PERFECTLY PEONY

I think that peonies may be my favorite flower. That is if I had to choose a favorite, it is sort of like asking an artist to pick a favorite color or a chef their favorite food. You may have a slight favorite but you know that the variety brings richness. Peonies are high on my list since they only bloom a very short time in the year. Plants take years to mature and produce masses of blooms. I have had my plants for two years now and below is their entire bouquet production. I can still count all the flowers on one hand.

I used my Grandfather's vase for this bouquet. He was a gardener and gatherer of treasures. When I would visit he would bring Grandma and I breakfast in bed of toast with jam on it that he cut into a heart shape with a cookie cutter. He was a jokester for sure, one time when I was a very little girl I saw a giant snake in the garden. I ran to tell Grandpa about it and he was very concerned and had me point it out to him. "You stay here!" he whispered sternly. I watched him ever so slowly creep up behind the snake and then dive on it like he was jumping into a pool. I was shocked as I watched him wrestle this massive beast and screamed, "GRANDPA BE CAREFUL!!!" He began roaring with laughter and produced the largest fake snake I had ever seen. He had placed it in the garden to scare birds and rabbits but that day an unsuspecting little girl would do just fine. He was so great.

So now I have his vase. Funny how things travel through the family. You never really own anything, you just take care of it. When I walk by these enormous masses of petals the fragrance is heavy in the air and I feel happy and uplifted. I can not wait until I have enough blooms to fill three or four vases. One would be placed on my nightstand so I can wake to their lovely allure.

Here I have created my very own impressionist image of my photo. I wish I could give it to Grandpa, I think he would have liked it.