This vase of pink peonies from June was a little over the top. I may have squeezed too many blooms into one arrangement, but it was really fun to create. The pink peonies included nameless ones from my friend Kathy as well as darker pink 'Paula Fay.'
At the base I used steel blue leaves from a 'Halcyon' hosta. Grey spikes of Russian sage (Peroskvia) leaves continued the grey theme. I also added a few stems of almost-black 'Chocoholic' bugbane (Cimicifuga) leaves, plus my favorite 'Hall's Purple' honeysuckle stems to arch out around the flowers.
Some of my small-bloomed English roses were in flower, so I added white 'Francine Austin' above.
'Albrighton Rambler' was in bloom for the first time since being planted last fall, so I included a few of its creamy pale pink flowers as well.
White and pink ('Roma') astrantia were included. I also used spikes of unopened Astilbe for texture, but they wilted by the next morning so I won't use them in arrangements again.
I like to add some unusual touches to the old classics, so I included a few buds from my 'Blue Angel' hostas.
Finally, the developing seed pods from my earlier-blooming 'Coral Supreme' peonies added fuzzy grey-green stars to the mix.
I started the season with thirty-some peony plants in the garden, but I didn't have enough of the deep colors. So I divided my deep pink 'Paul M Wild' and 'Felix Supreme' plants, then added a completely new color, 'Black Mulberry,' above. I also bought a chocolate-red 'Buckeye Belle' and ordered more 'Rivida,' 'Kansas,' 'Buckeye Belle' (one wasn't enough), and a new 'Green Lotus' to arrive bareroot this month. When they all get going strong in a few years, June will pretty much be heaven around here!
Thirty peonies? Your garden must be gorgeous n the spring. But then I could tell that from the lovely photos you post.
ReplyDeleteDenise, thank you for all your comments. I always enjoy them even if I don't get back to respond. Have a lovely day!
DeleteI love seeing your arrangements! Even more so that the flowers come from your own garden. That is truly heaven! :)
ReplyDeleteThe vase of peonies looks like perfection to me. Ealier this year (I know it probably wasn't the best time to do so), but I divided a whole bunch of my peonies and put them in other parts of the garden. I cut down the stems and now they are brown. Wonder if I lost them all? I had about 8 transplants. One side of the garden the stems were still green so I left them (and they are doing fine). I just cut down the browning ones.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, peonies don't like being transplanted in leaf but the roots are very sturdy. I've transplanted them in mid-summer before and had the leaves all die but the roots survive to grow just fine the next year. Hopefully that's what you'll find with yours as well.
DeleteThanks for the reply. I've actually transplanted them at different times before...but this is the first time they died back. I hope the roots are just fine. I'm actually tempted to dig one up and check. :)
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