Peony Joy

This little bit of growth made me very happy today:

Peonies do not like to be moved, and this one has had a difficult life in the last 12 months. It originally grew in the front yard of a house in Coburg. About three years ago, when the gardeners left that house, the plant was dug up and taken away. But a piece of the root was left behind. The root sprouted, but was over-grown by weeds for a couple of years. Then the root was dug up in August last year, and moved temporarily to a garden up the street, just before its home garden was bulldozed and covered in concrete.

A couple of months later, the root was dug up again, and endured a hot truck ride to come here. I didn't have anywhere prepared to plant it, so put it in a pot.  It took a long time to show any sign of life, but in November it sent up a little bit of green. And then, nothing happened. No leaves, just that little green stem. I read on a couple of sites that transplanted peonies will grow "first year roots, second year shoots, third year flowers". I didn't know how a plant could survive a year without any leaves, but it seems this peony has done just that. Presumably that little bit of green stem, and whatever it had stored in the thick root, gave it enough energy to establish its root system last year, and this year there might just be some leaves. This poor abused plant definitely wants to live!

Elsewhere in the garden, my sweet peas have started to climb:

Lots of anemones are opening: 

And the penstemons, which are supposed to flower in summer but have had one or two flowers all through winter, are sending up lots of new growth: