Saturday 15 May 2010

A FLEETING BEAUTY

I have had a tree peony for quite a number of years now and it has always lived in a large terracota pot outside my home.  Quite how it has managed to live so many years confined to a pot and neither fed nor watered is a bit of a miracle.  But despite my neglect of this wonderful plant, each year it presents me with just one fabulous flower.  It is a huge blousy orb of a flower with the most devine and delicate scent and graces my life for a very short time before it disappears for another year.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day"

A few weeks ago I decided to repay it for all the joy it has given and take it to Daisy Cottage and actually plant it in the ground where it will have freedom to grow more.  The trouble is, I can't decide where to plant it.  At first I thought it would be good in the orchard garden but then I read that they don't like any wet soil and the soil there can be damp from time to time.  I think I will plant it in the little stetch of soil behind the Great Outdoors Under Cover where it will be fairly dry, sheltered from the wind but still enjoy some sunshine. 

We arrived down in Daisy Cottage last night and it was wonderful to see my lovely peony had bloomed just in time for our arrival.  Of course first thing this morning I was out with my camera taking literally dozens of photos of it.  The photo above is just one of them.  And it really is that glorious pink ~ the photo is totally untampered with.  Standing beside it, on my tip toes to get the flower from above as it has now reached a height of about 5' and I'm a tad vertically challenged, I was surrounded by it's delicate fragrance, so perfect in the warm morning sunshine.


Raindrops on my peony bloom

Now in the afternoon it is raining and there is a bit of a wind getting up and I fear the beautiful big silky petals will all be blown away before the day is through.  But before that happens I am going to pull on my coat and wellies and get out there and take some more photos of my beautiful, fleeting visitor.  And on the upside, it's a happy day for my little tree peony as I now can plant it and let its roots run free in it's new home at Daisy Cottage.

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