If asked when a kid what my favourite flower was, I’d probably have answered roses. I was a conservative child and knew that roses were a traditional cottage garden plant. Anything that grew round traditional cottage doors were good for me. It also helped that I could identify roses. I liked the dark red bunches in the shops around valentine’s day – in my country bumpkin 80s imagination they seemed urban and sophisticated. Never mind that they had no scent. That realisation came when, after my great grandmother’s death, we inherited some plants from their marvellous, although in retrospect rather conventionally 1979s garden – including a magnificent compassion rose with a peachy coloured bloom and a glorious scent.

I also very clearly remember the first time I learned what a peony was. I actually thought it was a rose and pointed it out as such. But no, my mother replied. That’s a peony. And I was impressed by the dark red rose like beauty of it.

Later, after moving to Denmark and deciding it was time to finally buy a dwelling place, we visited this one and my overwhelming first impression was a brilliant flower bed at the front, overflowing with glorious pink peonies. I had never really taken the time to appreciate their silky soft textures and subtle but very sweet scents before. More riches awaited in the bank garden, a swell of azaleas and rhododendrons and, later in the buying process a chorus of different pelargoniums and scented geraniums in pots. The house made little impression, the garden however was what we bought..

All of which is to say, when I came home from ma 3 week trip to a bleak part of the world, suffering somewhat from fomo in the garden, the first thing I did was bury my face into the most wonderful soft, welcoming pillows of peony blooms.

Judging by the bee activity around about, I was not think one enjoying them.

But wait, there is more, my husband declared on our first ritual round of the garden with a welcome post-travel cup of tea..  Our white rose “avalanche” (also known as Roda snow white)  is also out, it should flower all summer as a climber and has not peaked yet, but I slightly regret having it against a wall of the house where it’s difficult to enjoy that wonderful scent…

Also somewhat misplaced (though we had few alternatives) is this yellow rose. I sometimes suspect the neighbours get a better view of it than we but it provides a wonderful support for a clematis and again the scent is worth seeking out.

And my old favourite compassion is now also thriving after a tricky start in our garden. We managed to place this one in a slightly more favourable spot where we can easily admire both colour and scent. It’s still a little early, though the buds and the glossy green leaves are promising.

All of which is to say, I may have missed the warm summer weather in May and the peak of the rhodos and azaleas, but the peony and rose season has been a wonderful homecoming..