Since the beginning of time, humans have been attracted to the natural flora and fauna around them.
And the thirst to find more and more beautiful and ornamental flowers has only increased.
Any talk of ornamental flowers is incomplete without the mention of Peony or Paeonia, as it is called in Russia.
Peony is often referred to as Peony Rose because of their rose-like shaped flowers.
One of the most romantic plants in the world - Peony gets its name from an old Greek legend.
According to the story, Paean was a disciple of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing.
However, Paean came under the wrath of his master god and was turned in to a Peony flower by Zeus as a way of rescue.
The legend has lived since then.
Peony as a plant exists in multiple varying forms and according to an estimate there could be 25-40 species of the plant in the world.
There are two major classifications for Peony based on the way it grows and the type of flower.
It could be either Herbaceous form or the tree form.
All Peonies, which grow as bushes come under Herbaceous classification while those growing as trees, are classified under the Peony tree form.
The Herbaceous form Peony is about 0.
5-1.
5 meters tall while those of the tree form could be up to 1.
5 to 3 meters tall.
While most of the Peonies are pink in color and resemble pink roses, there are Peonies with other colors too, which complement any garden they are planted in.
Due to their resemblance to roses, they are often referred to as "Roses without thorns".
Since ages, the Peony roses were used by Chinese people to share and express affection for each other.
Peonies have found uses in Feng Shui and are considered to build and enhance field points in the location.
It is often considered that for a girl who is seeking marriage should have some peonies around her to bring a 'good match' for her.
Apart from Feng Shui, peonies have made an impression on the tattoo-designing field too and are commonly seen in many tattoos around the world.
The ornamental beauty of Peony and close resemblance to roses makes it one of the most sought after plants for a garden.
However, there are a few points to remember before you plan to grow peonies in your garden.
First and the foremost is the season in which to plant it.
Peonies are planted in autumn and winters just before the first freeze.
They are averse to hot weather and can only survive in mild summers at the most.
The other most important decision to take before growing peonies is the place in your garden where you want to grow it.
This becomes most important because peonies do not like to be transferred and often refuse to regrow and give flowers till years, after a place transfer.
In addition peonies require specific nutrients in the soil in which they are grown and growing multiple peonies at the same spot could cause the plants to die due to lack of nutrients.
Peony roses bloom best in conditions where there is no water logging, especially during the winters, and there is little cultivation around the roots of the plants.
The weather is cool and not excessively humid or hot.
Hence this nature of peonies causes them to be considered a 'tricky' plant.
As with most of the plants, Peony too has medicinal properties and its root and bark are used in the ancient Chinese medicines.
It has also been used in treating coughs and hemorrhoids in Europe and around the world.
So if you plan to grow Peony, well you took a good decision for your garden!