bring you great joy!
xo
– g
Beautiful… I love peonia!
And your pean is great.
…"there is wonder to be found in the simplest of ways." : On our way back from the seaside last sunday there were so many pretty flowers on the edge of the street that goes through a wood that we had to stop the car and pick some: at the moment I have in a white jug a bouquet made of scotch brooms and sweet peas (hope the names are correct), pretty yellow and pink, it smells so good…
oh, my goodness!! i don't think i have ever seen a peony that color of burgundy, it's simply gorgeous. i love the petticoat on the white one too. that is one thing that we have never grown in our garden. you have inspired me to put that on my planting list for next spring.
once again, you amaze me with the beauty you and God create….
hugs, cindy
Georgianna, what a lovely tribute to the peony, one of my favourite perennials.
I was with GWA members at a peony festival on Sunday and ended up with about 30 photos of lovely flowers from the garden and the indoor competition. Because I favour pink peonies, I may have to buy 'Gay Paree' that is stunning.
Yellow varieties are becoming very popular and the Itoh 'Callie's Memory' won for the best in its class – what a beauty!
Judith
what lovely flowers, they brought this to mind –
Mary Oliver – Peonies
This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
to break my heart
as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers
and they open
pools of lace,
white and pink
and all day the black ants climb over them,
boring their deep and mysterious holes
into the curls,
craving the sweet sap,
taking it away
to their dark, underground cities
and all day
under the shifty wind,
as in a dance to the great wedding,
the flowers bend their bright bodies,
and tip their fragrance to the air,
and rise,
their red stems holding
all that dampness and recklessness
gladly and lightly,
and there it is again —
beauty the brave, the exemplary,
blazing open.
Do you love this world?
Do you cherish your humble and silky life?
Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?
Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
and softly,
and exclaiming of their dearness,
fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,
with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
their eagerness
to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
nothing, forever?
Gorgeous! That rich red is unique to me, but beautiful!
Suze, your seaside trip and your wildflower bouquet sound so charming and lovely – a perfect summer adventure!
Thank you, Cindy! I realized I hadn't added the names of each one so have done that now but the burgundy one is 'Christmas Velvet' and the white is 'Charlie's White'. Isn't that burgundy rich and glorious?
Judith, what fun the peony festival must have been! I am partial to the pink ones, too, but for our image library have to photograph all of them. The yellow 'Bartzella' has amazing fragrance and 'Callie's Memory' is gorgeous. The Itoh's are really popular here, too.
As a note on purchasing, most of these are sold through Adelman's Peony Gardens outside of Salem, Oregon.
xo
Gorgeous photos. Lovely words. Thank you for brightening our day!
Zuzu
The peony is my favorite flower. I can't say enough how much I love the lush beauty of this flower, as well as its scent. We have two peony bushes on our property, planted by a former owner. They are such a blessing!
xo
Claudia
Goodness those are beautiful! I've never seen that deep burgandy before. My favorite of all is the last of all, the gorgeous pink. I'll never forget the first peonies I ever saw. We had moved to NC from FL and were living in an older rental home. Up came these gorgeous green leaves and round buds covered with ants. Then one morning I looked out and there was an entire row of gorgeous blooms. OMGosh, I squealed with delight and ran out in my nightgown to see them up close. We lived there for several years and each year I was newly delighted when the peonies bloomed. I wonder if they grow in pots! ♥
Peonies are definitely one of my fave summer flowers. So gorgeous, so sweet and so faithful. Thank you for sharing so many beautiful shots! Mine are not flowering yet but thanks to blogging we can have blooming peonies for a long time. Have a great week and wonderful mid-June! Karin xo
Hi Georgianna,
Wow!!! I love all peonies and have collected many different varieties but I have never seen that rich burgandy'Christmas Velvet' before-I love it!
Only my early peonies are blooming now but soon I will be surrounded by these beauties.Now, you have given me inspiration once again-such beautiful photos of one of my favorite flowers!
Take care,
Carolyn
what a lovely post to peonies, my FAVORITE flower! i used them for my wedding and was sooo happy i did. the petals are soo sweet and romantic and light pink ones are my fave!
Such glorious and beautiful images of mother nature at her best.
Absolutely gorgeous peonies. The red one was so rich looking. Stunning. I attended a Peony festival on the weekend and I was awed and amazed at the variety, fragrance and colour of them.
Christmas Velvet! I had no idea there was such a beautiful peony….she is exquisite! thank you….smiles.
Oh, the red just takes my breath away!
Brenda
Wow, breathtaking photos and beautiful poetry! Thank you so much for the inspiration. What a treat for my eyes! (Over here its winter and its a drab rainy day). Wini xo
Ahhh… these make me sigh. Our weather deterred them this season. Sad because I love them so much. So, this post gives even more joy because I can live vicariously through it. Thanks and blessings dear friend.
Those photos and peonies are just so beautiful, I can't believe they come in so many different delicate shades and then the really strong dark red, amazing! Love from London, Carole x
Lovely flowers and gorgeous images.
Such inspiring and poetic words Georgianna! As for peonies, they are by far one of very my favourite flowers with their gorgeous ruffled skirts and layered petticoats… x
Georgianna, I am simply speechless and can't take my eyes off this Luxury!! I love peonies so much and when looking through some peonies catalogues I'm always dying to buy them all:))
This spring we've planted a 'White Crane' and now, in our garden, there're 4 other beautiful sorts in full bloom!
Those Burgundy, Bartzella and White Sands…ohh, really all of them – I'm almost feeling their fragrance! Excellent photos and inspiring writing too!
Hugs!
OH, these images are so rich I can smell the faintest whiff of the peonies scent fading away. Lovely. So lovely.
Do you ever submit your images to Victoria Magazine? I've thought over and over again that your work is a perfect fit.
Thank you very much, Relyn. I actually have a long term dream of having my images appear in Victoria! I know in the new publication they use mostly in house photographers. I've found it a bit difficult reaching anyone to speak to at the publisher – I know how it is from the other end, usually very busy. But I haven't given up! xo – g