Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Summer Solstice: The Promise


I promised you peonies.  Here, at last, are but a few of the thousands unfolding their hearts at Gilsland Farm right this very moment.  You'll notice that while many are planted and carefully kept in the gardens, others are allowed to grow among the wildflowers in the fields.  I love them grown both ways.  

Tucked in with the photos I've included a few translated haiku about peonies.  Wishing my friends in the Northern Hemisphere a Happy Summer Solstice.  I'm off to climb a mountain now.  A little one, but a mountain nonetheless.  
  


My rice bowl
filled to the brim
one peony

~Buson








My hut garden
is narrowed by
blooming peonies

~Nabuti Sato






"The peony is this big!"--
the child's arms
outstretched.

~Issa




In the stillness
between the arrival of guests--
the peony.

~Buson





21 comments:

  1. Wow, Gigi! worth waiting for ...
    these beauties took my breath away.

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  2. Amazing!!! So many!!! I can smell them from here. Brings me back to childhood. Aaaaaahhh!

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  3. Seriously beautiful, Gigi...what a treat!! xxoo :)

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  4. Big exhale....just lovely the words and the photos.

    Do I always say that? I should.

    xo Jane

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  5. I owe you something for this. Fabulous! Thank you!

    xoxo

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  6. Lovely!! It is quite the year for gardens! Happy Solstice, Gigi!

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  7. How beautiful! We had a tree peony and bush peonies in Hobart they are one of my favourite flowers.

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  8. Oooo... this was well worth the wait, Gigi... These peony moments are the stuff of dreams...*sigh*... I just love peonies. Our pink ones are in bloom now. I still dream of a pair of white ones though, hoping to order from local garden center this week if they cans still get the ones I want. Along with roses, peonies can claim a bit of "Queens of the Garden," don't you think? ;o) Wishing you all the bliss for the sweetest summer, my friend :o) ((HUGS))

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  9. so pretty....

    happy summer, my friend

    sending love,
    kary and teddy
    xo

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  10. Breath taking peonies! They are one of my favorites. I could almost imagine the fragrance drifted this way. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  11. Simply gorgeous! Hope you enjoy your climb Gigi.

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  12. Beauty in words and pictures Gigi.
    I find it really hard to have a favourite flower but, peonies are right up there with a few others. They are so beautiful. I only have a few in our garden but, those few are very precious !! I, too, love them in the wild or cultivated, in the earth or in a vase. You have shown u so many diferent varieties as well.
    Hope you enjoyed your 'little' mountain adventure.......it would have been a pretty 'large' task for me !! XXXX

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  13. What a promise! I shall go out and buy some tomorrow then dream of you as I admire their splendour.
    Merci for such a welcome splash of graceful colour. Love

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  14. OH!! I'm swooning.....

    Beautiful, thank you!

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  15. Holy moly, those are some gorgeous pictures!

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  16. Wow - incredible blog post!! ♥

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  17. So worth the wait! Yet another garden I hope to see one day...I will certainly have to plan it for peony season! Will you remind me next year:)??

    This year I planted six nex peonys in my yard...maybe will have flowers in 3 years:) Wish I had done it 3 years ago!

    Love the haiku too!

    xoxox

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  18. what beauties! thanks for sharing and making me smile. janex

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  19. Nothing to say - just a magnificent garden. Have a nice summertime, Inge

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  20. Your peonies are just beautiful. I love the different varieties. I went to a garden center this year and they had a huge peony for sale for $80...i had to laugh...I have 2...but not ready to pay $80! Enjoy them...ours are already gone...the lilies have just bloomed...
    Jennifer aka Gigi

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