Hi! It’s been a while since I’ve popped into your inboxes, but I have a good reason: I’ve been in revisions! I am beyond excited to share more with you about Book 2, and more details should be coming in the next couple of months. In the meantime, let’s talk about flowers. Peonies play a role in Lunar Love and they are featured on the cover, so I thought it’d be fun to explore a little bit of the flower’s history and evolution.
Herbaceous peonies are one of the most well-known type of peony (the other are tree peonies), and are perennials that produce beautiful cut flowers. When they’re starting to grow, they’re no bigger than the size of a golf ball before blooming into a flower three times their original size. Peonies are fluffy and full and beautifully scented, while also being delicate.
Dating back to 1000 B.C. in China, peonies were used for their medicinal and healing properties. Peony root (“danpi”), for instance, was used to treat blood stasis. The Chinese garden peony was used to treat high blood pressure, inflammation, hot flashes, and irregular menstrual cycles. In the ancient Greco-Roman world and throughout the Middle Ages, peony helped treat seizures and epilepsy.
In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), tree peonies, which are more like small shrubs that last year-round, became popular because of their beautiful and delicate flowers. They were called the “King of Flowers” and appeared in art to symbolize nobility, love, wealth, status, and Imperial associations. By the Song Dynasty, tree peonies were often depicted in art by Chinese painters. In the 1800s, herbaceous peonies made its way to Europe and started to gain widespread popularity throughout the continent, as well as in North America.
By 1950, there were at least 90 North American peony breeders who registered with the American Peony Society. In 1967, the American Peony Society announced that they had successfully created a hybrid between herbaceous and tree peonies.
Today, peonies are mostly found in gardens or in vases and are popular wedding flowers. Fascinating enough, the peony perennial plant can last roughly 100 years if they’re taken care of properly. Even better, they don’t require much maintenance for them to grow properly. Love a low maintenance flower!
Peonies are full of symbolism, ranging from love, happiness, honor, wealth, beauty, romance, and joy. But each color also has its own meaning (which can vary in different cultures).
The peony market size is estimated to be worth about $562 million dollars in 2022, and it is forecasted to grow to roughly $639 million dollars by 2028. Certain varieties of peonies have extracts and roots that are used in medicine and cosmetics as they have analgesic and sedative properties, in addition to antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Peonies are so versatile for their healing and beauty. Looks like their popularity won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
Recent May reads I’ve adored, as well as upcoming ones I can’t wait to dive into: All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim, Wrapped with a Beau by Lillie Vale, Banyan Moon by Thao Thai, Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang, and The Name Drop by Susan Lee.
A few items I’m loving lately that are created and owned by Asian American Pacific Islanders:
🕶 Mohala Eyewear — Sunglasses that actually fit my low nose bridge! 🙏🏻
🕯 茶話 cháhuà Tea Talk candle from JIĀ HOME — these candles smell SO good and have such fun, unique scents.
🫖 Classic Trio Box from Uproot Teas — delicious teas that give you so many steeps.
💋 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray from Tower 28 — for those like me with sensitive skin.
💙 ABURATORIGAMI Japanese Blotting Papers from Tatcha — Having oily skin has been such a thing for me my entire life. I get weirdly emotional knowing there are others out there who also need blotting paper. The first time I really owned this was through my characters in Lunar Love. Before a live podcast, Olivia’s friend and co-worker, Alisha, says to her, “Close your eyes. Okay, all set, no eyeliner or mascara smudges. I have blotting paper in my purse if you need any.”
April was a very fun month filled with such special events:
🌴 I got to go back to LA for the first time since we moved for the LA Times Festival of Books! I was on a panel with Jasmine Guillory, Kate Spencer, and Alexandria Bellefleur, moderated by Maureen Lee Lenker. We talked about romance in big cities, and it was just so wonderful. Los Angeles is pretty much a character in Lunar Love so it was special to be back there!
Lots more cool things happening in May! Here’s a few:
📚 I got to join Ann Patchett and the wonderful booksellers at Parnassus Books for this week’s The Laydown Diaries. Watch the video!
✨ Join me, Kristen Mei Chase, Dominic Lim, Jeannie Chin, and Karin Yung as we gather to celebrate Asian Voices in this virtual event! It’s happening on May 17 at 8:00 PM ET. You can register here.
🎆 I have the immense pleasure and honor of being in conversation with Christina Lauren at Parnassus to celebrate their new book, The True Love Experiment. Tickets are already sold out—it’s going to be a fun evening!
📖 I’ll be on a panel called Afternoon Delight at the Greensboro Bound Literary Festival on May 20 with Mazey Eddings, Katrina Jackson, and Joanna Lowell.
✨ Bookmark giveaway (U.S. only) ✨
Want a Lunar Love bookmark? Leave a comment on this newsletter post with what your favorite flower is and why. I’ll pick 8 winners! Winners will be selected by EOD on May 15. I’ll announce it here in the comments.
From me to you, in the present,
Lauren
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I love peonies, this was such an interesting and informative post. thank you : )
I love daisies. They remind me of my grandma. They are just simple, happy flowers.