The Red Peony*

The peonies have been in bloom for some time but the real blossom time is just upon us. The Chinese Peonies (Paeonia lactiflora) are about 10% in bloom and soon every garden will be bursting with huge pink flowers and the cemetery will be covered with them. The first peonies to bloom are the delicate Fernleaf Peonies (Paeonia tenuifolia) . These bright red flowers are visible from quite a distance and mingle with the red tulips in late April. Next to bloom were the Tree or Japanese Peonies (Paeonia suffruticosa). Our neighbour Lucia has two or three bushes with flowers are the size of dinner plates. The picture below was taken in the Botanical Gardens in Kyiv a few years back. At about the same time, I found a few of these rich dark red peonies. They are so lovely but there seem to be only a few of them around our neighbourhood.

The Fernleaf Peony (Paeonia tenuifolia) blooms in late April

The Red Peony

The Tree or Japanese Peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) is also an early bloomer.

The Chinese Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) will soon fill our neighbourhood with its pink blossoms.