...Amateur Photographer

Coaxed by the rainy weather mixed with patches of sun over the last few weeks, my flower garden is really starting to shoot up! My lilacs are in full bloom (and their wonderful fragrance envelops my home!), hostas are sprouting up everywhere, ferns are beginning to unfurl, clematis are already climbing, cheery pansies are smiling, catmint are already staking their claim and traveling throughout the garden, and my peony bushes are now at least three feet high! I can't wait to see and smell the peonys' fragrant blooms later this month. They are one of my favorites, of course I say that just about every flower! But I think peonies are such a wonderful old-fashioned flower, and they always remind me of my mom, which makes them extra special.

I took this photo last summer of one of my blooms. How can any one resist these spectacular flowers?