Peony flowers.
Peony flowers are large and fragrant, so they are also known as "the beauty of the country and the fragrance of the sky".
Flower language:
1. The flower is generous in shape and is called the king of flowers. It means perfection, affection, wealth, grace and splendor.
2. Life, expectation, a touch of love, and giving with all your heart.
3. A person who is noble, dignified, elegant, well-mannered, beautiful and fragrant, and trustworthy.
In the Tang Dynasty, it was very common to plant peonies in palaces, temples, homes of rich people and among the people. During the Northern Song Dynasty, the scale of Luoyang peonies was unprecedented. Emperors of later dynasties liked to keep peonies in the palace, which represented prosperity.
Extended information:
Plant type:
1. Upright type: The branches are upright and tall, with compact distribution, small expansion angle, and vertical lines. The included angle is mostly within 30°. The internodes are long, and the annual growth of new branches is 10-15cm. Generally, five-year-old plants are 40-50cm tall, with some reaching more than 1m. Such as "Shou Case Red", "Purple Er Qiao", "Yao Huang", etc.
2. Evacuated type: The branches are scattered and bent to extend around. The plant width is greater than the plant height, forming a low and spread plant shape. When the branches are unfolded, the angle with the vertical line is usually more than 45°, and the new branches are Long and soft. Such as "Zhao Fen", "Shou Zhonghong", "Mountain Flowers", "Green Dragon Lying in Mochi", etc.
3. Opening type: The branches grow strong and straight, extending diagonally to all sides. The angle is between the above two. The plant shape is round and straight, the height is moderate, the annual growth of new branches is 6-8cm, and it is generally five years old. Plant height is 30-40cm. Such as "number one scholar red", "silver red pair", "gold and jade seal", etc.
4. Dwarf type: The branches grow slowly, the internodes are short and the leaves are dense, the branches are compact and short, the annual growth of new branches is 2-4cm, and the height of five-year-old plants is generally about 15cm. Such as "Beauty Red", "Arhat Red", "Haiyun Purple", etc. are the representatives.
5. Single-stemmed type: Most of them are artificially cultivated artistic shapes, with obvious trunks. The heights of the trunks vary, generally between 20-80cm. There are several branches growing on the main trunk, forming a crown (some have no crown). The shape is quaint and elegant, resembling a bonsai. It grows slowly and generally takes more than 8 years to form. Such as "No. 18" etc.
Allusions:
1. Wu Zetian and Peonies
On a day when heavy snow was falling in the middle of winter, Wu Zetian ordered all the flowers to bloom at the same time when she was visiting the back garden in Chang'an. To help her get drunk. The edict was issued: "Go to Shangyuan tomorrow morning to announce the spring as soon as possible. The flowers will bloom all night long and don't wait for the morning wind to blow." Everyone knows that various flowers not only bloom in different seasons, but also bloom at the same time.
Violet blooms in spring, roses bloom in summer, chrysanthemums bloom in late autumn, plum blossoms bloom in severe winter; roses and peonies bloom in the morning, tuberose and epiphyllum bloom at night. Therefore, it is difficult to make flowers obey human will and bloom at the same time. However, intimidated by Empress Wu's power, all the flowers bloomed unexpectedly, but the peonies still stood proudly with dry branches and dead leaves.
Later he was furious and demoted Mudan to Luoyang. As soon as the peonies arrived in Luoyang, they immediately bloomed with their heads held high, and the flowers were colorful and beautiful. This made Empress Wu even more angry and ordered the peonies to be burned to death. Unexpectedly, when the peonies were burned by the fire, they bloomed even more red and graceful, which was very spectacular. It shows Peony's courageous and unyielding character of not fearing power.
2. Mao Zedong and Peonies
Mao Zedong loved peonies very much during his lifetime. In 1935, Mao Zedong led the Red Army to Yan'an, the revolutionary base in northern Shaanxi after a 25,000-mile long march. During the brutal war, One day, he led Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and others to Yan'an Wanhua Mountain to appreciate peonies.
In the peonies, he said to the people around him: "This is a natural peony picture. It must be well protected. When the country is liberated, a people's park can be built here."
One day in the winter of 1950, Mao Zedong was walking in the Zhongnanhai Garden. He stopped in front of the peony, told the staff around him about the story of Wu Zetian and the peony, and said meaningfully: "Young people must have the character of a peony and not be afraid of rape. , can we take on the important responsibilities.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Peony