BELIEVE IT OR NOT

Vous me croirez si vous voulez

These are tulips, not peonies
Let there be no mistake about it, these beauties growing in sheltered planters in a small neighborhood shopping center in Versailles are tulipes à fleurs de pivoine, a large double late tulip variety which has peony-like petals.  

Vocabulary
se méprendre sur:  to be mistaken about
une pivoine:  a peony

Expression
vous me croirez si vous voulez:  believe it or not
détrompez-vous:  think again; make no mistake

Fo more on peonies and what they say in French, click on: Flower Language

©2013 P.B. Lecron

BOWL OF BEAUTY

These large blossoms with tufted creamy centers turned heads this past weekend in Chevreuse, a pretty village in the Haute-Vallée de Chevreuse. The Bowl of Beauty Peony is often grown in parish priest's gardens. 

Vocabulary
une pivoine:  a peony
un curé:  a parish priest
un jardin de curé:  a parish priest's garden

©2012 P.B. Lecron

FLOWER LANGUAGE

What does a peony say in French? If it's blushing pink it says, "Je suis timide." (I'm shy.) If it's pure white, then it says "Prudence, veillez sur vous." (Be careful, watch over yourself.) If it's red, then its topic of conversation surely is passion.

Vocabulary
une pivoine:  a peony
le langage des fleurs:  the language of flowers
personnifier:  to personify

Text & photos ©2011 P.B. Lecron