Peonies – Barefoot Lily Lady

Waiting for Flowers to Bloom

Flowers blooming in our garden are one of my favorite things to photograph. To my eye, even the buds just waiting to open hold a special kind of beauty. The too numerous to count buds intrigue me with the anticipation of the beauty yet to come as they await their unfurling. If the buds whisper His name, the glorious unfurling of the blooms shouts and cries out, “See! See my design? Take a look at the intricacy of my petals! Take a deep breath and bask in my aroma! Praise be to God, the Master Designer and Creator!”

Throughout the summer I have been spending snippets of time reading a beautifully written devotional, The Well-Watered Woman–Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith, by Gretchen Saffles. The pictures she paints with her words make me feel like Gretchen is walking me through a garden and pointing out spiritual truths to be gleaned, much as Jesus did as He walked with his disciples.

“Waiting for flowers to bloom brought anticipation to my heart after a season of loss. Each day I looked forward to checking for signs of change. Through that process of slow growth, God showed me that sorrow and darkness don’t last forever. Even in death, God can bring about life.”
Gretchen Saffles, The Well-Watered Woman

“The well-watered woman doesn’t put off living as she waits for “someday,” she knows her mission is now and she lives with Gospel purpose guiding her every step.”

~ Gretchen Saffles, The Well-Watered Woman

“As we behold the beauty of God in Scripture and in creation, our hearts are sparked to praise his name, both now and forever. Every sunrise, every sunset beckons us to set aside distractions to enjoy the best part—praising our faithful, righteous, steadfast, glorious God.”

~ Gretchen Saffles in The Word Before World

I love (and need) this reminder:

“In our quest for a fruitful life, it’s important to remember that blooms aren’t continuous. They come and go, but that doesn’t mean the moments in between are unnecessary or less important. Blooms result from the faithful labor done in the planting, the rooting, the growing, and the waiting. You can’t enjoy a flower without the long process that brought it to that point.”

~ Gretchen Saffles, The Well-Watered Woman

Peony Love ‘Gold Standard’

The peony love continues in my Wisconsin garden with Peony ‘Gold Standard’ taking center stage today. The frilly central bomb of golden yellow staminodes is a perfect jewel to accent the sweet creamy white guard petals of the Japanese-form blossoms.

Peony (Paeonia x lactiflora ‘gold standard’)

Two of these beauties grace my mailbox garden. Their arresting beauty and light fragrance stop passersby in their tracks. Like most peonies, she enjoys basking in full sun, but would be just fine in part shade.

Her annual show begins in late May or early June with each beautiful blossom lasting a week or two.

It’s always a bit sad when her floral show ends, so I usually cut a few of the unopened buds to save in my fridge. I choose buds that have a little marshmallow-like squish to them, then wrap a few of them up in a dampened paper towel, slip them into a Ziplock bag, then store them in a refrigerator drawer.

A few weeks later, I remove a stem or two from the bag, give the stem end a fresh cut, then display it in a bud vase and wait for the petals to open. It’s definitely worth the effort to extend the ‘peony love’ out for a few more weeks.

Itoh Peony Love

There is great joy in my heart and a smile on my face when I first spy the Itoh peonies opening. Itohs are a hybrid cross between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies. I love their sturdy stems that can stand up to heavy rains. This deep pink peony opened on Sunday.

This sunshine yellow peony unfurled the petals of her first flower today.

They both hold the promise of many more blooms yet to make their debut. Which color is your favorite?

A Week of Flowers – Day #7

Here is my Day #7 offering of floral photos for A Week of Flowers hosted by Cathy of Words and Herbs. Sad to see the week come to an end, but will look for an invitation to participate next year–this was fun.

Today I’m sharing a few of the “sunny” colors from my garden. I hope they brighten up your day no matter what season you’re enjoying in this beautiful world.

A Week of Flowers – Day #6

Cathy from Words and Herbs extended an invitation for bloggers to join her in one week of sharing our flower photos to brighten up these lackluster days of winter. Here’s my Day #6 contribution of mostly pinks and peaches.

Let’s start with my beautiful Stargazer lily. She blooms every summer near the fountain in our garden. Her scent is incredible, and she has such adorable freckles.

A Week of Flowers – Day #5

Sundays are busy days for me, so I missed posting on day 3. Then, I forgot to hit “publish” on Day #4, but once again joining Cathy at Words and Herbs for Day #5 of her annual ‘A Week of Flowers’ meme. It’s trying to snow again today. Not much on the ground–just enough to outline the branches of trees, brighten up the rooftops, and spread a smidge of snowy white frosting on faded flowers. Pretty, but I’m glad for the opportunity to splash a little summery garden color onto my December blog posts.

A favorite arrangement of peonies and iris

A Week of Flowers – Day #2

I’m joining Cathy at Words and Herbs for her annual ‘A Week of Flowers’ meme. It’s Day #2 and I’m happy to take you on a little reminisce of some pretty spring and early summer days in my garden. Let me introduce you to a few of my favorite peonies.

A Week of Flowers – Day #1

I’m joining Cathy at Words and Herbs for her annual ‘A Week of Flowers’ meme, which takes place December 1-7. It’s my first year joining her, but what a fun way to bring a bit of colorful beauty to our December day. It’s December 1st–the sun is hiding today and fine flakes of snow are falling from the sky, so I thought I’d spend a little time looking forward to spring in Wisconsin by looking back at some photos from recent years.

Nothing beats the bright yellow of a daffodil in spring-time cheerfulness!

The demure pink and blue blossoms of Lungwort in an old crystal salt shaker

Raindrops on tulips just outside my front door

Paeonia ‘Gold Standard’ pretty as can be in my mailbox garden

Tulips and daffodils usher in the first hint of spring, followed by petite ‘Blue Denim’ irises playing with grape hyacinth muscari at the garden’s edges.

The flowers of the old-fashioned Bleeding Heart are a classic favorite. They make me smile because they remind me of when my grandson George called them “Blood Thirsty Hearts” when he was little.

A quick word of thanks for introducing me to Cathy’s meme goes out to my friend Páraig who blogs at The Three Hairs Garden. What sheer fun and enjoyment!

Beauty in the Waiting

My garden often teaches and reminds me of spiritual truths. Watching the progression of peonies going from bud stage to full-blown loveliness brought to mind how sanctification and growth in Christ takes place.

Six on Saturday: ‘Grand’ Garden Help

One of my great blessings this summer has been having our grandsons helping out in our garden. Charlie, Henry and George were extremely helpful yesterday morning.