The peony has a long and rich history in horticulture, so it came as no surprise that our local Sunoco station, which is managed by a Chinese family, would have these incredible peonies, which I see every day as I go to work. It’s true. A few years ago, they started introducing these new ever-blooming peonies which started blooming just after the main herbaceous and Itoh hybrids bloomed in June. These varieties last until late August, or, until the autumnal displays start. The pink varieties are my favorite, but the white and bi-colored plants seed to stand out the best at this very busy intersection on MA Route 20 in Worcester, MA.
Of course, this is a joke. These are silk flowers, added by who I believe is the grandfather of this Chinese family, every year. What impresses me the most is that he selects the most natural looking flowers, and carefully wires them into the bushes, always arranged by color. They look so natural, that even I am fooled, as they catch my eye. Peonies only bloom for one week out of the entire year, so this makes them more useful, I suppose. Not that I would ever try this at home, I have to admit that even though these are artificial, this is, after all, a gas station, and these planting still looks far better than the typical fare of orange marigolds, or red, white and blue petunias. Has anyone else seen this done in their neighborhood? I did hear of a garden in Rhode Island where someone added silk blue hydrangeas to their plants that did not bloom.
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| Lydia and Fergus, our Irish Terriers, stay cool in the air conditioning. Time for a new floor, I think. |
I was ready to believe that ever-blooming peonies existed. After all, now there are hydrangeas, lilacs … why not peonies? Actually, these ever-blooming varieties make me a little uneasy, as do August blooms on peonies. I associate some of these plants with particular seasons, so blurring that association is kind of disorienting.
I was so excited to see these peonies, immediately starting with "I want those!," and then progressing to "I wonder how late they'll last with Atlanta heat?"
I'm delighted to see they'll last twelve months here! Can't wait to add some into the garden!
LOL…..wonderful post!
Tim, I'm thrilled to tell you that these peonies will thrive in your Atlanta heat.
Those are some beautiful looking plants even though they aren't the real thing. I love the way the way arranged to look so nice and natural. I couldn't even tell the difference between those artificial peonies and the real peonies. Artificial peonies seem like a good idea if you want to decorate a certain area with beautiful plants. At least with these artificial plants, you don't always have to worry about taking care of them. They can just sit there and stay beautiful forever.