I decided to make my first BEAUTY post about my beloved peonies. The house I live in was built in 1929. I’m not sure how long the over 40 peony bushes have been here but they were present in our back yard when my family moved in 16 years ago. Each year they grow bushier and taller and I’m beginning to think they might need to be cut back or something? I’m not a gardener, I’ve been known to kill every house plant I have ever owned. That said I do love these peonies more than almost everything.
Berit Francis in the garden.
“They” say that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Well this beholder finds immense beauty and joy in most flowers but particularly in peonies. I eagerly await their spectacular bloom every year. I’ve been taking pictures of them each season over the past 15 years or so. Someday I’d like to publish a coffee table book of the captured images. (Another goal to accomplish in the future). I try to sit outside as much as I can during this time which I refer to as “Peony Week.” This year I made a conscious effort not to travel at all during this time. I invited several guests over to enjoy them as well. I shared bouquets with friends, family members and a few other people I thought might enjoy them as well. I received a gift back when my son’s girlfriend’s mother told them that she thinks peonies may now be her favorite flower. I’m thrilled to think I may have introduced another person in becoming a peony enthusiast.
The hardest part is witnessing their fleeting existence. The last few years, it seems their peak only lasts about a week…Either a rain storm comes in or extreme heat shortens their brief life. This year, it was both. After losing both of my parents within a year of each other, not so long ago, this awareness of life’s fleeting nature feels stronger than ever. As I cherish these last days of salvaging the blooms and beauty, I remind myself that our time here on earth is equally fleeting. This leaves me sad and wistful but also energized to embrace life fully simultaneously. I think nature has a way of teaching us lessons through observing its own life cycles.
Do any of you have peony stories do you would like to share? Or do you find yourselves drawn to a particular flower, tree, season or place in nature? I’d love to hear what captures your heart the way peonies capture mine.
Here are some of my favorite images from this year’s super bloom:
