2017 Monrovia Features Photoshopped Itoh Peony on Front Page

Continuous Color - Itoh Peonies
"Wow! What kind of flower is that?" That was my first reaction when I saw this flower photo on Monrovia's front page. My next thought was, "I really need one of those!" Then I realized it was a peony. Then I wondered if this was a new peony variety that I'd never seen before. So I clicked around on their site a bit more until I found the mystery peony in the photo on their main page. I clicked through to the "Itoh Peonies" section. At first glance, I did not see the mystery peony anywhere to be found. Why would they put a plant on their main page, that they don't even have for sale?, I thought. Then I realized they did have it for sale, and it was on their "Itoh Peonies" page. The flower form and shape was the same, but the colors and background were much different.
Monrovia's Main Page
The photo was of Intersectional Peony 'Julia Rose', a plant I already have and grow. I have seen this plant bloom for several years, and yet I did not recognize it. When I clicked on the "Julia Rose Itoh Peony" page, I saw a photo of the plant that looked much more familiar to me. Obviously the photo had been photoshopped. Why would they have altered the photo so much to make the plant unrecognizable? Sure the photo on the main page is gorgeous, but it doesn't exist. Are altered photos just a harmless way to help the flower industry grab the attention of people enough to get them interested? Or do they hurt the flower industry by promising something that's unattainable? What do you think?
Monrovia's 'Julia Rose' Itoh Peony

2017 First Intersectional Hybrid Seedling Sprouts!

First Intersectional Hybrid Seedling Sprouts
I can't believe it! Yesterday when I was pulling a few weeds from the bed near the house, I noticed something! Something special. Something I'd been waiting on. Something that was taking so long, I thought it might not come until next year - My First Intersectional Hybrid Seedling Sprout! Wow! That is just an amazing feeling! I did it (with some help from my friends). I can't believe it. I am so excited!!! Now I feel like I have a lot more responsibility. It almost feels like a have another child, and I need to make sure it becomes an adult, watch over it, help it grow, and make sure it stays out of trouble. LOL!
Peony 'Martha W.' Intersectional Seedlings 2016 Sign
Since I've never seen an intersectional peony hybrid seedling before, I guess I cannot be sure that this is definitely a tree/herbaceous peony hybrid. However just looking at the foliage, it seems a little different than my regular herbaceous peony seedlings. The edges of the foliage seems a little less even, and the leaf substance seems a little more billowy and rounded. I will get an expert opinion to double check. If you missed the beginning of this intersectional peony journey, and you'd like to read up on the process to get to this, you might want to read up on a few of my previous posts - 2015 Hybridizing Peony Martha W., 2016 Intersectional Peony Hybridizing Seed Pods, 2016 First Intersectional Peony Seeds!, 2016 Planting First Intersectional Peony Seeds.

2017 Questions - Buying Peonies at the APS Convention

I received this question from Eileen zone 4b:

"Hi, I too am going over my lists of must-haves as we sit amongst more than a foot of snow, wind and temps in the teens. I was wondering if any of the peony producers that attend the convention offer discounts on orders placed at the convention? I know you've attended before and would know. I remember you purchased some potted plants last year at Solaris, but didn't mention any specials at the convention per se. I might hold off on at least one order if that were the case. I'm planning an order from Adelmans, too, as they provide the largest roots of all. It must be their wonderful Oregon soil and climate! Gold City has nice roots, too, and always includes a freebie...a few years ago they gifted me Ann Berry Cousins, which has turned out to be pretty spectacular. Thanks, Eileen"


American Peony Society Exhibition and Flower Show
Potted Peonies for Sale
I've never seen growers offer discounts on peony orders placed at the convention. However some growers will bring potted peonies for sale. However the selection of these potted peonies is much more limited than what would be available in someone's catalog.

I have never seen Adelman's bring potted peonies to a convention before. Also the potted peonies I purchased at the convention last year were from Klehm's Song Sparrow, not Solaris Farms, and those peonies were purchased on the farm tour of Klehm's Song Sparrow, not at the convention itself. The potted peonies at Klehm's Song Sparrow that I purchased were on special for only $15 each! I wish I'd bought more. There was a tour of Solaris Farms as well, but they did not have anything available for sale during their farm tour or the convention.

