It’s not all prickles and barbs here, there are a few fluffy gobs of pink which have found their way into the garden and onto the kitchen table.

Peony season is here and in my opinion the best place for them is a vase.

Nearly all the huge blooms end up being cut and brought into the house, they’re so heavy that even with strong stems the flowers end up down in the dirt.  Staking would be an option but cutting is far less work, and often they last longer in the house protected from the weather.

There’s no simple grace in a double peony, it’s all fat opulence and fluff. 

This anonymous peony was purchased as a single pink and it’s not even close, but I love it anyway.  A wild guess would say it’s ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ but the blooms barely have a fragrance and from what I read Sarah should have scent to spare.  No complaints though, fragrant blooms are not welcome in a house full of allergy cursed and fragrance sensitive noses.

Possibly ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peony?

Even though the flowers do nothing for the nose, I love running my hands over the flowers and teasing the flowers open.  It’s a habit my grandmother would always complain about, saying it would ruin the flowers.  She was right of course, but peony season is so short might as well enjoy them, plus burying your nose in a peony is far safer than snuggling up to a thistle 🙂