Peony Tree

Five years ago I heard about something I'd never seen before - Peony Trees.   I've always known about peony plants, but not the trees.  I looked into it, and what I read seemed pretty great.  Even better, they're supposedly hardy enough to handle the Alberta climate.  So, the next year, I tracked one down and planted it in a a premier location of the front garden.

It's in the dead centre in the front garden, with everything else centred around it.  I wanted to showcase what I hoped would be an unusual but striking plant.  So, it should be no surprise that the peony tree has has taken its time in coming into its own.  In fact, it's stayed so small that until this year it looked like a twig hidden under the annuals.

This year, it seemed to grow a little more than usual when spring arrived.  Then, yesterday I noticed something:  blooms are in the works.  Dark purple blooms, if I recall correctly.

I can barely wait.