Tag Archives: Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

In A Vase On Monday – Paeonia

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

The garden has been intoxicating recently, full of color and fragrance as peonies took their place among roses and irises.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’

Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)

Simple vases of peonies in the house this week have meant pure delight.

Thought it looks appropriate for Valentine’s this red pitcher with heart decoration was just right to emphasize Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ in all its flouncy fluffiness.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

A second pitcher features P. ‘Festiva Maxima’ along with two pinks, P. ‘Madame Emile Debatene’ and P. ‘Pink Parfait’.

In A Vase On Monday – Paeonia

Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)

Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Materials
Flowers
Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’
Foliage
none
Container
Stoneware pitcher glazed with bands of cream, green, blue. (pitcher and 4 cups, Pringle Pottery, North Carolina, circa 1977)
Red pitcher with white hearts

We had some rain this weekend and Sunday the temperature was back down to 54F during the day after reaching into the upper 80s earlier in the week. The rain was much needed but it did leave the peonies tousled and soggy. There still are more buds and one other type of peony yet to open.

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are enjoying this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Red In Glass Vase

28 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Red In Glass Vase

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

Since April 1 I have been watching with anticipation as a large pot of Asian lilies developed greenery, then buds, then buds revealing color.

April 1, 2021 Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)

May 29, 2021 Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)

June 2, 2021 Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)

Finally this past week the first flowers opened on June 7, quickly followed by many.

June 9, 2021 Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)

Having planned all spring to use the carmine lilies in a Monday vase when they appeared so quickly at mid-week I was unprepared to spend time arranging them. After trying out several vases without success, I opted for a cylindrical straight-sided glass container to hold the simple bouquet.

In A Vase On Monday – Red In Glass Vase

Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)

Materials
Flowers
Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)
Foliage
Container
Straight-sided glass cylinder

Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)

As always thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenias In Blue Pitcher

24 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenias In Blue Pitcher

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenias In Blue Pitcher

The gardenias are the prettiest and most prolific in years. I packed a blue stoneware pitcher full of fresh cuttings.

Gardenia jasminoides

The gardenias could have stood on their own but I needed to use the last of the saved peonies that have been stored in my refrigerator for too many weeks.

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Coral Charm’ (Coral Charm Peony)

Next a piece, then maybe two, of hydrangea added because it just looks its best this week.

Hydrangea macrophylla

Materials
Flowers
Gardenia jasminoides
Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’ (Cape Jasmine)
Foliage
Hydrangea macrophylla
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’
Container
Stoneware pitcher glazed with bands of cream, green, blue. (pitcher and 4 cups, Pringle Pottery, North Carolina, circa 1977)

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenias In Blue Pitcher

As always thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenias In Blue Pitcher

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Trio

30 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Trio

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

While peonies are in flower they are the obvious choice for a Monday vase.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Trio

I used a large rectangular floral pin holder to support the stems. While there are some differences among the three peonies they are essentially the same size and shape. The design might have been more interesting with some in bud, with more foliage, with secondary flowers, or just with the stems inserted into a bowl or vase.

But never mind, they are peonies, fragrant, sumptuous peonies. Each year I find myself amazed when they bloom in my little garden.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ (I think)

Materials
Flowers
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’
Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’
Foliage
Lathyrus latifolius (Everlasting sweet pea)
Peony leaves
Container
Black-glazed ceramic square

As always thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden amazements she and others are offering this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Dramatic Cool

27 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Dramatic Cool

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

As the irises take their last bow at center stage in the garden, peonies have taken on the leading role. I cut bundles of them, mostly P. ‘Festiva Maxima’, after a quick but forceful rain Friday, rescuing some whose stems had broken and others which simply couldn’t hold their heads up under the weight of raindrops.

From the half a dozen peony vases scattered about on the mantel, windowsills, counters and in the foyer, I chose the vase in the hallway to share this day.

In A Vase On Monday – Dramatic Cool

Though cut several days ago it was early this morning before I could photograph the peonies, so they now have opened their hearts fully.

In A Vase On Monday – Dramatic Cool

As it is wet and gray now after pre-dawn showers, the light was not strong. I didn’t like the cast of the images so I applied a preset filter that seemed to better emphasize the flowers: Dramatic Cool.

