Summer is almost officially over, and we’re reaching the end of a gaudy carnival of flowers that started in early spring—yellow daffodils, lilac lilacs, red-velvet roses, orange marigolds, pink geraniums, and white lilies atop lake pads, to name a few. Of the many blossoms that bud, open, and die, my choice for the fairest of them all are the peonies.
Drop-dead gorgeous
One of God’s stranger creations, peonies begin to shoot up before the last of the snow melts. The stems grow at a steady pace, as if they know exactly what needs to be done and want to do it quickly, efficiently. Before long shiny green leaves unfurl and tiny balls of color take shape. The balls expand, revealing the scalloped edges of newly formed petals. They expand and expand and one day burst open, exposing drop-dead-gorgeous pom-poms—fragrant waves of petals in shades of pinks and fuchsias and dazzling whites.
Easy peasy
Expanding
Having lived for many years in the tropics, where lush foliage is a given, I arrived in Spokane with limited ability as a gardener. So much of what I’ve planted here has shriveled up from lack, or excess, of water or has disappeared into the weeds and been inadvertently pulled out. Not the peonies. I planted one in a sunny raised bed next to the house, and the next year it miraculously shot up, bigger and hardier. So I planted more, and I now have a bountiful showing in late spring. The Farmer’s Almanac reports that peonies thrive on benign neglect, which they get from me in abundance. The flower, long-lasting when cut and put in a vase, symbolizes a happy life and a happy marriage, and the petals are edible. According to Wikipedia, the peony is native to our region (western North America) as well as to Asia and Europe.
However …
Toppling even with supports
My peonies seem to be of the bomb variety, broad petals encircling a dense cluster of shorter, narrower petals. When the flowers open, the stems resemble mini Atlases trying to hold up the heavens. When rain seeps into the flowers, adding more weight, the stems give up and topple over. An odd design on the part of the Creator, but perhaps it is more a result of man’s tinkering to produce an ever-more-spectacular blossom. To avoid having the lovely flowers sprawled on the ground, I bought flower supports, which must be positioned in the ground when the shoots are young. It seems the least I can do for my queen of flowers.
