The ultimate peony with pastry like petals.

So here we are in Spring and very soon Summer time, what flower is more appropriate than the peony to express the season’s joy? This blowsy flower has a long history in China, where it is a symbol for wealth and prosperity. It is also a very popular flower in Western cottage style gardens, where its soft pastel shades blend seamlessly with other flowers in the herbacious border.

Double flower variety (left) and the single variety (right).

We are lucky in Hong Kong, every year around this time, we get really cheap peonies available on the market coming from China. Usually no more than 20 HK dollars (1.5pound) for 10 stems. To begin with you might wonder if their tight buds will ever come to flower, but then for 20 dollars it is always worth trying. In my experience as a floral designer, they do tend to be reliable and come out to flower 9 out of 10 times.

An altar piece filled with more than 100 peonies.

The process of a peony bursting into full bloom is quite a sight. Just spray it with a little water and watch. From a tight bud showing little pink to a full blown huge flower, it only takes about a day. it changes by the hour. It is the most exciting and wonderful sight to behold.

All the pics in this post are from the peonies that I bought from the market. They come in all sorts of shades of colours and forms. Single,double, sem-double, white, pink, fushia. They are really, in my opinion, the star of this time of year, albeit very briefly.

A semi-double in bright fushia (left) and a champagne coloured double (right).

So, go to the market and get some peonies before they disappear, as they are highly seasonal. As soon as they appear en mass today, they can disappear by tomorrow!