Thursday, June 2, 2016

My First Peony

 .... my peony bush is loaded with buds this year ...
I always thought that peonies required ants so that the buds could open into blossoms.

The University of Michigan website says this is not so.

And they give a tip.  If you don't want those ants inside of your house, plunge the blossoms into water before making a bouquet of them in your house. 

I have one other tip about peonies.

I picked my first one of the year tonight to put on the picnic table outside.  The length of the stem was making the arrangement unstable so I took my scissors and cut off an inch or two.  Then I cut it a second time so that it would just fit in the Emile Henry Lion's Head Soup Bowl that I was using as a vase and be secure on the table.

Only a few minutes later, I was plating up a garden salad, and absent mindedly pick up a piece of celery that had fallen on the table and popped it in my mouth.

Well, I shouldn't have, but old habits die hard.  Not only was the piece bitter, but it was so hard to chew -- tough and stringy.  Try as I might, I couldn't get it to a place where I dared swallow it.  That is when the penny dropped.  I was chewing a piece of a peony stem.

I do not recommend it.

I do recommend eating outside in the evening with the family next door.  They tumbled out of the house t hat is next to ours, at 6 pm,  bringing 2 pizzas:  vegetarian and cheese.  I supplied the salad (peony stem for my mouth only), and candy cotton grapes for dessert.  I know the grapes are expensive, but if you haven't tried them yet,  do. They are a wonder though Michael says to him, they taste like dirt.

Arta

3 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful peony. Peony stems belong in the brussels sprouts group.

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  2. Ì did love dinners out at that table in August 2015. I would love a garden salad and thanks for holding the peony stem.

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  3. I wanted to add one more thing about the cotton candy grapes. I do not like grapes as a rule. When Pouria tasted the grapes he made one thoughtful comment: "Why would someone want to ruin the taste of grapes." Now that made me laugh, since I don't like the taste of grapes. But cotton candy grapes? Well, they aren't real grapes and so I do like the flavour. Yum to GMO.

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