Peonies have historically had a very important position in Chinese culture.

"The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was the time when they started to be planted in gardens or palaces. They were also, for a time, the national flower of China. There is no place in China where they do not grow," said Jaakson and noted that, at first, the flowers were used as medicine.

Even in medieval Europe, early peonies were grown in monastery gardens for medicinal purposes. "It was only then that people started to see that they were actually quite beautiful. There were estates in Estonia, then the landlords brought in exciting plants, and from there they started to slowly seep into the farms," Jaakson told "Huvitaja".

This weekend, the Tallinn Botanic Garden will hold a peony exhibition, but sadly, peonies have already bloomed early this year. "We have to set dates in the winter and go by what we usually have. This year, however, everything is different: a hot May brought the flowering a few weeks early. I still think it's good to see a couple or three or four blooms over the weekend."

In addition to the early blooming, the botanical garden's peonies were also shredded by stormy weather. On May 29, a hailstorm hit the botanic gardens that tore off half of the peony's buds. "Anything that was a little bit more delicate was hit. Thinner and stronger plants were able to withstand it."

The peony plant family is one of the oldest in the world. "If it has survived millions of years on this earth, and lived through the Ice Age, then I believe that one hailstorm will not wipe them off the face of the earth," Jaakson said.

Peonies 2024 is open at the Tallinn Botanic Garden from June 28-30. There will be tours, crafting sessions, and plant and natural cosmetics sales.

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