Peonies

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Etymology of the Word "peony"

Peonies, both tree and herbaceous first attracted human interest thousands of years ago. While we today primarily think of peonies as stunning orna...

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Peonies in Japan

At Cricket Hill Garden, we have long specialized in Chinese tree peonies. We have a preference for these because overall we find Chinese tree peon...

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Peonies in Japanese Art

As in China, tree peonies are commonly depicted in traditional Japanese art. In Japan, tree peonies not only represent feminine beauty, but also we...

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Paeonia rockii and Gansu Mudan: Peonies from China's Wild West

Paeonia rockii is a species of tree peony which is native to China's northwest. Cultivated tree peonies which are derived from this species are a...

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Yellow Peonies: From the Wild and Into the Garden

Many years ago we had the pleasure to speak to a long-time member of the American Peony Society. This gentleman had been interested in and growin...

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English Language Peony Poems

We have written before on peony related poetry from China and Japan. In English language poetry, peonies do not have the same symbolism that they d...

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Japanese Peony Poems

The following selection of Japanese poems, or haiku all date from the Edo period (1603-1868). During this period, painters and poets were held in...

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Chinese Peony Poems

In China, tree peonies have been objects of aesthetic fascination since at least the Sui Dynasty (589-618 CE). Painters and poets have worked to ca...

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Public Peony Collections in the United States and Canada

There are many wonderful peony collections throughout the United States and Canada which are open to the public. Some are in botanic gardens and ...

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Peonies in Flower Arrangement

Anyone who grows peonies, knows all to well the temptation to cut a perfect blossom for use in a floral arrangement. Indeed, some varieties of tr...

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Peonies in Chinese Art

As we survey our garden of green shrubs, and fight to find room for a dozen more tomato plants here and a hill of squash there, even we occasionall...

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Tree Peonies in Contemporary Chinese Painting

Chinese gardeners have been growing tree peonies for over a thousand years, so have Chinese painters been using them as inspiration for centuries....