Also don't forget about the peony auction that happens during the APS banquet. You'll definitely want to save a few dollars for that. Sometimes good deals are to be had on rare and sometimes pricier peony varieties. You may also get a second chance to purchase a peony variety that is already sold out for 2017 or perhaps not even offered in any 2017 catalogs.

There will also be plant purchasing opportunities during our tour of Plant Delights Nursery (& Juniper Level Botanic Garden) during this year's American Peony Society Convention. They do have a few select varieties of peonies to choose from. However the bulk of their offerings are varieties of a wide range of plant genera that you won't find anywhere else. Their prices aren't cheap, but you always get good sized, healthy plants. I always find something I need whenever I visit them!

I look forward to seeing you at the convention!
Potted Peonies for Sale
at the American Peony Society Convention

2017 One More Peony Order in Peony Paradise

Remember that snow we got this past weekend? Okay so maybe it wasn't much of a snow. Some people were just calling it "dry rain". Well anyway... What better way to spend a snowy weekend morning than shopping for peonies online? It's cold outside, the weather's icky, and no one wants to go out. So why not stay indoors, dream of big gorgeous peony blooms and springtime, go to peony paradise if you will - figuratively and literally. Okay, okay, I confess. I found a few more peonies in Peony Paradise that I just decided I couldn't live without. The reason I placed the order was for Peony 'Roselette's Baby'. It appears to be a newish? introduction from Adelman. The description says it is a sport of Peony 'Roselette', but with much more color. I couldn't resist adding another bright early peony to my collection.

With this bright red color and the name Peony 'Cherry Ruffles', I decided this upstanding multi-petaled red peony needed to take a trip over to my garden. Peony 'Carolina Moon', a white peony with a "yellow glow", seems like it would be right at home here too. :-) If you've never purchased peonies from Peony Paradise aka Adelman Peony Gardens, you are in for a treat. I received their 2017 catalog in the mail recently, and they have totally redesigned it. It is gorgeous! It's not just the cover, but the interior, descriptions, everything has been redesigned. They also say they are cleaning their mailing list. So if you do get their catalog and want to keep it, you need to contact them!
Adelman Peony Gardens 2017 Catalog

2017 I Found a Diamond In My Peony!

Diamond in My Peony
I don't know if it was luck or coincidence, but something caught my eye as I happened to walk by my intersectional peony garden today. The sun was going down, and there was just a bit of sunlight still glinting off the emerging red-toned intersectional peony foliage. Something in the foliage shimmered with facets of light, and shined like a diamond. I couldn't help but take a closer look to see what it was...
Intersectional Peony 'Unique' Foliage
When I got closer I found something very beautiful. It wasn't a diamond made of carbon, but a diamond made of water! It was so amazing. I wanted to capture it before the sun went down, before the water succumbed to the forces of gravity, before my diamond disappeared! I raced into the house to grab my camera. As luck would have it when I got back outside with my camera, the sun was still shining, and my water droplet diamond was still there! So I was able to capture these gorgeous photos of my Intersectional Peony 'Unique' foliage holding a water orb from several angles.
Intersectional Peony 'Unique' with Water Orb
How in the world did this water orb diamond come about anyway? Well Mother Nature was kind enough to give us a light dusting of snow this morning after a couple of weeks of temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Needless to say the snow melted quickly and was gone before noon. However a few of those snowflakes combined and formed this water orb. This seems like one of those once in a lifetime photos. Everything lined up just right in order for this water droplet diamond to be created, found, and photographed. The endless beauty of Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me. It makes my heart sing to find examples of this natural beauty each day.
Light Dusting of Snow on Emerging Peonies

