This is one of two pivoine (peony) clumps in our garden. We didn't plant them; they were here when we bought the house. However, I did transplant this clump by digging up and dividing the original clump. "Clump" is the appropriate botanical term, I'm certain. I wasn't blogging back then, but I mentioned having divided the plants in a 2009 post. Blogging is a great repository of memory.
We're still having chilly mornings that hover around freezing. We can hear the big fans out in the vineyards to our north and east. There are none in the vineyards around us. In the past, the growers who own the vines around our hamlet have burned hay bales and lit smudge pots (as I call them) in certain sections of the vineyard to help mix the air and bring temperatures up. This year, nothing. I'm guessing they don't think it's cold enough in our micro-climate to worry. I hope they're right.
I think peonies are difficult to grow here, perhaps because of the summer heat. They grow well enough in the cooler hills. Many is the time I have looked back at something on my blog and being reminded of something I had forgotten about.
ReplyDeleteWe inherited a peony (no clump) at our house in Connecticut. It was a surprise that first spring. It became a clump and we loved it. We panicked when we saw ants crawling all over the bud, but we looked it up before killing the ants. Another surprise. Raining here; started yesterday afternoon and has been heavy at times. Temperature has dropped to 16C but will climb again tomorrow -- although the rain will continue (supposedly).
ReplyDeleteOur peonies are tall and leafed out, but I haven't looked close enough to see if there are buds yet.
ReplyDeleteHow was the asparagus and ham tart?
That is going to be pretty soon
ReplyDeleteThanks for this! The anticipation is building for peony flower pictures and lunch pictures. And ‘yellow flowers in the lawn’ sounds like the appropriate botanical term to me.
ReplyDeleteThe frost problem in the vineyards this year even made the NY Times, and I was wondering why "your" vineyards didn't have fans or fires. Thanks for the insight.
ReplyDeleteYes, Chrissoup, I saw that article too, and noticed they mentioned Burgundy and the Champagne region (right?) but nothing about the Loire saying the vintner's output would not be great this year because of the chilly weather.
DeleteYou are right, Walt! "Clump" is definitely the term to use in that situation!
Ants in Peonies the first time is a shock - isn't it!
andrew, they do ok in our summer heat, but I'll bet yours is hotter.
ReplyDeletemitch, I'd be happy if our temperatures CLIMBED to 16.
judy, very tasty. Posting about it today (Friday).
travel, :)
bettyann, of course!
chris, they're having trouble in Vouvray, apparently.
mary, haha!