2014 Tree Peony with Herbaceous Nurse Root Growth

I was surprised and curious to discover the first herbaceous nurse root sprouting from one of the tree peonies I planted last fall. It was on Tree Peony 'High Noon', which I purchased from a very reputable source. I suppose the quality of the tree peony grower won't prohibit this from happening. As you can see the photo on the left is what the tree peony looked like with the herbaceous nurse root sprout almost taking over the plant. After I removed the herbaceous sprout, you can better see what the actual tree peony foliage looks like. Both the herbaceous and tree peony foliage is very distinct. So you can easily tell when something is sprouting that shouldn't be and which stems you should remove. I just plucked the stem from its base, kind of snapping it off at the bottom. It was very easy to remove. Now that the herbaceous sprout has been removed, the tree peony stem above will have more energy available to it for its own growth. I will have to keep a close eye on this tree peony to make sure that no additional sprouts develop from the herbaceous nurse root that was grafted to this tree peony.

2014 Peony 'Firelight' Best Performer - Week 2

It was hard to choose my Southern Peony Best Performer this week. There were actually 3 contenders, and when the final decision had to be made, Peony 'Firelight' was the winner. The reason this peony beat out the other contenders hands down was because of the length of bloom, the variation in the petal color as the blooms fade, and how clean the peony bloom stems become after the bloom has faded. As you can see there are several bloom stems in the second photo that still hold their bright yellow stamens, even after the faded petals have fallen away. Also this peony actually has awesome, dark pink flares emanating from its center on each of its petals, giving it an extra point of interest. So if you are looking for a great, early blooming variety to add to your collection, Peony 'Firelight' definitely deserves a closer look.
Peony 'Firelight'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Firelight'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2014 Peony Blooms - Early - Week 2

With warmer temperatures this week (average high of 75°), more peony varieties began to open. The second tree peony to bloom, Peony 'Li Yuan Chun', bloomed this week. Each year I find myself more and more enamored with Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow'. This peony really has beautiful large, light green foliage, blooms with pale yellow petals and sunny centers, and just an awesome presence in the early spring garden. Peony 'Lustrous' has a great volume of lipstick red petals in a semi-double fashion, and always reminds me of a movie star. Peony 'Sweet May' is just that, sweet! Even though this peony blooms earlier than May for me here in my Southern Peony garden, the small, light pink petals surround a huge center of sunny yellow stamens that are very sweet indeed! Please enjoy some of my favorite week 2 peony blooms...

Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'	Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow'
Peony 'Lustrous'	Peony 'Sweet May'

2014 Peony Blooms - Very Early - Week 1

My first peony blooms of the season were much anticipated this year as I wondered when the tree peonies that were newly planted last fall would bloom. Their buds swelled for weeks as I watched them with excitement, wondering if they would open before the herbaceous peonies. However herbaceous Peony 'Early Scout' was once again the front runner in the peony bloom race this year. Also Peony 'Halcyon' was a very early surprise that bloomed for me for the first time this year. It is always nice to expand the selection of Week 1 peony blooms. Tree Peony 'Fragrant Jade' was the first of my newly planted tree peonies to bloom. Peony 'Firelight' is always an early bloomer and such a delight! Here are some of my favorite blooms pictures from my peony blooms week 1. Enjoy!

Peony 'Early Scout'	Peony 'Halcyon'
Tree Peony 'Fragrant Jade'	Peony 'Firelight'

2014 First Tree Peony Bloom Ever! Peony 'Fragrant Jade'

Tree Peony 'Fragrant Jade' (Xiang Yu) in the Rain
Yay! The first tree peony to ever bloom in my garden bloomed for the first time yesterday. It was Peony 'Fragrant Jade' (Xiang Yu). I am so excited to see how these tree peonies I've planted grow and develop over time. The first bloom on this plant was a semi-double bloom. I suspect as the tree peony matures the blooms will develop into their more fully double blossom. The first day it bloomed, it was raining. So I got another picture of it today. Perhaps the flower is as fragrant as it is named. It seems a bumble bee was so entranced by its fragrance, it never left the blossom and lived its final moments in the fluffiness of the soft white petals. I tried to sample its fragrance myself, but I'm afraid the previous days' rain may have washed away most of the scent. I guess I'll wait for the next bloom, as there is one more bud on this tree peony!
Tree Peony 'Fragrant Jade' (Xiang Yu) with Bumble Bee

