The Peonies Have Arrived!

It is our second spring at Gaye Gardens and the peonies arrived this week in screaming color.

There isn’t really a way to photograph these. You really need to see (and smell) them in person to explain how gorgeous they really are!

The peony flower is actually named after Paeon, a student of Asclepius and the Greek god of medicine and healing. In Greek mythology, when Asclepius became jealous of his pupil, Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower. He must have been gay and really fond of pink. I'm clearly a descendent.

I've been telling everyone that we have 83 bushes but it turns out that I was lying. There are three more bushes in the back that apparently didn't bloom last year so we have 86-90ish because I think I may have missed one by the back barn and I’m too tired to do a formal recount.

I will be building peony cages next spring so that these don't fling themselves to their death.

Most of them appear to be Sarah Bernhardt Double Peonies. Which is fine because they are my favorites and are about the size of my hand! (Not that this means anything since I have tiny lady hands)

We also have a few Bowl of Beauty, Coral Charm and Raspberry Sunday peonies tossed in. Da Fu Gui is the super hot pink ones that are so saturated that they look fake. It is strange to live in a place where these just magically appear.