2017 Protect Peonies from Super Cold Overnight Temps

So I don't usually worry with protecting my peonies. However this weekend I decided to try to help them. The temperatures here swung from 80 degrees for the high, to an overnight low of 25 degrees in just two days! I figured the peonies wouldn't like that too much. So I went to buy some buckets on my lunch break yesterday at work. I bought all four gray buckets they had. Luckily I had a few more buckets at home already, and I found a few empty flower pots to use as well. The big buckets worked well to cover the peonies that were up higher out of the ground, and the smaller flower pots worked well to cover the peonies that were not up much yet, and still low to the ground.
Peonies Protected from the Cold with Buckets and Flower Pots
It was already getting dark (and cold!) by the time I got off work and picked up my daughter from her after school program. When we got home she helped me cover the peonies with the buckets using a flash light. Between you and me, I think she had a little bit of fun doing it - any excuse to use a flashlight and play outside in the dark! We were able to get most of the early herbacouse hybrid peonies covered that were already popping up. I didn't worry with the tree peonies or interesectional peonies since these are usually pretty cold hardy anyway.
25 Degrees Overnight Temperature
The next morning, I removed all of the flower pots and buckets from the peonies. With the covering they all seemed to have made it through the super cold night just fine. The real test will be to see if the blooms open and if they open without any damage. I left the pots and buckets near the peonies. The forecast is calling for two more nights of below freezing weather. Since I've already protected these early peonies one night, I guess I better continue. Two more nights to go!
Peonies Protected from the Cold with Buckets and Flower Pots

2017 Tree Peony Paeonia ostii at Plant Delights Nursery Open House

Tree Peony Paeonia ostii Bloom
I had the opportunity to visit Plant Delights Nursery's winter open house this weekend. Even though it was the winter open house, it really felt like late spring or early summer. The temperature got up to 80 degrees, and it was so nice to have a spring like day to peruse the hellebores in bloom. I wasn't even planning to look at the peonies, even though I did notice that Tony introduced a new peony for the first time ever in his spring catalog (Peony 'Golden Sunrise').

Tree Peony Paeonia ostii

However, I just happened by a wonderful tree peony in bloom, and it smelled so good! Someone had pulled it out of its greenhouse, and it was sitting near the checkout lane. It turned out to be a Paeonia ostii seedling, and lucky for me there were several of them in the greenhouse and a couple that still had blooms on them. Needless to say one of them made the ride home with me, and perfumed by car during the whole trip! The scent on this tree peony is just heavenly!


Haul from Plant Delights Nursery Open House
(Including a Tree Peony Paeonia ostii)
If you hadn't noticed yet, the American Peony Society will be taking a tour of Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic garden during the 2017 APS Annual Convention. If you haven't yet made your plans to join us, now is the time to get your registration in! You might actually end up taking one of these awesome tree peonies (and likely several more plant friends too) home with you from the conference. ;-) If you'd like to know more about this Paeonia ostii species tree peony, take a look below at the catalog description from Plant Delight's Nursery's online catalog.


Plant Delight Nursery Paeonia ostii
(syn: Paeonia suffruticosa ssp. ostii) From China's Gansu, Hunan, and surrounding provinces comes an endangered tree peony species that was first published in 1992 and named after Italian peony expert, Dr. Gian Lupo Osti. Similar to Paeonia rockii, the 5' tall Paeonia ostii has narrower leaves and is topped in very early spring (mid-April in NC) with over 100 large, 6-8" wide, sweetly fragrant flowers. Paeonia ostii is unquestionably one of the finest peonies we've ever grown. Flower color ranges from white to pale pink, highlighted by a dark red central blotch and bright yellow stamens. Our plants are flowering-sized plants grown in the US. Interestingly, the 2004 publication, "The Genus Paeonia" says, "This is another recently established Chinese taxon that has not yet been introduced in the West."

2017 Record February Temperatures Cause Peonies to Sprout Early

Peony 'Lustrous'
Weather forecasters all over the country are reporting record high temperatures this month. It is supposedly the 2nd warmest February on record here so far. This early spring warm up has some peonies popping up a bit early and sending new shoots and buds up too. Many of A. P. Saunders' early hybrid peonies are starting to come up - Peony 'Lustrous', Peony 'Red Red Rose', Peony 'Halcyon', and Peony 'Rose Garland'.

Peony 'Red Red Rose'	Peony 'Halcyon'
Peony 'Rose Garland'	Peony 'Prairie Moon'

Tree Peony 'White Phoenix'	Tree Peony 'White Phoenix'

The tree peonies are definitely farther along than the herbaceous peonies. It almost looks like we could get our first bloom in February, especially if these temperatures continue. It has been in the 70s or close to 70 all week! Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' looks like it may bloom first. However, the foliage on Tree Peony 'Kamata-nishiki' 鎌田錦 is definitely the most developed. I can't wait to see these peonies bloom, and I am wishing and hoping that we do not get a nasty cold snap!
Tree Peony 'Kamata-nishiki' 鎌田錦

