Peonies!

My favorite flower is most definitely the peony.  Aside from their unabashedly beefy beauty, I love the distinct aroma of peonies.  I just ran downstairs to smell it so I could describe the smell, but there is no way to say it except that it is just very "peony-esque".  The light pink ones in my photo smelled especially wonderful.

Every year I like to make one really nice flower arrangement from the yard when the peonies are blooming. This year I included lots of different things including iris, yarrow, anemone, Russian sage, ferns, hosta, Soloman's seal, and of course peonies.  If I have the time I find that I can totally lose myself when making an arrangement.  I love trying to find just the right balance - a little green here, a little pink here, a little yellow there.  I encourage everyone to get out there and cut some flowers for an arrangement - even if it's dandelions in a drinking cup!