Thursday, September 16, 2010

No peonies before breakfast


I shall try to fix firmly in the mind of the peony lover
the proper time to begin planting:
it is September 15th at 9 A.M.
(I do not believe in hurrying through breakfast).

- Alice Harding, The Book of the Peony, 1917 -

Alice Harding, also known as Mrs. Edward Harding, was an American horticulturalist and peony expert. Her two books, The Book of the Peony (1917) and Peonies for the Little Garden (1923), were much appreciated and popular works when they were published, and still remain the standard account of propagating and growing peonies. Her work was widely acknowledged by horticultural societies both in the United States and in Europe, and several peonies and other garden plants were named after her.
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While writing this, it is already one hour past the "proper time" so I'd better get going...
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2 comments:

Ruben said...

Lycka till med planteringen, och gräv nu inte ner den för djupt i brådskan!!! ;-) Men, frukost klockan nio??? Så sent! Hur går det då med förmiddagskaffet? Hoppar du över det? ;-)
Ha det gott!
/Ruben

The Intercontinental Gardener said...

Ingen fara, Ruben, så många har jag inte :-) Jag tyckte det var så charmigt med Alice's råd om att inte hasta med frukosten, så skriver man ju verkligen inte i trädgårdsböcker numera. Och jag kan riktigt se framför mig en parant dam som lugnt intar sin frukost innan hon styr sig mot trädgården...