2016 Very Early Peony 'Nova' Buds Emerge First

I am getting a little excited. I have been growing this very early Peony 'Nova' plant for three years now. However, I have not yet seen it bloom. Every year, its buds are blasted. This is the only peony I grow with the very curious habit of pushing out huge bloom buds out of the ground first. I suppose its buds develop over the winter, much earlier than most other varieties. Then when Peony 'Nova' starts to emerge from the ground in the spring, these huge buds are very susceptible to bud blast by a late freeze. As you can see from last year's 2015 Saunders Peony Varieties Frozen Bud Blast report, all of Peony 'Nova's buds were blasted last spring.
Peony 'Nova' Bloom Buds Emerge First
From the photo above you can see that Peony 'Nova' buds emerge so early, one of them was already blasted earlier this winter. Now two more have arrived, and hopefully we'll get to see them bloom this year! We shouldn't get any more late freezes before they bloom, since our local groundhog, Sir Walter Wally, predicted an early spring this year. ;-) On a more scientific note, our local 10 Day Forecast looks like we'll have 10 days in a row of 70 degree temperatures starting tomorrow! Also the overnight temperature will range from the upper 40s to the upper 50s. If that doesn't sound like an early spring, I don't know what does! Hopefully it will be enough to coax these beautiful Peony 'Nova' blossoms from their buds!
Local Weather - 10 Day Forecast

2016 3-Trunked Monster Down = More Sun for Peonies

Ice Storm Damage to Three Trunked Monster Tree
Well, the ice storm did a number on the big oak tree in our back yard. Remember the 3 trunked monster I told you about last year that was eating all of the sun in my back yard and caused me to do my own Southern Peony Big Dig - Part Shade to Full Sun? Well, all three of the trunks were leaning/growing at angle, and we got so much ice in the big ice storm we had this winter, that one of those giant trunks just cracked completely in half. It's just as well. I had been wanting to cut this oak tree down for a couple of years now. I do think it served its purpose well. It provided years of shade for my daughter while playing in the back yard, a nice perch for all of the birds visiting our back yard feeder, and now it will provide wood for our fireplace next winter and several winters to come! Now that it's gone, the remaining peonies that didn't get moved in the big dig, will be much happier now with so much more sunshine. When this tree was small, the peonies near it grew well since it was so small and short, but as this tree grew over the years, the peonies actually started to dwindle, growing fewer stems and making fewer blooms each year. Here's hoping the sun will make them happy, and they will start to increase again!

Three Trunked Monster Tree	Three Stumped Monster

2016 Truck Load of New Mulch for Peonies

I was happily surprised to get a call last week while I was at work asking if I still needed a truck load of mulch. I had been worrying about getting some ever since the last guy I knew who would bring me free mulch had his phone number disconnected. I had called around to several tree service companies inquiring about free wood chips a couple weeks ago, but I hadn't heard anything yet. So I was very grateful when I got this call. The tree service man kept asking me was I sure I needed a whole truck load? Each time I replied Yes! I told him I was away, but he was more than welcome to leave it at the end of my driveway. So on Friday when I got home from work, I found this beautiful, very large pile of mulch in my driveway. Now I can keep the weeds at bay around my peonies while gradually adding valuable organic matter to the soil over time. :-)

2016 Intersectional Peonies Suffered Frozen Bud Blast

Nope. Not even all of the intersectional peonies were able to withstand that late cold winter blast last spring. You would think with their tough guy image and strong tree peony like woody stems, they would just shrug off a cold blast. Unfortunately some varieties had blasted buds and some had both blasted buds and a reduction in blooms from the previous year. Not all of my intersectional peonies are rated here. Some of them were too small and/or immature to evaluate or there was not enough data to make a proper evaluation. Check out the table below to see who suffered in the cold...