In A Vase On Monday – Dramatic Cool

Materials
Flowers
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Foliage
None
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Dramatic Cool

Thank you to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

Early May Vignettes And Blooms – Peonies

11 Replies

Peonies have prospered in the fine spring weather. These are scenes from the first half of May.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Coral Charm’ (Coral Charm Peony)

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’

Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’

Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)

In A Vase On Monday-Mass Of Pink And White

33 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Mass Of Pink And White

Each Monday Cathy from Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase assembled from materials collected in our gardens.

It feels like summer now complete with high humidity, soaring temperatures and little rain. Today’s mass design relies on two hydrangeas that are enlivening the garden this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Mass Of Pink And White

Featured are white flowers of H. quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ and pink flowers from a passalong H. macrophylla. I am not such a big fan of pink and would prefer to be sharing this mophead hydrangea in blue, but the soil at my house is too alkaline. I know it’s possible to increase the acidity of the soil to get the blue I desire but I’ve never gotten around to it.

In A Vase On Monday – Mass Of Pink And White

The hydrangeas are joined by more pink and white, courtesy of my last peonies for the season.

I had stored a few peony buds in the refrigerator for several weeks before bringing them out in time for a visit from my sister-in-law last Tuesday. Some buds opened immediately, while others opened unhurriedly and ended up in today’s vase. Both Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ and P. ‘Festiva Maxima’ are deliciously fragrant.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura), Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony), Hydrangea macrophylla

Seeing Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ in the garden this week was a surprise and I could not resist tucking a bit into this Monday vase. Gaura has never thrived here and I thought it had disappeared completely.

Gaura and Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’

Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)

Materials
Flowers
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Hydrangea macrophylla
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)
Foliage
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Mass Of Pink And White

Many thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday—Coral Charm

34 Replies

In A Vase On Monday—Coral Charm. Photographed Sunday morning.

Each Monday Cathy from Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase assembled from materials collected in our gardens.

I cut two newly opened Coral Charm peonies on Thursday and the rest of these peonies Friday before an expected rain and conditioned them overnight. I arranged them Saturday morning and have enjoyed watching them open from almost bud stage. Here they are just after being placed into a vase Saturday.

In A Vase On Monday—Coral Charm. Photographed Saturday morning.

The color is softening as the flowers mature, shifting from pink coral into yellow apricot by Sunday morning, especially noticeable in the ones cut earlier in the week.

In A Vase On Monday—Coral Charm. Photographed Sunday morning.

By Sunday night the peonies were even more magnificent. I did not think they could get any fuller but they have.

Expansive blooms by Sunday evening

A glimpse from the side of the arrangement, Sunday evening.

Materials

Flowers
Allium Aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Coral Charm’ (Coral Charm Peony)
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Rosa (old-fashioned family passalong rose)
Foliage
Container
Dark blue matte ceramic jar

I could show you dozens and dozens of photos of these Coral Charms, but none of them do justice to the real thing.

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

44 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. I visited my sisters Saturday and was delighted to bring home three stems of their hydrangeas, just coming into flower. Sadly the cut flowers wilted on the trip and I could not revive them, so I had to look for something else.

In their stead this week is a simple bowl of peonies.

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

After featuring bundles of peonies last Monday my plan was to seek something else to highlight today. Many summer flowers are coming into bloom here at pbmGarden as the garden begins to transition away from spring, but a week of much needed rain has left many of the blooms looking a bit ragged.

Fortunately the lower shelf of my refrigerator was still stocked with salvaged peony buds from last week’s thunderstorms. After several hours at room temperature half-dozen Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ flowers were opened partially and eager to serve as stand-ins for the hydrangeas.

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

I floated the peonies in several inches of water in a special bowl with matte black finish on the outside. Its shiny red glazed interior coordinates with the delicate red brushstrokes on the flower petals, but as the peonies continued to open that aspect of the design was lost.

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

White flowers of Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ and deep red snapdragons tucked among the peonies are used as accents.

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon) and Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’

Materials
Flowers
Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)
Foliage
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)
Vase
Red/Black ceramic bowl

After several more hours the peonies were fuller and lush. Lightly fragrant, they look glamorous atop the piano.

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

44 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. Thursday evening a fierce thunderstorm accompanied by hail knocked over many of the peonies, which were just at their peak.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ and ‘Madame Emile Debatene’ were down but not defeated. Friday morning with IAVOM in mind I rescued these broken-stemmed beauties.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

The flowers were put them in water for conditioning. Having simply been placed in vases the peonies looked gorgeous–no arranger required.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

This vase arranged itself.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

But I have never had so many peonies to play with so of course I wanted to try to fashion them into my own style.

