2016 Peony 'Takara' (Treasure) Best Performer - Week 5

Peony 'Takara' 慈悲 (Treasure) aka 'Smith Opus 2' is another one of the peonies in Monrovia's Japanese Itoh Collection that was hybridized by Don R. Smith. This bush surprised me this year with its beauty and blooms this week in the mid late season. The flowers on this plant are more like a single. However, the color of the blooms is just gorgeous, with a pink orange color in the center of the petals with a wide picotee edge of an almost pink lavender color. Then the center of the blooms have hot pink red center flares that kind of form a star pattern! The blooms themselves may be single, but they are huge! If you are looking for another valuable and worthy intersectional peony to add to your collection, Peony 'Takara' 慈悲 (Treasure) is it!
Peony 'Takara' 慈悲 (Treasure)
'Smith Opus 2'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Takara' 慈悲 (Treasure)
'Smith Opus 2'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2016 Intersectional Peony Blooms Late Mid - Week 5

The intersectional peonies in my garden have really been at their peak this week. This is the week that the majority of the cultivars began to open, and there are also the most total intersectional peony blooms of any week so far. The beauty of these blooms just blows me away. (BTW - You can click on any of these photos to see a larger than life sized version, so you can be blown away as well!) Peony 'Cora Louise' has the largest blooms of all of the intersectional peonies in this group. Peony 'Cora Louise' has pastel white blossoms with dark purple flares that radiate out from the center. The deep red flares on Peony 'Misaka' really impressed me this year. The red flares on this light orange peony extend further out into the bloom, and the symmetry of the petals make this a gorgeous bloom viewed from all angles - from above and from the side. Peony 'Julia Rose' and Peony 'Hillary' both have bright, pleasing pink red shades that aren't often found in herbaceous peonies. The vivid, intense colors of Peony 'Yellow Emperor' and Peony 'Scarlet Heaven' really catch your eye and make them standouts in the garden that are visible from afar.

Intersectional Peony 'Cora Louise'	Intersectional Peony 'Julia Rose'
Intersectional Peony 'Hillary'	Intersectional Peony 'Scarlet Heaven'
Intersectional Peony 'Yellow Emperor'	Intersectional Peony 'Misaka' 美 (Beautiful Blossom)

2016 Peony Blooms Late Mid - Week 5

The blooms this week are fuller and richer in form and color. Even though we've had quite a bit of rain, the foliage has stayed mostly disease free since it is in a more mature state. If we would have gotten this much rain earlier in the season, the peonies would have been in trouble. Despite the rain, I was able to capture several sunny photos of some of my favorite blooms this week. Wow! This week's Late Mid Week 5 photos are almost entirely a lineup of American Peony Society Gold Medal Winners. Peony 'Salmon Dream', Peony 'White Cap', Peony 'Many Happy Returns', Peony 'Do Tell' and Peony 'Kansas' have all been awarded this honor. All of these selection generally do well here except Peony 'Many Happy Returns'. I may get a few blooms from this plant before its twisted foliage becomes diseased. Peony 'Red Grace' is an awesome plant and surpasses the beauty of Peony 'Red Charm' (a standard of reds) in my opinion. If you like red, Peony 'Red Grace' is a must grow!

Peony 'Salmon Dream'	Peony 'White Cap'
Peony 'Red Grace'	Peony 'Many Happy Returns'
Peony 'Do Tell'	Peony 'Kansas'

2016 Southern Peony Grandma's Peonies

This past Friday I went to visit my Grandma and see her flower garden. She is the reason I wanted to grow peonies. My Grandma always has always had the best and biggest flower garden of anyone in our family, and I loved helping her in her flowers when I was a child. She likes to tell everyone the story of how I would stay outside deadheading flowers in her garden for her, long after she and my cousin had grown tired and gone inside. We took this photo in her garden on Friday. These two white peonies are some divisions from one of the original peony bushes she had in her garden when I was young. Back then Grandma's peony bushes seemed to be 4 or 5 feet tall, and the flowers were huge and smelled so good! Either I had quite the imagination or I was just much smaller and the perspective made them seem like giants! I'm guessing these "giant" double peonies are Peony 'Festiva Maxima' since they are fragrant, large, white double peonies with a few specks of red in the center. I love my grandmother very much and I feel very grateful to her for giving me the love of gardening, flowers, and especially peonies!

