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.

 

Photo Journal of Installing Ceiling Fan in Kitchen Nook

 I bought this Hunter Ceiling fan from COSTCO like back in 2019.  It was a hot summer in 2019, and I always had this countertop fan on to keep the kitchen cool.  This COVID-19 crazy stay home didn't motivate me to install it, still, but when I noticed the climate change in winter to spring exchange, that was a good reason for me to do.  Weird thing was that it was on the day I had my first vaccine shot.  That vaccine must have some kind of caffeine or steroid.  I was quite unsettle when I got home.  My mind was racing, and kept me going until late next day it just dropped me.  Then, the swollen arm and rash and all the strange symptoms showed up.  I had to keep up with it for about 12 days.  My second shot's side effect was/is even worse - fever, rash, swollen arm, blurry vision, joint pain, increase in blood pressure, ... for 12 days, it went on.  Increase in blood pressure hadn't quite gone away, yet, but now I got this dark pots before my eyes when I am looking out in the brightness - like the floaters, but it somes in speckles in 5s and 10s.  Everyone normally got floaters, but these are definitely something I didn't experience until  I got my 2nd vaccine.

So, how did the fan  installation go?  I had to read the instruction like 4 times.  This is actually my 6th ceiling fan installation.  The 1st ceiling fan installation was very challenging because of the 3 way light switch and wirings.  This was before the YouTube how to's and Internet.  I  checked out library book on Handyman book and electrical wiring, etc., and studied it for a few dsys before I completed the install.  The only thing I had a complain about this particular Hunters Ceiling fan is the Fan blade installation.  It took about 10 ... 15 min to tackle it into position and get the screws in.  The good side is - the fan is quieter than all the other fans.  And it comes with a remote control.