Sunday, June 14, 2020

Not Much of a Garden but the Peonies Have Arrived!

When it comes to plants, I have terrible luck in general. Unfortunately, the plants I am trying to kill -- three agapanthus -- have never looked better. But it's nice to have a garden. I planted the lettuce and radishes earlier this spring and truly, I never thought they'd come up! But now, enough for a salad!


My fifty little pockets of starter seeds have now been transplanted and are doing well. Most will probably end up being divided again when they get a little bigger and stronger and either planted in the ground or planters.


The morning glories are by the fence and soon they'll bring some bright color to Lizzie's bird window!


The strawberries look better and better every day, and so do the herbs. The sweet peas don't have blooms yet but they are spreading about and getting taller. I can wait for that burst of hot pink!


My neighbor gave me her trellis when she moved and finally I have a climbing spot for the climatis!


The bleeding hearts are still good -- or they are when I write this. Who knows by the time I post it!


Now, let's talk peonies! When I moved in here there were four peony bushes at the back of the house. This side faces east and there is a good deal of shade so they are quite late bloomers.


But when they bloom, they bloom!


Oh, they're quite wonderful. And they are so fragrant! Since they are right by the living room window, which I leave open 24/7, it's like having the best potpourri in the world! Even better!


There are still a lot of buds, so I am hoping these will last for a very long time.


Now, if only I could figure out how to bring in a bouquet without also bringing in a whole army of ants!


Any ideas? Drowning them doesn't seem to work!

Sharing with:   Love Your Creativity    /     Let's Keep in Touch      /     Tuesday Turn About     /     Share Your Style     /     Pink Saturday    

56 comments:

Susie said...

I love the colors of the peonies and I adore bleeding hearts. Your clematis is going to love climbing. Jeanie you have done wonderfully well growing from seeds. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

Valerie-Jael said...

Your garden looks wonderful, you have quite a variety growing there. And even strawberries, lovely! Enjoy your day, hugs, Valerie

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

Such a beautiful garden - so many pretty flowers and wonderful edibles. I love the photo of the green strawberries and all the luscious peonies. I am interested to hear if anyone has a solution to the ant problem. Glad to see you are making the best of this very strange summer. Sending hugs xo Karen

eileeninmd said...

Hello Jeanie,

Your plants look like they are all doing well. I love the peonies, the climbing clematis and the bleeding hearts. The strawberries will be delicious. Happy Gardening! Enjoy your new week!

DUTA said...

I love strawberries, but now after seeing your picture of the strwaberry plant with the growing little green fruit, I love them even more.

Red Rose Alley said...

The Peonies are wonderful, Jeanie. What a vibrant color they are. You will enjoy them in your flower bed. I've never really smelled their fragrance, sounds so nice. This was my cousin's favorite flower. She passed away, so when I see the Peony, I think of her. : )

~Sheri

Fair Meadow Place said...

Jeanie, Peonies are my favourites. I absolutely adore them. The fragrance is so lovely. Your garden is doing very well. Can't wait to see pictures of the Morning Glory.

Barbara

Divers and Sundry said...

I don't have luck with fruits or veggies -not really enough room or sun... Your strawberries look great! I moved my clematis, and I hope it does better in its new location. It wasn't blooming where it was. Yours is so pretty against that trellis. Your peonies are delightful. And next to a window sounds so sweet :) I wish I knew what to suggest for ants :(

Evi Erlinda said...

What a lovely garden with amazing blooms and fruits!

bobbie said...

Gorgeous peonies!! But I've never associated them with scent ~ only ants!
Enjoy!

Pamela said...

Beautiful garden! I can almost smell the peonies.

Linda Sue said...

Beautiful garden, very sweet! peonies are fabulous right now, the ants scamper when I run the blossoms under the faucet, but then i feel bad when they go down the drain. Forgive me, god of ants, I am sorry.

Allyson said...

Your peonies are gorgeous!! Peonies always attract those pesky ants.

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

You have a beautiful garden of peonies, Jeanie! I give the blooms a good shake and put the blossom down head first into a bucket of water. It's not foolproof, but I love bringing them indoors anyway. I love seeing those lovely strawberries--my favorite!

Prims By The Water said...

Love all of your flowers! So pretty! Janice

Pam said...

Wow...look at you go. I love it. Plant on lady, plant on.

Misadventures of Widowhood said...

Your peonies made me homesick for the farmer's market where in other years I'd buy cut peonies from a gentleman who had over 400 bushes...colors you never see any where else.

Iris Flavia said...

Oh, I could get jealous ;-)
Here nothing. Nada. Even the strawberries aren´t sweet,I have no idea, why!
The bleeding hearts are beautiful!
And wow, it must be wonderful with the scent.
An army of ants, LOL, sorry, but this made me laugh!

Rustic Pumpkin said...

Everything looks so grand, and doing well. Isn't it such a wonderful feeling of immense satisfaction to see things we nurture grow before our very eyes?

Deb in Wales

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Goodness, Jeanie, you have planted a ton of pots. I wish I had the vast room you have. Your pots are doing well, too. Far better than mine.

I could cry over your lovely peonies. My neighbor killed mine because they were close to the line of my property. I was sick. I brought them with me from MO and they had been my grandmother's before that. These are simply amazing. I'm off to cry in my coffee, now (grin).

David M. Gascoigne, said...

By and large everything looks good, Jeanie. i have the perfect way to ensure garden success - leave it to Miriam! Works every time!

Sami said...

Your flowers are beautiful Jeanie. I never have much luck with flowering plants, so I just have green.

Joanne Huffman said...

Love your flower pics. I have a purple thumb (plants linger, giving me hope, and then die); so my enjoyment of gardens is vicarious.

La Table De Nana said...

Coming along nicely!!

I guess I do bring ants in and kill when I see..
I find the big white peonies have way more ants..I made a bouquet yesterday featuring only one peony..no ants:)
I found a way to deter squirrels and chipmunks..chicken wire for sure ..but for large areas..I pruned my most prickly rose bushes and have put the branches down like an obstacle corse..it's been one week..no ravage.
Except my f9fof0fof0fof0 rose chafers are back:(
I sound like a mean gardener.;)

shoreacres said...

Now, these are peonies! So many gardeners post photos of flowers they say are peonies, but they have far fewer petals -- they're not as extravagant as these. This is the sort we always planted at gravesites, because of their willingness to come back every year -- and they're just the right color, too.

Rita C at Panoply said...

Ahhh.....another late blooming zone garden, to keep spring going in my mind. Lovely.

Stevenson Q said...

How lovely these are dear Jeanie! I really like the flower pots and the plant boxes, they look super cute! Today I also planted a second Mustard seedling on my garden :) I hope it thrives and grow strong just like the first one. Hope you are well this new week Jeanie! Greetings to you and Rick!

PS Love those green strawberries! They look like Martian Strawberries :)

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

I think your garden is looking great!

Pam Richardson said...

Jeanie, your garden is really looking pretty. The peonies are stunning, I am still hoping for blooms next year on my four bushes. The clematis looks lovely on the trellis and what a sweet reminder of your neighbor that has moved. Happy Monday!

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

peonies are so special - I miss seeing them

Joyful said...

It's gratifying when we grow things and they spring forth. We've had so much rain here that several of my seeds did not sprout and my lettuce isn't growing so well. But I am still happy with the flowers and greenery. Have a wonderful week ahead.

Silver in AZ said...

My goodness, your garden looks amazing! So glad all is well with you...well, as well as can be expected in the world right now!

I'm back to blogging, after a 9 mo. hiatus!

Silver in AZ said...

p.s. apparently I had my blog locked down from last year, so it looked like by invitation only. I've opened it up. dur. LOL

The French Hutch said...

Oh how beautiful your garden grows Jeanie! Everything looks wonderful and looks as if you will have plenty to divide and plant. Love the trellis for your clematis and those little bleeding hearts are precious. Oh my, the peonies are so beautiful. The color is amazing. How fortunate the bushes were there when you moved in. I wish I had planted these early on, I have to depend on Trader Joe's for mine. Whatever you are doing it's working and nothing like watching it all grow..........

Susan Kane said...

Peonies! Mom called them "pineys" and they bloomed such a short time.

Your garden is so delightful. As for ants? who knows, who really knows what to do with him. Someone rubbed a good layer of vaseline around the pots to keep them from killing some special insect.

My name is Erika. said...

Those peonies look gorgeous. And all your plants are looking amazing. And you say you don't have a green thumb? All your plants are looking fantastic. I always find its amazing how you can plant some seeds and end up with either flowers or some yummy veggies to eat. Hope all is well with you Jeanie. Hugs-Erika

Nikki - Notes of Life said...

So beautiful! I love that there's a lot of pink.

I've also got strawberries, tomatoes and lettuce growing :)

Carola Bartz said...

I love peonies, and yours are fabulous! Mine, of course, are long gone, but I did enjoy them. I don't think you can do anything against the ants. They don't harm the flowers, but if you want to bring them in you probably have to deal with those ants one way or other.
I like the blue ladder with the bird houses!

Mary Rose's said...

Ants on peonies - I've read that one must cut the peonies at bud stage, before the ants get deeply into those gorgeous flowers.

Another piece of advice was to submerge the flowers in a bucket of water and shake off the ants but that's not as successful.

I envy your peonies, your lilacs. Our strawberries have come and gone already (blackberries too) and the tomatoes are just minutes away from perfect redness here.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Your peonies are beautiful! I love their color. Mine just about finished blooming. One plant is entirely in the shade and did not bloom at all this year, so I might chance to transplant it in the fall when it becomes dormant and see if that will help it next spring. I didn't see many ants on mine but we did have to have our backyard wood retaining wall sprayed because of carpenter ants--ugh!

