Peonies, Beauty, and a Joy-filled Heart

To me, flowers are happiness. – Stefano Gabbana

Every spring, my heart looks forward to the flowers. Years ago, when we moved in to our current home after 4 years living in Prague, I planted a flower garden (and wrote about it here). Every spring since has been more and more of a celebration.

I love many of the perennials planted in my garden. I chose the combinations of color and plants based upon their bloom times. Here, I wrote about creating a painterly garden.

Roses have always been a favorite, but in recent years, peonies are gaining to be a very close tie for my favorite flower.

Why? Peonies only bloom once per year. But the form, fragrance, and abundance of beauty in each peony stem is enough to be unforgettable.

Yes, flowers to me = happiness. They are quietly beautiful, don’t demand anything but water, soil, and sunlight, and in return give a heart brimming with joy. Here, I have a few favorite photographs of peonies from my garden this year, along with a few favorite quotes.

Peonies, Beauty, and a Joy-filled Heart

Flowers… are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out-values all the utilities of the world.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I’d rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.

Emma Goldman

Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.

Gerard de Nerval

Where flowers bloom so does hope.

Lady Bird Johnson

Flowers are love’s truest language.

Park Benjamin

Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul.

Luther Burbank