Pretty and Single

I was so pleased I took this shot of our neighbours Peony this morning before this very strong nor-west wind picked up. That wind sure has flatten the garden this afternoon. This poor flower I would say has been blown away by now. I have some double pinks, red and a white Peony, they are still in a tight bud.

This afternoon we braved the wind and went and got some plants from the garden centre. We were going to have a walk but the wind changed our minds

The Peony, is named after Paeon, who was physician in ancient Greece. The Peony is made up of herbaceous and shrubby perennials, belongs to the Paeoniaceae family. The majority of peony plants in gardens today are hybrids of original true varieties.

The first use of peonies was for their medicinal value. There is evidence that peonies were used extensively in both the Far East and Europe as long as two thousand years ago. Many parts of the plant are purported to have medicinal properties. Roots, bark, seeds and flowers were all believed to be of some medicinal use.

Today a number of medical researchers throughout the world are isolating compounds in peonies and evaluating their medical potential. The available research suggests that there are numerous useful compounds found in peonies and it is possible to project that in time researchers will be using compounds found in peony to create modern drugs to treat some of our more serious diseases.
For more information on the Peony.