Our days have been warm but our nights are still very cool so things grow slowly. My roses are beginning to bloom which makes me happy--they are my favorite flower!

GretchenJoanna said...

What a lot of beautiful plants at all stages of growth and flowering. The peonies must be heavenly, under the window and sending their essence indoors, keeping the ants outdoors! My viburnum (snowball bush) flowers are often difficult because some years they have tiny tiny mites that I don't even notice until I have brought in a bowlful the blooms.

Tracy said...

Hi, Jeanie! As always, soooo GOOD to catch up with you here! And how much fun to see your gardening and all the goodies growing in your containers! Love those blue pots, touches of blue birdhouses, etc... Sooo pretty! That clematis is lovely! And the peonies... WOW--what a show! Love peonies! Our are in bloom now too--and the scent! The seem to be even more fragrant this year. We've not had a problem with ants and our peonies... which is very OK! haha! We've just had the first salads from the garden, and radishes are coming up, strawberries too... Love this time of year! It's been hot, though--up to 85! Happy summer, my friend! ((LOVE & BIG HUGS))

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

Jeanie,
WOW!! You had great luck with seeeds..I planted a few different kinds of flower seeds but I think some of the darn squirrels dug them up! I do have some marigold seeds that are popping up and I did plant some shasta daisy ones and I am hoping that they will give me some perennials...
Thanks so much for stopping by and for always leaving a nice comment!!
Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
Hugs,
Deb

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

Peonies are probably my favorite flower. Yours are so gorgeous - I love that pink color!!

My garden is doing so-so this year. I planted it 1-2 weeks later than usual so am trying to be patient but I had to replant some stuff. I scaled back on what I planted this year so it looks kind of bare. But I know I will be glad I scaled back in the late summer. My green beans are doing the best out of everything!!

Karen said...

Peonys need the ants to bloom. I think there is a coating of something on the buds that they need to lick off???? Could you gently submerge the blossoms in cool water so the bugs let go and float off? I can't grow them :(

I love your red geraniums. Mine are just now starting to come into bloom after a vigorous clip.

Linda @ Life and Linda said...

So pretty Jeanie. I love peonies. How sweet your neighbor gave you the trellis. Ants are a problem. Thanks for sharing your beauties at Love Your Creativity.

Sandra at Maison De Jardin said...

Jeanie, your seedlings look great and so healthy, and those strawberries will soon reward you. Your peonies are beautiful. As for the ants, well if you love peonies they are part of the territory. I usually leave mine on the kitchen counter for a few hours until I can see and kill the ants. However, a good shake before placing them in the vase also helps.

Have a great week, Jeanie.

anno said...

ah... peonies are just the best! Yours are glorious -- hope they keep you in the pink for a long time to come!

Liz@ HomeandGardeningWithLiz said...

You’ve got quite a crop of seedlings! How fun. I planted some zinnias and not one has come up! Your peonies look fabulous! I have one that color and looks to be the same variety. They do bring in ants and spiders don’t they. Someone told me to immerse them in cold water and they bugs will come out but I see you’ve already said drowning doesn’t work! I have cut mine and left them in a vase on the deck for a few hours before I brought them in and it seemed like most of the insects had disappeared. I can’t get enough of the scent I truly love them!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

It's nice to be able to get excited about plants and flowers as these are truly bright spots in many lives now more than ever. The peonies are just so cheerful and colorful, Jeanie. They actually made me smile.

Victoria Zigler said...

Glad so many of the things in your garden are doing well. Enjoy your salad and the beautiful flowers.

Sketchbook Wandering said...

I can't give you gardening tips...Although I do have plants again this year...
You must get up every morning with such excitement about starting a new day of fun and activity! I am guessing you do not take naps because I don't know when you would find the time!!!

Marilyn Miller said...

Wow! I am impressed with your garden. The peonies are gorgeous. I feel like I can almost smell them.

Angie said...

What are you talking not much of garden? It is going and soon will be giving you all sorts of goodies. Our peonies were done last week and while they lasted, indeed, provided the most delightful scent. It is too bad they come and go so fast! Have a wonderful weekend!

Angie

French Ethereal said...

Rats! I was just thinking you'll have to bring in some peonies and use them in a tablescape or two (or three, or more!!! :)). What about a hard hosing-off and then cutting them right away, shaking off/drying with a towel?? Anyway, I LOVE your garden, Jeanie!!! Happy to feature your post at Share Your Style #261 this upcoming week (June 24th, 2020), thank you!!! <3

Happy Father's Day,
Barb :)

Lowcarb team member said...

Your garden looks wonderful, and I just love peonies :)

All the best Jan

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