Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Are Peonies....

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...the most beautiful flower....
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...in all the world...
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...or would you rather have...
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...a rose? Another beautiful dilemma.



(photo credits: the fantastic jen and other lovelies here.)

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

peony or ronunculus

Uncle Beefy said...

Peony without a doubt!!! But I'm feelin' the flow of ole Anonymous up there too! ;)

Clare said...

Gets 3rd prize from me. !st and 2nd go to the purple iris and light pink rose

Jane Flanagan said...

I can never settle on a favourite! I think I buy sterling roses more than anything else though...

Tracy ~Seeking Refinement~ said...

my #1 incentive to move to a cooler climate would be so I could grow my own Peonies. They don't do so well in Southern California. I simply adore Peonies, and when our local Trader Joe's has them (like 2 weeks out of the year), I am SO tempted to buy up every last one and stare at them until they wilt. Oh yes. They are my favorite. So while in So Cal, I will continue to harvest my English Roses and *pretend just for a moment that I am staring at a beautiful peony.....

English Muse said...

Me too!! This is the one drawback about living in southern california: we can't grow peonies. which is probably why i love them so much. you always want what you can't have...

sallymandy said...

Peony, peony, peony! I think they even smell vaguely rose-like. I'm falling over, those are so gorgeous. Especially the top photo of the pinks and peaches. What is it about those colors? They do me in every time.

Thank you for joining my blog followers today! I'm going to go right into your blog and see what other lovely stuff you have.

Have a nice Thursday...

Anonymous said...

Definitely poenies. Just hearted this. :)

Dominique said...

I've been in love with ranunculus flowers and anemones lately, but peonies are definitely beautiful. I've never been in love with roses actually. I used to like the baby's breath more than the roses when my dad would give me a bouquet.

Maia said...

Peonies, no contest.
I say this although we "inherited" some stunning and vigorous rose bushes from the previous life of our house. They thrive with no tending. Denver is a surprisingly good climate for roses - I think it's all the decades and centuries of cow and buffalo manure in our high-plains soil. That's my theory, anyhow.

But in spite of the joy that my roses give me each summer, I have always longed for peonies, and last summer I planted two starters. I look forward to this spring to see what comes of them.

Anonymous said...

A frosty little poem to accompany this post:

Wind and Window Flower

LOVERS, forget your love,
And list to the love of these,
She a window flower,
And he a winter breeze.

When the frosty window veil
Was melted down at noon,
And the cagèd yellow bird
Hung over her in tune,

He marked her through the pane,
He could not help but mark,
And only passed her by,
To come again at dark.

He was a winter wind,
Concerned with ice and snow,
Dead weeds and unmated birds,
And little of love could know.

But he sighed upon the sill,
He gave the sash a shake,
As witness all within
Who lay that night awake.

Perchance he half prevailed
To win her for the flight
From the firelit looking-glass
And warm stove-window light.

But the flower leaned aside
And thought of naught to say,
And morning found the breeze
A hundred miles away.



***********

Warm off the press: http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0309/Shenanigans_Brad_Pitt_coming_to_a_Hill_near_you.html

English Muse said...

Clumsy you're so clever....

English Muse said...

well loves,
we have five votes for peonies, two for ranunculus, a couple for roses, one for purple iris and one for robert frost/bradpitt.
thank you for joining in on the poll. and now i'm going to bed...
good night
xoxo

Saz said...

I ador epeonies, tulips and roses..but if l had to chose, l think peonies...more lavish and recklessly beautiful!!

English Muse said...

voluptuously beautiful.

DC said...

Peonies every time!

Amber said...

A rose by any other name...
Do you know I am such a rose fan that I cant believe I will say this, but I am so in love with peonies at the moment. All of a sudden they have entered my life and refuse to leave. My loyalties still lies with Mr Lincoln though...

Joanna Goddard said...

i am IN LOVE with peonies!!! these photos are gorgeous.

Tess Kincaid said...

I would have to say pale pink peonies over roses, or any other flower. I have tons of them every spring. Can't wait until May!

I also adore Robert Frost.

Jess said...

Peonies are absolutely beautiful. I've been hinting to my hubby that I long to get a bouquet full of pale pink peonies since we started dating 5 years ago... maybe if I just start buying myself bouquets of them, he'll get the idea :)

Liz Hinds said...

Elder Son and his wife had dried peonies on their wedding cake.

Anonymous said...

The peonies are a symphony of soft beauties; the rose a mystical proposal of elegant passion.

carolina @ patagonia gifts said...

I definitely prefer peonies! But my truly faves are white jasmins. The fragrance reminds me of my childhood...
xx

English Muse said...

My favorite time of year in Los Angeles is when the orange trees and white jasmine are blooming. The evening air is like a spray of perfume.

Anonymous said...

I definitely vote for roses! Nothing can compare!

Anonymous said...

oh peonies are so fabulous! i love them.
thank you for this beautiful blog!

Daydream Lily said...

im going for rose, classic and always beautiful.

Tina { Luphia Loves... } said...

these images are so gorgeous! i've always loved peonies, too bad we can only get it around June time, (so my local florist tells me anyway!) :)

Anonymous said...

really poetic ...

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photos ... and peonies definitely ...

Lori

Amy (the b-line) said...

Peonies are my absolute favorite! I find their subtle scent intoxicating and I just love their feminine, yet disheveled ways. These are gorgeous photos!

English Muse said...

That's the perfect way to describe them: feminine yet disheveled. gorgeous.

Anonymous said...

you make poetry with your pictures. Thanks for share your sense with us.
Carolyn.

Mélanie said...

peonies, hydrangeas ...tulips , and roses at last

*moggit girls said...

PEONIES all the way!

Rebecca Woodhead said...

I love Old English roses. They are exquisite and the smell is amazing.

My mother had a rose garden when I grew up, with a pergola overgrown with roses. Wedding Day tumbled down, Leander had its own bed and the different colours as each rose opened were glorious. Rambling Rector climbed up an old apple tree and bloomed amongst the apples... just perfect.

That said, on my wedding day, there were peonies as well as roses and this year, along with all the roses in my garden, I've just planted my first tree peonies so by next year I may have a new favourite!

Rebecca
http://rebeccawoodhead.blogspot.com
http://frombrain2bookshelf.blogspot.com