Aggie asked me to publish blooms of peonies from my garden.
I promised I would.
Who is Aggie, you may ask?
Aggie and husband Lou run Isis Farms near Avery, Texas. They call what they do “beyond organic”.
“We want to grow and supply ‘real’ food, for ourselves, and as many people as possible. We think that good, whole food is a key to health.”
They describe themselves as stewards of their 30-acre land.
“As stewards of this land, we want to nurture a healthy ecosystem, maintaining the forest, reintroducing native grasses, and keeping the chemicals out.”
Aggie and Lou believe the planet cannot possibly sustain the average American’s lifestyle. So they are doing their part to reduce their impact on the earth.
“For example, we are planning for solar power, and rainwater collection and drip irrigation to minimize water usage. Our home is small, and we heat with wood, which creates no additional greenhouse gases, and is freely available in our forest. We purchase used items when practical.”
Aggie and Lou have been working very hard to realize their ideals. And they continue to do so, through what seems to be every single day. This kind of work and vision take commitment, but they seem to have it in spades.
So these blooms are a tribute to Aggie and Lou and Isis Farms.
And because Aggie asked to see them.
This post is dedicated to Aggie, Lou, and all who are doing something to “reduce their impact” on the earth.
*The second and third images above are by my wonderful photographer Hamlin Grange. (The rest are by that awful photo-taker who shall not be named.)
Cynthia Reyes 
Lovely, i love peonies. Mine have just gone over, but they were glorious.
Jane x
I can imagine!
Beautiful peonies. I miss the lovely ones my mother grew at home.
Thanks, Georgeina. What colour were your your mother’s peonies?
My favorite flowers! Beautiful! Can’t grow them here~
Where are you, Cindy? I forget.
The deep pink variety are my favorite! I have Sara Bernhardt peonies in front of my house, but they tend to be so light you can sometimes barely tell that they’re pink. I should have gone for the gusto, like you did:)
I love thinking that I went for the gusto! Truth is, all my peonies were gifts from other gardeners, but I especially like that deep pink one.
All are very pretty pictures. I like when a bee or butterfly sneaks into a picture; they are so quick that I find them hard to photograph, but when I catch one — wow! I like peonies and their lovely clean-soapy scent.
Thank you. I love the gentle fragrance of peonies too. And their lushness.
Nice pics Cynthia. I agree with Aggie and Lou about the planet and more of us needing to scale back on our impact. Hopefully more people, governments and companies will be willing to live in sustainable ways. 🙂
Right, Brad. We each have to do our part.
Thanks for your comment. I always like hearing from you and I hope you’re doing well.
Well…..the third photo is my favourite but I love all the peonies. What a lovely tribute to Aggie and Lou.
Thank you, Gallivanta. Isn’t that such a lovely flower, that third one?
It is; gorgeous!
Magnifique et tendre pivoine …. Dommage que leur floraison soit si courte… J’imagine de beaux bouquets 😉
C’est vrai, Christiane — leur floraison est si courte. Trop courte.
Oui: j’ai cree plusieurs bouquets. Mais ils ne sont pas aussi magnifiques comme la votre!
Well, I thought ALL the photos were good. Lovely peonies – we don’t have any here yet, but we will some day. Well done, Aggie and Lou – what a good example to us all they are.
Thanks, Clare. As Christiane mentioned, the bloom-time is short. But they are lovely, and they seem to grow in almost a variety of soil and zones.
Oh, Cynthia, what a lovely tribute to us and our farm! And what a fitting moment in time. We haven’t found time to post yet, but someone spray painted “MUSLIM” on our Isis Farms road sign. We suppose that this is due to the press currently calling the middle Eastern terrorist group by the name ISIS. Many folks around here are not familiar with Isis as the Egyptian, and later Graeco-Roman, goddess. So, how nice to receive your support at this time. Imagining the scent of the peonies along with their visual beauty makes me smile…
Aggie my dear – how ridiculous some humans can be. I am sorry to hear this.
You and Lou have gone through so much already that I hope, in time, this incident becomes just a ridiculous footnote.
I’m glad the floral tribute came along at the right time, and that it made you smile.
So beautiful you posted the tribute to Aggie and Lou. Two of the nicest folks I’ve yet to meet. Great pictures and words. I’m glad we met through Aggie (apparently?) – I never knew about your book or you before this.
Aggie, so sorry to hear this happened! I think I told you before, when I was a teen, I named my Husky “Isis” because she had one blue eye, and Isis was a goddess. The ignorance of people astounds me all the time.
Thanks much for your visit to my blog, Juliana, and your note to Aggie. Both are appreciated.
I have just read poor Aggie’s message. I am so sorry this has happened – please pass on my best wishes. I am constantly amazed at some people’s ignorance and spite.
Will do, Clare. I know they will appreciate your kind comments. Thank you.
Your Peonies are a triumph! And fortunately not an attractive, tasty snack for your resident bunnies! I only run a small scale, chemical and pesticide free garden here in England compared to your friends Aggie and Lou, but I do know how hard they must work to achieve as much as they do.
They deserve Peonies by the bucket full! I only have one such plant in my garden, a beautiful pink Sarah Bernhardt- I would glad send a mental image of it’s full-blown blooms as a supportive gesture to your friends after the horrid week they have had.
How kind of you, Karen. I know Lou and Aggie will appreciate the generous thought.
You have shown me some peony varieties I have never seen before, thank you, all the flowers are beautiful. It’s inspiring to read about people who are doing their bit to help the natural environment and nice to know there are other people out there that care. Thank you for publicly acknowledging them and for sharing their work with me.
And thank you for this lovely comment!
Blooms are beautiful and cheers to Aggie and Lou. If only we had more people like them dedicated to our planet.
I agree, Teresa.
Although it is hard work, and one is at the mercy of the weather and the insects, etc.
Thank you!
Beautifully captured too!
Thank you!
Lovely story! It feels so good to hear about all the caring people that move mountains to make less of an impact on this beautiful planet! Thanks for sharing this story and for the lovely pictures (the unnamed photo-taker did a great job!) 🙂
What a lovely comment! Thank you. (And the unnamed photo taker thanks you too; seeing as how your own photography is so beautiful, that’s a big compliment.)