2016 Peony Experiment - 2 Year Old Root Grows

Peony 'Silver Dawn Mix' Sprouted
It's alive! Peony 'Silver Dawn Mix' has sprouted!!! Yay! It's not a very large sprout, but it is still alive. Since this peony did at least come up, I think I'll be able to nurture it to maturity. It might take a while to get a bloom on it, but I'm sure that it will get one eventually. This peony seems like a survivor! Even though I left this peony in a box for 2 years before planting it, which turned it into a 2015 Peony Experiment - Planting 2 Year Old Root, and it still came up, I would not recommend doing the same thing. I'm sure this peony degraded over time and lost quite a bit of energy and moisture, which would have helped it send up a much larger sprout and get a much better start in my garden. Also it lost two years of growing time and potential increase. So you'd be much better off planting your peonies right away. However, if you do happen to find one that's been sitting around for a while, it's worth a shot to plant it out and see it if grows! I'll be very curious to see what color blooms this peony has on it when it finally does bloom. Since this peony is from the 'Silver Dawn Mix', it could be a range of pale yellow to peach to pink colors. I guess only time will tell...

Peony 'Silver Dawn Mix'

2016 Peony 'Coral Charm' Goes to Grandma's House

I went to visit my Grandma on Friday and took a look around her garden while I was there. I asked her if she already had a coral peony, and she said she did not. So I just couldn't resist giving her one of my 2016 Peony 'Coral Charm' Has Many Adventitious Roots plants. This time I was really careful digging out the root. Since it had already been severed when I originally divided the plant, it was really easy to dig her up a division. I made sure to get the whole piece of root to hopefully keep the plant from experiencing too much shock, and also to make sure I don't end up with another Peony 'Coral Charm' plant even farther away from the mother. I pretty much got the whole thing. It looks like I only lost a tiny piece of one very small side root.

Peony 'Coral Charm' Division
So this peony went to stay at Grandma's house. Who doesn't love going to Grandma's house? I dug this division up Saturday morning and took it to her house right away. I helped her plant it just 4 hours later. So hopefully the plant will grow well and thrive for her. Inside those red foliage shoots I can see that this Peony 'Coral Charm' plant already has small buds developing on it. I am excited and hopeful that it will bloom for her this spring too!

2016 Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt' for $1.69 at Aldi's!

I think it was as much curiosity as it was a love for peonies (and a great deal) that prompted me to buy this 'Sarah Bernhardt' peony at Aldi's. This peony is priced at only $1.69! I couldn't believe it! I thought the price was $4.99 (and I was going to try one even for that price), but the price was actually just $1.69! That is not a markdown price. That is their original price. I have never seen a peony sold for that low of a price before!
Gardenline Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt' from Aldi's
Of course I know, you get what you pay for. Of course the root on this peony is very small, and I'm sure it will take a long time for it to become an established plant. Also it may not even be the variety advertised. However, for only $1.69, I don't think I'll be complaining too much. The root is very small, but it looks very healthy with two large growth buds on it. There is no mold, and it seems to have been kept moist enough so that it didn't dry out. So if you're interested in getting a small, but healthy peony for $1.69 run over to your local Aldi's store (if you're lucky enough to have one) and pick up one (or three) of these very low price roots!
Gardenline Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt' Root from Aldi's
Aldi's does have more than one variety of peony available for the $1.69 price point. The dark pink peony 'Karl Rosenfield' is the same price. They are also selling several types of glads, dahlias, and lilies priced at $1.69 too. So if you'd like to round out your garden with a few other types of bulbs, you should definitely check out their selection. I picked up a couple bags of lilies for myself and my grandmother as well. If you are new to peonies or know someone who is new to peonies, these would be great to get someone interested in peonies. Once they have one, they will need more! These would also be wonderful gifts for friends or neighbors that have always wanted to try growing peonies!