gardens

Did you know that the reason ants are always around and on peonies is because they help them to grow? Well, that is what I've been told at least.
I went to Dirt Doctor in search of the truth and this is what I found:
Do not try to get rid of the ants on your peonies. This is a natural and temporary activity. It is believed that peonies produce small amounts of nectar and other ant attractants to encourage ants to help in opening the dense double flower buds found in many peonies. The ants may be found covering certain varieties and avoiding others, this is totally normal. Once the buds have opened the ants will disappear -- also normal. Some people think ants are REQUIRED to open the flowers, but this does not appear to be true. It seems a debatable question whether ants are beneficial or harmful. Should you spray a pesticide to get rid of the ants? That is a definite no. Just enjoy the unique interaction of ants and peonies.

So whether or not ants really do help the peonies, it gives me some peace-of-mind that they may.
And, either way, I love how huge and beautiful the blossoms are.

I love gardens and their incredible symbolism. I wish I had the time and the energy to type out a bunch of different connections between gardens and real life, but I'll just leave you with this:

Everything important happened in a garden...

God created the garden for man and placed him in it.
Adam and Eve fell into sin in a garden.
Jesus taught in a garden.
Our Lord prayed in a garden.
He was betrayed in a garden.
And He arose in a garden.