2014 Carolina Gardening Peony Tip of the Month

I noticed a peony tip in my Carolina Country magazine this month. This is a free magazine sent out by my electric cooperative. It covers a Southern region and usually has gardening tips or a gardening section in it each month. This month the peony tip caught my eye, and I thought I'd share it with all of you.
Carolina Country Tip of the Month
"Late summer is prime peony planting time. Since peonies need a proper duration of chilly weather to bloom satisfactorily in the spring, look for older varieties such as 'Teresa', 'Sarah Bernhardt', 'Felix Crousse', or 'Festiva Maxima' that require less cold for bud set, or ask your local nursery for newer peony selections specifically bred for mild Southern winters. In addition, bury the crowns only about 1½ inches below ground so they will be less insulated from the cold weather. Finally, for stronger, sooner flowering peonies buy divisions that have at least three to four "eyes"."

I've never heard of the peony variety 'Teresa', and actually there is not one registered under this name. However I do grow all the rest of the varieties - 'Felix Crousse', 'Festiva Maxima' and 'Sarah Bernhardt', and they do grow and bloom well here in the South. There is one part of the tip I do disagree with however, and that is the planting depth. The author of this peony tip suggests planting your peony "eyes" 1½ inches below ground. However I would not plant them that deep. I usually plant my peonies even with the ground and put a tiny bit of mulch on top (½ inch or less). Even ½ inch would probably be okay, but 1½ inches would be too deep especially if you live even farther South than I do (zone 7). The depth of the peony directly affect how many chilling hours it receives, and as the author notes the more shallow they are planted the "less insulated" they are from the cold weather. Peonies need this cold weather to bloom and grow properly. It is definitely possible to plant your peony to deep and prevent it from blooming. So if you have your peony planted too deep or buried under too much mulch, dig it up and plant it much shallower or remove most of your mulch. This is a common problem in the South, and one I made myself (planted too deep) as a little girl growing my first peonies. I also visited my neighbors peony at their request this year to determine why it was not blooming. They had it buried under 4 inches of pine straw. The leaves still grew beautifully, but there were no blooms. I suggested they remove most or all of the pine straw so that it would get enough chilling hours this winter to hopefully bloom next spring!

2014 Collected Peony Seeds

Wow! I can hardly believe that a month has already gone by since Peony Seed Collection Time began. I think I have harvested about all the seeds I have this year. The especially wet weather was hard on some varieties seed production. However I was able to collect lots of seed from several different varieties. I will be planting some of my seeds, and I plan to donate the rest of them to the American Peony Society Seed Distribution Program. This year I was able to collect seeds from the following varieties: Color Magnet 24 seeds, Early White 25 seeds, Gay Paree 9 seeds, Golden Frolic 27 seeds, Miss America 90 seeds, Moonstone 5 seeds, Pink Luau 59 seeds, Pink Princess 47 seeds, Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow 77 seeds, Salmon Dream 5 seeds, Seedling - Color Lavender 12 seeds, and Soft Lemon Kisses 3 seeds. This year I am going to be sure to use my copper and steel plant labels when I plant the seeds since the seedling labels I used last year had a big Peony Seedling Plastic Label Failure this spring. The plastic plant labels held up just fine, but they did not stay in the ground through the winter. So their purpose of identifying the seeds was not accomplished. The metal plant labels stay in the ground much better since they are much longer and can go deeper into the soil.
Peony Seeds Collected, Bagged, and Labeled by Variety

2014 American Peony Society Gold Medal Winner - 'Leda'

The American Peony Society has selected Tree Peony 'Leda' as their 2014 Gold Medal Winner and 2015 Peony of the Year. Tree Peony 'Leda' was hybridized by Nassos Daphnis and registered in 1977. I personally do not grow very many tree peonies. So I'm not familiar with this peony at all. However I did get an email yesterday saying that Klehm's Song Sparrow has all of their container plants including tree peonies and itoh peonies on sale for 15% off until the end of August. So this might be just the opportunity to purchase tree peony 'Leda' if you are interested. I have ordered from Song Sparrow nursery several times in the past, and the quality of their products is excellent. So if you do decide to order Tree Peony 'Leda' from them, I know you'll be happy with your order. :-)
Tree Peony 'Leda'

