GWG#8: The Essence of Summer

The winter solstice (December 21) has just passed, and I thought it fitting to mark the ‘turning of the seasons’ with a post about… summer! Side note – it’s a grey and snowy day here today, except for my hot cup of Tetley tea figured we needed a little warming up.

Summer, my second favourite season taking a back seat to Fall, is a splendid time of long days spent soaking up much-needed vitamin D and enjoying the true beauty that Mother Nature has to offer.

This particular post I dedicate to the plant that I think best encapsulates the essence of summer. And when I think of summer, the first plant that comes to mind is Peonies.

Paeonia (pay-OH-nee-a) might be my favourite flower (although I only have 2 of them – must remedy that!). Now Coneflowers and Brown-eyed Susans are pretty too and last much longer throughout the season, but there’s just something about Peonies.

This beautiful perennial, which generally blooms late spring to early summer, can be seen in a variety of colours. They like full sun and also grow well in light afternoon shade and plenty of daylight. It’s best not to disturb them once planted as they can be finicky. They will get larger and more productive each year. And it’s said to divide them once every several years.

There’s also an old wives tale about peonies that ants must be present for the flowers to open howbeit not true. Ants often roam over the plant and do no damage, as they are attracted to the buds’ sweetness.

There’s just something about the little round bud that I find so intriguing with all the little ants zipping around. How all those wonderful peddles fit in that tiny, perfectly circular bulb, I’ll never know. The sweet and airy smell is sometimes subtle, but it’s there (some more fragrant than others).

The delicate peddles burst out of that little bud and can spread up to 10″ wide depending on the variety. And when all is said and done, the shrub-like foliage looks lovely throughout the summer and into Autumn.

My Grandma T always had Japanese Peonies in her garden, which were her Mothers. They are stunning! For the life of me, I can not make them grow! (Although my mom has some, I’m just stubborn enough to make the darn things happy here!).

So there you have it, the plant that I think best encapsulates the essence of summer. Would you agree? What plant, or vegetable/fruit/herb, would you say fits the bill? Maybe a strawberry screams summer more, but my vote will always be for a pretty peony.