In May, two things are certain in Indiana, The Indianapolis 500 and the blooming of our state flower, the Peony. As a child, our family planted acres of tomatoes on our farm while listening to the race on a portable radio. Though we were only 35 miles away, it seemed as though we were in another universe listening to the AM broadcast. As if it weren’t exciting enough, the carefully choreographed start of the race always brought chills. Jim Nabors singing “Back Home Again in Indiana,” the “Gentleman start your engines!” from Mari Hulman George, followed by the unusual but instantly familiar sound of the cars revving their engines. It always lived up to its billing, “The greatest spectacle in racing.”
In our yard, a very different spectacle also coincided with the month of May– the blooming of the Peonies. My mom had very few perennials around the house when I was growing up. As a youngster, I found these magical ‘reappearing’ plants exquisite. It was recently that I learned our farmhouse had many established perennials when my parents purchased it in 1965. My dad found them a nuisance when mowing the lawn and “removed” nearly all of them. Only 5 were spared the fatal slash of the whirling metal blades: Yellow Bearded Iris, Tiger Lilies (probably Lilium lancifolium), a Hosta similar to H. Lancifolia, Lilly of the Valley (Convallaria majelis) and Peonies (Paeonia Festiva Maxima). This quintet taunted my inner gardener for decades, and despite a stolen moment of fascination and appreciation, my attention was often redirected back to farm work.
Today, I revel in the splendor of perennials and nothing warms my heart more than Peonies in spring. This year their display is especially glorious. I even got a bloom from the plant I accidently sprayed with Roundup three years ago. I love that it refused to die– just like my intrigue and fascination of perennials.
