Peonyography

While photographing the peonies the other morning (after a long shower under the sprinkler) I wondered if I would ever get tired of photographs of these peonies. Their upright bloom time is always so short-lived, and all it takes is one good rainfall to flop them all over; I madly capture them year after year, same pinks, same same droplets, ...same glorious photograph of a blooming peony for the journal. I'm glad I save the moment, and I'll do it again next year.

I cut a good number of them this afternoon, along with some Alchemilla mollis 'Lady's Mantle' blooms - and after meticulously picking at and shaking them free of bugs & worms ...yes: unpleasant... I arranged them for a vase in the kitchen and photographed them again.

 and again

looming blooms

Peony ~ Plant of Healing

"Happy Life and Prosperity"

Peonies, 5 July 2011

It is believed that Peony is named after Paeon (also known as Paean), 

who was a healing deity who had healed Hades’ and Ares’ wounds. 

The flower myth related, says that Paeon was a student of Asclepius, 

the god of medicine and healing. 

He was once instructed by Leto (Apollo's mother and goddess of fertility) 

to obtain a magical root growing on Mount Olympus
that would soothe the pain of women in childbirth. 

Asclepius became jealous and threatened to kill his pupil.
Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.

Our Garden Peony

In my backyardovich 2010 drawing (which needs to be revised ) I named the peony, blooming here on the 7th of July 2009, 'Cornelia Shaylor'. I don't know why. Did I find a tag? Was is my best guess? I'm not certain. I'd would now think that it is P. lactiflora 'Sarah Bernhardt' if I didn't follow my notes. I wish I could find all those tags. Ahh, adopted gardens.