Plant of the Week: Peony

Water is the essence of life.

Winter Water is a favorite of the highly respected Peony Family.

Freezing temperatures are the best pesticide ever developed. While not perfect many of the most infamous buggers like the Malaria spreaders are fortunately
victimized. Add in that the highly notorious residue left by snowfall is nutritious too. Worshipped in many advance cultures for thousands of years snow
banks are an anathema to the city slickers, especially in the U.S.

Snowcapped mountains in the Roman Empire, still today in Greece, Chile and New Zealand all had important roles, especially in the nurturing of vineyards. The Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains and Sub Alpine Plains of Europe could not be populated without snow. Named after a Geek native tribe who did not have snow plows but exited on snow melt. Towns and Villages, in what is now Switzerland, created Western Planning around 900 years ago by restricting logging above the centers so as to avoid avalanches making their way into same. Eastern Planning was much more about flooding. From the Himalayas to the Pacific soils type and reliable rainfall aided population expansion. Their centers risk was riverine flooding and Pacific Plate Tsunamis along the coast.

Mayans had the water and snowfield yield down to the ounce. Stepped agriculture land use fed them for a thousand plus years. Reflection on effective planning is
heartening to those who are here now. In most cases planning is based on
politics. Every major European city exists because of military position, the
one exception Prague. Hundreds of years of tyrannical rule brought the need for
war at least once every generation. Fear was needed to collect taxes and
justify the ruling class lifestyles.

Auto oriented transportation systems have dramatically altered natural and rational runoff yield in all Climate Zones, throughout the world. Basic necessity short list starts with oxygen and ends with water. Without either or other we would not be able to consume the fuel we call food. Hate hype and hyperbole has been the norm of the 21st. Century. Greenhouse Gas is a worldwide situation the opposite is the sub watershed you live in. Knowing and understanding it can be a blessing and a treat.  

Streams create rivers and water flows downhill even in this topsy-turvy Century.
Adjustments through syphon manholes, dams etc. can alter the flow for human benefit. When done with knowledge and care other species can benefit too.

One species that is a paving fan is the Peony.

Take a look at your path or drive and note where most of the snow winds up being stacked. Imagine the same area or areas as a Peony based Perennial Garden. Snow forms high up in the atmosphere by convincing the hydrogen and oxygen to form a special bond. As days get longer, snow melts the runoff yield will have a
higher than usual hydrogen content. Roots consuming the water that is nutrient
rich especially with hydrogen will grow rapidly. Salt use is not a help but not a major hindrance, sand is a plus.

With our internet connections we no longer have to nervously watch our mailbox for Plant Catalogs. Have a great smiley time thinking of the glorious days ahead while shoveling or riding that ski lift or cross country skiing, knowing that Mother
Nature is a snow lover too.

Peonies can be found from many countries, towns and villages as hybridized varieties. From varieties taller than us to shorter than a standing chipmunk they all love hydrogen.

They are easy to love.