Intersectional Peonies with Buds Blasted by Late Freeze
Peony Variety	2015 Bloom	2014 Bloom	Blast Rate	Bloom Reduction
Peony 'Little Darlin'	0 of 3	4 of 4	100%	100%
Peony 'Scarlet Heaven'	0 of 2	2 of 2	100%	100%
Peony 'Morning Lilac'	1 of 3	8 of 8	67%	88%
Peony 'Pastel Splendor'	3 of 3	10 of 10	0%	70%
Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst'	7 of 7	16 of 21	0%	56%
Peony 'Julia Rose'	8 of 8	10 of 10	0%	20%
Peony 'Garden Treasure'	13 of 16	15 of 15	19%	13%

2015 Intersectional Peony Garden
There were however several varieties which did shrug off that winter cold, seemingly unaffected by the late frost, that did not suffer any reduction in bloom or bud blast. These intersectional peonies all increased (or maintained) their bloom counts. Only one of these varieties suffered some bud blast. I am amazed to see three of Don Smith's Japanese named Intersectional Peonies sold by Monrovia as the top three in this list! I'm guessing the other Japanese named peony in that collection is not on this list only because it was too immature in my garden to evaluate. I am also not surprised to see Peony 'Cora Louise' on this list which was nominated for the APS Gold Medal last year, and it almost won, Peony 'Bartzella' which already won the APS Gold Medal in 2006, and Peony 'Keiko' a 2015 Southern Peony Best Performer.

Intersectional Peonies Unaffected by Late Freeze
Peony Variety	2015 Bloom	2014 Bloom	Blast Rate	Bloom Increase
Peony 'Yumi' 由美 (Possess Beauty)	3 of 3	0 of 0	0%	300%
Peony 'Keiko' 愛幕 (Adored)	35 of 35	9 of 9	0%	288%
Peony 'Takara' 慈悲 (Treasure)	19 of 19	6 of 6	0%	216%
Peony 'Cora Louise'	11 of 11	5 of 5	0%	120%
Peony 'Copper Kettle'	2 of 4	1 of 1	50%	100%
Peony 'Yellow Crown'	11 of 11	6 of 6	0%	83%
Peony 'Bartzella'	7 of 7	4 of 5	0%	75%
Peony 'White Emperor'	9 of 9	9 of 9	0%	0%

Intersectional Peony 'Keiko' 愛幕 (Adored)

2016 Mid Season Peonies Suffered Frozen Bud Blast

After finishing my 2016 Peony Data Entry in Winter Time, I remembered not just how many 2015 Early Peonies Suffered Frozen Bud Blast, but also how many mid season peonies suffered bud blast last year as well. It was painfully obvious during my data entry when Peony 'Red Charm' did not even have a bloom date since all of its buds were blasted (and Peony 'Red Charm's bloom date is usually used as the basis for the bloom date offset). I have already compiled the data on my early blooming Saunders peonies that suffered bud blast, 2015 Saunders Peony Varieties Frozen Bud Blast. So here are the midseason peonies in my garden that suffered bud blast from the late winter cold we received last year. Since midseason peonies develop a little later than early season peonies, most of their buds were very small when they were blasted by the cold. So there was not a large bud that had turned brown as evidence of the bud blast. Instead these varieties usually bloom reliably, and they either didn't bloom at all or their blooms were severely reduced. Also I'm listing a few more early varieties that are not Saunders varieties (so they weren't on my previous list).

Early Peonies with Buds Blasted by Late Freeze
Peony Variety	2015 Bloom	2014 Bloom	Blast Rate	Bloom Reduction
Peony 'Early Scout' (Early)	0 of 3	7 of 7	100%	100%
Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow' (Early)	3 of 15	10 of 12	80%	70%
Peony 'Coral Fay' (Early)	6 of 6	12 of 12	0%	50%

