Pink Parfait

This peony bush was one of three given to me for Mother's Day in 1989, the year when my oldest son was born. This variety is called Pink Parfait. It didn't bloom the first year, and when I called the nursery from where we bought it, I was told that we had planted it too deep. We needed to replant it closer to the surface. Sure enough, the following year I had a single, spectacular bloom, and every year after that, the bush prospered with an ever-increasing number of flowers.

Peonies can be tricky plants, the flowers are so heavy that they need to be staked, and if a good rainfall comes, it can destroy the blooms. It wasn't unusual to find me outside cutting flowers if a rainstorm was announced. Often, I'd cut a flower on my way to work, to keep in my cubicle. Cubicles beg for flowers.

I was very sad to have to leave my peony bushes when we moved to Naperville, but at least we took cuttings to plant in our new home. However, we've struggled to get the peonies settled in. We've had to re-plant them several times. Two of the bushes are still not talking to us. This year, finally, Pink here seems to like her new spot. It was a happy day when this lovely flower finally unfurled its petals and announced to the world: "I'm home!"