Right on Cue

Dear Diary,
  
After days and days of lovely weather my peonies are blooming and, right on cue, it's raining!  Peonies in full bloom do not like rain as it knocks the petals off so easily.  Sigh...  I caught this in between showers, complete with the little ant doing its best to open up the bud.

Peonies don't need ants to aid their opening but some varieties secrete a tasty, to ants, liquid that draws them in.  The ants help the peony with harmful insects so it is a win/win situation.  Very clever of the peony I would say.  You can read a bit about it here.

I have noticed that Auntie's Tree has been shedding leaves, leaves which have turned yellow.  I believe it is Apple Scab which is affecting it.  Nothing to do about it now but next spring the tree will be treated.  The good news is that although it is unsightly it doesn't really harm the tree and as long as it re-leaf's and blooms in the spring, which it does, it is healthy.  The tree is over 20 years old so this is not uncommon for a crab apple tree.  More sighs....