2015 Peony 'Coral Fay' Plant	2014 Peony 'Coral Fay' Plant

Midseason Peonies with Buds Blasted by Late Freeze
Peony Variety	2015 Bloom	2014 Bloom	Blast Rate	Bloom Reduction
Peony 'Red Charm'	0 of 4	5 of 5	100%	100%
Peony 'First Lady'	0 of 3	4 of 4	100%	100%
Peony 'Nymphe'	0 of 0	3 of 4	100%	100%
Peony 'Pink Princess'	1 of 4	7 of 7	75%	86%
Peony 'Pillow Talk'	2 of 4	11 of 12	50%	82%
Peony 'Kansas'	7 of 11	39 of 44	36%	82%
Peony 'Myra MacRae'	7 of 7	38 of 42	0%	82%
Peony 'Doris Cooper'	2 of 4	9 of 13	50%	78%
Peony 'Solange'	9 of 13	32 of 32	31%	72%
Peony 'Cherry Charm'	4 of 5	14 of 14	20%	71%
Peony 'My Love'	9 of 9	30 of 34	0%	70%
Peony 'Guidon'	14 of 17	44 of 63	18%	68%
Peony 'Lemon Chiffon'	1 of 4	3 of 3	75%	66%
Peony 'Many Happy Returns'	3 of 7	8 of 8	57%	63%
Peony 'Do Tell'	5 of 9	13 of 16	44%	62%
Peony 'Kelway's Glorious'	7 of 7	15 of 23	0%	53%
Peony 'America'	2 of 5	4 of 5	60%	50%
Peony 'Bowl of Cream'	5 of 8	8 of 10	38%	38%
Peony 'White Frost'	14 of 15	22 of 24	7%	36%
Peony 'Rose Heart'	4 of 7	6 of 6	43%	33%

2015 Rock Garden Peonies Do Not Grow Here

Peony Plant Tags Removed from Dead Rock Garden Peonies
Well, after many years of trying, and many dead rock garden peonies that have eventually disintegrated into nothingness, I have concluded that Rock Garden Peonies DO NOT Grow Here. Yes they came from a reputable seller, and yes, there were treated well here - to some of the best spots in my garden. Despite year after year of trying to hang on, they have all finally given up the ghost. Sometimes I got one flower out of them - like their last hurrah before they gave up. The list of the dead and dying goes on - Peony 'Earlybird', Peony 'Elfin Beauty', Peony 'Fairy Princess', Peony 'Lil' Sweetie', Peony 'Little Red Gem', Peony 'Squirt'...

Peony 'Lil' Sweetie' 2009 Bloom	Peony 'Earlybird' 2011 Bloom

Oh, that photo of all those miniature peonies in that cool looking rock garden is just so appealing. However I feel resigned to say that I won't be spending (read: wasting) any more of my hard earned dollars on peonies that do not grow here. However hard to admit, I will be leaving those cute little, diminutive rock garden peonies to all those Northern peony gardeners. The page for their Rock Garden Peonies even says "Recommended to be hardy in USDA Zones 3-7." I am in Zone 7b, and they are not even close to hardy here. They should change it to USDA Zones 3-6 - at least take out Zone 7.

2015 Southern Peony Big Dig - Part Shade to Full Sun

This fall my Southern Peonies are moving - well, not all of them, but quite a few of them. Many of these beauties are or were planted near the perimeter of my yard, which is lined with forest on three sides. There is also a giant oak tree in my back yard, that has grown from a cute, shorter than me, don't cut that hardwood tree down INTO a taller than my 2 story house, eating all of my sun, three trunked monster in just 13 years.
Happy Peonies (Foreground, Left)
Unhappy Peonies (Background, Right)

I have already moved lots of peonies this past weekend, and I plan to move many more in the coming weeks. I moved Peonies 'Command Performance', 'Dinner Plate', 'Lorelei', 'Pink Parfait', and 'Vivid Rose' from the perimeter of the woods to the center of my original peony garden - first planted in 2003 - a much sunnier locale. I have also moved two Peony 'Muskoka's? to right beside of my deck. These red and yellow anemone style peonies are obviously misnamed, but they are gorgeous and very floriferous. I think they might be Peony 'Nippon Beauty'. They were growing under hot pink crepe myrtle bushes that have now matured into trees. They went from 25+ blooms each to now only a couple blooms each. I'm sure they will be much happier near my deck. So basically the moral of this story is - plant your peonies in the middle of your yard, the sunniest spot, with the best moisture, not the edge (unless the edge has no trees!) :-) Happy Peony Planting!
Peony 'Vivid Rose' Getting Moved

2015 Peony Experiment - Planting 2 Year Old Root

Label of Peony Root Box with Postmark 10/22/2013
So this wasn't really an intentional experiment, more like an accidental experiment... I apparently purchased this peony root, Peony 'Silver Dawn Mix', with the best of intentions in the APS Convention Auction. However little did I know that by the time the root arrived I would be experiencing morning sickness that not only caused me to cancel my Fall Harvest party that year, but also kept these peonies in their box in my garage waiting to be planted for two years! This box has been sitting there and sitting there and sitting there, and after a while I kept debating in my head whether to trash the box or open it. It has been sitting there so long I kind of forgot how long it had been there. I was thinking it had only been one year, but then I looked at the date on the box 10/22/2013 - almost two years to the day! Well, I decided to open it and see what was in there.

Peony Root Box from 2 Years Ago	Opening Peony Root Box from 2 Years Ago

Wow, I must tell you that Oregon Perennial did a spectacular job of packing this peony. I expected it to be either covered in mold or completely disintegrated, or both! However it was neither! The box contained a beautiful peony root inside a plastic bag filled with peat moss. It almost seemed as if it was shipped this year! It has started to grow a few small, white feeder roots and the buds were perfectly visible, not even sprouted one bit. It seems to have survived in a happy semi-dormant state in this box in my garage for two years so far.
2 Year Old Peony 'Silver Dawn Mix' Root
in a Bag of Peat Moss Inside of the Box


2 Year Old Peony 'Silver Dawn Mix' Root
So I planted it, and hence this experiment. I am a little afraid it might wake up in our warm, sunny fall and start to grow, only to be killed by the first frost. However I am crossing my fingers and hoping for the best that it survives (and hopefully stays dormant until spring)! I'll let you know how this "experiment" turns out... ;-)
Planting 2 Year Old Peony 'Silver Dawn Mix' Root

2015 Rain on Peonies Relieves Drought

Well, we finally did get some rain for the peonies. We actually got almost an inch and half of rain. That rain gave the ground quite a good soaking. The extended drought we experienced definitely affected all of my peonies, some of them more than others. The peonies that were affected were young peony plants that are only 1-2 years old, peonies that are planted at the edge of a tree canopy, and smaller leaved peony varieties. It also affected some established intersectional peonies in full sun. Peonies that are near competing tree roots and young peonies that are not yet established were affected the most.
Southern Peonies in the Rain
Most of those herbaceous peonies near competing tree roots that wilted have come back up now. A couple of them were so bad off some of the foliage actually browned and did not revive. A couple of the young plants dried up entirely for the year. If these are still alive (hopefully) they will come back next spring. The established intersectional peonies actually wilted in a different way. Some of the intersectional peonies' foliage turned sideways, almost upside down. After the rain, most of the foliage has righted itself. Fall is fast approaching. So let's hope this is the only drought my peonies will have to endure this year!
Southern Intersectional Peonies in the Rain

2015 Dry Conditions Make Peony Foliage Wilt

Peony Wilted from Dry Spell
I think it has been about 3 weeks since we've gotten any measurable rain. Before this dry spell, it had been raining pretty regularly this summer, which was great. The continuous rain kept the grass green, and all of my flowers happy, including my peonies. However now that it's been weeks since it's rained, everything is looking sad - grass, trees, flowers, even the peonies. Peonies are usually pretty resistant to dry spells unless there is an extended dry spell like this one. I usually don't give any extra water to my peonies other than what nature provides. However when it gets this dry, I do try to water the wilted looking ones. There's a 90% chance of rain tonight. So I'm hoping some of that water hits my property! The peonies and all of the plants in my garden could use some relief!
Peony Wilted and Dying Back from Dry Spell