2014 First Spring Peony Bloom - Peony 'Early Sout'

Peony 'Early Scout' in Bud
This peony has once again made its way out of the ground and produced a bloom long before any other peony in my garden. This is a reliable plant, and the vibrant red is just so gorgeous. Peony 'Early Scout' bloomed today on April 12th to once again be the first peony to bloom in my garden. It was also the first to bloom last year, 2013 First Bloom of the Year - Peony 'Early Scout'! This very early, low-growing peony even beat out my newly planted tree peonies, a couple of which have big, fat buds just waiting to open. Tree peonies are supposed to bloom earlier than herbaceous peonies. So I wasn't sure exactly when in my herbaceous bloom period they would actually bloom. I usually have about 7 weeks of peony bloom here. So it seems like the tree peonies will probably overlap with the early herbaceous peony bloom period. I hope spring is starting in your garden too! :-)
Peony 'Early Scout' in Bloom

2014 Questions - Transplanting Peonies in the Spring

I received this question from Bahiyyah in zone 7:
"Hello, I love your blog, I have a question for you. I know transplanting in the spring is not best, but I had no choice. Now I have over 100 peonies to replant. Some are very young with only 3-5 eyes. I know to plant those whole. But what about the ones that have large root masses, but only 3 eyes showing. Is it problematic to replant those whole? I remember reading that once dug up peonies prefer to be split to grow properly. Should I trim some root off those. For a visual imagine 8 big juice carrot sized roots, with only three tiny eyes. Also, do you have any tips for soil amending when planting? I have access to leaf mulch, wood chips, well aged horse manure, worm compost and regular compost. Thank you for any and all advice you can offer"

Thank you for such a nice compliment! You are correct in stating that spring is not the ideal season to transplant peonies. Fall is the best season for moving and dividing peonies. However spring is much better than summer, especially if the peonies have not yet sprouted (which is what it sounds like you are describing when you mention that your peonies have eyes - instead of foliage growth). You may notice some reduction in blooms this year, but provided these peonies are replanted in a good location with plenty of sun and nice soil, they should recover nicely. If any of your peonies had enough stems last year to divide (at least 7-8 stems), then you can go ahead and divide those peonies. However if your peonies didn't have very many stems last year and only have 3 eyes with large roots, I would not divide those peonies. Also it isn't necessary to remove any of the storage roots before planting unless you feel need to remove them for some other reason (ex. unwieldy for planting, unmanageable for transporting, diseased, etc.)

As far as soil amendments, I would recommend the leaf mulch and compost and mixing it well into the soil. The horse manure could also be used, but it definitely shouldn't be applied directly to the roots or crown of the plant. The wood chips could be used as a mulch/top dressing only to prevent weed growth. However it is not recommended to mix these into the planting hole, as they can inhibit the peony root's access to nitrogen.

2014 First Peony Seedlings to Bloom This Spring!

Well, it almost happened last spring. I had my First Peony Seedling with a Developing Bud last spring, and sadly it never matured, First Peony Seedling Develops Immature Bud. However this year, I'm sure I will see some original blooms from my peony seedling bed. There are already 4 different plants with buds on them and the buds are growing larger by the day! Last year the peony plant with a bud on it was a seedling of 'Lady Alexandra Duff'. This year, there are two peony plants from 'Pink Princess' and two peony plants from 'Lady Alexandra Duff' with buds on them. So there are at least 4 plants with buds on them already. Some of the peony seedlings' foliage is still emerging so there may be more buds to come. I am so excited to see my first blooms from peonies I grew from seed from my own garden. I will definitely keep you posted on the progress and will be sure to post photos of the blooms as well!
2008 Peony Seedlings


