Welcome to the Clueless National Bank Drive Thru Island

Note the Stella D'Oro daylily, with bark mulch beneath.  Oh, the humiliation.  But I had to mulch prior to decamping to NW8 shortly, and that bark's what was in the garage.  At least note the astrantia "Roma" flower in bottom right corner and try to forgive me.

This Blog Now In Its Sixth Big Year

...just sayin'.

...and accept the things I cannot change...[that peonies are ephemeral]...a contemplation as the petals wilt

In an effort to reassure my reader (s) that I'm not entirely superficial and silly, I'll reiterate my garden philosophy : I've always used my interest in flowers/gardening to express feelings about the wonderfulness/sadnesses in life in general.  2011 Peony season, which had me hallucinating, is pretty much over, as you may see, above.  Like many much more acute, important and serious events in life,  knowing the peonies will return next spring makes it easier to let go now.   And even if the peonies don't come back next year, the theme, thanks to this year's bounty, is --  what a way to go.

Clueless has a Peony Playdate

This photo is too dark, and too soft, but makes the arranging errors disappear...so it's a keeper.  This is a re-arrangement of the original arrangement I made at the Little Flower School/NYBG workshop, after removing spent blossoms.  I'd book this playdate any week!

continuing play with my equivalent of legos....here are some nice, starry campanulas with the usual suspects

poppy, siberian iris, wild rose, weeds

It's peak June in the Berkshires, and poppies, roses, peonies, iris, ammi, campanulas...you name it...are all competing for my attention...I'm getting dizzy!

Remnants of the workshop bouquet...

A spent tree peony, a blooming one, astrantia, scabiosa, heuchera, various weeds

Is "Festiva Maxima" the best peony of all time?

Palest pink, flecks of deep pink inside...my sentimental favorite.  Actually, it is usually described as "pure white," but mine is just a breath of pinkie...my true white peony is really bright white in comparison.

A peony with just a single row of petals...

...is refreshing and charming, and a nice break from the blowsy "bombs" we all love most of the time.  Jammed in a bottle here with a fuller peony, wild rose, and weeds.

throw down the trowel, pick up the Pimm's

Five o'clock comes happily in the garden, especially after a long day of "installing plant material."

how many different birds in your dawn chorus?

why they invented the phrase...

..."to die for."  [tree peony blossom from Emily Thompson Flowers]

The Clueless Florist apes Redoute painting, fails

...but my class, held at the New York Botanical Garden, taught by "The Little Flower School," in the very same classroom as previously, was a revelation.  See below

now, this is more like it; Little Flower School's flower arranging workshop, where, unlike the other class (see photo several posts below), the instructors are not zombies

When I walked into the classroom, the array was breathtaking...

the teacher told us "calm down," as we came in and saw all this

peonies, also some dark tree peonies, were on offer

roses supposes

no flower shop could possibly compare!

here's one of the two teachers, Sarah Rhyanen, making an arrangement

here's my attempt, in progress; other teacher, Nicolette Owen, at right

keep turning it and adding "moments," she instructed

a little too pyramid-y; keep trying

not done yet, but you get the idea

tussie mussie du jour

New Dawn, Bonanza clematis, Caesar's Brother iris,white valerian

last tree peony...see you next year, dearie