If you would like more information please check out Michelle's blog over at Veg Plotting.
I must really thank her for the mention - so Thank you Michelle.
Without any fore thought, pretty much like everything else in my life, I nominated Herbaceous Peonies. Even a keen beginner gardener like me know that these plants are steeped in history and go back through many centuries, millennia even! So a strange choice indeed for my plant of the century - I know - but now I need to put my money where my mouth is, don't I!
A stalwart of English County Gardens for years - the Herbaceous Peony has faced a decline in popularity over the last century but is now, according to some sources, regaining popularity, especially here in the UK.
If asked to choose my favourite peony - I doubt very much that I could do that - I covet these beauties and each time I visit my local nursery during peony flowering time, I get lost in the moment! They specialise in Peonies and indeed won a medal at their first Chelsea Show last year. More about them in a later blog! I wonder what/if they will nominate - I must ask next time I'm along.
Here's what I managed to come up with.......
A favourite peony in my garden has to be dependable Sarah Bernhadt - As it's considered rude to ask a lady her age please keep it to yourself that she was introduced in 1906 - thus making her 7 years too old to qualify.
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| Paeony lactifora Sarah Bernhardt (AGM) introduced 1906 |
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| Paeony lactiflora Bowl of Beauty (AGM) introduced 1949 |
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| Possibly Paeony lactiflora Blaze introduced 1973 |
Herbaceous Peonies will always hold a very special place in my heart. Each time I see peonies, my thoughts and memories turn to my grandfather, we called him Papa - you have to imagine me saying that word with a Scots accent which sounds more like Pupu - quite unlike the way it would be pronounced in one of those British Periodic Dramas on TV. We could never be classed as posh, that's for sure!
Being of farming stock - he was a big man, his hands best described as shovels. When not working, he was a blacksmith to trade, he would, more often than not, be found out in his garden. He grew all his own veg, had a huge greenhouse - my thoughts now wander to the smell of tomatoes in a greenhouse. He always had rows and rows of Tatties (potatoes) - the largest Rhubarb clumps I can ever recall seeing and many more staples. There was a friendly rivalry between him and his neighbour next door, his obsession was roses. Many evenings were spent over the garden fence discussing goodness knows what!
When I was 3, my mother and father decided their marriage was over - she, her pregnant bump (my brother) and I went back to stay with my Papa, he became and remained our father figure until his death just before my 20th birthday.
Down the entire length of his garden he had masses of peonies and dahlias - my passion for peonies comes from watching him tend his beds when I was little - we were never allowed to play in the 'back green' it was only for growing things and never would we be found with a balls, bicycles or the likes round the back. There would be trouble if we were!
I never did inherit his love of 'grow your own', pricking out seedlings, digging trenches (or what ever they are called) for potatoes, preparing the soil for his carrots, turnips, brussel sprouts and cabbages. Nor do I look at Dahlia tubers in quite the same way he did. Whilst I do appreciate Dahlia blooms - I consider them too high maintenance for me! Lifted and stored for winter - boxes filled the shed in winter months. All the fiddling about he used to do out there in spring - no - they are not for me but I will never say never! His affection for his beloved Peonies did rub off and I'm glad it did!
Incidentally, had my Papa been alive today, it would have been his centenary year too!
I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did reminiscing and writing it.
