Shimane Chojuraku ('Long Life') peony (Paeonia ‘Shimane Cho Juraku’)

It is fitting to start Favorite Flora and the New Year with the tree peony ‘Long Life’ — a plant that produces flowers of incredible beauty that are short-lived in the garden, but long-lived in our memory. Tree peonies typically bloom in the Midwest in early to mid-May. Mine are often in bloom for Mother’s Day. The flower above was eight inches across and held a place of honor in my dry stream garden for two days.

Wishing you a beautiful and healthy New Year –and a happy, long life.