Peony Seedling Buds

2014 Swenson Gardens 7 Intersectional Peonies for $35!

Wow! Swenson Gardens finally released their 2014 peony catalog online, and I've updated my post with the all of the prices for the 2014 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparisons List. I must say they have really lowered their prices on the majority of their intersectional peonies. Since they usually offer one of the largest selections of intersectional peonies, this is really big news! Also they are offering 7 different intersectional peony varieties for $35.00 each! This is an almost unheard of price point for an intersectional peony, and they are offering lots to choose from at that price! It seems as if Swenson Gardens is trying to be the leader in intersectional peonies in price and selection. They also have 6 other intersectional peonies in the $40-$50 range. So if you are looking to expand your intersectional peony collection or maybe just start your collection, 2014 seems to be a great year to do so! The intersectional peony varieties that Swenson Gardens is offering for $35 are: 'Border Charm', 'Japanese Itoh', 'Old Rose Dandy', 'Pastel Splendor', 'Prairie Charm', 'Scarlet Heaven', and 'Shining Light'. One of these peonies, Peony 'Prairie Charm', is even an American Peony Society Award of Landscape Merit award winning peony!
Swenson Gardens Offers 7 Intersectional Peonies for $35!

2014 Intersectional Peony Varieties Offered
Peony Vendor	Intersectional Varieties
Swenson	31
Adelman	30
Solaris Farms	23
Brooks	19
Buck Canyon	10
Hidden Springs	9
Blossom Hill	8
Song Sparrow	7
Birchwood	6
Cricket Hill	6
Peony's Envy	6
Hollingsworth	5
Bannister	3
Fina	3

2014 American Peony Society Handbook on Ebay

I got an email this morning about an Ebay auction listing for the Manual of the American Peony Society from 1928. I purchased a copy of the Manual of the American Peony Society First Edition for myself last year, and I'm almost done reading it. There are a few boring parts - like several long lists of plant names. I must admit I skipped those parts. However there is quite a lot of interesting information on the history of peonies and the American Peony Society in the book. There are also several beautiful prints as well. The listing on Ebay has an opening bid of $15 with free shipping! This particular copy of the book was previously held in a library and appears to have some permanent ink on the spine that identified its location inside the library. Other than that it seems to be in good condition - better condition than my copy. I paid more than $30 for the copy I bought last year, and the binding is separately from the spine on my copy. So my copy is in quite sad shape. If you are looking to pick up a decent copy of the 1st Edition of the Manual of the American Peony Society, now may be an opportune time for you to place a bid on it. :-) Good luck!

First Edition Manual of the American Peony Society on Ebay

2014 Peonies on Ice

Ice Coating on Tree Branches
When I awoke yesterday morning, everything was covered in a thin layer of ice. This has been a particularly long and cold winter for us this year. Tomorrow is the first day of spring, and winter just wanted to make sure we knew it wasn't over yet! We've already had a couple of 70 degree days (on the weekends usually - thank goodness), but they have been rare. This weekend we should have another 70 degree day, and I can't wait. Luckily yesterday was very cloudy all day so the sun shouldn't have caused any frost damage to the foliage.

Peony 'Li Yuan Chun' with a Coating of Ice
As you can see there are already a couple of swelling buds on this tree peony since the last time I photographed it in February - 2014 First Signs of (Tree Peony) Life). Even the peony sign has a layer of ice on it. I'm not sure how much longer it will be until this tree peony blooms, but I am ready for it. I can't wait to see its blooms for the first time. Come on spring!!!
Peony Sign 'Li Yuan Chun' with a Coating of Ice

