Monday, May 10, 2010

The First Peonies of Spring



We went to our favorite local flower farm this weekend. This beautiful Dutch Colonial home was a private residence until a couple of years ago. Now, it serves as a wine tasting room at the farm.


Out back is a lovely patio...


...and several acres of flowers, including this beautiful Japanese variety of peony which is the first to bloom.


Hubby came with me to help with the heavy lifting.


The sun was covered by clouds by the time we got home so I'm afraid that this photo doesn't quite do the brilliant blooms justice.


Hubby clipped a small bouquet of these sweet flowers, which we were told are 'Veronica'. He liked them because they resembled wild flowers.

How cute is that?

42 comments :

  1. I haven't seen that species of peonies, really beautiful!! I love your site!

    Karena

    Art by Karena

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  2. Very cute...indeed. Peonies are so lovely and quite rarely seen. They look gorgeous. I always like your photos, so clean and fresh. L x

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  3. Very pretty. What a neat place to go.

    Blessings, Amy

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  4. How lovely! What a wonderful setting!

    : )

    Julie M.

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  5. How utterly wonderful to have found your beautiful blog!

    Fingers and toes crossed, we are hopefully about to purchase an old farmhouse of our very own. Your lovely blog is an inspiration and will be a frequent stop for me in the days ahead.

    So nice to meet you!

    Anne

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  6. Hi Trina,
    Haven't called in as much as I'd have liked. Hope you are feeling better! I'm sure all the beautiful flowers will help. The alpacas on your previous post, look very white and clean. A few days ago we went to an agricultural show and they had products of alpaca throw blankets, jumpers (I think you call them sweaters) scarves, hats and gloves. The throw rugs were beautiful (as was everything else) and just gorgeous to touch and were my favourite thing. They retailed for approximately $175 and would be something to treasure. Better go, as I'm trying to cook tea.
    Take care
    Janine
    XXOO
    Tasmania, Australia

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  7. They're stunning - one of my favourite blooms :)

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  8. Gorgeous Peonies, gorgeous "wild flowers" and gorgeous husband! Aren't you the lucky girl, and I'm sure that you know it. Looks like the perfect outing for garden inspiration. My peonies are just starting to get little buds and I will anxiously await their arrival. Thanks for a sneak peak of what's ahead! xx P&H

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  9. Does the Japanese variety have the same scent as our grandmother's variety? I have a plant that didn't bloom last year so I moved it to a sweeter spot in the garden and I have two buds this year that I'm eagerly waiting on. It must be great to go to a farm to pick flowers!

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  10. That is very cute! The peonies are beautiful! Mine are almost finished blooming now. They just don't last long enough. Carla

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  11. A sweet hello from Frog Hollow Farm! We had our first peonie on our tree peonie bush this past weekend - just love them. What a wonderful afternoon you had of picking flowers! Ciao, bella!

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  12. Love those Peonies! And the flower farm.

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  13. Oh man, peonies en masse are a dream come true. looks like a fun outing you two!

    jxoxo

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  14. Peonies are one of my very favourite flowers. In Hobart we had a large double pink peony tree. 13 blooms every year. The new owners cut it back!!!! I still weep when I think about it!

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  15. I love peonies but in our area it is too hot and we can not grow them. I saw some on a visit to North Carolina and I wanted them so badly to come home with me. Yours are beautiful and how lucky that yo can grow your own. So pretty,enjoy,Happy Monday, Kathysue

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  16. happy monday trina,

    what a beautiful house. can you go inside? and all those flower fields! no wonder you always have the best flowers in your photos.

    ~janet

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  17. Trina,
    I cut my first few out of our yard yesterday...they are so pretty. We added them to a bouquet my youngest daughter gave me for Mother's Day. I'll try and take pics of them in the yard later today to post on my new blog.

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  18. Peonies are my favorite! They have started showing up in our corner bodegas here in NYC. How lovely to be able to visit an actual flower farm! Even lovlier to have a glass of wine on that veranda!

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  19. Nice peonies. I too have not seen that variety. Loved the pictures and the house is divine.

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  20. What a gorgeous place! Peonies are my favorite and these are beautiful!

