The Peony

Photos and text by Zinta Aistars
Copyright 2013

Z Acres framed by peonies

Every morning, in most any weather, I make my mug of hot coffee and go outside for my first stroll of the day, my old chow pup Guinnez tagging along. These days, my direct line seems to always be to the peonies before I see anything else. It's not the first time I have noticed this profuse flower. In fact, I remember being fascinated with them as a little girl, when my mama planted rows of peonies in her beautifully tended garden. I would lie in the grass beside them and under them and watch the tiny ants crawl back and forth over the perfectly round buds, sipping the nectar, helping the bud gradually open. And then, that explosion of blossom!

Now, I find myself doing this all over again. This time, I have my camera along, and I find myself shooting photo after photo of these gorgeous blooms, some as big as my head. What an outrageous flower! Almost like a flower in drag, over the top and whipped, crammed with petals upon petals upon petals, lush and thick with itself, a profusion of petticoats and tutus, uplifted skirts, flourish and flatter. I can't stop staring at them, watching the light throughout the day move around and over them, translucent through all those petals, sculpting the peonies into light play on delicate shape. Lush. No wonder these flowers fascinated artist Georgia O'Keeffe so.