Paeonia tenuifolia

  Happy Mothers Day!  This is for my mom, Rosa Maria Martinez Perez.  This Japanese variety Peony was a gift from a friend which I planted last fall.  It was the first flower to show up this spring and it’s making a huge impression on me.  I need plants like this in my yard.  I just finished mowing about an hour ago.  While mowing I noticed that my back yard is being taken over by the Garlic Mustard plant…an exotic herb from Europe.  It tends to take over and block out native wildflowers.  So, this week I’m spending a night pulling these things out.  Unfortunately, Garlic Mustard is just one of the many invasive plants taking over my yard.  It sometimes feels like war when it comes to landscaping.  Some battles I win and some battles I lose.  Most people who come to my yard would probably say I’m losing but that’s ok.  Thoreau says we tend to live in quiet desperation.  I try to fight the urge to become completely obsessed with the perfect yard.  If I was there would be no flyfishing, hiking, photography or making art.