Showy Peonies at the Cylburn Arboretum

There couldn't have been a more perfect day for a Market Day at the Cylburn Arboretum than this past Saturday! With the over fifty vendors at the fair displaying a tempting array of plant starts, I definitely had to exercise extraordinary restraint in order to walk away without a single plant. I kept reminding myself -- there is absolutely no more space for another plant! But I did buy a couple of clay succulent pots to try out some new arrangements. 
What stole the show has to be the tree peony collection situated beyond the formal garden. These beautiful specimens were exuberantly flaunting their flamenco dress-like petals in white, yellow, pink, and purple. Full and luscious, each flower spanned an outstretched hand and in some cases, much larger than that. The entire formal garden was also infused in a wonderful light fragrance from the peonies. It was quite intoxicating just wandering around the medium-sized shrubs that were well-established in clusters. Lured by the wafting scents, there were several pollinator bees out and about, busily hopping from bloom to bloom to collect some nectar. Just as busy as the bees, I was zipping from one specimen to another, clicking away on the camera to capture these giant beauties.