A Year of Gratitude – June 25, 2024

I have found my gratitude in simplicity quite often lately. I try to find beauty in simple things. They are beautiful in their own way. I like to look for those ordinary things that might be overlooked.

But some things practically scream for your attention. I don’t mean that in a negative way. They are simply too fabulous to ignore. They were never meant to be quiet. This bright pink peony certainly fits in that category.

There’s nothing quiet about this peony. It puts out these deeply colored blooms each June. In our gardens, this bold peony is usually the very last one to bloom.

The white and light pink peonies have been spent for more than a week now. This week’s intense heat would have decimated them. They are beautiful, but a bit fragile. When one of the saucer size white blooms is open, it can be destroyed by the lightest of touch.

But not this peony. It seems to withstand all that Mother Nature can send its way. Heavy rain, winds, and heat just don’t seem to affect it. It’s bold and beautiful all at once.

I’m not sure why this peony blooms long after the others have stopped. I don’t know it if is coincidence or if it is simply a more hardy variety. I only know that it does year after year.

I might conclude that it is the location it occupies in our garden. However, we have two or three of this variety in different gardens here on the farm. They all hold their blooms longer than the more delicate peonies that begin the season.

For whatever reason, this one simply shines later on. It refuses to be ignored with these vibrant blooms. Perhaps it blooms later to have its fair due, to get the stage all to itself.

In the end, I only know that it isn’t simple at all and I am just as grateful for its extraordinary nature. It’s fantastic and I’m happy that it means our peony season isn’t quite over yet.

This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.