2014 Peony Seedling Plastic Label Failure

When I went outside a couple weeks ago I noticed something strange with some of my peony seedling labels... They were all on the ground. Apparently these plastic labels are too lightweight and could not withstand the constant freezing and thawing of the ground here. I guess that's a valuable lesson learned. I won't know the parent name for of all of the Chinese peony seedlings that I so carefully labeled and had my Chinese husband translate for me. What a waste! Well I guess I'll stick to the tried and true steel and copper plant labels that I've been using since 2007. These have never been heaved from the ground like these plastic plant labels! Too bad I never got around to putting these on my peony seedling map... I guess if any of them turn out to be worthwhile seedlings, they'll get a new name anyway! It would have been nice to know their heritage, though, assuming they were labeled correctly in the first place.
Plastic Peony Seedling Labels


Copper and Steel Peony Seedling Labels

2014 Chinese Tree Peony Seeds Starting to Sprout

At the suggestion of one of my readers, I decided to check my Chinese tree peony seeds to see if they had started sprouting. Sure enough, they had! A couple of them are just starting to push through. So it's definitely a bit early to get a count for the germination rate. I'll have to wait a little longer to see how many actually sprout. The only ones that are starting to sprout so far are the Chinese Peony Seeds from Ebay that I planted on 3/15/2013. There are 6 different colors of the Chinese tree peony seeds that I bought on Ebay, which came labeled as P1-P6, and only 2 of them are sprouting now - P3 Blue & P4 Green. So there are 4 other types/colors of these tree peony seeds that have not yet sprouted. None of the Chinese tree peony seeds I purchased from Ali Express and planted on 4/1/2013 have started to sprout yet. So I will have to check on those Chinese tree peony seeds again later.
Chinese Tree Peony P3 Blue Seeds from Ebay Sprouting


Chinese Tree Peony P4 Green Seeds from Ebay Sprouting

2014 First Signs of (Tree Peony) Life

Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'
Well even though it doesn't quite feel like spring yet, and it is still February, I am starting to see the first signs of life on some of my tree peonies (including some of the very cheap sticks / Tree Peonies I Planted from China!) I can't believe how much one of the more mature and Expensive Tree Peonies from a tree peony farm here in the US, Tree Peony Garden, has already started to grow. I'm guessing this one will have at least one blossom this year (or maybe more), and I can't wait to see its lovely pink flower. Also 3 of the Tree Peonies from China via Ali Express are already showing signs of life via tiny red buds originating at their base. I planted most of these as deep as possible hoping they would develop their own roots and prevent any possible grafted roots from sprouting. So we'll see when their leaves open whether these are tree peony sprouts or herbaceous peony sprouts.
Sprouting Tree Peony from China via Ali Express


Sprouting Tree Peony from China via Ali Express


Sprouting Tree Peony from China via Ali Express

2014 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List

So. I really like intersectional peonies (also known as Itoh peonies). I've collected quite a few of them, but I definitely do not have them all (especially some of the more expensive varieties). So I've been keeping my eye on their prices, and they have been coming down in price as they become more common in the marketplace. I created a spreadsheet with all of the available varieties for 2014 from nurseries that specialize in peonies. I haven't ordered from all of these vendors, so I can't speak for their quality or reliability, but I thought this might be helpful information for other gardeners out there looking to collect intersectional peonies as well or maybe just add the first one to your garden. Also if you have your heart set on a particular variety, get your order in early, because some of these will sell out (and some of them already have)! Enjoy! (Also if you'd like your company to be listed here, please join the American Peony Society as a Commercial Member, since this is where I obtain my peony grower information.)

Price Change from Last Year Adelman - mostly same or higher Bannister - lower Birchwood - same Blossom Hill - same Brooks - mostly lower or same Buck Canyon - same or lower Cricket Hill - mostly same or lower Fina - same Hidden Springs - same Hollingsworth - mostly higher or same Peony's Envy - higher or same Solaris Farms - same or lower Song Sparrow - same or higher Swenson - mostly lower or same

