Bee Heaven

We had a smattering of sun over the weekend mixed with a little rain and wind.

The wind had me a little worried about some of the tree peonies flopping over and breaking. They were staked up, but you never know what will happen.

Watching massive wet flowers getting pummeled by the wind and rain is a bit more than my gardener's stomach can handle.

The thing about tree peonies in Portland is that their beauty is transient and their timing is poor.

When the buds bust open in late April, either it rains and the yellow pollen gets wet and stains the flowers or we have a freak early heat spell and it's 85 degrees and the flowers fry in the heat and sun.

There can never be a happy medium. 

During the sun breaks, I had to get out and admire them and all the busy bee activity around them.

Paeonia ostii 'Feng Dan Bai 鳳丹白'

Paeonia suffruticosa 'Seidei 聖代'

Paeonia suffruticosa 'Shima Nishiki 岛锦'

Paeonia suffruticosa 'Rou Fu Rong 肉芙蓉'

Paeonia suffruticosa 'Yin Hong Qiao Dui 银红巧对'