Friday, May 22, 2009

Have You Praised Your Peonies Today?


It took 8 years, but they’re finally in great form.



We’ve come a long long way together,

Through the hard times and the good.

I have to celebrate you baby.

I have to praise you like I should.


What pains me though, is that this is all happening at the front of the beds. Why did I plant them there?!
I never envisioned them this tall and am wondering if they should be moved. Could there be more hard times ahead for the peonies?

Did you recognize those lyrics from Fatboy Slim? One of my favorite music videos ever! (by Spike Jonze)


The video won three major awards at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards: Breakthrough Video, Best Direction, and Best Choreography. I just like it because they’re not all superskinny kids in shiny spandex and they look…well…almost as geeky as I do when I dance. And some of them have (gasp!) gray hair! Torrance Community Dancers, where are you now?!

13 comments:

mayberry said...

Ours haven't bloomed yet but I am buzzing with anticipation!

BTW -- they were moved two years ago and came back in fine form.

tina said...

You should be praising them indeed! They are hard working horses. I have several of mine planted in the front too. I actually like them there as I can enjoy them up close and they look nice out of bloom too. You can move them in the fall if you so choose but I think yours looks great where they are so enjoy them-at least for now:) Have a very good weekend.

Lorilee said...

Your peonies are beautiful. I don't think they grow in South Texas! sigh
Blessings,
Lorilee

Joanne said...

Wow, those are beautiful flowers! Do they bloom all summer? 8 years, that's a labor of love, no doubt. Maybe with enough inspiration for a garden piece? Have a wonderful weekend!

Karen said...

I didn't recognize it as FBS but did figure out halfway through it was a song! :) Going to have to watch that video, I think I missed it before. Oh man, those peonies were worth the wait! I don't know about moving them, they seem happy and with my recent (bad) experience in dividing peonies, you are probably safer just leaving them be.

our friend Ben said...

Peonies are the best! And yours look gorgeous. Enjoy them for the short time they're in bloom, Jen, there are no lovelier flowers nor more intoxicating scent!

Anonymous said...

OMG! My sides are busting from watching that video - where the heck did you find it?

My peonies are not out yet either - strange. But I'm down on them because as soon as they come out, they seem to fall over and then it rains and they get destroyed. Perhaps this year I'll clip them - they'll probably last longer.

But what do peonies and break dancing have it common?

Laura said...

I have definitely praised my peonies. It will be the last time that I see them since I am moving soon, but they have been an amazing joy to me. I can smell them now, as the bloom right in front of me. Peonies, what an amazing flower.

Bangchik and Kakdah said...

To come out with such beautiful forms and blooms, definitely a worthwhile eight year waiting and endurance for both; the plants and the gardener!! .... Blog On!! ~ bangchik

Anonymous said...

Love your Peonies. I like them out front cause they are too pretty to be anywhere else. I had two blooms this year on my one little lonely bush.

JGH said...

That's good to know, Mayberry. I moved some a while ago and they were fine too but these are much more established than the ones I moved before.

Tina, I may move one and see how it does before yanking up the whole bunch.

Lorilee, I know Texas has plenty of nice flowers that we don't so it's a good thing we can see them on the blogs!

Maybe, Joanne. Peonies were some of the first things I planted here so they inspired a lot of gardening later on.

Karen, hope you got to watch the video - it's pretty funny. Sorry you had bad experience with peonies but you have a lot of other things to praise in your garden.

Ben, the scent gets stronger every year, too. This year it's really strong and is even wafting into the house.

PP - peonies and break dancing have absolutely nothing to do with each other. That song just popped into my head when I was trying to think of a song to praise my peonies with!

Laura, will you be planting peonies in your new place? They're pretty easy to grow!

Bangchik - yes eight years is a long time! It took them 4 years to bloom and another 4 to look this big.

Anna, yours are fairly new, too, right? Wait till next year. I bet you'll get a nicer show.

Pam J. said...

I.
Love.
That.
Video!
Thanks.
PS: I love my peonies too. I only had two blooms this year but even two brought me so much joy.

Anne said...

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!