Intersectional Peony	Price	Vendor
Al's Choice	$75.00	Brooks
Ballarena de Saval	$70.00	Adelman
Bartzella	$45.00	Solaris Farms
Bartzella	$60.00	Fina
Bartzella	$60.00	Swenson
Bartzella	$75.00	Brooks
Bartzella	$75.00	Buck Canyon
Bartzella	$79.00	Peony's Envy
Bartzella	$79.99	Hidden Springs
Bartzella	$80.00	Adelman
Bartzella	$80.00	Hollingsworth
Bartzella	$85.00	Birchwood
Bartzella	$90.00	Song Sparrow
Bartzella	$99.00	Cricket Hill
Bartzella	C$150.00	Blossom Hill
Berry Garcia	$125.00	Brooks
Border Charm	$35.00	Swenson
Border Charm	$40.00	Adelman
Border Charm	$44.00	Hollingsworth
Border Charm	$45.00	Birchwood
Border Charm	$60.00	Song Sparrow
Callie's Memory	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Callie's Memory	$75.00	Swenson
Callie's Memory	C$130.00	Blossom Hill
Canary Brilliants	$60.00	Swenson
Canary Brilliants	$70.00	Adelman
Canary Brilliants	$70.00	Brooks
Canary Brilliants	$79.00	Peony's Envy
Canary Brilliants	$90.00	Solaris Farms
Chief Black Hawk	$225.00	Brooks
Chief Black Hawk	$350.00	Swenson
Copper Kettle	$80.00	Solaris Farms
Copper Kettle	$150.00	Swenson
Cora Louise	$60.00	Adelman
Cora Louise	$60.00	Birchwood
Cora Louise	$60.00	Brooks
Cora Louise	$60.00	Buck Canyon
Cora Louise	$60.00	Swenson
Cora Louise	$74.95	Hidden Springs
Cora Louise	$79.00	Peony's Envy
Cora Louise	$99.00	Cricket Hill
Court Jester	$60.00	Swenson
First Arrival	$45.00	Solaris Farms
First Arrival	$60.00	Adelman
First Arrival	$60.00	Brooks
First Arrival	$60.00	Swenson
First Arrival	$75.00	Buck Canyon
First Arrival	$125.00	Bannister
First Arrival	C$130.00	Blossom Hill
Garden Treasure	$40.00	Solaris Farms
Garden Treasure	$55.00	Fina
Garden Treasure	$60.00	Swenson
Garden Treasure	$65.00	Buck Canyon
Garden Treasure	$68.00	Birchwood
Garden Treasure	$69.99	Hidden Springs
Garden Treasure	$80.00	Adelman
Garden Treasure	$80.00	Bannister
Garden Treasure	$80.00	Brooks
Garden Treasure	$84.00	Hollingsworth
Garden Treasure	$89.00	Peony's Envy
Garden Treasure	$99.00	Cricket Hill
Going Bananas	$40.00	Adelman
Going Bananas	C$130.00	Blossom Hill
Hidden Treasure	$35.00	Solaris Farms
Hillary	$50.00	Adelman
Hillary	$50.00	Brooks
Hillary	$50.00	Swenson
Hillary	$60.00	Buck Canyon
Hillary	$60.00	Fina
Hillary	$64.95	Hidden Springs
Hillary	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Hillary	C$130.00	Blossom Hill
Japanese Itoh	$35.00	Swenson
Joanna Marlene	$80.00	Adelman
Joanna Marlene	$100.00	Swenson
Julia Rose	$50.00	Swenson
Julia Rose	$75.00	Adelman
Julia Rose	$75.00	Brooks
Julia Rose	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Julia Rose	C$130.00	Blossom Hill
Kaleidoscope	$75.00	Buck Canyon
Kaleidoscope	$75.00	Swenson
Kaleidoscope	$90.00	Brooks
Kaleidoscope	$125.00	Hidden Springs
