Peonies & Roses

In the backyard perennial garden, the flowers have really filled in this year now that their root systems are established. We have so many pretty flowers that bloom throughout the spring and summer. Below you can see the bleeding heart, irises, peonies, strawberries and roses. The gladiolas are just starting to wake up. I love the massive knockout rosebush in the corner - it's so bright!

On the other side there are more peonies, not yet blooming. Also hostas, hydrangea, rhubarb, delphiniums, anemones, astilbe, lilies, and the blueberries down at the end hidden by the lilies.

My favorite thing though is that the peonies are finally starting to bloom. The spring after I first planted them, there were no blooms. In fact two of the plants were so small, I had doubts that they would survive. Last year we only had a few blooms on a couple of plants. This year? There are tons of buds on every single one. It's gorgeous. And of course I can't help but pick a huge bouquet of them to bring inside (after shaking all the ants off of course).