La pivoine

The peonies in the back yard are starting to bloom now. Each year, when they begin to poke up through the rubble of winter, I know it's time to clean up the flower beds. The plants grow up for a few weeks before producing these large flower buds.

One of the peony buds just about to open.

Then, almost suddenly, the deep red flowers appear. They're of such a dark red color that it's hard to photograph them and capture it well. We have two clumps of pivoine, one of which we moved to a new location in the first years we were here. Now I'm thinking it's time to divide the other larger clump, so I might do that this fall after they die back.