[This was written when I had a photo of pink peonies in my header.]
As you can see by my header and avatar, I love peonies. My mom grew them for years and I have fond memories of their fragrance filling up our home. I wish they lived longer–they’re so beautiful.
Last weekend Mr. Prose and I went to Seneca Creek State Park, where they have a great collection of peonies. My favorite is this one, Raspberry Sorbet:
The layers of pink, lavender and cream get me every time. Here’s one peeking out from the weeds:
And lastly, a closeup of those layers:
On all sides
the peony wards off
rain clouds
~Yosa Buson (Japanese poet, 1716-1783)
{ms. pearl}
Pearls & Prose 
Love the quote and the beautiful photos. I can’t wait until mine start blooming. I wish they bloomed longer as well. I remember Mom having about a dozen plants when I was growing up and it was always fun to bring some for our teacher at the end of the school year.
My mom’s peonies lasted about 30 years. One year they just didn’t come up. I thought they would last for generations.
Love the pictures as always and the poem.
Thank you. It wasn’t easy finding verses about peonies.
Lovely, lovely post. The flower is so beautiful and I love Haiku’s.
I wouldn’t have thought they smell, I assumed it was like azalea.
Most peonies have a scent, but some don’t. It’s hard to describe–kind of like rose with a tang to it. I love haiku.
I love peonies too and want to grow them. I had the thought this year about perhaps trying more flowers and less vegetables, at least using my garden space better.
I’d grow vegs if I had the room, but there’s little space left and the trees give so much shade.
For some reason (stupid firewall) I can’t view your photos at work so I have been waiting ALL day to see this post. It was worth the wait. These are GORGEOUS!!! I’ve never seen that type before. Just beautiful!
Ah, those blasted firewalls! Thanks…glad they were worth the wait. 🙂
Did you call them raspberry sorbet or is that the name of this variety? Either way, it’s just a perfect description.
The last shot looks like a Georgia O’Keeffe painting!
Wow, thank you! I have seen this variety called “raspberry sorbet” and “raspberry sundae.” Not sure if they are two different varieties or not.
An incredibly beautiful flower. Here in California they are a hot commodity at the farmers market. $7 for ONE BLOOM!! But your photos are of a kind I’ve never even imagined. Absolutely beautiful.
The poem was as lovely and delicate as the peony. Thanks for sharing.
Totally dreamy photos. Sigh.
Yes, I remember buying them at Trader Joe’s in California and then they lasted only a day or two, sigh. Finally bought some fake ones at a Home Depot Expo Center right before it folded. Thanks so much for the kind words.