I hadn’t intended to write this post as these beautiful flowers remind me that my lovely undergardener passed away two years ago. However, they are so beautiful I had to share them with you. They were sent by my very caring daughter who wasn’t able to be with me as she was at work. They were beautiful when I first arranged them in their vase, the peonies were in tight bud, I don’t think I have ever recieved peonies in a bouquet before.
Within an hour the peony buds had started opening.
Two days later the peonies were looking stunning.
Fantastic!
The roses and the peonies are also gradually changing colour. This is 3 days later.
I think this one is absolutely gorgeous, I must try and paint it sometime!
The same with this one.
I just cant’ stop photographing them, they are so gorgeous! I have now had them for a week and they keep on getting better and better. They remind me of old Dutch Master paintings, so beautiful and blowsy. If anyone wants to send me flowers in future, just make it peonies, these are the best flowers I have ever been given. Thank you so much Rachael, they have turned a sad time into something I will never forget, something truly beautiful.
This has made me want to fill my garden with peonies, so that I can cut armfuls for the house in future! Will I ever do it, I don’t know, we will all have to wait and see if I remember in the autumn!
Mum, they do look absolutely stunning, I’m so glad I was able to send them to you and especially on this occasion, keep photographing them and I’ll try to remind you to plant peonies in the autumn! xx
They really are amazing Rachael, thank you so much for such wonderful flowers! I’ll keep photographing until they start dropping, I imagine that even then they will look beautiful. Please do remind me to plant some more in the autumn, it would be fantastic to have enough to cut for the house.xx
What a lovely post Pauline and a wonderful tribute to your undergardener. The peonies are stunning and I love the colour combination with the roses. I had no Idea that peonies made such beautiful cut flowers. I will certainly be trying this when mind flower.
The roses are becoming more peachy with age and the peonies are becoming more the colour of the roses, I think they will all end up the same colour Denise. I hadn’t realised that they made good cut flowers either, I’ve never tried cutting them from the garden as I don’t have enough, but if I could grow lots of them, it would be worth it.
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful and most thoughtfully given bouquet with us Pauline. Such exquisite shades. I didn’t know that you painted. Watercolours would be perfect to capture these flowers.
I started out in banking Anna, then became a wildlife artist when I had the children, having a few exhibitions in my time. When we moved to Devon I started woodcarving and eventually did commissions for various people and churches, also teaching it at night school to adults for 17 yrs till I retired. I keep meaning to go back to painting, maybe this winter I will start flower painting?!
That Peony in closeup would make a stunning and challenging painting, I’m sure! You should give it a try. What a sweet and thoughtful gift. I hope you remember to plant some peonies. I have a few and love them.
They are so beautiful Alison, becoming paler as they fade. I really will try to remember to plant some more peonies this autumn, you never know, I might get one or two as presents!
They are truly beautiful. You don’t have to wait until autumn – they are available here as potted plants (albeit quite expensive!). I planted two a couple of years ago when this garden was brand new – not much happened last year but the look truly promising this summer.
I think autumn planting would be best Rose, as otherwise I will have to water them all summer, in the autumn, Nature will do it for me. Thanks for the offer though.
How beautiful – and so nice to receive flowers in a bouquet that you hadn’t had before. Not to mention triggering the desire to grow your own for your own bouquets, each of which will remind you of the Undergardener.
I’m still enjoying them just as much 9 days later Cathy, definitely the best I have ever received. I do have some in the garden but I think they need moving into more sunshine, but I can certainly add a few more in the autumn, as long as I remember.
Your enthusiasm for the peonies is entirely understandable – they are marvelous.
They are aren’t they Jason, and still going strong 9 days later!
That is such a nice arrangement, and it’s so nice to see seasonal flower such as peonies mixed in. It’s not always easy around here to get anything other than the standards which are flown in from wherever.
Why not start a peony garden. From now on they will always have special memories associated with them.
Thank you Frank, glad you like it. I do have a few peonies already but they have now vanished under some shrubs which have grown too much and therefore haven’t flowered for a long time. This autumn I will move them to the front and buy a few more, hopefully that will give me enough to pick for the house.
Ahhhh, I’m so pleased that a sad day turned out so wonderfully. I have to say that that is the most beautiful bouquet I’ve seen in a long while. I shall certainly be picking them for the house now. Hugs to you.xxx
Dina, they really are the best flowers that I have ever been given, the roses are now almost finished but the peonies are still hanging on almost 2 weeks later. The peonies were magenta in bud but they fade so elegantly through pink and cream to white.Thanks for your lovely message. x