BLOG: On a Personal Note
Peony Time
By Sujeet Rajan
June 7: I’m assuming most of you know what’s nyctinasty – which I absurdly guessed was a lineage or dynasty of a unique species of bees and their wondrous nectar, upon chancing on the word for the first time. I’m also assuming that those readers who do know it are astute wordsmiths who can give the new Spelling Bee champion Harini Logan a run for her $50,000 prize money.
Wordsmiths or not, plant aficionados may know that nyctinasty is a term for flowers that turn petals inwards at night, before unfurling their glory again in the morning. A bit like the Mimosa plant which when touched tends to get visibly shy, fold in. Scientific reasoning is that flowers who do say ‘good night’ and curl in, are reacting to light and temperature changes.
Anyway, I’m drifting from what I really wanted to broach on. The first time I saw a flower with petals folded was a Peony that we had planted a year ago in our front yard, in Connecticut. It bloomed a few days ago. It looked magnificent: the yellow petals spread out in a generous width, belying the small conical shaped bud it was a night before. It seemed eager to suck in sunshine and air, find succor and strength in it. Jasmine is my favorite flower, but it’s hard not to list a Peony among favorites once you see its beauty, smell its heady fragrance. Some varieties have a spicy, citrusy smell; others render a profusely sweet smell, I read.
I’m an accidental plant person. It’s my wife who knows the intricacies of plant buying and growing. She’s part of social media groups devoted to the cause and evolution of flora. My humble role is usually to drive her to her choice of plant store, dutifully roll along a cart as she loads a few choice specimens on it, and then off we go back home, where once again, I know my role fully well. Use a shovel to dig a hole deep enough for these plants to be ensconced in their new home (I can’t but help observe here that my admiration has gone up for those characters in crime noir series and films who always manage to effortlessly dig deep and wide enough for an adult body to be buried comfortably. In my case, I struggle to fathom and dig a hole deep enough to fully cover the few inches of a plant’s roots).
Anyway, I’m again digressing. Let me get back to the Peony I’m talking about. Early morning this past weekend, I was struck by the sight of a Peony in repose, almost like a neatly folded origami lotus, its dome architecturally stylized to protect itself from the vagaries of the early morning chill.
I read up a little about the flower (instead of being lectured by my wife); was amazed to know that it can live up to 100 years, that it embodies love and romance; is the flower of choice for a couple’s 12th wedding anniversary. Not only does it have medicinal properties, it’s edible too: the Chinese consider it a delicacy, use it in tea and salads. Here are some fun facts about Peony. Enjoy!
