Well worth the wait

It was sort of exciting yesterday and today when the peonies finally blossomed. We didn't know what to expect this year without an ant assist.

Normally these double blossom reddish buds are nudged to this impressive stage by a steady stream of black ants drawn to the plants by a nectar produced to attract the ant stimulation...or whatever it is they do. But this year these lush blossoms were ushered in with the help of bees - honey bees, bumble bees, and maybe even an occasional wasp. Not a single ant.

After a while the worker bees all began to look alike, but each of these showy blooms...memorable.