Kopper Kettle	$99.00	Adelman
Lafayette Escadrille	$60.00	Song Sparrow
Lemon Dream	$44.00	Buck Canyon
Lemon Dream	$45.00	Adelman
Lemon Dream	$45.00	Solaris Farms
Lemon Dream	$50.00	Brooks
Lemon Dream	$50.00	Swenson
Lemon Dream	$79.00	Peony's Envy
Little Darlin	$60.00	Birchwood
Little Darlin	$60.00	Song Sparrow
Lollipop	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Love Affair	$156.00	Hollingsworth
Luxuriant	$175.00	Brooks
Maroon Dragon Claw	$89.00	Cricket Hill
Momo Taro (Peach Boy)	$45.00	Solaris Farms
Morning Lilac	$64.00	Buck Canyon
Morning Lilac	$70.00	Adelman
Morning Lilac	$70.00	Brooks
Morning Lilac	$100.00	Swenson
New Millennium	$120.00	Solaris Farms
New Millennium	$250.00	Swenson
Old Rose Dandy	$35.00	Swenson
Old Rose Dandy	$44.95	Hidden Springs
Old Rose Dandy	$45.00	Adelman
Old Rose Dandy	$45.00	Solaris Farms
Old Rose Dandy	$89.00	Cricket Hill
Pastel Splendor	$35.00	Solaris Farms
Pastel Splendor	$35.00	Swenson
Pastel Splendor	$45.00	Adelman
Pastel Splendor	$47.95	Hidden Springs
Pastel Splendor	$70.00	Song Sparrow
Pastel Splendor	C$80.00	Blossom Hill
Prairie Charm	$35.00	Swenson
Prairie Charm	$50.00	Birchwood
Prairie Charm	$50.00	Brooks
Prairie Charm	$54.95	Hidden Springs
Prairie Charm	$60.00	Bannister
Prairie Charm	$60.00	Hollingsworth
Prairie Charm	$65.00	Song Sparrow
Rosy Prospects	$99.00	Adelman
Rosy Prospects	$99.00	Brooks
Rosy Prospects	$200.00	Swenson
Royal Blush	$150.00	Swenson
Saffron Innocence	$200.00	Swenson
Scarlet Heaven	$35.00	Swenson
Scarlet Heaven	$40.00	Adelman
Scarlet Heaven	$45.00	Solaris Farms
Scarlet Heaven	$79.00	Peony's Envy
Scarlet Heaven	C$80.00	Blossom Hill
Scarlet Heaven	$89.00	Cricket Hill
Sequestered Sunshine	$45.00	Solaris Farms
Sequestered Sunshine	$75.00	Swenson
Shining Light	$35.00	Swenson
Singing in the Rain	$125.00	Brooks
Sonoma Amethyst	$65.00	Adelman
Sonoma Amethyst	$65.00	Buck Canyon
Sonoma Amethyst	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Sonoma Apricot	$80.00	Adelman
Sonoma Blessing	$80.00	Adelman
Sonoma Floozy	$80.00	Adelman
Sonoma Halo	$350.00	Adelman
Sonoma Rosy Future	$125.00	Adelman
Sonoma Rosy Future	$150.00	Solaris Farms
Sonoma Sun	$80.00	Adelman
Sonoma Velvet Ruby	$80.00	Adelman
Sonoma Welcome	$75.00	Adelman
Sonoma Yedo	$200.00	Solaris Farms
Unique	$48.00	Buck Canyon
Unique	$50.00	Swenson
Unique	$60.00	Adelman
Viking Full Moon	$40.00	Solaris Farms
Viking Full Moon	$40.00	Swenson
Viking Full Moon	$44.95	Hidden Springs
Viking Full Moon	$45.00	Adelman
Viking Full Moon	$110.00	Song Sparrow
Watermelon Wine	$150.00	Adelman
White Emperor	$150.00	Swenson
Yellow Crown	$45.00	Solaris Farms
Yellow Dream	$100.00	Brooks
Yellow Emperor	$40.00	Swenson
Yellow Emperor	$55.00	Solaris Farms
Yellow Heaven	$90.00	Brooks