2017 Southern Peony Gets a New Look

You might have noticed... Southern Peony recently got a new look. The conversion took place a little at a time over the last month or so. Thank you for putting up with our construction dust while all of the new code was being put into place! I hope you all like the new look, and I think it is a huge improvement over our last look - more colors, more flowers, and of course more peonies! We've also given you the capability to like and share all of our posts on Facebook, and look for the capability to Pin your favorite Southern Peony photos to your own Pinterest board soon! I hope you find the new features, layout, and look to your liking and hope the new sharing features will enable you to share the love of peonies with everyone you know! :D
Southern Peony's New Look

2017 Southern Peony Joins Pinterest

In light of the article I shared with the American Peony Society on Facebook, The PEONY makes a comeback as best-selling summer flower following Pinterest popularity, I have decided to create a Southern Peony Pinterest page. I only have a few pins so far. So there's not much to look at yet, but there is a lot more to come! Also I'll be looking at adding Pinterest support to this site as well, so that you can Pin your favorite Southern Peony pictures to your own Pinterest boards! I'm not sure exactly where this endeavor will lead, but I have a feeling that spreading the love of peonies far and wide is one of them! :-)
Southern Peony Joins Pinterest
Peony 'Kopper Kettle'

2017 Registered for American Peony Society Convention

It took a little longer this year, but I actually got it done 10 days ago! I am now officially registered for the 2017 American Peony Society Convention in Raleigh, NC. I can't wait to see everyone, and of course all of the gorgeous flowers! If you haven't taken the time to put your registration in, now's the time to do it! I know it's only February, but March is right around the corner and May will be here before you know it! You can send your registration in by Mail or do it all Online, whichever you prefer. There's also an opportunity this year to sit down to dinner with the American Peony Society Board Members. I hope to see you there! Now get to it, the peonies are waiting for you! ;-)
American Peony Society 2017 Convention Registration Form

2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Late Season

Yes, these blooms are a bit late - in the peony season and for Valentine's Day, but better late than never! This is the third part of a three-part series of peony "Bouquet on the Bush" photos from my bloom season last year. If you missed the first and second parts of this series, be sure to check them out, 2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Early Season and 2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Mid Season.
Peony 'Guidon'
Peony 'Guidon' has always been a favorite of mine. It has always been an easy bloomer, and Peony 'Guidon' is also a Southern Peony Best Performer. It is not uncommon for this gorgeous looker to have 4 or 5 blooms on each stem. It is also a very nice shade of lavender pink that just catches your eye. The only downside to this beauty is that its blooms are so large, and there are so many of them, if a rain storm is approaching, you should pick them all! These flowers would be perfect for a real bouquet!
Peony 'Top Hat'
Peony 'Top Hat' is another peony with 4 or 5 blooms on each stem. Although the flowers are not as large as Peony 'Guidon's', the less weighty blooms allow them to stay upright on their own for the most part. Also the flowers have sharply contrasting, bright and pale colors that are exciting to see. The bright fuchsia pink guard petals open to reveal a mixture of pinks and yellows that beget a pale orange coloring.
Peony 'Vivid Rose'
Peony 'Vivid Rose' is a stalwart of the late peony season garden. It always blooms reliably very late in the season, and is a nice addition to extend your peony bloom season. It is a pretty fragrant pink double peony (if you fancy that sort of thing) ;-) I hope you've enjoyed these peony "Bouquets on the Bush" and hopefully gained a few ideas about some floriferous peonies for your own garden!

2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Mid Season

Flowers for everyone! Peonies of course, since they're the best! This is the second part of a three-part series of peony "Bouquet on the Bush" photos from my bloom season last year. If you missed the first part of the series, be sure to check it out, 2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Early Season. Also keep your eyes peeled for part three coming soon! You won't want to miss any of these peony "Bouquet on the Bush" photos!
Peony 'Do Tell'
Peony 'Do Tell' is an American Peony Society Gold Medal Winner. It has a pretty double layer of soft, baby pink guard petals with a center that is always interesting. It can be wild and crazy like your hair when you get out of bed or softened a bit and mixed with tiny, thin baby pink petals as you see here. The colors are clear and unique - baby pink, hot pink, white, and a bit of yellow. I can't think of another peony just like it in color and form. Since the flower looks different every year, half the fun of this peony is waiting to see what it will look like this spring.
Intersectional Peony 'Scarlet Heaven'
Intersectional Peony 'Scarlet Heaven' is rare in the world of intersectional peonies for it bright red coloring, a feature not often found in this group of peonies. The color is certainly eye catching and will definitely stand out in your garden. Peony 'Sorbet' is a classic peony that will bloom its heart out for you. With so many buds per stem on Peony 'Sorbet', the blooms just keep coming after the first round has faded away.
Peony 'Sorbet'

