The Fragrance of Peonies

Up until this summer, I have been hesitant to cut flowers to bring into the house.  Part of the reason was that I didn't know how long the blooms would last in a vase, and another part of me felt that flowers should be left outside to grow.  This year, I realized that we have an abundance of flowers, and clipping a few really wouldn't do any harm.  Earlier this summer, I cut some sprigs of lilac and loved how our home filled with the sweet fragrance.  We also had a few hydrangea branches that were almost as short-lived as the lilacs, and pretty, but no scent.  Tonight, I risked being devoured by mosquitoes to cut an armful of peonies before several days of predicted storms, which ruined our peonies last year.  When I first walked into the house with them, I dumped them in our farmhouse sink, and loved the way they looked, spilling over the edge.