This is the first one to bloom. It's a bit redder than it appears in the picture, but the flowers are absolutely gorgeous.
The whole plant
Fully open
Close up of that flower
A side shot of a different flower on the plant
Still opening
The flowers turned out even more beautiful than I was expecting. And you know what else is cool? How quickly they opened. I spent time in the yard yesterday, and while the blooms were big, they seemed days away from opening. Then I looked today and I was going OMG!
And this wasn't the only surprise I had. My tree peony had a bloom open, too, and again, I thought it wouldn't open for days more.
Tree peony
I can't wait until the other peonies bloom, although they seem a bit farther off. There are also a few peonies that won't have flowers at all this year. Maybe next, though. I can hope, right?