I am moving slowly today. I’ve managed to come down with a cold or the flu or quite possibly some brain debilitating ailment. I feel so foggy and slow this morning.
Does anyone grow peonies? To me they seem like such a bother. You have to baby them along, they take up considerable space in your flower bed and they only seem to bloom for a few fleeting weeks. Maybe it’s just the climate here. The peonies above are faux – they came from Crate and Barrel. I was fooled when my sister Kate walked in with them and handed them to me.
I have two pots on either side of my garage door that have to be hand watered. Now I have the best of intentions whenever I plant anything but I know myself and I cannot be trusted to hand water on a regular basis. I’m all about the drip system. Only I don’t want tubing running in front of the garage – there is no way to camouflage it. So I’m thinking I may plant a couple of pots of faux peonies instead. Maybe with some ivy trailing down the sides.
The paisley under the peonies is from the April Cornell Sunshine group of fabrics. I received this fat quarter bundle in our white elephant exchange last weekend. The exhange that lasted about 48 seconds because no one would steal anyone else’s gift. We just aren’t wired that way, I guess.
I’m not sure what to do with it just yet. It’s very Springy – I was thinking of a table topper that is mostly white with the blue, green and yellow accents. I know I said I was going to branch out from just making table toppers but I do have a few months left to complete.
Peonies and Paisley – 2 of my favorite, favorite things. Beautiful photos today! I had a peony at my old house. One of my very favorite flowers, but they were always so buggy. I like your idea of faux ones much more than the real thing!
Feel better!
We grew peonies on the farm. My husband started them from his mother’s plants. I love the fragrance of peonies. Some of ours were white and others dark pink. They did quite well. We haven’t tried growing them, since moving here. It’s just the other side of town, weather conditions are the same, so we should have luck.
I like your silk peonies, they look very real. I have considered silk flowers for our front porch, just to get some color out there, for summer. It gets very hot afternoon sun. I’ve had little luck getting any plant to survive there!
I love your new fabric. Beautiful colors and patterns.
Pat
Back Porch Musings
We have some gorgeous peonies that were already on the property when we purchased it. They are white and pink. They really don’t require any fuss, but they do have lots of ants!
🙂
I LOVE that fabric. I’m seriously thinking about buying some. I almost bought some yesterday after I read your post but I talked myself out of it. Then I see your post today and I may just do it! I’m really trying to cut back on my spending but when you see so many beautiful things on everyone’s blogs it’s really hard!
Peonies are one of those “childhood” flowers for me, along with lilacs and honeysuckle…we had them growing in beds at several of the houses we lived in, and my grandmother alwya had them, too. They are so gloriously pretty, and they smell like heaven…but I agree, they’re a bit of work. I keep thinking about trying to grow them at this house (we’ve been here just over a year) but I don’t think I have a good spot.
Hope you get over your cold and back to feeling good soon! Can’t wait to see what you make with your fabrics–that paisley is to DIE for!
I just planted a Peony yesterday. I hope it does alright in the spot I chose. My sister in law has about 50 plants and they are all different colors and just gorgeous. She never babies hers and they’re so healthy looking. I grew up with peonies and just had to have one in my yard again.
In the midwest, peonies are pretty much carefree. My sister has had the same plants in her yard for over 50 years.
There is a local farmer who grows tons of them around here and she cuts the peonies, refridgerates them, and sells the blossoms all summer long at the farmer’s mkt! It is a wonderful thing to buy a fresh peony bloom in July.
I love april cornell fabric, for some reason I thought she went out of business. Or maybe they just closed the store that I would stop by and look around, wishing I could afford something there.
I grow peonies, lots of them. I have been having some trouble lately with them, because they are getting crowded … there is a small ground cover coming from somewhere that I have to scoop out with a spoon because they don’t like ground cover. And there are trees growing larger now, too close and they don’t like that either. But they are so worth the effort and worry. If I could, I would have the entire backyard filled with them 😉