Happy Monday! It’s one of my favorite days of the month, when I join my blogging friends, Shirley, Pam and Lidy, for some flower therapy and Monday Morning Blooms!
You can find my flower friends’ links and more floral inspiration at the bottom of this post.
May is my favorite month in the garden and when the peonies are in bloom here in North Carolina!
Meet Sarah Bernhardt, a hands-down favorite peony with big pink double blooms that resemble old-fashioned roses.
I cut some peonies to enjoy their fragrance and for a little ‘Fresh Flower Market’ fun in the Potting Shed.
Decoupaged watering cans add some additional blooms, along with a sprinkling of butterflies. I hung one one over the window and filled one filled with peonies and privet that is blooming now.
You can use this fun technique to decorate any surface. . .flower pots, birdhouses, furniture. . . the possibilities are endless! Find the how-to using napkins to decoupage, HERE.
In addition to peonies, I filled some mason jars with some garden roses and Verbena Lollipop that’s blooming right now. . .
If you’re looking for a flower that attracts pollinators, self-sows and tolerates the heat, Verbena Lollipop is the flower for you!
It grows in zones 6 – 10, prefers full sun in well-drained soil and is a butterfly magnet!
I picked some Johnson Brother Garden Bouquets to serve up more flowers. . .
Garden Bouquet by Johnson Brothers is perennial favorite in my garden of dishes. ;)
White washed terracotta pot napkin rings add a nod to gardening season paired with floral print napkins. . .
While mismatched vintage flatware adds some additional blooms.
I get asked frequently about what to do about ants on peonies. Ants are attracted to the nectar on the peony buds. They are harmless to peonies and also serve to protect the blossoms from other floral-feeding insects, like thrips.
To prevent bringing ants inside with your peonies, either cut your peonies when they’re in the ‘marshmallow’ bud stage or give the flowers a gentle ‘swish’ upside down in a bucket of water to get rid of any hitchhikers that may be hiding in your petals.
The ‘marshmallow’ stage is when the bud is soft when gently squeezed between the forefinger and thumb. Buds cut at marshmallow stage typically bloom within 8 to 48 hours after the stems are placed in water.
Like spring bulbs, peonies rely on their foliage to replenish food stores for their blooms the following year. When cutting peony buds and blooms, leave as much foliage as possible on the plant and limit your bouquet to one-fourth to one-third of the stems in bloom.
Table Details:
Fresh Flower Market Sign / antique mall
Jute Runner, Pottery Barn, several years ago
Floral Napkins & Napkin Rings / HomeGoods, several years ago
Flatware & Johnson Brother Garden Bouquet /vintage
Garden tools / Target, several years ago
Wood chargers / Pier1, several years ago
Decoupaged Watering Cans / DIY here
Visit my talented friends to see their floral inspiration this week:
Pam at Everyday Living
Shirley at Housepitality Designs
Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse
Thank you for your visit, sharing with:
Between Naps on the Porch
Hi Mary, I’m hoping my peonies open…not sure if they will with all the frost & several freezes lately!! They are one of my favs and I long for that heavenly scent!! The recent freeze we had ended all hope of lilacs and their heavenly aroma this year!! AND, especially this year, we need these things!!
Hi Ellen, I’m so sorry to hear that. Hope springs eternal, keeping my fingers crossed for blooms!
My Peonies were beautiful this year ,but are all but a few white ones , done for the season. Couldn’t believe the size of Sarah Bernhart blooms this year. Amazing. Next we will have Asiatic and Day lilies to cut for bouquets .I agree May is the most wonderful month in the garden. Today is cloudy with showers predicted ,so perfect for transplanting some annuals I have purchased.Finally made a trip to a nursery to do some shopping. So nice to be out even with a mask and social distancing.😊
Thank you for sharing your beautiful creations every Monday morning! You bring joy!
Mary, Your flowers are beautiful. I do hope the rain is not going to beat down your lovely flowers. I love all the floral dishes, flatware, napkins, watering cans, and garden tools. Your peonies and other flowers are so beautiful! I adore peonies and can’t grow them here. Can’t buy them here either! Sad!!!
Thanks for the beauty.
Thank you Bonnie! I’m afraid they’re going to be shredded by heavy rain in our forecast this week. I’m guessing it’s a wet week for you too.
Good morning Mary. A visit inside the potting shed is always a treat, and I can just imagine the fragrance when you open the door. The Sarah Bernhardt peonies are breathtaking with their big pink double blooms. I love the Verbena lollipops and I had plans to make them an addition to my garden. Johnson Brothers Garden Bouquet is so perfect for your beautiful flowers, I do love the decoupaged watering cans. The blooming mismatched flatware and the white-washed terra-cotta napkin rings add charm to your table.
I planted three peonies last year and a Sarah Bernhardt this year, the plants are gorgeous but no blooms. I have hope for next year. It is always a treat to share Monday Morning Blooms with you, have a lovely day ♥️
Thank you Pam! It’s not unusual for it to take three years for peonies to bloom once planted but after that you have years of blooms to look forward to. Happy Monday 🌸💕
When my Sweetie was little, she often melted my heart by saying “You make my heart happy” (I think she got that from Dora the Explorer)….well, I am here to say that you make my heart happy every time you bring us such beauty from your garden and make us feel as though we are strolling it with you and sitting down and sharing a cup of tea with you by the lake or in your beloved Potting Shed. I just planted peonies at the house…no blooms but i so look forward to hopefully having some next year….the Sarah Bernhardt was one of them. Have a fabulous week and hopefully the rains will be kind to your Sarahs!…As always, such a pleasure to be with you on our MMB’s!!
