The Peony is a popular garden shrub, with large decorative flowers.
I love the fiery combination of red and orangey-yellow. Flowers are the sexual organs of plants, and some flowers are in my opinion, conspicuously sensual in their appearance. The Peony is thought to have origins in Asia, where it has huge historical and cultural significance.
Although most well know as garden shrubs in Europe, apparently these plants were used in China for flavoring and medicine for hundreds of years. In Korea, they represent wealth, honor and high social standing. Large and delicate, they are beautiful to look at and have a certain magic which is hard to describe. Indeed, they have been found to contain over 200 compounds of scientific interest.
Nikon d750. 105mm VR Micro. Godox TT685.