Thursday 26 June 2014

Pretty Peony

One of the wonderful things about moving home is discovering what floral delights will appear in your new garden.

When we arrived last year this peony was in full bloom and doing remarkably well considering that it was nearly choked with grass, dandelions and buttercups.

Apparently, in Victorian times the peony was associated with bashfulness on account of the fact that nymphs hid amongst its petals.

I think there may be another reason.

As the day starts coming to an end, the peony begins to fold its petals in, going to sleep for the night. If you catch it at just the right time it does indeed look bashful.

I know that it is not the only flower to do this but with such large blooms you can almost see it happening. Take your eyes away for a second and it will have closed just a little more.

It also looks quite bashful when first coming into bloom.


Quite frighteningly, it dies away to almost nothing over winter and, never having had one, I worried about it coming back. It is just as glorious this year and I have grown quite fond of it, which is just as well because it is said that moving a peony will bring bad luck.

It stands proudly outside our front door waiting to welcome us home.

7 comments:

  1. Wonderful flowers, they were one of my mum's favourites. Flighty xx

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    1. Beautiful and I don't need to cut them because they are so close to the house.

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  2. I do like peonys, when we moved here there was 6 diffrent ones and they have such lovely flowers, I have taken some root cutting from them to take with me.

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    1. The flowers are gorgeous aren't they? I hope your cuttings do well.

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  3. Some peonys are very hardy. I have had two peonys for over 40 years in Alberta, Canada. They are most reliable.

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    1. They need to be hardy up here in Cumbria so if they survive in Alberta I guess we're ok :)

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  4. oooppps I moved in new house and moved 2 peonies, and am still planning on moving them again, haven't got garden right yet. Hadn;t heard that it was unlucky to move them. but didn;t suffer so don't 'spect we will again.

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