Robert Kushner, Peony Triumphant, 2016, 72 x 72 inches
Peonies only exist in red, pink and white.
Their season is absurdly short.
They require seriously cold winters to incubate their amazing profusion.
Their true glory is unknown to those in overly temperate climes.
To crown their abundance of petals, they are redolent with divine fragrance.
Smell is too common a word.
Whenever I gaze into a full blown peony, I (and many others) become instantly, irreversibly intoxicated.