2018 Peony Blooms - Week 5 Late Mid

The peonies were so lovely this week. We were in peak bloom this week for sure. There have been more flowers in the garden than any other week, or year for that matter. I think my garden has finally become the garden of my dreams this year. What a nice feeling! Peony 'Old Faithful' finally decided to increase again this year, and it was beautiful. Peony 'Topeka Garnet', a Southern Peony Best Performer from last year, performed even better this year, so amazing! Peony 'Cora Stubbs' and Peony 'White Cap' represented the anemone forms nicely this year, while Peony 'Seashell' and Peony 'Pink Princess' stood up for the singles. Peony 'Raspberry Clown' just amazes me with it colorful petals going in every direction, and Peony 'Guidon' is always a reliable perfomer, another Southern Peony Best Performer. I hope your peony bloom season is in full swing!
Peony 'Old Faithful'

Peony 'Topeka Garnet'

Peony 'Cora Stubbs'

Peony 'White Cap'

Peony 'Seashell'

Peony 'Pink Princess'

Peony 'Raspberry Clown'

Peony 'Guidon'

2018 Peony 'White Emperor' Best Performer - Week 5

Of all the white intersectionals I grow, this one, Intersectional Peony 'White Emperor' has definitely performed the best for me so far. I'm not sure why there aren't more white intesectional peonies. I only know of two, and I believe they are both sports of yellow intersectional peonies. This one, Intersectional Peony 'White Emperor' is a sport of Intersectional Peony 'Yellow Emperor', which also grows well for me. Intersectional Peony 'White Emperor' is a consistent performer year after year, always growing and increasing in size and blooms. It was hybridized/discovered by Bill Seidl and registered in 1989. The blooms open with a creamy white center and become more white as the blooms age. If you haven't heard of Intersectional Peony 'White Emperor', I'm not surprised. It seems that not many people grow it, but they should. I've only seen it offered by Swenson Gardens (which is where I purchased it). According to my Price Lists, it looks like they are offering it this year for $100, and it is not yet sold out. Don't miss your chance! :-)
Intersectional Peony 'White Emperor'
Southern Peony Best Performer

Intersectional Peony 'White Emperor'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2018 Peony Botanical Art Note Cards from Colonial Williamsburg

If you're like me there's just something magical about botanical art, and botanical art with peonies as the subject is just all that much better. So when I received botanical art note cards in the mail last week, I just knew I'd have to share them here with all of you. This piece is titled "Paeonia lactiflora, Paeoniaceae". The note cards are supposed to depict the kinds of flowers that were grown in Williamsburg, Virginia in the colonial era. The peony is of course my favorite. However there are also a few other note cards depicting Dahlia & Asters, Magnolia, Violas, and Tulips. I looked up the artist, Marcia Long, on Google, and apparently she has at least a few other botanicals featuring peonies, Botanicals by Marcia Long, all beautiful. She is also apparently a resident of Williamsburg, Virginia.
Peony Botanical Art Note Card
"Paeonia lactiflora"
"Paeoniaceae"
"Marcia Long"
If you have never been to Williamsburg, Virginia, it is a wonderful place for a family vacation or just a couples getaway. It is a nice, relaxing area with lots of history. My whole family (including my parents, brother, sister in law, and nephew) actually just took a week's vacation there last year. For a very reasonable price we were able to rent a large condo to fit all of us, and we had a great time. It was also nice to visit Colonial Williamsburg as well. Even though we didn't see any peonies (since we went in September), it was still nice to eat authentic cuisine from yesteryear, hear the organs of one of their original churches, see the architecture of their historic buildings, hear the ghost stories of the colonial area, and learn about the culture and traditions of long ago.
Peony Botanical Art Note Card on Letter
from The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

2018 Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma YeDo' Update

After my 2018 Intersectional Peony Garden Welcomes Me Home, I received a question asking about how my Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma YeDo' was doing, or more specifically how it was growing. It is actually growing quite well. It's definitely not mature yet, but it certainly is very healthy and increasing in size and blooms. If you'll remember, I actually only got this plant last winter in January of 2017, and got my first bloom that spring as well, 2017 Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma YeDo' Blooms! Last year I got 1 bloom on the bush, and it had 4 stems. This year, in its second year of growth, I have 10 stems and 3 blooms on the bush. I can't wait to see what it does next year! The foliage it quite lovely and very healthy too. This yellow intersectional peony is a real keeper. Take a look for yourself!
Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma YeDo' 1st Day Bloom

Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma YeDo' 1st Day Bloom

Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma YeDo' 2nd Day Bloom

Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma YeDo' Foliage

Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma YeDo' Plant

Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma YeDo' 2nd Day Blooms

2018 Intersectional Peony Blooms - Week 4 Mid

Now that I decided to move two of my Intersectional Peony 'Singing in the Rain' plants out of the shade, they have decided to grow larger and grace me with some blooms, of a lovely peach shade. Intersectional Peony 'Smith Family Yellow' is just gorgeous this year, finally settling in and send out lots of blooms. Intersectional Peony 'Old Rose Dandy' has been here a long time, it is an interesting peony, but not one of my favorites. It definitely has a bloom that changes color (fades) over time, though, which can be interesting to look at. Intersectional Peony 'Hillary' is always a beautiful plant and was just named one of our Southern Peony Best Performers this week, 2018 Peony 'Hillary' Best Performer - Week 4. The blooms of Intersectional Peony 'Ballerena de Saval' don't impress me much. They are very small blooms with irregular petals. However it does have a unique coloration. Peony 'Pastel Splendor' is another long time favorite that always does well here. Intersectional Peony 'Unique' and Intersectional Peony 'Canary Brilliants' both have rare colored blooms, but I like the petal count on 'Canary Brilliants' much better than the single flowered 'Unique'. We are still waiting for someone to develop that double red intersectional peony...
Intersectional Peony 'Singing in the Rain'

Intersectional Peony 'Smith Family Yellow'

Intersectional Peony 'Old Rose Dandy'

Intersectional Peony 'Hillary'

Intersectional Peony 'Ballarena de Saval'

Intersectional Peony 'Pastel Splendor'

Intersectional Peony 'Unique'

Intersectional Peony 'Canary Brilliants'

2018 Peony Hybridizing Season is Upon Us

Peony 'Martha W.' used for Hybridizing
It's that time of year again - time to cross pollinate your peonies. The peony pictured above is Peony 'Martha W.' with some blooms already pollinated. I was able to pollinate a few flowers before I left for my trip to China with some various tree peonies in my garden. There are also still a few more side buds that have yet to bloom that I can still pollinate now that I am back before the season is over. I cut off all of the open blooms yesterday and threw them away. Then I was able to cross a few of the unopened buds that were just beginning to show some color, with my new Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' (2018 Klehms Song Sparrow Offers Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' on Front Page of Web Site), which bloomed for the first time for me this year. Since I purchased it from Song Sparrow, and they are in a much colder growing zone, the tree peony developed and bloomed a bit later than the rest of my tree peonies, which have already finished blooming. If you haven't yet tried crossing peonies, it is a fun way to discover new varieties. It is not as hard as you think, and once you get the hang of it, it is really easy to make some of your own crossed seeds. Give it a try, and it if you don't succeed at first, just keep trying. It will come. Try, try again!

Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' Pollen used for Hybridizing

2018 Peony Blooms - Week 4 Mid

Well I was pretty much gone for most of this week's blooms since I was on my trip to China. So they are basically the pictures I captured on my very first day back. The garden was so beautiful, and there were so many peonies blooming. The sweet scent of peony blossoms wafting in the garden was just heavenly. Most of the peonies pictured here are oldies but goodies. Several of these are Southern Peony Best Performers - Peony 'Do Tell', Peony 'Kansas', and Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt' all bloom and grow really well in our Southern climate here. Peony 'Pastelorama' bloomed for the first time for me this year, and definitely possesses a unique pastel peach coloring that I have not seen in any of the herbaceous peonies I've grown before.
Peony 'Lemon Chiffon'

Peony 'Miss America'

Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt'

Peony 'Do Tell'

Peony 'Kansas'

Peony 'Many Happy Returns'

Peony 'Pastelorama'

Peony 'Lake o' Silver'

