Itoh Hybrid Peonies

This is the season for poppi

es and peonies: roses are just starting. I've become increasingly interested in the Itoh Hybrids( between herbaceous and tree peonies}. The are very good growers, come in wonderful colors -like tree peonies and have the same interesting foliage as tree peonies do. I unfortunately just noticed that rose chafers like them also.

Lilacs and Poppies

Our Lilac Tea was quite successful and well attended. It acted as if it might rain but the rains held off, although there were some bugs. The lilacs were at their peak - the next week they weren't quite as good and the following Sunday it poured rain. The masses of orange poppies didn't come till the next week- nor were the orange Mandarin Light deciduous azaleas out. The iris were maybe at their peak yesterday but the hail last night might have ruined them somewhat. Now the roses and peonies are coming. By the way the peonies in bloom during the tea were Athena and Claire de Lune. In the last 2 weeks, I've been attempting to get the labeling corrected on my lilacs- I've done pretty well.

The next day after the Lilac Tea, Kady and I went for a walk up Urquhart road looking at the Polygala and pink ladyslippers and the blossoms of Acer spicatum and Acer pensylvanicum.