2015 How to Fertilize a Peony

There are two main times of the year to fertilize peonies, before your peonies bloom in early spring and after they have bloomed in the later summer / early fall. This is a good time to add a slow release organic fertilizer or composted cow manure around the drip line of your peony plants. Slow release, organic nutrients will be available throughout the season for your peonies. This includes the early spring when they are expending lots of energy to push up new shoots of foliage, and even into the fall when they are storing energy and nutrients to produce next year's foliage and blooms.
Peony Plant to be Fertilized
The first step in fertilizing your peony is to remove the layer of mulch covering your peonies. This layer of mulch is just another barrier between your peony and the nutrients you are trying to give it. If it is not possible or perhaps too time consuming, you can put the fertilizer on top of the mulch. However the peony will have easier access to fertilizer that is directly applied to its soil. Also less of the fertilizer is likely to get washed or blown away.
Peony Plant with Mulch Removed
Since peony plants only produce one set of foliage per year, you will want to make sure to keep it green and healthy. I don't recommend any quick release water soluble chemical fertilizers. These fertilizers will actually 'burn' the leaves of your peony plant and make them turn yellow. Avoid those types of fertilizers and look for something slow release, natural, or organic instead. Since peonies are not continuously producing new above ground growth throughout the season, they do not need a high nitrogen, quick release fertilizer.
Organic Slow Release Fertilizers are Best for Peonies
Some fertilizers that I like to use are Espoma Organic Plant-tone or EcoScraps Natural and Organic Rose & Flower Plant Food. Both of these fertilizers are slow release and organic. They can both be found at local super stores and hardware stores, or you can purchase them online. I also like to use Black Kow composted manure as a fertilizer for my peonies. If you have your own compost pile, then homemade compost is also a great fertilizer. When using compost, you will want to make sure that you use a very thin layer and don't bury your peony with the compost. Most of the time, I will use the bagged organic fertilizers for herbaceous peonies, and the compost for tree peonies since herbaceous peonies's are sensitive to planting depth.

You can use a garden scoop or measuring cup, whatever you're comfortable with to apply the fertilizer. I like to use a measuring up so I know exactly how much I am putting on each plant. Sprinkle the fertilizer lightly over the soil. Make sure to apply the fertilizer around the drip line of the peony's outer most leaves in a round circle like shape. Be careful not to dump the fertilizer directly on the peony's crown. It likely won't do as much good in this location since most of the storage roots are under the crown, and the feeder roots are generally around the outer edge of the foliage drip line. Optionally you can work the fertilizer into the soil a bit with your fingers or a small garden cultivator, taking care not to disturb the peony's roots. If you are short on time or you are worried about disturbing your peony, you can skip working the fertilizer into the soil.
Replace the Mulch Around Peony
After you have applied your fertilizer, the last thing to do is to replace the mulch around your peony. This will keep the fertilizer from washing away, and give nature a chance to incorporate the fertilizer into the soil during your next few rainstorms. If it has been particularly dry lately, you can also water in the fertilizer yourself with a garden hose or watering can. Now you're all done. This should give your peony a great start to the next growing season!

2015 Saunders Peony Varieties Frozen Bud Blast

Since I have a separate garden dedicated specifically to peony varieties hybridized by Professor A. P. Saunders, it was easily apparent to me that several of these varieties suffered from bud blast due to the late freeze we received in March of this year. Earlier this year I documented how my Early Peonies Suffered Frozen Bud Blast. Now that I have collected some more specific data on bud counts, I wanted to share those findings too. Most of these very early and early blooming Saunders peonies suffered some bud damage fromt the late freeze. However there were a couple varieties that came through unscathed. I have several Saunders peonies that are still a bit immature and or recovering from being divided. So I've chosen not to include all of the Saunders peonies I grow in this table.

Saunders Peonies with Buds Blasted by Late Freeze
Peony Variety	Buds Blasted	Total Buds	Blast Rate
Peony 'Halcyon'	2	2	100%
Peony 'Honor'	6	6	100%
Peony 'May Music'	5	5	100%
Peony 'Nova'	2	2	100%
Peony 'Paladin'	6	6	100%
Peony 'Winterthur'	3	3	100%
Peony 'Lustrous'	8	9	89%
Peony 'Horizon'	4	5	80%
Peony 'Firelight'	6	8	75%
Peony 'Early White'	1	2	50%
Peony 'Lavender'	2	4	50%
Peony 'Sweet May'	4	8	50%
Peony 'Garden Peace'	7	15	47%
Peony 'Lovely Rose'	3	10	30%

There were a few Saunders peonies whose buds werent' affected by the late freeze at all. So if your area regularly encounters late freezes, and you'd like to grow some early blooming peony varieties, these are the Saunders peonies I'd recommend.

