Peonies in flower

Peonies, a favorite of many a gardener, grow particularly well in cold climates, including here along the Gaspe Peninsula. The previous owners of our house planted more than a dozen; most are herbaceous (non-woody) perennials but a few are small shrubs. Peonies have large showy flowers, often with a pleasing fragrance. The flowers have numerous anthers (pollen sacs) that attract pollen-foraging bees, including queen bumblebees. Peonies are in the genus Paeonia and are native to Asia, Europe, and western North America.

Looking out our living room window we see peonies in full bloom in early July

Peonies along the stone path outside our living room

These are double-flowered peonies. The attractive foliage contributes to their appeal.

The large flowers sometimes get top-heavy and topple to the ground

A queen bumblebee foraging for pollen on a peony flower.
Note the round, yellow pollen basket on her back leg.

Five fruit pods developing from a single flower.
This was a flower from a shrubby peony - they tend to flower (and produce fruits) before the herbaceous ones.
I wonder if the seeds are fertile and how difficult it is to grow peonies from seed.