My Grandma and Me with her White Double Peonies

2016 Peonies for Spring Carolina Plant Swap

Southern Peony Seedlings for the Plant Swap
Yesterday was the Spring Carolina Plant Swap, and I spent the morning digging some of my most successful plants that needed a bit of dividing for donation to the plant swap. This is one of my favorite gardening events besides the American Peony Society Convention (which is coming up in less than one month!) This Carolina Plant Swap event happens twice a year, and I usually try to make it to at least one per year, two if I can. It is a great way to try plants you wouldn't normally grow (or pay for), and some plants that grow really well in your area, and even some plants you've never seen before! I always try to bring a couple peonies to help increase interest in the plant here in the South. Peonies can and do grow well here in the South - the biggest key is not planting the roots too deep. If you'd like to find a garden swap in your area to exchange plants (and hopefully help spread the love of peonies), I'd recommend signing up for an account on www.gardenweb.com, (previously GardenWeb, now called Houzz), finding the forum for your area and then looking at the Exchange forum, which is listed as a Related forum at the top of the page. Good Luck!
Southern Peony Pink Peony Seedlings

2016 Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst' Best Performer - Week 4

Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst' was hybridized by Irene Tolomeo and registered in 2001. So in the world of peonies, it is fairly new. However, with its unique coloring and numerous side buds, this plant is rapidly becoming a favorite garden specimen. This peony is a consistent performer growing larger and larger each year, with more and more blooms each year too! I am in love with the color - the clearest lavender colored peony in my garden. Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst' is even more lavender than Peony 'Lavender'! Also see all of those gorgeous lavender colored side buds on the plant? Those are more blooms that haven't even opened yet! This peony just keeps blooming and blooming! So if you like any shade of purple or lavender and you want to keep the blooms coming, Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst' is definitely a must have!
Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2016 Intersectional Peony Blooms Mid - Week 4

The intersectional peonies have really started to open this week. These peonies have a much more limited range of bloom times. While this is Week 4 of peony blooms in general, this is only Week 2 of the intersectional peony blooms. Something good to work on in intersectional peony hybridizing would be to expand the bloom time range of the intersectional group. Here is a group of pretty pastel colored intersectional peony blooms that were my favorite this week. Peony 'Keiko' is a Southern Peony Best Performer 2015 Peony 'Keiko' (Adored) Best Performer - Week 4, and she blew me away again this year! Peony 'Copper Kettle' really hit its stride this year, developing many bright copper orange colored blooms. Peony 'Callie's Memory' bloomed for me the first time this year, and has a pleasing combination of pastel colored shades, opening a pale peach. Peony 'White Emperor' has made a huge plant covered in giant white colored blooms - a rare color for intersectional hybrids!

Intersectional Peony 'Keiko' 愛幕 (Adored)	Intersectional Peony 'Copper Kettle'
Intersectional Peony 'Callie's Memory'	Intersectional Peony 'White Emperor'

2016 Peony Blooms Mid - Week 4

The peonies are really getting going this week. There are so many varieties opening. Here is a selection of my favorites this week. We got some rain after a dry spell, and the foliage and flowers look lovely. Likely due to our confusing spring warm up then cool down, some early season peonies are opening a bit later this year in the mid season. Peony 'Lavender is always one of my favorites because of its unique color. Peony 'Pink Kisses' and Peony 'Mahogany' are both new to my garden this spring, and they are both lovely Peony 'Mahogany' being the 2015 American Peony Society Gold Medal Winner. However, 'Pink Kisses' blooms are very impressive. Peony 'Golden Frolic' is always a very attractive plant both in flowers and in its 2016 Colorful Spring Peony Foliage.