2018 Peony 'Hillary' Best Performer - Week 4

Well, I believe the accolades for this beautiful peony are long overdue. This Intersectional Peony 'Hillary' is a stellar performer, and I feel very lucky to grow this plant in my garden. The colors on the gorgeous plant start out a beautiful shade of pink with a hint of coral. Over a few days the blooms fade to a paler peachy pink color, which is just as gorgeous. The effect of the new and old blooms on the plant creates a multi colored feast for the eyes on the bush. The blooms also feature a reddish flare in the center which becomes more prominent as the petals lighten in color. This intersectional peony was hybridized by Roger Anderson and registered in 1999. If you don't yet own this intersectional peony, I highly recommend it. It can typically be found in the $50 price range, and is listed from several sellers on my 2018 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List.
Intersectional Peony 'Hillary'
Southern Peony Best Performer

Intersectional Peony 'Hillary'
Southern Peony Best Performer

Intersectional Peony 'Hillary'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2018 Intersectional Peony Garden Welcomes Me Home

Southern Peony Intersectional Peony Garden
This was the sight I saw when I arrived home today. It was such a sight to behold, especially since when I left the only peonies that were really blooming were some early blooming Saunders hybrids. The tree peonies had already pretty much finished, and the intersectional peony bed was just full of buds. So to experience an almost instant transformation from full bud to full bloom was just amazing! The garden is just lovely and my whole family is very proud and happy to see it as well. I must say that when I first planted my intersectional peony bed I had hoped it would be beautiful, but these flowers have far exceeded my expectations - so full of life and easy to grow here in the South. If you don't yet grow any intersectional peonies, I highly recommend trying one, you'll definitely want more! Southern Peony Intersectional Peony Garden

2018 Those Are Some TALL Peonies!!!

No, this is not a tall tale. I really have noticed that several peonies have grown taller this year than I've ever remembered them growing before. I guess the weather created just the right mix of conditions needed to make them sprout higher than ever. One of my peony seedlings was almost up to my chest. That's pretty tall considering I'm 5'7''. Two of my peony seedlings in my peony seedling bed grew to be 44 inches. I'm not sure if being crowded had anything to do with the peony seedlings growing tall, but Peony 'Paul M. Wild' also grew very high this year, and that one is definitely not crowded. We must have had just the right mix of temperatures, amount of rain, combined with the daylight hours of the new spring season that some peonies really just liked. Has anyone else noticed any very tall herbaceous peonies in their garden this year?
Peony Seedling 44" Tall

Peony Seedling 44" Tall

Peony 'Paul M. Wild' 44" Tall

Peony 'Paul M. Wild' (on right)
Near Other Normal Height Peonies

2018 Intersectional Peony Blooms - Week 3 Early Mid

The intersectional peonies are just barely getting started this week. So only a few varieties have opened so far. Intersectional Peony 'First Arrival' is aptly names since it blooms early in the intersectional peony bloom season. It is usually one of the first intersectional peonies to open. Intersectional Peony 'Takara' is very exotic, with complex coloring in shades of pink, with the petal edges appearing a bit darker than the centers, and the center of the flower containing a dark raspberry colored flare. Intersectional Peony 'Watermelon Wine' bloomed for the first time for me this year, and it is a lovely shade of pinky red, much darker than an actual watermelon, with almost matching, but a bit darker flares in the center of the bloom.
Intersectional Peony 'First Arrival'

Intersectional Peony 'Takara'

Intersectional Peony 'Watermelon Wine'

2018 Peony Blooms - Week 3 Early Mid

Pretty much the last of the tree peonies are blooming this week. Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate) bloomed for the first time for me this year, and I can't believe how dark purple it is, just beautiful! Peony 'Seraphim' and Peony 'Coral Charm' are reliable bloomers and both Southern Peony Best Performers. Peony 'Golden Frolic' and Peony 'Prairie Moon' are both delicate pastel beauties. It is always nice to see them light up the garden, and the honey bees just love peony 'Golden Folic'! We've had a pretty good start to the peony bloom season this year. I'm a little sad to be missing part of it during my trip to China, but I'm hoping it's worth it! I hope your peony bloom seasons are all well under way and going well or are starting soon (if you're more North than South!). :-)
Peony 'Seraphim'


Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate)


Peony 'Paladin'


Peony 'Golden Frolic'


Peony 'Coral Charm'


Peony 'Prairie Moon'