From 13 – 19 April it is National Gardening Week in the UK – have a look at the link and see what is happening near you!
The papery flamboyant blooms and interesting foliage of tree peonies gives the impression that the plants are delicate. Thankfully, the complete opposite is true. They are not trees, but deciduous shrubs.
Earth laughs in flowers 
Last year’s?
Yes. Not open here yet.
And gorgeous they are too, I didn’t realise they were this early.
last year when everything was early!
What amazing detail Jude. Looks like a little nest. 🙂
It’s a beautiful flower, but sadly doesn’t last long.
And incredibly tough little things, aren’t they? At least mine is. Mine started sending up shoots from the ground of the original peony. I let them grow one year to see what they’d look like but they only served to drain the energy from the tree peony. I now trim them off when and if they appear. Mine is so loaded with buds right now that it is hanging low. Any day now!