Peony 'Grace Root'	Peony 'Great Lady'	Peony 'Rose Garland'

Saunders Peonies Unaffected by Late Freeze
Peony Variety	Buds Blasted	Total Buds	Blast Rate
Peony 'Grace Root'	0	9	0%
Peony 'Great Lady'	0	3	0%
Peony 'Rose Garland'	0	5	0%

2015 How to Deadhead an Intersectional Peony

Deadheading your intersectional peonies is really a personal preference. I actually prefer to leave the seedpods on my intersectional peonies. The seedpods actually provide some additional interest and height on the bush. Since intersectional peonies do not actually form seeds 99% of the time, the plant is not wasting any energy creating seeds if you leave them on. On the flip side since there not any seeds being created, you don't have to leave them on for seed production. Also some gardeners may find the bush more aesthetically pleasing without them. So this guide is intended to help all of the intersectional peony pruners out there. The method to Deadhead an intersectional peony is not too different from the method of How to Deadhead an Herbaceous Peony.
Intersectional Peony 'Pastel Splendor' with Seedpods
Deadheading is the process of removing the spent bloom heads from your peony plant. To start this process you'll want to have your favorite pair of pruners and a trash bag handy for deadheading. Since it is not a good idea to compost your peony clippings due to fungal blight concerns, you will want to throw away the seedpods after pruning them from the peony bush. When you prune the seedpods from the plant, you'll actually cut off a portion of the stem. This portion of the stem can definitely carry fungal spores in the stem tissue. So put the seedpods in your trash bag after you've removed them.
Intersectional Peony Seedpods Remain After Flowering

Intersectional Peony Seedpod
Take a look at the seedpod you'd like to remove first. If you follow the stem down to the first leaf junction, you'll find the point where you'll want to prune your plant. You'll want to make your cut just above the leaf junction to trim the stem down to this point, while preserving as much of the foliage as possible. After you make the cut, collect your deadheaded seed pod and put it in your trash bag. Simply repeat this process for each seedpod on your peony plant until you have removed all of them.
Pruning Intersectional Peony Seedpod
After pruning your intersectional peony, the plant will appear a little cleaner, and a little greener. Now is a good time to add a slow release organic fertilizer or composted cow manure around the drip line of your peony plants. Slow release, organic nutrients will be available throughout the season for your peonies, even into the fall when they are storing energy and nutrients to produce next year's blooms.
Intersectional Peony After Pruning
Also if you have any extended periods of drought over the summer, you will want to give your peonies some additional water to keep the foliage from wilting. Peonies are tough plants, and they can definitely withstand some drought. Mine have several years, but the plants will be healthier with some added water. That's it. Sit back, enjoy the green, and start dreaming about how many big beautiful blooms you'll have next year!
Intersectional Peony 'Pastel Splendor' after Deadheading

2015 Peony Donation for Carolina Plant Swap

Yesterday I was so excited to be able to bring three blooming peonies to the Carolina Plant Swap. These three peonies are all unique peonies I grew from seed. They are all single blooming peonies that bloom early. Two of these peonies, a light pink one and a dark pink one, came from seed from Peony 'Pink Princess'. The other dark pink peony came from seed from Peony 'Lady Alexandra Duff'. I hope these peonies will increase in bloom and size each year and the recipients of the peonies will enjoy them for years to come. Peonies do not generally like to be moved in spring. So these need to be planted right away. These peonies may sulk a bit this year. Don't worry. Don't fertilize them or overwater them. They just need some time to get established and settled into their new homes. Next year they should come back bigger and even better! :-) Enjoy!
Peony Donation for Carolina Plant Swap

2015 Peony Experiments - Herbaceous Divisions Grow

Peony Experiments - Herbaceous Divisions Grow
Remember those outcast herbaceous peony root stumps I had left over last fall after dividing my peonies? Each of these pieces had an eye on it, so I decided to plant them as Peony Experiments - Herbaceous Divisions. It seems like they are growing (well, most of them)! Both of the Peony 'Scarlet O'Hara' stumps are growing. The unknown white double peony stump is growing. It is labeled in the photo as Peony 'Top Brass' since that's what it was sold to me as (unfortunately that cultivar name was incorrect). The only one that didn't grow was the white and yellow anemone peony, which is labeled as Peony 'Rushlight' in the photo. This peony too was labeled incorrectly. Originally I divided these peonies to give them away at the plant swap. Now that these divisions have grown, I can give away or donate even more peonies in the future. I guess the moral of this story is, no matter how small a peony division you end up with after dividing your peonies, plant even the smallest pieces if they have eyes on them. They may just grow for you and make a new plant!

