I’ve never really given our peonies much thought. Year after year their dark red shoots push through our hard yellow clay in the early spring, and in no time at all I have the same pink blooms and broad green leaves that adorned my mother’s flower beds when I was a boy.

In fact, our peonies all came from starts she dug and gave to us over 40 years ago, telling me that the place we’d just bought needed “color.”

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You can contact Mike Lunsford at hickory913@gmail.com; his website is at www.mikelunsford.com. More about the Indiana Native Plant Association can be found at https://indiananativeplants.org/.

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