I must apologize for having been away for a week but I burned my arm three weeks ago and it became infected necessitating a visit to a medical professional for treatment. It was a third degree burn on a very small area and in due time will leave behind a lovely scar.
This lovely flower is a double peony. The many layers of petals unfolding from a bud no bigger than an apricot to a bloom the size of a cantelope. The flowers are longer lasting than those of the single peony and come in quite a variety of colors. They are very easy to care for and spread readily.
Next spring when the shoots are small I will divide the clumps and plant them elsewhere or trade them with my neighbors for other varieties of plants.