This morning my honey do list includes cutting back the peonies. We have a beautiful row of peonies in our back yard and it is always kind of sad when that time of year rolls around where we have to admit that winter is on its way---to make some preparations for the cold and hard Wisconsin winter. Even though winter is long, a great thing about life is that they grow back just a beautiful next spring. They bloom for about a week or so, showing all their majesty and wonder and then they are gone, but the wait is well worth it. Let the peonies be a symbol for a family's love, a love that is strong, overcoming all the bad conditions Mother Nature can throw at her.
I also learned a bit about the mythology and history surrounding peonies this morning:
The peony is among the longest-used flowers in ornamental culture and is one of the smallest living creature national emblems in China. Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where it is called 牡丹 (mǔ dān). It is also known as 富贵花 (fuguihua) "flower of riches and honour", and is used symbolically in Chinese art.[2] In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the peony as the national flower. Currently, the Republic of China on Taiwan designates the plum blossom as the national flower, while the People's Republic of China has no legally designated national flower. In 1994, the peony was proposed as the national flower after a nationwide poll, but the National People's Congress failed to ratify the selection. In 2003, another selection process has begun, but to date, no choice has been made.
The famous ancient Chinese city Luoyang has a reputation as a cultivation centre for the peonies. Throughout Chinese history, peonies in Luoyang are often said to be the finest in the country. Dozens of peony exhibitions and shows are still held there annually.
In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions. It is also cultivated as a garden plant. In Japan Paeonia suffruticosa is called the "The King of flowers" and Paeonia lactiflora is called the "prime minister of flowers".[3]
Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan". Before the Meiji period, meat taken from quadrupeds was seldom consumed in Japan due to Buddhism. Thus in cases where such meat was handled, it was paraphrased using the names of flowers. The term botan was used (and is still used) to paraphrase wild boar meat. This comes from the flowery resemblance of the sliced meat when spread over a dish. Another example is sakura (cherry blossoms) which stands for horsemeat.
In 1957, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make the peony the state flower of Indiana, a title which it holds to this day. It replaced the zinnia, which had been the state flower since 1931.
Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony thus causing this magnificent flower to be given the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. It was named after Pæon, a physician to the gods, who obtained the plant on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. Once planted the Peony likes to be left alone and punishes those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it produces splendid blooms each year for decades (Taken from The Language of Flowers, edited by Sheila Pickles, 1990).
Peonies are also extensively grown as ornamental plants for their very large, often scented flowers.
Peonies tend to attract ants to the flower buds. This is due to the nectar that forms on the outside of the flower buds.
Peonies are a common subject in tattoos.
The famous ancient Chinese city Luoyang has a reputation as a cultivation centre for the peonies. Throughout Chinese history, peonies in Luoyang are often said to be the finest in the country. Dozens of peony exhibitions and shows are still held there annually.
In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions. It is also cultivated as a garden plant. In Japan Paeonia suffruticosa is called the "The King of flowers" and Paeonia lactiflora is called the "prime minister of flowers".[3]
Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan". Before the Meiji period, meat taken from quadrupeds was seldom consumed in Japan due to Buddhism. Thus in cases where such meat was handled, it was paraphrased using the names of flowers. The term botan was used (and is still used) to paraphrase wild boar meat. This comes from the flowery resemblance of the sliced meat when spread over a dish. Another example is sakura (cherry blossoms) which stands for horsemeat.
In 1957, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make the peony the state flower of Indiana, a title which it holds to this day. It replaced the zinnia, which had been the state flower since 1931.
Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony thus causing this magnificent flower to be given the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. It was named after Pæon, a physician to the gods, who obtained the plant on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. Once planted the Peony likes to be left alone and punishes those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it produces splendid blooms each year for decades (Taken from The Language of Flowers, edited by Sheila Pickles, 1990).
Peonies are also extensively grown as ornamental plants for their very large, often scented flowers.
Peonies tend to attract ants to the flower buds. This is due to the nectar that forms on the outside of the flower buds.
Peonies are a common subject in tattoos.
Also on my list this morning was to call for a check on our furnace. It has been three years and their appointments at Wesley are running into December. May want to find someone else to do the check. I'm not sure if we want to wait that long. Oh yeah, and another chore---do the catbox. I actually feel lucky to be able to do the catbox again, because our beloved cat Garfield has returned home.
Other notes:
I didn't get a chance to see the Biden/Palin debate was last night, but the talking heads on MSNBC seem to be saying Palin surprised them by doing so well. Do not underestimate her. She is dangerous because of her charisma. She comes across as Mrs. Brady. She has that Florence Henderson appeal, but is dangerously ignorant. She may be a smart business woman, but that is where it ends. She is wrong on the environment, abortion, the war, etc. and she is not a maverick even though she constantly boasts about the apparently fresh thinking that comes from the McCain camp. Opening of the debate here:
Interesting how she back-tracked when talking about McCain's statement about the fundamentals of the economy being strong. She said he was talking about the workers character, but that is not what he said. She is a smooth debater and the devil is always in the details. She is able to convince that she has addressed the details when she has said nothing at all. She is still talking about hockey Moms and all this folksiness is fine, but Ms. Palin you haven't convinced me that you have the intelligence to be one heartbeat away from the presidency. She has that cocky smile and that arrogance that reminds me of the snobby cheerleader in high school that we all used to hate. She is living in Palin world and is not even aware of how silly she looks up there on the world stage. She is being taken advantage of for political reasons by John McCain.
No comments:
Post a Comment