Fragrance

forever friday: peonies

December 4, 2009

If only the season lasted longer! The Peony season is nearing an end so brighten your room with a bunch before it’s too late.

The Peony (or Paeony) is one of my favourite flowers, I would have had them in my wedding bouquet had they been around late Feb (instead I used my other favourite - Phalenopsis Orchids). Peonies look magnificent and full when blooming and there’s a wide range of colours to choose from - white, pink, coral, salmon and so on.

They favour cold, frosty winters so the South Island is an excellent place to grow them. They lie dormant during winter and bud in spring. Seasons generally last from October to December but this varies depending on weather.

In Auckland, Bhana Brothers has an excellent range of freshly cut flowers for fairly reasonable prices. For just $10 a bright bunch of peonies is yours. You can also order online from Paeonies Direct and they’ll deliver to your door.

What’s your favourite flower?

Peony has made an appearance in perfumes - Stella In Two had a Peony fragrance that could be worn with Amber, or on its own. There are light hints of Peony in YSL Cinema, Avon released a Peony Soft Musk, Thierry Mugler released a Peony Angel Garden of the Stars in 2005 and Estee Lauder’s Pleasures in the Garden, Peony by Estee Lauder was a welcome addition in 2000. Do you look for peony in fragrance?

Tamsin xo