I formed a huge bouquet and banded the stems just under the flowers. This helped keep the heads together, but was mainly an attempt to keep the stems looking orderly through the glass container. Early morning light added some drama.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

I loved this look but worried the blossoms looked a bit constrained, so I tried unbinding the stems for a freer, looser effect. I was happy with this stage also.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

There were quite a lot of shorter stemmed trimmings, so I turned my attention to filling a low glass square vase. Simple contentment.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

Also there were unopened buds that went into cold storage to save for a later time. What is in your refrigerator?

Chilling and Storing Peonies For Later Use

So my Monday vase was ready, but by the next day some of the taller white ‘Festiva Maxima’ in the vase had begun to fade while the dark pink ‘Madame Emile Debatene’ had begun to open. I tweaked things a bit more and rephotographed. Again the lighting is weird but the arrangement is nice at this stage.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

Back in the garden, by Sunday morning there were more rescues to work with—additional stems of ‘Festiva Maxima’ had fallen over. I remembered a big green urn my sister Judy picked up for me at an estate sale last November. It has a large central opening that holds great quantities of stems (and water), with projections below the rim for additional flowers. I decided to try it with the newly cut peonies.

In A Vase On Monday – November Gifts

The green container suited the flowers perfectly. As it is so large, in order to have enough flowers to fill it, I grabbed the other tall vase and reused those peonies.

it is a classical design in the end. The fragrance is delectable.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

I had intended to find some complementary foliage to insert or drape, or to select some snapdragons or other garden flowers as accompaniments. It would be interesting to experiment more but even a single peony can stand on its own.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

Playing with such an abundance of peonies has been a treat. Never before have the plants offered up such generous quantities of blooms.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

Materials
Flowers
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’
Foliage
None
Vases
Large Green Ceramic Urn
Short Glass Square
Tall Glass Cylinder

My garden has needed more than the usual attention this spring and while I have been in the mood to weed and mulch, I am taking advantage. Apologies that I have been slow to get to comments and to visit your blogs this week. Hope to catch up soon.

In A Vase On Monday – Fluff and Majesty

41 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Fluff And Majesty

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

Today’s vase title comes from a flower description I happened upon by the late garden writer Henry Mitchell.

The fattest and most scrumptious of all flowers, a rare fusion of fluff and majesty, the peony is now coming into bloom.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ opened last week and it easily lives up to that characterization. I knew it would find a place of honor in this week’s design.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Another majestic flower, regal and dramatic, is a black-bud-opening-to-dark-purple ruffled iris, a wonderful pass-along from a former neighbor.

Iris germanica (Tall bearded iris) and Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Less dramatic than the darker iris, the yellow iris is also a pass-along, circa 1976, and was brought from my former garden to this one in 2001. The older irises in my collection are more demure and understated.

Iris germanica (Tall bearded iris)

Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ which grows along the Southern side path is having an exceptional year.

Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’

Its smoky lavender hue is echoed in the speckled portion of the iris falls, just under the beard.

In A Vase On Monday – Fluff And Majesty

Drifts of Verbena bonariensis are starting to accent the borders. In the vase today it adds height and reinforces the color theme.

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)

The arrangement was designed with the peony facing the front. I like the subtle change to the arrangement brought by rotating the vase slightly so the peony is viewed more to the side.

In A Vase On Monday – Fluff And Majesty

Materials

Flowers
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’
Iris germanica (Tall bearded iris)
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)

Vase
Porcelain triangle Ikebana Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

A peek from above…

A View From Above

and a couple more views for my records.

In A Vase On Monday – Fluff And Majesty

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us a chance to express our flower arranging passion. Visit her to discover what she and others found this week in their gardens to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday—Cherished Red

41 Replies

In A Vase On Monday

Each Monday brings the chance to join Cathy’s In A Vase On Monday to share an arrangement using materials gathered from the garden.

As frequent readers will know, I admire and value pass-alongs and the memories they contain. For today’s design I have featured cut peonies in a striking red color. These were shared by a friend last week and came from a plant originally grown by her mother.

A search to learn the name of the peony yielded dozens of possibilities, so I nicknamed it ‘Cherished Red’ for today.

Peony, foxglove and cilantro

Recently in other Monday vases I have seen herbs used to create a soft, airy effect. I used last year’s cilantro that has been flowering for several weeks to lighten the red.

