Why Peonies? - Everyday Living

I get asked this a lot. Why peonies? People want to know why my website is called “Sarah’s Peonies”.

Are they my favorite flower? Well no, I love a lot of different flowers.

Do they smell really nice? Yes, but that is also not why.

There are a few good reasons I chose to use that name for my website.

And here is why…..

My mom had peonies planted on the acreage, around the house ay my childhood home. All different colors. They were beautiful, big and had a pretty fragrance. They were also covered in ants, and very messy when they wilted.

On July 1, 1997, my mother passed away in her sleep, due to a heart condition. Over the next few years, through pain and grief, my dad had decided to sell the acreage.

We celebrated my Mom’s life every year. Our family got together every July long weekend or tried to at least. One year, almost 20 years after the anniversary of my mom’s passing, my Aunt gave me vase filled with white peonies.

She told me, ” When you guys were getting ready to sell the acreage, I uprooted some of your mom’s peonies, and re-planted them in my flower bed. These are from that plant, so these are kinda from her too.”

What Does Peony Mean?

The Peony is mainly known for representing ideas and values like:

Honor – this meaning goes mostly for the people who made their families proud through some kind of success. This symbolic flower can make a great gift for those who just graduated or made another kind of successful act.

Romance – a symbol of devotion and love. The beautiful Peony flowers can be an awesome gift for your partner, especially if you want to show how serious your emotions are.

Beauty – a symbol of grace and beauty. This attractive flower has a symbolic meaning in plenty of cultures. The flowers are used to represent someone’s beauty and uniqueness and are still used for this meaning today.

Bashfulness – Also linked to the Peony flower is the meaning of bashfulness and shame. This gorgeous flower has these two negative ties and you need to be aware when gifting this flower because you don’t want to send the wrong idea.

Why Peonies are “Beautifully” made!

This flower is one of the best-known and most dearly loved perennials. Which is hardly unexpected considering their luxurious beauty and fragrance, and longevity.

If a peony is well placed and happy, it may bloom for 100 years or more with little or no care. Peonies will be healthy, more strong and will produce more flowers if they have an ideal growing environment.

The peony is also used often in flower arrangements because of its large beautiful blooms.

Despite its popularity, there are some weird facts that you may not know about the peony!

Some facts about Peonies that may surprise you!

Peonies come in every color but blue.
The pink flowers are more fragrant than the maroon flowers.
The root and seed of the peony were frequently used in the past for the treatment of headaches and asthma and to relieve pain associated with childbirth.
Peony is the state flower of Indiana.
Partially cooked and sweetened petals of peony are consumed a dessert in China.
Peonies are known as Northern flowers because they prefer harsh winter temperatures.
Peony blooms from late spring to early summer.

The “Messy” part of Peonies

There are somethings that I personally need to let you know about growing these wonderful flowers that are not always so pretty.

Ants are usually crawling all over peony buds. But, these nasty little insects are merely enjoying the sugary syrup produced by the buds and are doing no harm to the plant. And no. They are not going to eat the flowers. They are just pesky and ugly little buggers.

Peonies like to “droop” or wilt. The slender stems can’t always support the heavy flowers. They slowly like to make their way down and sprawl on the ground. So they need support. Surrounding a drooping peony plant will make the flowers keep their bloom.

Peonies also “shed”, or that’s what I think when I see all the brown and nasty petals all over the ground. Cutting back dead peonies, whether just the faded blooms or the dying leaves, helps them stay healthy so they can come back next summer.

So why Peonies,? They are long-lived, easy-care, colorful spring-blooming perennials. Really, what’s not to love?

As a result, I believe my life is a lot like peonies. It is beautifully messy.

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