Peonies as promised

Today is Memorial Day, and it's heading for 97 degrees.

We got up and mulched the back terraces (except one end), while they were shaded by the house, and before the extreme heat.

Now it is too hot to work, so we're waiting for evening shade.  I'm filthy, but how many showers can you take in one day?  I'll surely need one after the next phase of mulching.

Mulching gives instant gratification, but it's not really "once and done."  It looks great when you first put it down, and then you have to keep after it.  It impedes weeds, but doesn't halt them altogether.  However, it makes weeding much more manageable, on the whole.  It's one of many imperfect gardening solutions, and the cost of doing it again and again is one of its drawbacks.  However, mulching helps a lot, both for weed inhibition and for water retention, and it is one of the few "solutions" that enables you to continue planting if you wish, merely by sweeping aside the mulch and digging where you want to add a specimen.  As long as you don't use landscape fabric, this is true.  Words cannot express my hatred for landscape fabric.

So, here I am, filthy, waiting for the heat of the day to pass, and what better to do than blog?

I love peonies.  The only trouble with peonies, is that they don't last long enough.  Some peonies are actually easy to miss!  It's so disappointing when that happens... I go out to visit them, and find that they have bloomed and wilted, all over the weekend I was away.  Also, as soon as a rainstorm passes through, all those lush, heavy blossoms fall sodden to the ground, never to rise again.  And of course ants.  The ants on peonies are formidable.  But none of the drawbacks could induce me not to love peonies, because they are simply the most charming, vibrant, luxurious flower in the garden.

Without further delay, I bring you peonies:

Here's a start.  It's hard to capture the extent of them...

This silly bush is out in front of everything, by the mailbox.  They aren't a typical peony, but I've learned to appreciate their sweet simplicity and childlike faces.  Also, this bush is particularly profuse, and what's not to love about a profusion of peonies?

Back to the first corner I started to show you...

I can't seem to get detail plus profusion in a single shot.  I'm always more enchanted by the detail.  You'll have to believe me that the overview was also charming.

And here, you can see the ants.  I itch a little, just looking at the photo.

I just adore those pink ones.  Pink peonies.  

Is there anything more ridiculously delightful than a pink peony?

I mostly missed them this year; I think they peaked while David was becoming a doctor.

This yellow peony always blooms crazy-early.  I'm onto her now.  I usually get to enjoy a few views of these gigantic blooms before they pass their glory days.

Yellow peonies seem to be very rare.

So, that's a collection of peony photos.  They aren't this fresh anymore, and I'm steeling myself for the job of deadheading them later this week.  It's always sad to lop off these faded glories and then set in to wait for the next flush of blossoms.

But I have nasturtiums poking up, promising pleasures to come!