My PEONIES 2021

 I planted PEONIES back in later summer early fall of 2019.  After seeing my brother's glorious pink PEONY, I couldn't resist from  wanting to try to grow it myself.  My brother's pink PEONY is just gorgious.  It's surreal - like Silk.

 

This is my peonies this year.

This one came only with a single bloom. 

The name of this is Koningin Helmina, Alexander Fleming - Pink or Dark Pink, but definitely did not come out that way.  It is Salmonish Pink.

 

 

Not sure if it was a good idea.  After reading that peony bloom only las a few days, I thought I would cut it and take it inside the home to enjoy.  Unfortunately, I discovered that the insect kingdom is quite busy in it that I decided to leave it outdoor.  It looked magnificent.   It opens and closes along with the sun rise and sun down.

 

After a few days, the color faded and it started to grow seed pods

 

These are the new growth.  The original stems seemed to have died off.

No signs of flower buds this year

 

As you can see, when I bought then in 2018 already blooming in planters, they looked like this.  When I saw them at COSTCO, it just captured my mind.  The old Chinese wall hanging painting often depects Peonies, and I always wondered how they looked live.  But the original plant died off that winter, and did not come back in 2020.  I was sure they were a gonner. 

 

 

These ones are in the backyard. 

(2021 Early spring, just coming out.) 

Names are Pink & Yellow Double China Peony, planted 3-13-2019 in flower pot.  Kept insulated in a make shift green house under the trellis covered with clear shower curtains.    It looks like there are two different plants as you can tell from the leaves.  I am sure I planted two in this flower pot.  But like last year, only this hot pink find itself out in the sun.  Maybe it is only one plant in this pot, and I moved the ITOH.

 

This year, it has two buds.

They finally woke up.

It lives up to its name - Double China Peony

 

It's time to go after a week.

 

 

I thought these ones died, but there they are. 

This one - the label stick I placed says Bowl of Beauty - Red... Bunker Hill, Dark Pink Petals Light Center - it is supposed to be.   Basically whatever the package's picture showed, the actual plant grew changed evoleved itself.  Or, I just planted them in the wrong spot or tagged the label incorrectly duiring planting because I did move them afterwards because they looked 'dying' during the first summer of 2019.

Right behind it close to the bead cactus is supposed to be ITOH Peony - Yellow, planted 3/2019.  But I know it is definitely not going to turn out yellow, but pinky.  Right now there are five buds getting ready to bloom.... And here they are in bloom.

It's fun to watch them open up each day.

These ones will open up soon, too.  And it's supposed to be ITOH Yellow... It sure doesn't look like a yellow bloom.

 

The bees are all happy.

Bee Happy!!

Two other ones are opening soon.

This was on Saturday, 5/1/21.

Monday, 5/3/21.

I help it a bit to prop it up.

 

Peony's Names:

My New Avocado Green Mattress

I noticed when the spring comes, there are mattress sales, etc.  I had been suffering a bad back ache from whatever - arthritis or deterriorated 3rd disc, etc. and my Select Number bed was not helping.  I decided to buy a real mattress with springs and whatever and selected on Avocado Green mattress.   My Select Number bed has been a disappointment for the price.  The digital controller went blank, then, the pump went out.  I managed to revive the controller's digital screen display after following YouTube posting, but the pump needs further eheck.  The Avocado Green Mattress thus far for 1-1/2 months has been great.  I am sleeping and have helped me in diminishing achy back pain.

I was surprised that it came in a rectangular tall box.  As I was expecting a full mattress box.

It's rolled up!

Thank goodness it came the way it is.  I tied bunch of straps around it, and carried it upstairs.  That was a not easy task because it was heavy and of awkward shape.  You can't quite wrap you arms around it.

It depressurized itself as soon as the wrappers were removed.

I have been kind of concerned with the 2nd section's springs as it had a deeper indentation from pressureized roll up.  But it seems to be undamaged.

It is giving me far better support than the Select Number bed.