Most people that know me, know that I HATE gardening. Yup, you heard right, I hate gardening. And yet it is one of the things I love most and look forward to come the spring. The reason behind my enmity with gardening though is that I freak over anything that worms its way out of the dirt! I don’t mind spiders or butterflies or even bumble bees for that matter, but if I come across ANYTHING that squirms or slithers I completely lose it!
Having said that, I love to see my spring flowers burst into action each year. Peonies are by far my favorite spring flower. I have several peony bushes in my front yard and when they bloom I leap with joy! They especially look beautiful when they grace our walkway. Whenever you walk by the bushes you are immediately swept away by their lovely scent.
I try to snip off as many as I can and then immediately bottle them in my ginger jars or vases and display them throughout the house. Between their intoxicating scent and the enormous blooms they produce, my peonies help me forget about anything that might be lurking in the dirt. They are definitely my gardening pride and joy!
One of my greatest upsets of all time is that every year my husband beats me to the task of “pruning” our hydrangea shrubs. And when I say trim, I mean down to the stump, ugh! He didn’t realize that that’s not the way to do it because they haven’t produced a single flower in a few years! I finally had to yell at him to stop doing it. I’m finally taking over that task and nurse them back to good health. The bushes are enormous and with a lot of potential. Of course we now have the current health situation going on, so it’s unlikely I’ll be able to visit my favorite local nursery any time soon…
Did I mention hydrangeas are my favorite summer flower? Here in New England hydrangeas are the most envied flowers of all especially throughout the coastal towns. Nantucket is infamous for the beautiful cottages surrounded by hydrangeas. When we’re in Newport you can also find them all over the island. I finally placed an order for a few hydrangea plants and I’m waiting for them to arrive soon. I’ll be digging up a couple of old green bushes that I no longer want and replace with the two new hydrangea plants. Our house faces east so they’ll receive plenty of sun all morning and partial shade in the afternoon, a perfect schedule for them. Hopefully I’ll get them going in time for a few summer blooms!
And lest we forget all about the pretty little lilacs, I have a complete post on how to care for them here. These are another favorite of mine. We have a huge beautiful lilac tree in front of the house just below our bedroom window and every year when the tree blooms, the amazing scent gently wafts right up and into our room. It is the most delightful scent to experience. For that short period of blooming, when I lay in bed I can smell their sweet restful scent on a warm summer day.
These particular plants are fairly easy to plant and care for, unless you over trim, like my husband did, then it will stunt their growth. For obvious reasons these plants are incredibly popular and when in full bloom they look amazing. They will grace your yard with so much beauty you’ll be so proud of your gardening work. I hope you get a chance to do some planting this spring!
Absolutely gorgeous flower bushes! I love hydrangeas and peonies – they make any room elegant and festive. Thanks for sharing!