Pretty is as pretty does...

One of the reasons I love to garden so much is that you can plant a tiny little start of something

and when the conditions are right it will grow into a plant that year after year  rewards you

 with with beautiful blooms like these.

I am always amazed by the miracle of it all.

In February and March I can look out on the gardens and wonder again, 'how will 

it ever happen'.

How will these plants that disappear under the soil ever find their way back above 

ground to give me such pleasure as this?

The peony is one such plant.

Early in the Spring a mature peony sends up little red shoots that grow into 

a large attractive plant and then blesses the gardener with these 

gorgeous fragrant blossoms. 

So decadent and showy that it can only manage to do it once in a season.

Can you believe that there are actually gardeners out there that think they are too much of a show off

and won't even have them in their garden?

They have to be the gardeners that never cut flowers to bring indoors to enjoy!

Because yes...
the peony can make the garden look a little sad and ragged after a storm.

Their pretty heads drooping and dirty from the soil splashing up on their petals.

But sometimes they can look like this!

In my garden,
when the peonies start to bloom, there is NO chance for them to get droopy and dirty.

I cut them as soon as the bloom starts to open and fill 

container after container of this beautiful flower.

I leave very few on the bush for others to enjoy as they drive by,
but I do leave enough for color in the beds.
I'm stingy that way  : )

Just looking at them sitting so pretty lifts my spirits.

So year after year, as I watch the miracle unfold in the garden again,

I will be waiting for the peony to put on her show and be thankful

again for them and all of my plants that find the strength

to come out of their sleeping and bless this gardener.

I have several of my later peonies that have yet to bloom,

so this will be far from the end of them.

My Auten's Pride is coming on now and they are the most 

fragrant variety I have. 

I love them in the house!

Mom just gave me two of her many crocks

 and I knew exactly what I wanted to use the little one for.

It's actually quite large, but not nearly as large as the other one,

I'm still thinking of how I want to use the big one...

and it won't be for pickles.

I am an awful pickle maker : (

but I can grow things!

Thank you all  so much for letting me show off my flowers from the garden.
You are all so sweet to keep coming back to my blog and being so thoughtful.
I really appreciate you!

The last of the lilacs

 The lilacs bloomed very spotty this year.

After the blooms had formed and gotten to a certain stage we had some 

hard freezes and so I only had five lilacs bushes with any blooms. 

Thankfully the Sensation lilac was one that had a few blooms survive.

In the Summer I always have an ice cube tray filled with little rosebuds

ready to dress up a glass of lemonade or water.

 It's just one of those little touches that makes an ordinary day a little less ordinary!

 Here's some pretty little silverware I found on Etsy.

It had a lovely pattern and was priced well too.

 

It is so nice to be able to go out in the garden every day and

cut a bouquet to bring in the house to enjoy.

Just another thing to be thankful for!

Now it is irises and lilacs...

soon it will be peonies and roses.

...but for now, I think the rose buds make my water glass

look pretty sweet!

This is what is happening in the garden the past several days.

A broken flower part gets another chance at life

(after it got killed by a runaway lawnmower last year)

I love bearded iris!

This particular one originally came from a friends garden.

and now it has made it's way from my garden to other friend's gardens.

I think shared plants is the best way to garden, don't you?

 foxglove and columbine

I am leaving tomorrow for a family reunion and will be away 

from a computer for a few days, 

but I really wanted to share more of the lilacs and these pretty blossoms

before they were too far gone to be pretty.

My peonies are coming on early this year and so today I sold a lot 

of the blooms to a florist because the early ones will have opened

before I am home from my reunion. 

It's the first time I have ever sold blooms from the garden, 

and the florist was happy to have them. 

I think I might do it every year with my peonies 

since I have SO many of them---too many, some might say : )

I will be home in time to enjoy some of the mid to late peonies,

 and will have some photos to share of them here.

I will be catching up with all of you after I am back from my little getaway
and hope you all have a wonderful weekend as well!