In the Far East, the cult of nature is, or has been in pre-modern times, a profound philosophical attitude, capable of determining daily life, and not a simple habit; if the king and the courtiers of Versailles played (sometimes) with disguises as peasants and shepherdesses, the Japanese imperial court moved en masse to the countryside to watch the cherry blossoms. In Tokyo you can still visit – we did it at the time – the different gardens that are inspired by the different versions of Zen, and there is an ancient art, Ikebana, which is expressed in the cultivation and composition of flowers. Peonies, also known as “thornless roses”, originated in the East (apparently in China, although they were already known in ancient Greece and mentioned in the Iliad), and in today’s China and Japan there are willing enthusiasts to pay for the privilege of sitting in front of a bush of these flowers and admiring it.
In Italy peony lovers are increasing, and it is to them, but not only to them, that the book “Peonie” (Ediagricole New Business Media, 222 pages, 22 euros) written by Lucia Romani Adami, a nursery specialist specialized in such plant. The appearance of the volume is of a gardening manual, which as such would hardly find a place in the Culture section of lastampa.it, but in reality in its pages there is much more: culture, history and yes, even gardening tips , combining philosophy and practice, and this is very oriental in inspiration. Keep in mind “Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance”.