2012 APS Peony Convention Garden Tours

Today was the garden tour day of the American Peony Society's annual national convention. We all boarded the tour bus early this morning for a 3 stop tour and a catered lunch. Since Nebraska's spring was about a month early this year, we missed the peonies entirely. The first stop was Jocelyn Castle which was very ornate, my favorite part being a stained glass window seat overlooking a small tropical conservatory.

Joslyn Castle

The second stop was the Sass Memorial Garden at Mahoney State Park, with a large display of all Sass hybridized peonies and irises. There wasn't much in bloom, but the layout and gazebo were nice.

Sass Memorial Garden
(Me with APS Editor Claudia Schroer)

The last stop was Lauritzen Gardens, which had an extensive collection of peonies and Chinese tree peonies. I would have loved to have seen it in bloom. However the garden had more to offer - a large rose garden, a miniature train garden, a Victorian garden, and so much more. At Lauritzen Gardens we had a nice catered lunch, mine being chicken salad on whole wheat, which was good.

Lunch at Lauritzen Gardens

After lunch peony hybridizer Don Hollingsworth gave a presentation on how to judge peonies for the Award of Landscape Merit (ALM). All in all it was a good day. However I feel almost like I have peony withdrawal since I was ready to see lots of blooms on the garden tours today, but they were all finished blooming! I can't wait to see all of the flowers tomorrow.

Don Hollingsworth's Award of Landscape Merit Presentation

2012 APS Peony Convention Arrival

When I got into Omaha tonight, it was almost midnight. The landscape is a bit flat with a nice river, the Missouri. The view of the city at night was beautiful. The lights of the skyline sparkled and were set off by the lit Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. Omaha is much more of a city than the site of the last American Peony Society Convention I attended in Janesville, Wisconsin, which was more of a town. I am really looking forward to the garden tours tomorrow, but it is going to be an early start. So I guess I'll catch up on my sleep tomorrow night. :) I haven't had a chance to check into the convention yet. So I'll have to make sure I wake up early enough to check in and be ready to board the tour buses by 7:30am!

Omaha, Nebraska

2012 APS Peony Convention Preparation

I'm going to Nebraska, to Nebraska, to Nebraska. I can't believe it. I leave tomorrow for Omaha. I actually took a day off from work this time. So I'll be arriving Thursday night this time instead of Friday night. One whole extra day of peony goodness! :-P I can't wait! I am mostly finished packing, but I still need to pack my camera, my laptop, chargers, etc. This is going to be an awesome trip. There's a bus tour on Friday of two gardens and a castle, but I think the part I'm looking forward to most is the "Peony Breeders" discussion on Saturday. Also I'm hoping to observe the Board of Directors Meeting on Sunday. Oh, and who could forget all of the gorgeous peonies! (especially since my peony season is over)! It will be like getting another whole weekend of spring! This is going to be awesome. If you're going too, I hope to see you there!!!

2012 Last Blooms of the Peony Season

I can't believe how long the peony season was here this year! Today is the 7th day of week 9! The blooms in the last couple weeks have definitely not been the same as those at the beginning of the peony season which were so delicate and fresh. The last blooms have been wilted, drooping, and crispy brown on the edges. But who is to say that these last blooms are not just as beautiful as the first? Is something old not just as beautiful as something new? Is it not all a part of nature, which is beautiful in all its changing seasons? Why should we value youth and newness more than longevity and age? So here are some pictures I took today of the last blooms of my peony season here in zone 7. I hope you enjoy them and appreciate all nature has to offer in the beginning and the end. :)

Peony 'La Tendresse'


Peony 'Paul M. Wild'

2012 Paeonia Species Peony Seedlings

So I got 9 kinds of peony seeds from the 2010 American Peony Society Convention. I planted them in 2010, but I waited until this year to make sure that there weren't any stragglers. Four of the nine species actually germinated. I'm wondering if the germination rates were affected by the freshness of the seeds. Seeds sown here in my zone 7 growing climate will generally germinate the next spring. I've heard several times that sometimes peony seeds won't send up leaves until the 2nd year, but I've not found that to be true here. They usually sprout the first spring or not at all. Of course I usually let Mother Nature do the sprouting for me. I'm not much of a babier when it comes to plants, so they are most often left to take care of themselves. The 3 species that actually germinated here in 2011 were: Paeonia mascula, Paeonia mlokosewitschii, Paeonia peregrine, and Paeonia tenuifolia. Paeonia tenuifolia did not come back this year for 2012, but the other three did. I'm hoping to get some more seeds from the 2012 APS convention at the end of this month to try again. Hopefully I'll get some other species peony to grow here!!!

Paeonia mascula


Paeonia mlokosewitschii


Paeonia peregrine

2012 American Peony Society Bulletin Article

Woo hoo! I've been asked to write an article for the American Peony Society Bulletin's September issue. That is really exciting. I've been an APS member since 2005, and I've thought it might be nice to submit an article to them in the future, but I got asked to write an article about the 2012 American Peony Society Convention. Okay, maybe it's not that big of a deal, but it seems like a big deal to me! I guess I'm just a peony nerd! :) Don't worry, I'll still be publishing up to the minute updates on the convention here, but the bulletin will contain a nice summary with highlights and pictures of the whole thing. Stay tuned more to come... Oh, and if you want to start getting your own copies of The American Peony Society Bulletin, become an APS Member!

2012 Peony 'Feather Top' Best Performer - Week 7

By far my favorite this week has been Peony 'Feather Top'. The blooms on this peony are huge and the variation in petals and color makes this flower a real winner. There's an outer layer of hot pink guard petals topped by yellow tipped petaloids with a crown of hot pink. Peony 'Feather Top' was hybridized by Wild & Son and registered in 1967. It is not currently a Gold Medal winner, but I definitely think it should be considered for it. This peony took a little time to get adjusted to my southern climate, but now it has really taken off in growth and in blooms. This peony definitely deserves a spot in your garden!
Peony 'Feather Top'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Feather Top'
Southern Peony Best Performer