Literally stopping to smell the flowers!
Just wanted to wish you all a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!
Wherever you are, I hope you will take the long weekend to enjoy it with your loved ones. Put your sewing, cutting, stitching, and gluing down and go out and have fun! The mind needs a rest from the work and you’ll need to recharge to get your creativity juices back when you return!
I stopped to smell the flowers today. Briefly, at lunchtime … but I stopped! 🙂
Here are some pics of my peonies that finally bloomed after 3 years of planting. They are from a grower in Bernardsville, NJ who imported them in from China years ago. She has the greatest variety of peonies in the US. She’s an amazing grower and turned her acres into a peony garden. Check her out at http://peonysenvy.com/. Kathleen has been instrumental in teaching me about peonies. She was gracious enough to let my 3 kids run around her massive garden and swing on the giant tire swing.
Her varieties are more expensive than your Home Depot brand and take 3 years to bloom. But they require no work other than the initial amending of the soil when you first put them in. At the end of the fall, I just snip the entire plant down to the last inch and watch them grow back the next year. The best part? They are deer resistant! And I get deer all year round — they’ll come right up and to my front yard into my gardens!
My peonies last about 6 weeks, compared to other big box shop peonies that last only 2 weeks. I get vases of fresh cut flowers for about 2 months! YAY 🙂
So here are some pics to inspire you to get out and smell the flowers. And yes, I’m pimping out Pax again in these pics. He’s just too cute and is so photogenic!
This side is starting to bloom!
My rhododendrons made their mark this year! These were from CostCo 3 years ago!
Peonies, lilac, and marigolds!
Lilacs smell wonderful!
Right side showing some beautiful color!
Left side beds. I planted 23 herbaceous peonies, 120 Asiatic lilies, and 5 flats of marigolds!
Another shot of the front floral beds. Got the vase to cut some lilacs!
I only cut enough for my small vase from TJ Maxx! I like to leave as many blooms out as I can so that I don't completely denude my front gardens. I cut the older blooms first and fill it up as I go.
Two of my favorite Ps: Pax and Peonies!
Lilacs from my "rescued" lilac bush. It was on its deathbed 3 years ago, but has since recovered to give me fragrant blooms for several weeks! 🙂
Hope these flowers give you all inspiration for fabrics and designs for late spring and summer clutches! Joann’s will have its GREAT sale so take a look at their fabrics this weekend and take advantage of their sales. Don’t forget your coupon for 50% off one cut of fabric!
Have a wonderful weekend!
~Winn
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I am the #1 US seller of purse frames and I’ve been incorporated since 2001. This blog is mainly aimed at my audience of clutch handbag makers. I have a very small niche that is comprised of 99.9% women. I am loyal and promote handbag makers who are loyal to me by using my fine purse frames. When they are successful, then I am successful.
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[…] guys know I love flowers! My mother-in-law really taught me the love of planting and growing flowers. Nothing like seeing beauty emerging from dirt! With another somber […]
Winn, those are just a marvelous garden!!! I would kill to have your green thumb and garden.. how do you do it with the business and the kids!
wish i can get some of your flowers, they sure will brighten up a room:D thanks for sharing and great photos~
You’re giving me wayyy too much credit! I picked peonies because of the blooms, because the deer won’t eat them, and because they require NO work! After you plant them in the ground, you don’t need to do anything else since they bloom themselves every year! Easy! 🙂
wonderful choice than:D hehe a deer?! gosh,i cant imagine those wondering around.. i wonder if they grow as well if i plant them on pots..im going to print the peonies and ask the shop if they got them! Hope they got them here:P
These peonies are original to China and is imported and grown here. So I’m sure you can get them. Please check her website that I noted in the post. She has the original Chinese names for them too.
Beautiful! Your garden and all the flowers are fabulous and Pax is adorable. I’m so excited to know there are peonies that deer don’t like. Mine get chomped as soon as they start to open. I’m going to check out the site you noted.
Thanks for sharing your photos.
Please do! The grower’s name is Kathleen. She’s been featured in magazines, etc… my neighbors are going to start stocking up on her peonies too. In NJ, deer are a MAJOR pest! They’ll eat my ornamental grasses, but not my peonies. Cross my fingers, but for 3 years, they haven’t touched them, though Pax licks them! (It’s the sugar!) 🙂
You have a beautiful home and garden. We moved to a new home 3 years ago and I had to leave my peonies behind at my old home. I did manage to remove many other of my plants before we sold the house – miss my peonies though.
Since I’m moving abroad, I can’t take any of my flowers … 😦 I had to leave tulips behind when I sold my previous home and they were planted with my dear (departed) mother -in-law! You don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to sneak over there and dig them up overnight! 🙂
I cannot believe you are going to sell that beautiful garden. I wish I was in the notion to move to NJ, would certainly consider buying your house. You will not have any trouble selling it.
Great flower photos. You make them look yummy! jan
I know, right? We’re listing it for rent, too, though, and my real estate agent would rather us rent it (though she won’t make much money) and sell the house (5% commission) because she knows how dearly I love my peonies! This is only my first bloom. I’m hoping the Asiatic lilies will show up before I leave in July! Wish me luck on finding a renter or buyer though! 🙂