Today I bring you a sign of spring, ants on a peony bud.  I took this yesterday afternoon in our yard.  This plant is the only one that has survived out of the five I bought three years ago.  Every year the bush seems to grow larger than the previous year.

Having grown up in Houston I always heard about peonies from my mom but I don't recall ever seeing them.  It wasn't until we moved to Peru, Indiana that we experienced the beauty and fragrance of this elegant flower.  In front of our house were large bushes of them and every year we awaited their arrival.  Mia & Mindy really enjoyed them.  These photos are from 2003.

In Indiana the ants were a larger black ant.  The ants are attracted to a nectar that is on the outside of the bud.  As soon as the flower blooms the ants disappear.  These were taken in 2003.

When the plant finally flowers the fragrance is very sweet and powerful.  Here are photos from 3 years ago.