2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Early Season

It being February and in honor of Valentine's Day, I wanted to publish some peony "Bouquet on the Bush" photos from my bloom season last year. Everyone deserves flowers for Valentine's Day. So even if you don't have any live ones on the bush (neither do I), I would like to send some virtual peony bouquets out to my readers this year. This should definitely whet your appetite for the upcoming bloom season. This will be a 3-part series, with each part focusing on early, mid, and late varieties. Enjoy!
Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst'
Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst' has fast become one of my most favorite peonies. It is a Southern Peony Best Performer and always has loads of uniquely lavender pink blooms. Can you believe it had 5 blooms all together on the bush like that? Awesome! Also with so many side buds, this beauty just keeps the blooms coming! If this peony is not yet in your garden, it definitely deserves a spot! :-)
Peony 'Blue Lagoon'
Peony 'Blue Lagoon' is a peony I purchased from Walmart years ago in a bag with cardboard attached for probably something like $5. It is obviously not any real registered peony. However, it has beautiful, bright fuchsia pink blooms and loads of them. So it gets to stay! The Peony Seedling are some blooms from a peony I grew from seed. The flowers are a clear pink and remind me a bit of Peony 'Seashell'.
Peony Seedling

2017 Rough Winter on Early Peonies

I'm hoping for a bit steadier weather this late winter / early spring than we had last year. Usually everyone shares the pretty peony photos. Here I wanted to share the ugly ones. What happens when an early spring warm up meets late winter temperatures? Well, take a look... ugly peonies. Is it still worth it to grow these early peonies? I think so. I really enjoying seeing their neat looking foliage pop up from the ground and their palette of colors brighten up my very early spring garden. Yes, it is sometimes disappointing to feel like you've missed seeing some blooms when they get busted by a cold snap, or wish that the bright yellow stamens weren't mixed with gray or brown. However not all years experience such weather, and sometimes the peonies' blooms are just dandy. And sometimes the bad is not all that bad... :-)
Winter Damaged
Tree Peony 'White Phoenix'


Winter Damaged
Peony 'Halcyon'


Winter Damaged
Peony 'Firelight'


Winter Damaged
Peony 'Nova'


Winter Damaged
Peony 'Sweet May'


Winter Damaged
Peony 'Mahogany'


Winter Damaged
Peony 'Raspberry Charm'


Winter Damaged
Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow'


Winter Damaged
Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow'


Winter Damaged
Peony 'Flame'

2017 American Peony Society Convention in Raleigh, NC

I'm guessing you might have noticed... The American Peony Society Annual Convention is coming to Raleigh, NC this year, right in our own backyard - figuratively and literally! I am really looking forward to seeing everyone again this year, and I can't wait to help host the convention. If you have taken a look at the convention agenda, you might have seen that the APS tour buses will be making a stop here! So I would like to personally invite all of you to join us for the 2017 American Peony Society Convention. Now's the time to get your registration in and start making your travel plans (if you haven't done so already). You can register online or by mail. The APS Convention is open to all APS Members. So please make sure your APS Membership is up to date or if you haven't yet joined the APS, please join us!
2017 American Peony Society Convention
We are going to have everything you love about attending the conventions again this year - hundreds of peony cultivars on display (so you can make your wish lists), peony seminars (to learn more about growing peonies), peony friends and fellowship (so you can catch up on the latest APS Member's peony garden news), and of course the always exciting banquet and auction (where you'll be able to bid on and purchase herbaceous, intersectional, and tree peonies - with everything from garden favorites to highly sought after and rare peonies that might not even be offered by growers this year or may already be sold out)!
Photo Courtesy of Mindful Supply
Plus, we'll have all kinds of local NC goodness like NC Barbeque, local NC Nursery and Garden Shops to peruse, a tour of Duke Gardens and Duke Chapel, NC's own JC Raulston Arboretum, and Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Gardens from NC's plant hunter, Tony Avent. I hope to see you there! :-)