2014 Tree & Herbaceous Peonies in the Snow

Wow! This is a rare year for us. It snowed 4 days ago, and the snow is still here. We got about 3-4 inches of snow! Usually we have either no snow or only an inch that melts away by the very next day if not the same day. The weatherman was actually pretty accurate about the snow totals this time (just not the timing). The snow came about 6 hours later than they originally predicted - which caused some unnecessary school closings. My daughter was out of school Tuesday - Friday! We had lots of fun in the snow - going for a walk, sledding, and making snow angels.
Snow Forecast for NC
While I was out there I snapped a few pictures of my peonies in the snow. We got so much snow this time, the peony signs that stick up out of the ground were almost completely covered! Since the herbaceous peonies were buried, I took a few pictures of the tree and intersectional peonies in the snow since these are the only ones visible above the snow line. I know the snow is good for the herbaceous peonies since their buds are below ground and they need the chilling hours, but I'm not so sure how much the intersectional and tree peony buds appreciate the snow. I guess we'll find out in the spring. All of the tree peony buds are above ground and several of the intersectional buds are too, since I don't trim my intersectional peonies all the way back to the ground. :-)
Tree Peony 'Fragrant Jade' in Snow


Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun' in Snow


Intersectional Peony 'Bartzella' in Snow

2014 First Peony Order of the Year

I took a moment this past week to make my first peony order of the year. This year I placed my first order with Solaris Farms. I am really excited about this order. I instantly fell in love with Peony 'Angel Emily' last year when I saw the photo of it on their web site. Its lavender color and loads of blooms on a rockii species plant with its signature purple flares just made me giddy. I really wanted it. Even though that was only April of last year, it was, sadly, already sold out. So I was delighted to see that they were offering it again this year. Even though the price hadn't gone down any since last year, I still wanted it. I also found the listing for Peony 'New Millennium' in their intersectional peony offering, with a price half of what it was available for last year. So even though the price tags were still hefty, I decided to order both! I am also curious to see the size and quality of the roots they send as well as their packaging and shipment method. I am hoping that I will find another good, quality peony supplier in Solaris Farms. If you've never seen their site before, perhaps you should check it out to see if anything catches your eye! :-)

Peony 'Angel Emily'
Photo Courtesy of Solaris Farms


Peony 'New Millennium'
Photo Courtesy of Solaris Farms

2013 Peonies in Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou China

Recently my husband and I took a trip to his home country of China. This was my first visit there, and naturally my interest in peonies extended to peonies in China as well. We took tours in several Chinese cities, and everywhere we went I looked for peonies. They weren't too hard to find! I found them in their palaces, gardens, temples, and botanical gardens! Even though it was late fall and most of the peonies were dormant, I still searched for their barren sticks, trying to gather any information about Chinese peony cultivation that I could. Over 95% of the peonies I found were tree peonies. There were very few herbaceous peonies to be found. The majority of the tree peonies I saw had already had their leaves removed from their stems. Also the dirt was mounded around the base of the tree peonies stems. I'm not sure if that was in preparation for winter or if they leave it this way all year round. There was no mulch on any of their tree peonies. They were all grown in soil that appeared to have been heavily and continuously cultivated. The soil was never flat or smooth. It was always uneven, like mounded globs of dirt and soil all around the peonies.
Dormant Peonies at the Imperial Palace in Beijing, China
The first place I encountered peonies in China was at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. The Forbidden City served as the imperial palace in China for almost 500 years. The peonies there were grown in an outdoor garden, almost like a courtyard. They were growing in partial shade through the filtered sunlight nearly underneath a canopy of mature evergreen trees. These tree peonies had already been defoliated and were growing in an unmulched, cultivated bed surrounded by stone walkways and very low concrete and metal fences for protection.


Master of the Nets Garden in Suzhou, China
The next location I happened upon peonies during my trip to China was in the Master of the Nets Garden in Suzhou, China. The Master of the Nets Garden is one of the 9 classical gardens in Suzhou recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The peonies here were grown in a small cultivated bed next to the central pond of the garden. The bed also contained a mature pine tree that created some filtered shade for the peony plants. Underneath the peonies grew a type of evergreen grass-like perennial, similar to mondo grass. These tree peonies had also been defoliated and grew inside the bed surrounded by a low, curved bamboo fence that had been painted green.


