Stop And Smell The Peonies

We've all heard the saying "Stop And Smell the Roses" but nobody ever tells us to stop and smell the peonies. I wonder why? Maybe it's because they are so fragrant all on their own that they make you instantly stop? I'm not sure, but today as I was in my garden I stopped along the way to smell my peonies. 


The peony was named after Paeon, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. When Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower. 

When we moved in to our home we were gifted with several flowers, the peony was one of them. Although I'm not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination I have tried by trial and error to see where the flourish the best. I moved them from the back of the house to the side of the house and now they have found their home in the front. They must like where they are because this year they are really blooming. I have five peony bushes carrying a variety of white, pink and hot pink flowers. They have exquisite large blossoms, and their fragrance is heavenly.


My mom always told me that you should give the first fruits if your labor and gift them to someone. Today I will visit my mom and give her the first fruits of my peony bush labor. Here are what they look like.

Are the fruits of your labor not blooming? They may be the result of any of these factors:

Planting too deeply
Immature plants
Excess nitrogen
Inadequate sunlight
Overcrowding
Phosphorus and/or potassium deficiency
Insect or disease problems
Competition from roots of nearby plants
Late freezes