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  21. Stunning Pictures!
    And I LOVE your blog:)

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  22. I clipped a few blossoms from our yard just yesterday. You are so fortunate to have a flower farm near! I love your site, too.
    Kathy B.

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  23. Very pretty...mine are all budded. I hope the Mother's Day snow hasn't spoiled them! They are just beautiful when they all bloom.

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  24. Really beautiful Peonies (my favourite flower)
    and very very handsome husband, what a pair
    STUNNING!
    Looking forward to your next post as always
    Emma x
    p.s Such a super inspirational blog, Thankyou

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  25. I love the picture of your hubby holding the two overflowing buckets of flowers...how fun!
    The house and property is like a movie set its so pretty!
    Happy Monday!

    Londen

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  26. I'm attempting to grow some peonies here in southern California but so far no bueno!

    Oh well, I can look at yours on my computer screen.

    xo kelley

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  27. A flower farm is one of the nicest places to go on a weekend! I love peonies but I am not
    familier with that beautiful variety. Thank
    you for showing us such a lovely flower.

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  28. Just beautiful. I've seen a few peony bushes blooming here in Texas...but they're pretty scarce in our Texas heat, so it's always a pleasure to see any blooms around here.

    Enjoy your flowers!

    -Gail

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  29. I have some Japanese peonies in my garden on the Island. They were in the garden when we bought our house. I am told they are heirloom and have been here for many years. We love them as they are so different from the traditional varieties. What lovely day you had! Susan :)

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  30. Those are amazing...I'm not familiar with that variety, they're almost "poppy-ish", just beautiful...as was your picture, sun or no sun!
    I think I've grown purple Veronica before but I'm not sure, the white's are sweet, as is the fact that hubby likes wildflowers!

    Happy you seem to be feeling better...
    xo J~

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  31. Beautiful peonies, one of my favorite flowers.

    I'm patiently awaiting blooms myself, in the past I haven't had much luck but I think I have it worked out now - wish me luck.

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  32. Trina,
    I love peonies too. I clicked on your peony post of last year -- where you showed the white ones with just a splash of magenta at the center. These are Festiva Maxima -- an old peony, but as perfect today as in the olden days. Thank you for such a beautiful blog.
    lucia

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  33. This is why I love blogging, I learn so many interesting things, like a Japanese Peony, never heard of it. They are so pretty on your porch. I will look for this variety and hope it can grow in my area.

    Betsy

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  34. Oh so sweet and your hubby is adorable! Love the flowers!

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  35. The flower farm looks absolutely beautiful! What a delightful job the owners have - acres of beautiful flowers and wine tasting and the stunning home! I don't think it could get much better than that ~
    I wish peonies did better around here - they bloom for only a couple of days and then they are gone ~ I'll just have to look at your pictures!
    Enjoy your day ~
    Sarah

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  36. Our peonies have not bloomed just yet. I think the cold has slowed them down. I did run across a field of Scarlet Indian Paintbrush over the weekend though and took a lot of pics fo that: http://windowontheprairie.com/2010/05/10/scarlet-indian-paintbrush/

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  37. Peonies are my favorite flowers! My future hubby (will be my hubby in eleven days) planted peonies around our vegetable garden.

    I love your blog!

    Please feel free to visit my blog to see photos of my garden!

    www.thelittleteapotblog.blogspot.com

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  38. the white peonies in my yard are currently blooming and they smell delicious.

    http://yfrog.com/jd46684293j

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  39. Love following your blog. I live in Oregon as well and it is fun to see what others like to do/how they decorate in the country. A question...is the flower farm you visited open to the public, and if so, could you share the name. What gorgeous flowers. I would love to visit them. Thanks!

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  40. I am so happy for you!! I just had my 2 granddaughters for the week and I was thinking back of when their mommy was little...it goes so quickly but I have LOVED being a mommy...every minute of it and I ADORE my 3 beautiful daughters....so blessings to you!!

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  41. You have a very beautiful house with a lovely patio too. Love those Peonies too.

    Arrielle P

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Thank you for leaving your thoughts. Kind regards, Catherine

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