If You Grow Peonies....

The Ants Will Come...

I have spent the last few days pretty much focused on the garden, trying to  clean it up and to get some planting done. The job is not done, but now it is time to head back north to the cottage for another week and leave it all behind. So, this evening was the farewell tour, checking to see that all was well, what was at the end of its "best before" date, and what was coming into bloom to take over the spotlight. 
Last year there were a lot of changes in the garden. I had added some plants and a new shrub bed; the removal of a huge tree in the garden had meant relocating some plants and had resulted in damage to some and death to others. So, this spring has been somewhat suspenseful as I check to see what survived and what did not. This little peony was one that got moved and it never did recuperate. It was a sorry sight last fall. But, today? There it was - the first of all the peonies to bud and it is looking good! I should be back home from the cottage in time to see the flower, but even if I am not, this little bud made my day. Amazing how little it takes to amuse a novice gardener.. but then we set our bar of success pretty low...if it grows, that is good.