Buds start showing on Peony mlokosewitschii during April and I then hold my breath hoping that the weather will be kind to Molly when she flowers and that she won’t be battered by rain or wind. I felt for her on Bank Holiday Monday as she started opening, we had torrential rain, gale force winds and hail stones, was she bothered…no not at all, she took it all in her stride!
Tight buds show promise of the delights to come.
So slowly, the petals start to unfurl.
Each day there is a noticable difference.
Nearly there.
She made it, no damage so far.
Molly is such a sensible lady, she closes up at night or when the weather isn’t behaving itself, isn’t nature wonderful!
Just 4 flowers this year, the result I presume of our drought in April, maybe I should have watered her.
I am so happy with my 4 flowers that survived the storm. In future though , if we don’t get our April showers as usual, I mustn’t forget to water her.
I am now waiting for all my new peonies and the peonies that were moved last year, to open their buds, hopefully soon I will have lots of gorgeous flowers to share with you. There is always something very special about “Molly the Witch” as she is the first to flower for me, she looks so delicate but if she can survive the storm we had on Monday, she must be a tough old bird, what do you think?!
Such a beautiful creature and so sensible too! I’d happily settle for those four delightful blooms.xxx
She is gorgeous isn’t she Dina and so sensible to close when it is raining! I am more than happy with my 4 flowers , usually she has 7 or 8 but in future I mustn’t forget to water if it doesn’t rain.x
Molly really is such a beautiful perennial and clearly tougher than meets the eye. I have tried to grow it once but the very small plant didn’t survive. I must try again ….. if I can find her as she does seem rather hard to come across here!
Sorry to hear you have problems obtaining Molly Denise, she really is lovely and I’m so glad she has taken to my garden as she has a reputation for being difficult!
Such a beauty and always such a long awaited treat. My Molly doesn’t have so many blooms this year, and neither does Paeonia mascula, perhaps it is the drought although we had a wet winter. Looking forward to seeing your other peonies. Do you have any Itoh hybrids?
I watch the buds swelling for a long time before Molly starts opening Chloris, but the anticipation is worth the wait. I have resisted the temptation of the Itoh hybrids so far as they are so expensive, but who knows, maybe the next border that I redo might get one or two!
Really interesting to watch the sequence of her opening, Pauline – worth waiting for, of course!
All the flowers are now open Cathy and they all survived the storm overnight, thank goodness! The build up to flowering is certainly Well worth the wait as she is so beautiful when she arrives.
I love seeing those fat buds explode into amazing flowers, and even if there are only four this year the foliage is still a beautiful show. I love the little tint of red and the pearly beads of water on it.
You make our raindrops sound so pretty Frank! Molly is a superb plant at all stages, yes, the foliage too, I can’t fault her.