Victorian peonies were part of a grand age of great actual change in all aspects of society. Great dreams were also dreamed that more aspects of society would change for women, though few genteel females dared act as though they had a brain. Gentility and beauty coexisted with harsh and squalid conditions that began to be addressed for the betterment of the poor.

Those Victorians able to have a garden filled it with bold colors and bold plants, including the peony, and added statues and ornate fountains. They loved to fill urns, or vases as they were called in Great Britain, with bright, colorful plants. In their love of nature, Victorians even hung indoor tapestries of flowering plants and vines on outdoor walls.

Victorians also liked big, and Victorian peonies fit that category. To keep the outdoor theme going indoors, artists and jewelers were commissioned to paint flowers, to create porcelain boxes and other decorative items, and to design jewelry. Many of these reflected the peony. And let's not forget their floral wallpapers or the botanical subjects that were woven into fabrics for inside the home.

Victorian Peonies for an Age Named after a Living Queen

Queen Victoria was born in 1819 and ascended to the throne in 1837. Her reign was one of the longest in history, lasting until 1901. While she was still alive, it was dubbed the Victorian age. Some wonderful Victorian peonies we still enjoy today included: Peony Festiva Maxima, presented in 1851, Duchesse de Nemours of 1856, and Marie Crousse of 1892. And of course, those flowering, fragrant beauties were carried indoors by the armful during peony season.