Our Sarah Bernhardt peonies are well over 100 years old having belonged to my husbands grandmother then to his mother. He dug them up and brought them to Co when we moved here. They are a sweet memory every year when they bloom. Their fragrance fills the yard. I only cut them to bring inside if I see a storm coming as rain and wind ruins them. I can almost smell yours. So pretty.
I remember that my Aunt Kitty and Uncle John had peonies growing in their beautiful garden in Pennsylvania. What a beautiful flower that they are, and you’ve displayed them so prettily, Mary. Your potting shed looks wonderful with the sprinkling cans, Garden Bouquet, mismatched flatware (sigh), and those daring napkin rings. Thank you for making me smile this morning…just wish I could breathe in the glorious aroma! 🌸💕🌸
Mary
Thanks to you and your friends for the beautiful Monday morning post.The flowers are absolutely gorgeous and make the day so bright and cheerful…..
Oh so lovely! Such beauty in every single capture! I love your creativity and ingenuity!
I hope to see our peonies soon at the LakeHouse in Pennsylvania. I just need to be encouraged to get on that plane to take me there. I have no problem flying but now with the virus…???
Mary, your peonies are beautiful! They’re so healthy and happy. Your potting shed is peony perfection! I really love your decoupaged watering cans. My quest now is to find peony bulbs (I think it may be fall before I can purchase/plant them). If you have any special place where you purchased yours I would appreciate any advice. Have a wonderful day! Clara♥️
Thank you Clara! I just looked and it does appear that peonies are only available for fall shipping. I recently found this source for peonies that P. Allen Smith uses and ordered a couple about a month ago. They came with a very healthy 3-5 eye division. Their website says to check back in the fall.🌸🍁
Thank you Mary ❤️
Mary, your peonies are gorgeous! I too have hundreds. They are my favorite. I have several varieties, and a very unusual one named Maxime de Cornu that looks bright pink at first but opens a bright peach with orange tones in it’s fragrance. My husband and iI will travel to Litchfield Ct this Autumn to The White Flower farm to purchase some new varities. The peonies love our sandy soil in Maine..Ours now bloom June 15 or so …..maybe the 20th due to the cold spring
Mary, S.B. peonies are such a favorite of mine! I love your decoupage and all the florals everywhere…sooo cheerful! Glad you and yours are doing well. Hugs!
What a great way to start the week by gazing at your beautiful booms and creativity. Thank you!
Mary, such a beautiful presentation from the set tableware to the watering pitchers. Your Potting shed is lovely. I adore the peonies. I do hope the rains do not ruin the beautiful flowers.
So gorgeous Mary, truly a haven for flower lovers, your Potting Shed is indeed in full bloom! Your decoupaged watering cans are perfect for this flower market setting! The peonies are stunning, and I adore the abundance of blooms everywhere you look! 🌺🌸🌼💐💕
Jenna
The beautiful pictures make me very homesick for my lovely peonies in IL. Since retiring to the SW, I cannot grow that beautiful flower! Your photography is wonderful! This is one of my favorite home/garden blog! Thank you!
Your posts always brighten my day. Your peonies are beautiful! Thank you for sharing a glimpse of all that gorgeousness. And I hope you and your sweet pups are well. They are absolutely adorable 💕💕💐
Perfect setting in a perfect Little garden shed.
Especially needed here in California where it
Is a bit gloomy and misty and my plan was to
Finish potting baskets today!
Beautiful post.
Enchanted with a visit to the Potting Shed, and all the pretty flowers in bloom that are so charming with a flowery table setting…what a treat! I really appreciate that you take time to answer our questions and help us to find where one might find whatever it is we are looking for. Your tips are helpful and easy to understand; encouraging. Thank you too for sharing your inspiring creativity. It’s always a treat to find your posts.
Oh my goodness! Your peonies are so beautiful, Mary. I haven’t been able to go out and buy any, as we can’t grow our own here in California, sadly. But I’ve had such joy looking at your enchanting potting shed set for two and covered in those gorgeous peonies. It’s always a joy to join you on our special Monday Morning Blooms!! xo Lidy
Amazing table! So inspiring and creative!Gorgeous dishes!
Your Peonies are gorgeous. Of course your table is always set beautifully.
Thank You for sharing.
Marilyn,Joan and Marion
Everything looks gorgeous! Love all the colors, dishes, & all. Thank you!!!
I just want to tell you that I LOVE your creativity! Your blog is one of the only ones I actually get sucked into because it is just gorgeous. I don’t know how you do all this and AD free! Thank you for what you do.
Happy Spring,
Bren
Your Potting Shed is GORGEOUS with all those blooms! I have a set of those dishes in my sunroom. Thanks for sharing your creativity!
Beautiful peonies and china. I really miss spring flowers. I had to laugh when you mentioned those ants on the peonies. Many years ago, I was helping someone weed their garden. The peonies seemed like weeds covered in ants, so I was well on my way digging them up until caught !
Oh, so pretty! It is Peony heaven! And those flower pot napkin rings are over-the-top cute, so fitting for your tablescape in the shed. I have always loved your mismatched vintage floral flatware. Only you Mary can find such treasures and put it all together to make such a stunning look. Just awesome! 🤗
Have you noticed that when you surround yourself with things you love, everything just fits together? I think that must be the secret to your beautiful tablescapes and the potting shed. I really look forward to seeing your beautiful garden posts and your wonderful decorating ideas.
So pretty! I found some SB peonies on a recent walk, stopped to photograph and sniff. Love your potting shed tabletop details. I found a complete set of that first closeup photo salad fork pattern, love it, but I like how you mix the random pieces!
Beautiful peonies! They look just gorgeous in your potting shed along with your place settings.