PROFILE :: THE PEONY

My grandfather, Al Retelle, was well known for his broad knowledge of trees, plants and flowers. A graduate of Stockbridge at UMass, he devoted the greater part of his life to tree and plant health care through Retelle Tree, Maudslay State Park, and in most recent years, his gardens on Reservation Road. To honor him I plan to start posting mini profiles such as this one, which will feature trees, plants and flowers that we are inspired by. The peony is one of my absolute favorites, and every spring he would tell me to hurry over to his house to pick a few. 

The peony's botanical name is Paeonia and there are over 100 different varieties. Ranging in color from red, pink, white to yellow, the peony is a perennial, which has lush foliage throughout the summer and fluffy, fragrant blooms in spring. They are beautiful as cut flowers in arrangements and bouquets, making them one of the most popular flowers for weddings and events. For arrangements, select buds that are fairly tight and colorful and they should last in water for up to 5-7 days.

Although pricey when purchased as single stems, peony bulbs grow well in our region and the Farmer's Almanac has a quick summary of planting tips which you can check out here. Unfortunately my grandfather is no longer with us to share his knowledge, but his peonies (pictured below) are stunning. I can't wait for spring to arrive so I can see them up close once again.

This red variety is a Chinese tree peony. 

Historically, peonies have been depicted as a symbol of peace, love and good fortune in Chinese art.  

Many thanks to my cousin, Colleen, for sharing some of her beautiful photos!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
xo Lindsey

THE GREAT ALBERT RETELLE: 5/18/30 - 1/30/14

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our father, grandfather, and founder, Albert Richard Retelle. He was a wonderful man - an avid outdoorsman, skier, bird watcher, gardener and traveler, devoted husband of 60+ years and grandfather to 13 - and he had truly the kindest spirit. His daughters, Nancy and Julie, who cared for him in his final days, wrote a beautiful obituary cataloguing his many accomplishments. He gave so much to the town of Andover, and our family, and will be forever missed.

We feel very blessed to continue his legacy through Retelle Tree, which he passed down to his son, Peter, in 1982. His grandson, Riki, will soon take over and be a 3rd generation owner. It's a true honor to have the privilege of operating a family owned business for so many years. It's not always easy, but at the end of the day there's nothing better than being with family. And to 'Papa', family was everything. To honor him in the best way we knew how, we came together - sons, daughters, son-in-laws, daughter-in-laws, grandsons, granddaughters, cousins, boyfriends, girlfriends - and spent 2 full days building him a casket out of a solid oak log that we removed from a home in North Andover. As a lifelong tree guy, we think he would have loved it.

We are so appreciative to all those who knew Al and spent time sharing stories with us at the calling hours as well as over the past several days. It's been a gift to hear how many lives he touched. We want to thank everyone for their kind words, and especially acknowledge the West Parish Garden Cemetery, where Al was a devoted board member. They were invaluable in helping to coordinate the calling hours and service and we will be forever grateful for that.

May he rest peacefully.