Wednesday 20 June 2012

Peonies...to pick...or not to pick?

I was reading Little Macaroon's most recent post a few moments ago, and wowing at her photos of a visit to London where she had seen peonies en masse....gorgeous!  I was just commenting that my peony in the garden, had always failed to produce anything more than just leaves, and then remembered when taking a wander around the garden the other day  (the type of wander where you pretend not to notice all that needs doing) I spotted a bud....just the one, but a bud indeed!

Anyway, looking up from the ipad whilst commenting on the lovely photos, I spotted  a splash of red in among all the weeds wildlife area of the garden, so I finished writing my comment and then went to go see, but as I looked out of the kitchen window, it was gone!

Now explain that one would you?

Inexplicable I would say, oh unless that is you had taken in to account a three year old boy.....my three year old boy.....



So.......I was a little alarmed that I was going a little loopy at first....it was there....and then it wasn't ......then there was the happiest smile coming through the back door with a dandelion and the peony grasped firmly in sweaty hands......

To be honest, who could blame him for picking it..........I don't tend to pick flowers from the garden as it seems a little frivolous.........he wanted me to enjoy it, and probably it may have  quietly flowered  and I would have been too busy ticking off the to-do list to notice.......

I have made no secret of the fact that I am a lazy gardener, sometimes having a splurge, feeling like I've made some headway only to find, the next day, the weeds are twice as big......

The thing is, I also tend to feel a little overwhelmed by it all, which rather than motivate, puts me into 'stop-mode' and then it all gets positively jungle-ous.


But......there are  some things which just happen in their own miraculous way inspite of my gardening skills!

Maybe there's a lesson to be learnt for me, taught by a little boy who wanted me to see something beautiful in our garden that I had clearly missed......'wake up Mum and smell the peony'


12 comments:

  1. Aaww bless your little lad, he loves his mummy and wanted to show that with the peony. I must say Faith that I would have been tempted to pick that one too. But then again, I am a crazy flower picker and have to adorn my rooms with little posies. Enjoy that absolute miracle of beauty your little chap picked for you xox

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  2. Aww thats so cute. I think I would have picked it too! its just so beautiful.

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  3. Amaaaaaazing!
    I love peonies and would you believe, the EXACT same thing has happened to me this year:
    So we had a lovely peony plant in our old garden which had the most beautiful leaves, but did bugger all else. We moved to our new house a couple of years ago and transplanted said peony which still did bugger all.
    Until this year, when it has burst into life and produced the most brilliant and beautiful white flower. I did pick it. It was worth looking at for a few days, I can tell you!
    Incidentally, it has produced no other flower buds since.
    Oh well...!
    Xx

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  4. What a beautiful peony..truly an indescribable burst of colour...what a delightful little boy...wanting to bless his Mum. You are indeed doubly blessed!! Joan

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  5. Oh this is so beautiful!! What a sweetie!!!

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  6. I love that he found this peony and wanted to share it with you ... even if it meant bringing the peony indoors rather than YOU outdoors. It's a beauty, by the way, and take a note from me: if you spend 30 minutes each day in your garden working on one very small piece, you'll be amazed at how different you will feel about your garden after only a week. Like most things, I try to take small bites rather than look at the whole plate!

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  7. We have a wilderness area too - I like to call it "the little copse" because, after all, it DOES have lots of trees. (I try not to notice the weeds at their feet.)

    A peony is one flower that ought to be picked, I think. The scent is so lush it belongs inside where you can properly enjoy it. Kudos to your little guy for his good flower-picking instincts. :)

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  8. That peony is fabulous! I love the intense colours of peonies. What a sweet thought of your little boy to pick it for you. You have this for keeps now in a way that if it had remained unpicked you might not have. Funny how these things go. Enjoy! E x

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  9. Oh, how precious he must be. I too am a "lazy gardener" and I'm glad you put a name to it and I too get overwhelmed with things and then just stop doing any of it which of course is not the best plan of action.
    I have one peony that I planted 7years ago and I get one bloom per year except this year I got none. Could it be that it is in the middle of a weed patch? Yours is gorgeous and I love their smell. Maybe I just need to buy more and plant many?

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  10. I love peonies! I love them in the pale pink, they look so charming in a vase. I get why your boy picked it haha.

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  11. Wake up and smell the peonies, indeed! A very smart little guy you have there. Not to mention a very loving little guy. :)

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  12. What a lovely post. And what a very special little boy you have there.

    I adore peonies, and though they look wonderful in a garden I actually think they are at their most perfect indoors in a jug. Enjoy it :D

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