Peony 'Scarlet O'Hara' Root Stumps Grow


White Double Peony Root Stump Grows


White and Yellow Anemone Peony Root Stump Does Not Grow

2015 Signs of Spring, Tree Peony Foliage

Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'
I took these pictures just before the weekend, and as you can see the tree peonies are starting to show their first signs of spring. The foliage is beginning to sprout, which only makes me yearn for spring even more. However now is not the best time for the tree peonies to begin to sprout, since we have a big winter storm headed our way this week with some crazy low temperatures predicted for several nights as well. I am curious to see how this weather impacts all of my peonies, especially the tree peonies. I am new to growing tree peonies, so the ones I do have aren't very well established. So this may be a hard winter on them. I'm hoping none of them die, and they all make it! Perhaps if we have a decent groundcover of snow and ice that will help protect the lower halves of the peonies from the extreme temperatures. Right now the lowest prediction I've seen is -2°F! Yikes!

Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'	Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'

Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'

2014 Carolina Gardening Peony Tip of the Month

I noticed a peony tip in my Carolina Country magazine this month. This is a free magazine sent out by my electric cooperative. It covers a Southern region and usually has gardening tips or a gardening section in it each month. This month the peony tip caught my eye, and I thought I'd share it with all of you.
Carolina Country Tip of the Month
"Late summer is prime peony planting time. Since peonies need a proper duration of chilly weather to bloom satisfactorily in the spring, look for older varieties such as 'Teresa', 'Sarah Bernhardt', 'Felix Crousse', or 'Festiva Maxima' that require less cold for bud set, or ask your local nursery for newer peony selections specifically bred for mild Southern winters. In addition, bury the crowns only about 1½ inches below ground so they will be less insulated from the cold weather. Finally, for stronger, sooner flowering peonies buy divisions that have at least three to four "eyes"."

I've never heard of the peony variety 'Teresa', and actually there is not one registered under this name. However I do grow all the rest of the varieties - 'Felix Crousse', 'Festiva Maxima' and 'Sarah Bernhardt', and they do grow and bloom well here in the South. There is one part of the tip I do disagree with however, and that is the planting depth. The author of this peony tip suggests planting your peony "eyes" 1½ inches below ground. However I would not plant them that deep. I usually plant my peonies even with the ground and put a tiny bit of mulch on top (½ inch or less). Even ½ inch would probably be okay, but 1½ inches would be too deep especially if you live even farther South than I do (zone 7). The depth of the peony directly affect how many chilling hours it receives, and as the author notes the more shallow they are planted the "less insulated" they are from the cold weather. Peonies need this cold weather to bloom and grow properly. It is definitely possible to plant your peony to deep and prevent it from blooming. So if you have your peony planted too deep or buried under too much mulch, dig it up and plant it much shallower or remove most of your mulch. This is a common problem in the South, and one I made myself (planted too deep) as a little girl growing my first peonies. I also visited my neighbors peony at their request this year to determine why it was not blooming. They had it buried under 4 inches of pine straw. The leaves still grew beautifully, but there were no blooms. I suggested they remove most or all of the pine straw so that it would get enough chilling hours this winter to hopefully bloom next spring!

2014 Landscaping with Peonies

Peonies are a great plant for landscaping. They provide loads of blooms and color for several weeks in the spring. They also have great long lasting foliage that stays green for 3 seasons providing a great backdrop for other plants in the landscape when they're not in bloom. And in fall, the leaves on some peony varieties begin to change into eye catching colors for yet another show before the foliage begins to fade. If you're unsure where to plant peonies in your landscape, take a look at these photos for some ideas. Peonies can be planted singly or as a group of specimen plants in wide open sunny areas. They can also be used in border plantings around foundations, decks, and patios. They can be planted in mixed perennial borders around garden benches so their blooms and fragrance can be enjoyed up close.
Peonies in the Landscape - Garden Bench
The American Peony Society has a special award that is given to peonies that are especially suited for landscape use - strong stems, long lasting foliage, and of course lovely blossoms! This is the APS Award of Landscape Merit which is awarded to peonies with "reliable performance across North America". So if you're thinking of adding a peony (or several) to your home landscaping, check out this list of great landscaping peony cultivars!
Peonies in the Landscape - Specimen and Deck Plantings