I never really paid any attention to peonies. I tend to enjoy brighter, more straightforward flowers. Daffodils and roses and such.

But I just keep coming across blogs with people talking about them and how they represent spring to those individuals. So when I was at the market this weekend, I decided to pick up a few.

I’ve been blown away. Every day they get larger and more ostentatious. What started out as tight little fists of color, like giant gum balls, have exploded into huge spans of petals.

Now I understand what those other writers were talking about. They are riots of lace. Delicate explosions. Bombs of springtime. Apparently, they are a source of inspiration in poetry dating back hundreds of years. Chinese poets have a special affinity for peonies as they are used to represent female nature, love, prosperity, and status.

I found this poem in my research and thought I’d share.

Visit to the Hermit Chui

Moss covered paths between scarlet peonies,

Pale jade mountains fill your rustic windows.

I envy you, drunk with flowers;

Butterflies swirling in your dreams.

– Qian Qi (Tang Dynasty)

 

 

But hey, I still like roses too. These are from my neighbors back yard and the purple flowers are from my front yard. I keep up the neighbors’ rose bushes, so I don’t feel bad about snipping them to decorate my house and fill it with their delicate scent.

I love looking into my kitchen and seeing the light filtering through the window onto a fresh bunch of flowers.

Stop and smell the roses today. Bring some fresh flowers into your home. Even if it isn’t nice outside yet, it will feel like spring inside. And that can make all the difference.