2020 Tree Peony 'Koukamon' Blooms in Week 5 Late Mid Season!

Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate)
The weather must be really confusing the peonies this year. My Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate) bloomed in Week 5 this year! I have never had a tree peony bloom this late (that wasn't a brand new spring planted addition to the garden). Regardless, I am really enjoying the spacing out of this peony season. I kind of wish it could be like this every year! It looks like this tree peony first bloomed for me in 2018, and it bloomed in Week 2 Early season! So you can see what a difference it has had in the bloom season this year, almost 3 weeks later than normal! Regardless of when this Tree Peony 'Koukamon' blooms, I am grateful for it. This is such a gorgeous tree peony and an awesome shade of purple!


Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate)
Blooms in Week 5 Late Mid Season

Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate)

2020 Peony 'Festiva Maxima' Southern Peony Best Performer - Week 5

A Southern peony classic, Peony 'Festiva Maxima' is definitely a Southern Peony Best Performer. This peony will grow and multiply so well you will have enough to share with friends and neighbors. You can divide it easily, no problem, and this peony does not skip a beat. It is filled with loads of giant, fluffly double white blooms, with scattered red flecks in its center. The perfume is heavenly - you just can't get enough of its fragrance. The only downside to this peony is that the blooms are so heavy they will lay on the ground unless you stake or tie them up. As you can see I tied mine up after the blooms started to open. Your best bet for keeping these beauties looking their best is a peony cage or plant support ring put out when the foliage is first emerging. Peony 'Festiva Maxima' was hybridized by Miellez and registered in 1851, a true classic!


Peony 'Festiva Maxima'
Southern Peony Best Performer

Peony 'Festiva Maxima'
Southern Peony Best Performer

Peony 'Festiva Maxima'
Southern Peony Best Performer

Peony 'Festiva Maxima'
Southern Peony Best Performer

Peony 'Festiva Maxima'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2020 Intersectional Peony Blooms Week 5 Late Mid

This was definitely the week of the Yellow Intersectional Peony! Compared to last week, 2020 Intersectional Peony Blooms Week 4 Mid, there so many more yellow intersectional peonies opening this week in Week 5! If you like yellow peonies, intersectionals are definitely the way to go. Their are so many to choose from, and they each have their own personality. No matter which one you choose, a yellow intersectional will definitely brighten up a sunny spot in your garden! Cheers!!


Intersectional Peony 'Yellow Emperor'

Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant'

Intersectional Peony 'Canary Brilliants'

Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma Rosy Future'

Intersectional Peony 'Garden Treasure'

Intersectional Peony 'Ballarena de Saval'

Intersectional Peony 'Bartzella'

Intersectional Peony 'Old Rose Dandy'

Intersectional Peony 'Sequestered Sunshine'

Intersectional Peony 'Sugar Plum Fairy'

2020 Peony Blooms Week 5 Late Mid

Many more of the fully double herbaceous peonies came into bloom this week. I must say this has been an awesome spring so far. The temperate weather and easy temperatures have really slowed down the bloom season this year, giving more time to enjoy the blooms and helping spread out the season. I wouldn't be surprised if we get a week 8 of blooms this year like we did in 2016, Southern Peony Bloom Dates. Peony 'Carl G. Klehm' bloomed for me for the first time this year, and I am really enjoy its unique coloration and the orderliness of its petal pattern.


Peony 'Kansas'

Peony 'Lois Kelsey'

Peony 'Topeka Garnet'

Peony 'Lake o' Silver'

Peony 'Festiva Maxima'

Peony 'Perfect Princess'

Peony 'Carl G. Klehm'

2020 Solarize Peony Bed Soil to Sterilize It

Solarize Peony Bed Soil to Sterilize It
As you may know, it appeared to me that my Intersectional Peony 'Callie's Memory' died of root rot, 2020 Intersectional Peony 'Callie's Memory' Dies of Root Rot? I have no way of knowing for sure, but there weren't any roots left on that peony. There could have been a host of factors that caused its demise. Regardless, it must have rotted in at least some way. So I decided to solarize the soil to kill any pathogens that might still be present there before replanting the area.


Solarize Peony Bed Soil to Sterilize It
To do this I simply placed a clear sheet of plastic over the area and weighted it down with bricks on the edges. After 6-8 weeks the soil should be ready for planting. However I will probably wait much longer than that to replant, most likely until fall to plant my replacement potted Intersectional Peony 'Callie's Memory', 2020 Potted Up Intersectional Peony Roots for Fall Planting. You may remember when I originally started this intersectional peony bed, I solarized the subsoil, 2012 Peony Bed Soil Solarization, before bringing in some 2012 New Dirt for New Peony Beds. I never solarized the new dirt I put on top as top soil. So I suppose now's the time to make sure I solarize it now too. ;-)