May 24, 2010

JOY, RICHNESS AND HONOR IN THE SPRING GARDEN


The peony is the symbol of joy, richness and honor in Chinese culture.  It is known to live to be a hundred and is sometimes referred to as the century plant.  It has been around since 1000 BCE . Wow,  now that is a long time.

Peonies are also beloved subjects for many artist going back thousands of years to Japan, China and Korea .  The peony was used on beautiful celadon pottery as well as ancient silk robes .  The Chinese used almost every part for medicinal purposes ..

This morning as I was making my daily rounds in the garden I noticed that the first buds of my peony had opened so naturally I grabbed my camera and recorded it.  I think the photo turned out well.

Given its longevity this is also a popular passalong plant that can tie many generations together.  The peony has become a much-beloved perennial in gardens throughout America.







Written by Carolyngail at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago All rights reserved

3 comments:

  1. Wonderful, wonderful flowers and great shots, Carolyn! I have only two peony plants - a tree peony and a herbacious peony. I hope they will live long in my garden!

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  2. Carolyn, I love peonies. They remind me of my childhood and gardening with my aunt. I don't have a lot of room now, but I do have two plantings of a single called Krinkled White, and they are just starting to open.

    Thanks for the history behind the peony.

    Eileen

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  3. Your peonies look great. Ours are still just buds. jim

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