Dormant Peonies at the Master of the Nets Garden in Suzhou, China

"Only in the sun of civilization can trees maintain evergreen."
Sign in the Peony Garden at the Master of the Nets Garden in Suzhou, China

Longhua Temple in Shanghai, China
The third place I encountered peonies in China was at the Longhua Temple in Shanghai, China. The Longhua Temple is a Buddhist temple in Shanghai where my husband and his relatives were visiting the Buddhas. I found the peony garden near the back of the temple complex. The peonies there were grown in globular cultivated soil surrounded by a decorative low concrete wall. The garden was surrounded on three sides by temple buildings and stone walkways. Four herbaceous trees were grown in the courtyard surrounding each of the four corners of the peony garden, creating a canopy of filtered shade over the peonies. This was the first peony garden I found that contained herbaceous peonies as well as tree peonies, though the tree peonies vastly outnumbered the herbaceous ones. This was also the first peonies garden I'd encountered where the tree peonies has not yet been defoliated. The herbaceous peonies also had not yet been cut back. A few of the peonies still has some green foliage, although their season was nearing the end since their growing climate is similar to my own.


Tree Peonies (P. suffruticosa) at the Longhua Temple in Shanghai, China

Peony Garden at the Longhua Temple in Shanghai, China

Peony Garden Sign at the Shanghai Botanical Garden in Shanghai, China
"The 3.24-hectare Peony Garden was established in 1980. As peonies prefer deep, fertile, well-drained soil with medium moisture and full sun to part shade, shrubs and trees such as winter sweet (Chimonanthus praecox), camellia, Tilia spp., and camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) were planted to create a suitable growth environment and a beautiful landscape. The garden specializes in tree peonies (the Flower King) and peonies (the Flower Prime-Minister). Approximately 10,000 tree peony plants, including 102 cultivars, are collected here. Most of the cultivars are from the China central plains (Zhongyuan) cultivar group, such as 'Luo Yang Hong' and 'Wu Long Peon Sheng.' Other cultivars are from Ningguo and Cixi, which belong to the China Southern Yangtse (Jiangnan) cultivar group. The precious Japanese cultivars 'Yachiyotsubaki' and 'Jitsugetsu-nishiki', the French cultivar 'Chromatella', and the American cultivar 'High Noon' are all included in the garden. In addition, approximately 35 peony cultivars, including 'Da Fu Gui', 'Zhao Yuan Feng', and 'Zi Feng Chao Yang' are grown here. So many gorgeous and antique peonies make the garden the best place in Shanghai for visitors to enjoy spectacular peonies in late April."


Dormant Peonies at the Shanghai Botanical Garden in Shanghai, China
The last place I encountered peonies was during a planned visit to the Shanghai Botanical Garden in Shanghai, China. Although I had been happy to see what peonies I'd seen in China thus far, when I finally arrived to the peony garden inside the Shanghai Botanical Garden, I sorely wished it were spring!!! There were more tree peonies in their peony garden than I had ever seen in my life! The sign at the entrance to their peony garden claimed "10,000 tree peony plants, including 102 cultivars." What a site this garden must be to behold in springtime!


Sculpture in the Peony Garden
at the Shanghai Botanical Garden in Shanghai, China
The peonies at the Shanghai Botanical Garden were grown in mounds of loose, cultivated soil, which appeared to have been recently top-dressed with compost. The garden was made up of beautiful meandering stone pathways between the huge peony beds. The beds were edged by mounds of gorgeous green grass like perennials that gracefully overhung the solid stone block walls which lined the walkways. The light in the garden ranged from full sun to partial shade created by large, mature herbaceous trees interspersed and surrounding the garden. The foliage had also been removed from all of their peonies, quite a large job for a team of gardeners, I'm sure! The peony garden contained a beautiful statue of a woman or goddess and a traditional Chinese building and garden wall. I will have to visit there again sometime in April! :-)


Dormant Peonies at the Shanghai Botanical Garden in Shanghai, China

Tree Peony Garden at the Shanghai Botanical Garden in Shanghai, China