Peony season has to be one of my favorite and busiest times, and really had me hustling this year. The demand for this queen of fragrance is foremost on brides wish lists, and coincides with Mother's Day, graduation season as well as the peak of field work for floriferous abundant May. I like to call it 'spring training' for the strength and stamina it requires to get the flower beds prepared, weeded, seeded and transplanted.
Years ago I invested in hundreds of beautiful peony root stock from a Dutch supplier (the Dutchmen know flowers. Historical feature on them later). It took years of patience to await their maturity, but alas 2025 was their shining debut and I could scarcely keep up with the lush daily harvest. It all felt like a beautiful dream, carrying armloads to the front porch to strip and fill buckets. My tiny farmhouse kitchen is the production/design area, petals and clippings strewn everywhere. It was an aromatherapy session from heaven.
Many of the peonies were dried and preserved for future projects such as winter work, when we can only long for those sweet sunny fragrant days in spring. The petals are ground and blended with emollient oils, sugar, sweet orange essential oil and vitamin E. A superb exfoliator and moisturizer for the bath and eliminates the need for using commercial lotions which often contain many synthetic fragrances and harsh chemicals. The peony flower is excellent for sensitive and mature skin, improves skin's elasticity, moisture barrier, protects from UV damage, brightens and evens skin tone.
Ingredients: Real peony flowers, pink and red, (batch colors may vary), cane sugar, virgin unrefined coconut oil, sweet almond oil, vitamin E, orange essential oil. 5 oz. jar.