Peony 'Lavender'	Peony 'Pink Kisses'
Peony 'Golden Frolic'	Peony 'Mahogany'

Peony 'Lovely Rose' usually blooms a bit earlier. However, it is always lovely in my garden as a Southern Peony Best Performer 'Lovely Rose', and it did superbly again this year. Peony 'Cream Delight' has a lovely elegant and timeless bloom with a nice hint of cream to the petals. I just love the shape of Peony 'Green Lotus' and Peony 'Pink Spritzer'. They both grow so well in my garden, and the petal and blooms last much longer than any other peonies in my garden. They hold their petals, and the blooms will still be on the plant weeks later. So as more and more blooms open, they just increase in number instead of a turnover where some blooms fall off over time (like most other peonies).

Peony 'Lovely Rose'	Peony 'Cream Delight'
Peony 'Green Lotus'	Peony 'Pink Spritzer'

2016 $20 Tree Peonies on Ebay from Hirt's Gardens

Tree Peony 'Hanakisoi' 花競 (Floral Rivalry)
I couldn't resist buying one of each of these $20 tree peonies on Ebay from Hirt's Gardens, Tree Peony 'Hanakisoi' 花競 and Tree Peony 'Houki' ('Hoki') 芳紀. Unfortunately some of the tree peonies I've purchased in the past on Ebay (from different sellers) were not the variety advertised. (Ebay peony seller's reviews still to come!) However, after receiving these, I could recognize immediately upon receipt that these were much better quality and seemed to be packed in a professional environment. Both of these are Japanese tree peony cultivars. They appear to be imported from overseas, and they come with a high quality garden tag with a nice color photo on it. So hopefully these tree peonies will be true to name. There are still a few left if you're interested in getting one or both of them at this awesome price point. Also the combined shipping for both of these together was only around $12.50 (about $6 each). You just can't beat that price point! If you are looking to expand your tree peony collection or get one started (like me), these tree peonies may be just what you're looking for!

Tree Peony 'Houki' ('Hoki') 芳紀 (Charming Age)

2016 Colorful Spring Peony Foliage

Purple Spring Peony Foliage
Peony 'Garden Peace'
Wow! I can hardly believe Week 3 of my peony blooms season is over, and we're already half way through our peony bloom season here. While we're still in the early part of the season, I wanted to share one more reason to grow peonies (besides the blooms) - the gorgeous colors of peonies spring foliage! I know I've already mentioned the Beautiful Fall Peony Foliage Colors. However, I have not before mentioned their gorgeous spring foliage colors - purples, yellow greens, reds, and multi colors.
Yellow Green Spring Peony Foliage
Peony 'Golden Frolic'


Red Spring Peony Foliage
Peony 'Topeka Garnet'
If you don't yet grow Peony 'Garden Peace', you will soon find out that the uniqueness of its purple toned spring foliage far outweighs its numerous heavenly white single blooms. The leaves are large with good substance, and the bush multiplies well here in the South. Peony 'Golden Frolic' is known for both it's beautiful fall foliage, and its blossoms are some of the most attractive source of food for bees in my garden. However, the eye popping spring foliage is just one more reason to grow Peony 'Golden Frolic'. Not only is Peony 'Topeka Garnet' a 2012 American Peony Society Gold Medal Winner, the redness of its spring foliage will blow you away. From blooms, to the spring foliage, to the stigmas, this peony had red down! Peony 'Lovely Rose' has not only lime green spring foliage, but also contrasting red stems. When those multicolored stems pop open you'll get a nice coral pink surprise! So if you needed another reason to grow peonies (besides the blooms), you just got one more!
Lime Green Spring Peony Foliage with Red Stems
Peony 'Lovely Rose'

2016 Peony Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow Best Performer - Week 3

If you've ever really, really wanted a super early yellow peony for your Southern garden, then Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow' is it! No other early yellow outperforms this peony. The bright pastel yellow blooms are always a sight for your winter weary eyes. Their light yellow blossoms with bright sunny yellow centers bring a smile to my face each spring. Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow' was hybridized by Pehrson and registered in 1982. This peony increases well here, and comes back reliably year after year. Besides the rare color of this peony's flowers, the foliage really stands out. The huge leaves have a great presence in the garden and are a pleasing light green hue. If you don't grow this peony for its flowers, you may want to grow it for its colossal foliage!

Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2016 Intersectional Peony Blooms Early Mid - Week 3

Wow I can hardly believe it! The intersectional peonies are already starting to bloom here! Of course these two early blooming intersectional peonies are also two of my favorite because they both share a hint of my favorite hue - lavender! Peony 'Morning Lilac' has huge 6" blooms of a deep fuchsia color, while Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst's lavender pink blooms are a little more subtly sized. However, there are so many of them on the bush, their sheer numbers more than make up for the petite stature of the blooms. If you are looking to add a little lavender of the Itoh variety to your garden, both of these peonies are great choices for early blooming intersectionals.

Intersectional Peony 'Morning Lilac'	Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst'

2016 Peony Blooms Early Mid - Week 3

It has been very dry this week which has slowed down the peony blooms a bit. However, the peonies' foliage happily continues to grow unaffected by botrytis blight which thrives in moist conditions. The lack of rain during the immature foliage growth stage will bode well for a low incidence blight year since the new developing foliage is most susceptible to blight infections. Peony 'Coral Charm' was quite a stunner this year as usual. You are missing out if you don't have this coral. It is the best performing coral colored peony in my Southern garden, 2015 Peony 'Coral Charm' Best Performer - Week 2. Peony 'Burma Joy' is a bright early red that lights up your garden. Peony 'Paula Fay' is a great hot pink early peony, and Peony 'Pehrson's Violet Frisbee' is a violet pink single that adds a punch of purple hued color. If your peonies still haven't popped open, try a few of these early bloomers for an appetizing extension to your peony bloom season!

Peony 'Coral Charm'	Peony 'Burma Joy'
Peony 'Paula Fay'	Peony 'Pehrson's Violet Frisbee'

2016 First Ever Southern Peony Garden Party

Yay! Our very first Southern Peony Garden Party is going to be one month from today! We are going to have light snacks, tea, and play yard games. And of course we'll have lots of gorgeous peonies to see (and add to your wish list)! Seeing a plant in person instead of in a photo, in a vase, or on the show table (especially a plant growing in a similar climate to your own) can be very helpful in determining plants that would be suitable for your own garden. This way you can see how vigorously the plant grows, what the garden habit of the plant is, how the blooms open, and how the foliage grows in your climate. This is very valuable information since these type of attributes vary greatly in different growing zones. Also I hope this will serve as inspiration to others to share their peony gardens with their friends and neighbors and perhaps have a peony party of their own! I have been growing peonies for a long time, and people are always asking me to see them or come over when they are blooming. So this year I decided to put it on the calendar and invite everyone over. I'm sure a least some of them may find a new addiction - the love of peonies!
Southern Peony Garden Party

2016 Peony Blooms Early - Week 2

We've had a cloudy, but mostly dry week this week, which seemed to slow the development and bloom of the peonies. However, a few more flowers did open this week. Peony 'Honor' is always a bright shot of hot pink very early in the season, and one of my favorite colors in the early bloomers, a very bright pink purple. Peony 'Lustrous' is a great early blooming semi double candy red flower, that has so many petals it looks like a very lush double before it opens fully to reveal a bright yellow center. Peony 'Firelight' is an awesome single early bloomer in a light pink shade with darker pink flares. Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow' is a reliable plant that increases well every year here in our Southern climate and I would highly recommend to other Southern gardeners for early peony color in a soft yellow. We did get a good rain after the end of the week. So I'm looking forward to lots more blooms in Week 3!

Peony 'Honor'	Peony 'Lustrous'
Peony 'Firelight'	Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow'