ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) 鈥� Nicole Calvin has been visiting the University of Michigan campus annually over the past 16 years to catch a peek 鈥� and a whiff 鈥� of the school鈥檚 sizable .
She even came twice this year.
鈥淚 just love walking through the gardens,鈥� Calvin said Monday. 鈥淚 love that they come from different places, and there鈥檚 different varieties, different colors. It smells amazing. It鈥檚 just a really beautiful place to be.鈥�
The Ann Arbor school anticipates 100,000 visitors will come to behold the unique perennials and their showy pink, white and red blooms of many shades and varieties.
The W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden features one of the largest collections of historic 鈥� pre-1950 鈥� herbaceous peonies in North America and likely the world.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a long fascination with this plant, because, when it鈥檚 peak, it鈥檚 so out there. It鈥檚 such a big show,鈥� said Doug Conley, horticulture lead of Nichols Arboretum, known locally as The Arb. 鈥淎nd our collection is overwhelming. When you see this garden at peak bloom, there鈥檚 nothing like it. You鈥檙e captivated by it.鈥�
The peony watch is a spectator sport with so many visitors arriving at The Arb each spring to behold the garden plant that they have to be bused in.
The W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden contains hundreds of historic cultivated varieties from the 19th and early 20th centuries, representing American, Canadian and European peonies of the era. At peak bloom, the garden typically features tens of thousands of flowers.
The garden is free to visit and open from sunrise to sunset. For those drawn to the peony’s scent, it鈥檚 best to show up early in the morning or late in the evening, when the fragrances are the best.
鈥淚t is restorative for all of us, I think, to come out into nature and be surrounded by joy, beauty,鈥� Conley said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a delightful place for people to just come and gather and be.鈥�
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