Peonies are truly heirloom plants. Leave them undisturbed, divide only occasionally, and enjoy them for years. Friends speak of their grandmothers' peonies that have been thirty years or more in the same spot and have grown to enormous sizes. Peonies range in color from white through pale cream and pink to red. Their flowers can reach 10 inches across.
Many peonies have the fragrance of old-fashioned roses.
Lavender, native to the Mediterranean, is prized for its fragrant lavender and purple flowers. Its compact growth is perfect for edges and borders, and it's also attractive to bees. Lilies bring their own exotic look and scent to the garden. Asiatic lilies bloom reliably in June and July. There are stunning colors of pink, white and yellow, and some have flowers four inches across.