June Peonies in a Vase

Last week I created this arrangement of pink peonies for a friend.  I'm still waiting for my darker peonies to mature enough to produce buckets of blooms, but for now I can enjoy plenty of the lighter pinks.

The draping greenery is from one of my contorted filberts (Corylus avellana 'Contorta').  I used astilbe leaves to create a grid to hold other greenery in place, then filled in with Baptisia, variegated Solomon's Seal and hosta leaves.

I used the small flowers of pink 'Roma' and lighter 'Buckland' astrantia (above).  A rosy-tipped stem of snowberry (Symphoricarpos) arches at the left.

 Of course twisting honeysuckle stems were included.  The honeysuckle is blooming right now, filling an entire corner of the backyard with fragrance.

Buds from my 'Eola Sapphire' hostas also added interest.  I don't like the actual flowers enough to use them in arrangements, but the buds are really cool.
The last peonies to bloom are finishing up this week, then it will be another year before peony flowers make their appearance.