Wladislawa!!!

Ever since my first visit to Poland, the year before the Berlin wall fell, I have been wondering why no peonies every smelled as beautiful as those around the farmhouse in Rodowo. Because those peonies had a scent so pure and so perfect, it seemed that all other peonies were just pale imitations--rather like shop-bought tightly-furled-and-perfect rosebuds, which when open have no scent.

So you must excuse me if, each time I see a peony, I push my nose into the flower to try to recapture that Polish spring.

And then today, after having stitches removed from knee, I had to drive past Lowes in Patchogue, and something pulled me to the garden center ("Just five minutes!")

And there I found it. A pale-pink peony with a lemon center. So pretty! I was tempted by the prettiness alone... put my nose close, not expecting anything... and WOW!!! The perfume!!!!

It was not until I had carried "her" to the checkout that I looked at the label. Paeonius lactiflora "Wladislawa". I knew she was Polish. So I went back, and bought her twin, too.