Chunsan Botanical Garden's "Flower Concubine" Peony: Outshining All Other Flowers
Text/Article: Shou Ocean
The spring scenery in Chunsan Botanical Garden is in full bloom, besides the exhibition greenhouse which maintains a four seasons and endless flowers, the spring scenery near Gate No. 1 is the largest outdoor stage. Starting from early February, traditional famous flowers such as 'Liu Shui Qi' one after another 'come on stage', each side performs its own part; on February 17th, as the early cherry blossoms of 'He Zhi Zhou' began, on March 10th, after laying a 'red carpet' for the He Zhi Zhou cherry blossoms, He Zhi Zhou cherry blossoms bid farewell; 'Zhong Chi' Japanese flowering cherry (Zui Chi) entered the stage, the orchids and surrounding pear, apricot, plum and flax flower families put on a grand show; on March 20th, the Japanese flowering cherry (Zui Chi) regained the 'dominant position', and in the following days, it will usher in the most spectacular 'cherry blossom rain'; while the sea- garden, the sea- flowers have arrived at their best time.
The sea- flowers are elegant and graceful, with a splendor of blooming flowers, and have been praised by literati and scholars since ancient times, often referred to as 'flowers among gods' and 'flower concubines'. They are traditional Chinese spring deciduous ornamental plants, with a rich variety and a long cultivation history, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. The sea- garden in Chunsan Botanical Garden is located on the west side of the square near Gate No. 1, close to the tourist transport starting station, with an area of about 11000 square meters. The sea- garden collects 32 species of apple-family sea-, 26 species of melon-family sea-, and has grouped them into pink flower clusters, white flower clusters, and purple flower clusters according to their colors.
Recent visitors to Chunsan Botanical Garden who come to appreciate spring and enjoy the scenery are advised to visit the sea- garden for the best scenery, because the appearance and splendor of the sea- flowers are among the most outstanding of all spring flowers. Borrowing a passage from Song Dynasty writer Chen Si's 'Sea-Tanger' (Hai Tang Pu): 'Plum blossoms take precedence in spring, peonies flourish in spring, and literati and artists pay close attention to them; only the sea- is unique, with a flamboyant and charming appearance that surpasses the other two flowers.'
