The Glories of Spring

Spring brings with it some of the year's most gorgeous blooms and blossoms. Plump peonies. Astonishing anemones. Luscious lilacs. A dazzling variety of tulips. Who can resist?

We sure can't. Anymore than we can resist this groaner. If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?

Pilgrims, of course.

A note for the historically-minded. In the mid-16th century, Thomas Tusser, musician, farmer and poet, put his observations on farming, country life and human nature into rhyming couplets and published first A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie, followed by the expanded, Five Hundredth Good Pointes of Husbandrie. To him we owe the familiar observation on April showers among other sayings:

Sweet April showers do spring May flowers.

The stone that is rolling can gather no moss.

Naught venture, naught have.

Look ere thou leap, see ere thou go.

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Some respite to husbands the weather may send, but housewives' affairs have never an end.

Henry Bockstoce, the Energizer Bunny of Peonies

Henry just keeps opening and opening and ... We started watching Henry last Friday when he was just an unprepossessing bud. Today he's reached 7" in diameter and still has more unfurling to do. Will this one make it to 10" as some do? Henry Bockstoce peonies are routinely described as awesome, massive, and dinner-plate sized. So far we can attest to the awesome and massive.

Tulips and Peonies and a Peony Tulip

This new tulip variety looks like it's part artichoke.

Leaves edged in cream add to to this tulip's charm.

The classic Sarah Bernhardt.

Known as a bomb, this type opens to reveal an "explosion of irregular petals."

Tons of petals give peony tulips their lush, peonyish look. 

Coral Peony: Like Two Flowers in One

What's not to love about a peony? They can be dramatic like the saucer-sized tree peony; fluffy like the Sarah Bernhardt; intensely rich and mesmerizing like the Bowl of Cream or magical like the Coral Charm. It starts off as a colorful ball, then unfolds to reveal a center of golden fringe. Eventually the petals slowly fade to soft pink and finally a rich ivory. 

Peony Season: Tree Peonies!

Peony season is under way! Tree peonies have been flying out of the shop but we finally managed to grab a photo of one. As the name suggests, this peony variety grows on woody shrubs. We've seen some blooms open almost completely flat to the size of a dinner plate. We'll also be posting plenty of photos of the more readily available herbaceous peonies that die to the ground come winter.