Paeonia Festiva Maxima

This peony bush followed us from our old house in the city.  It is one of three varieties my husband, Lee, gave me in the Fall of 1989, the year in which my first son was born.  When we moved, we took a cutting and planted it in our new home, and it has continued to thrive beautifully.

This is a pure white double peony, with crimson flecks at the base of the center petals.  It has the most wonderful fragrance.  These are the first of the peonies to bloom every year, and when they do, we can usually get at least 30 flowers from one single bush.  It's such a treat!

The blooms are huge, much larger than my hand!

The Vera Wang vase that I received as a 10th Anniversary present from my job was perfect for these heavy blooms.  The leaded glass is sturdy enough to hold all these flowers.  Here's a link to another post about this gorgeous vase. 

For me, this is truly one of the great pleasures of summer!



Ten years . . .

10th Anniversary at my current job . . .

The company presented me with a catalogue from which I could select a gift, and this lovely vase was my choice.  It's from the With Love Vases Crystal Collection designed by Vera Wang for Wedgewood.  The image below shows the interlocking ring detail a little clearer . . .  Function, beauty and remembrance in one charming package . . . My kind of gift . . .

And along with the ten years, comes a 4th week of vacation . . . You can never have too much vacation!