Buds and stumps aren't usually the stars of the show. But this week during a visit to Longwood Gardens, I was struck by them. There wasn't much in bloom except for some hyacinths, a few tulip beds and pansies, which is another way of saying there were fewer distractions here than usual. (The inside experience, in the Conservatory, is another story.)
So I was able to look closely at the buds. This one, of a tree peony, was so elegant. The baby red bud looks full of energy, almost like a paintbrush in pause mode. I have a few tree peonies in my garden that are beginning to emerge. I almost like them better unopened, though they are an exquisite blushing bloom.
Tree peonies aren't really trees. They're shrubs. I guess "shrub peony" doesn't have the requisite cachet! And you might guess this plant's origin by looking at it; it recalls many images in Asian art. The tree peony was first cultivated in China, especially by the imperial families. Royal families everywhere, it seems, had a lot of leisure time. Not so all the serfs of the world
The other photo here is of a purple smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria), which is grown for its striking deep purple leaves. I don't know ... the stump looks pretty striking to me. Pruning remains a mystery chez moi, but here at Longwood, naturally, like all else it's done to perfection. Though we love to get out there in the fall and whack away, most pruning is done in spring. The older growth is pruned off to stimulate new growth; it's always a trick to time this properly. You want to do it before new branches start popping out; otherwise, you've killed your chances for flowering this year.
Just look at the interesting pattern a spring haircut created here.