From my peonies I cut several stems of P. ‘Festiva Maxima’ and a pink anonymous one. A branch of Ruby Glow Foxglove broken during a severe evening storm provided more blooms than I would have ventured to cut myself.

Pink and white peonies and foxglove grown in pbmGarden

The red peonies had lovely long stems, but not so the others. To use them all I divided the flowers between two ceramic containers of differing heights. The only foliage used was a small number of peony leaves kept on the stems to help keep them fresh (a tip I picked up from a floral designer’s talk last month).

In A Vase On Monday

Here is another view after giving each vase a quarter turn.

Vases rotated a quarter-turn

I perhaps like the overhead view best.

In A Vase On Monday – Overhead view

Materials List

Coriander (cilantro)
Digitalis Foxlight ‘Ruby Glow’ (Ruby Glow Foxglove)
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ (white)
Paeonia (pink peony, name unknown)
Paeonia (red double peony, name unknown)

Thanks to Cathy for hosting this weekly flower arranging addiction. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday and feel free to join in.

In A Vase On Monday—Sisters’ Flowers

41 Replies

In A Vase On Monday – Sisters’ Flowers

Each Monday brings the chance to join Cathy’s In A Vase On Monday to share an arrangement using materials gathered from the garden.

On Saturday I visited my two sisters in Fayetteville and returned primed for a Monday vase. My sisters grow spectacular Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) in a garden bed near their front walkway. When this past year they had to remove several shrubs from the area, their amaryllis responded to the more open, sunnier situation with a profusion of blooms.

Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) in Sisters’ Garden (pink rose in background)

My sisters generously offered the clippers and encouraged me to help myself.

“Oh, yes, thank you. I would love some!”

Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) in Sisters’ Garden

I chose four tall stalks and smiled all the way home.

These flowers are simply amazing, but creating a floral design and taking photographs that do justice to these beauties has proved challenging. Had I cut them short the Hippeastrum might have been easier to arrange. Maybe later in the week I will experiment, but for now I wanted to keep the stems long so I could use a special, deep vase of clear glass.

I did cut all the stems the same length and used florist’s tape to bind them near the top.

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’, Euphorbia ‘Shorty’

Included with the Hippeasturm is one stem of Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ and two stems of Euphorbia ‘Shorty’ in separate pastel glass vases complete the arrangement.

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’, Euphorbia ‘Shorty’

Materials
Euphorbia ‘Shorty’ (Shorty Spurge)
Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Because the peonies put up with such excessive rain last week and some still managed to open unharmed, I felt one deserved to be included in the vase today. I am not convinced it contributes to the design.

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’, Euphorbia ‘Shorty’

Without the peony the result felt incomplete. Perhaps some ribbon or burlap tied near the top of the middle vase?

Hippeastrum Flanked By Euphorbia ‘Shorty’. (Perhaps a cleaner design without the Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’.)

The Hippeastrum and the peony hold their own without the euphorbia.

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Eventually I had to stop fussing. Thanks to my sweet sisters, Judy and Cindy, for today’s flowers.

Thanks to Cathy for hosting this weekly flower arranging addiction. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday. Feel free to join in.

In A Vase On Monday—Festiva Maxima

42 Replies

In A Vase On Monday—Festiva Maxima

Each Monday brings the chance to join Cathy’s In A Vase On Monday to share an arrangement using materials gathered from the garden.

In the southern border fragrant Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ blooms this week. Its large double, white flowers are flecked with a slight accent of red. I selected two for this week’s vase.

In A Vase On Monday—Festiva Maxima

The larger peony measures over 7 inches across. Secured in place by a kenzan or floral pin frog, the majestic giant hovers gracefully just above the top of a black, glazed ceramic dish.

In A Vase On Monday—Festiva Maxima

The juxtaposition of the circular form against the square container is repeated in the second part of the arrangement with a round posy in a glass cube.

In A Vase On Monday—Festiva Maxima

Along with the second Festiva Maxima peony, the posy consists of a Siberian iris, two Anemones and a couple of sprigs of pink Phlox divaricata.

In A Vase On Monday—Festiva Maxima

Materials
Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’
Iris sibirica (Siberian Iris)
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Phlox divaricata (Woodland phlox)
Foliage: Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)
Containers: black glazed ceramic square saucer and clear glass cube vase

In A Vase On Monday—Festiva Maxima

Thanks to Cathy for hosting this weekly flower arranging addiction. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday. Feel free to join in.