2014 Silk Tree Peony Paintings from China

Tree Peony Paintings on Silk by Zhong Shi
Well, it's not quite been a year since we went to China and saw Peonies in Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou China. I purchased these beautiful tree peony paintings there, and I finally got them framed and put on the wall yesterday. These Chinese tree peony paintings are painted on silk. The artist Zhong Shi, was born in Suzhou, Jiangsu in 1945. This painter is a member of Jiangsu Branch of Artist Association of China and a member of Suzhou Artist Association. This artist also belongs to the Professional Painter of Creation Room of the Weun Painting Institute. We purchased these Chinese silk paintings at the Master of the Nets Garden in Suzhou, China. This garden has a very lovely gift shop with a huge selection of Chinese art, antique replicas, and souvenirs. They also have a beautiful entrance with a pictorial map of the entire garden. The peony garden is shown in full bloom on this pictorial map, which could be considered a work of art itself.
Entrance to the Master of the Nets Gardens in Suzhou, China


Pictoral Map of the Suzhou Gardens Depicting the Peony Garden

2014 Peony Mandala Art Images

While looking at peony photos on Google, I came across these stunning works of art using flower photos to create mandalas. Several of these works of art were created using peony photos. These peony mandalas were just so mesmerizing, I just had to share it with all of you. I obtained permission from the artist, David J. Bookbinder, to use one of his peony mandalas here. David began making the mandalas ten years ago from photographs he began to take after a near death experience. He says he now uses the mandalas as "a means for healing and personal growth." If you want to see the rest of the collection, you'll have to check out his web site, the Flower Mandalas Project. I hope you enjoy his art as much as I did! Also David has a book coming out this fall called Fifty-Two Flower Mandalas detailing his journey and his art. You can email David at licensing @ flowermandalas.org to find out more. :)
Pink Peony I
© 2005, David J. Bookbinder

2014 Giant Peony Blooms on Peony 'Myra MacRae'

Isabella Holding Peony 'Myra MacRae'
No, this is not an optical illusion. Yes, this peony bloom really is bigger than her head! This is a photo I took on my phone last May, and forgot to publish. These photos are of my lovely daughter Isabella and Peony 'Myra MacRae'. Peony 'Myra MacRae' is really a stellar performer as long as you provide her ample support for her large blossoms. :-) In fact Peony 'Myra MacRae' was a Southern Peony Best Performer this year. Late in my bloom season Peony 'Myra MacRae' was one of the last peonies blooming in my garden and she put on quite a show. So she was named Peony 'Myra MacRae' Best Performer - Week 6. So if you'd like a peony that could be a true Southern Belle, give Peony 'Myra MacRae' a place in your garden.

2014 Landscaping with Peonies

Peonies are a great plant for landscaping. They provide loads of blooms and color for several weeks in the spring. They also have great long lasting foliage that stays green for 3 seasons providing a great backdrop for other plants in the landscape when they're not in bloom. And in fall, the leaves on some peony varieties begin to change into eye catching colors for yet another show before the foliage begins to fade. If you're unsure where to plant peonies in your landscape, take a look at these photos for some ideas. Peonies can be planted singly or as a group of specimen plants in wide open sunny areas. They can also be used in border plantings around foundations, decks, and patios. They can be planted in mixed perennial borders around garden benches so their blooms and fragrance can be enjoyed up close.
Peonies in the Landscape - Garden Bench
The American Peony Society has a special award that is given to peonies that are especially suited for landscape use - strong stems, long lasting foliage, and of course lovely blossoms! This is the APS Award of Landscape Merit which is awarded to peonies with "reliable performance across North America". So if you're thinking of adding a peony (or several) to your home landscaping, check out this list of great landscaping peony cultivars!
Peonies in the Landscape - Specimen and Deck Plantings

2014 Questions - Peony Blooms Decrease Over Time

I received this question from Bob in zone 5:
"I live in northern Illinois, zone 5a -20 to -15 F. I bought a Bartzella in the late 1990s directly from Roger Anderson. So it has been planted in the same location for 16 years. The plant has bloomed well except the last two years. In 2013 I had only 5 flowers. This year 2014 I had no flowers. The plant looks to be growing well, it has many stems, good green color. All the stems are strong and tall no wilt. No signs of disease either. The base of the plant is about 14 inches across. In the fall of 2012 I trimmed the stems to about 1.5 inches. Thinking that might have been too short in the fall of 2013 I trimmed the stems to 4 to 5 inches tall. I have other herbaceous peonies in the same area and they bloom well."
"Any ideas on what I should do?"
"These are my ideas"
"1. Divide the plant and replant"
"2. Don’t divide the plant and add bone meal, slow-release nitrogen (Milorganite) and Triple Super Phosphate Plant Food to the drip edge on the plant"
"3. Don’t trim the old growth until the early spring 2015 instead of late fall 2014."
"4. Some combination of 1 and 2"

Bob's Peony 'Bartzella' that is Not Blooming
I would recommend option number one along with a few other ideas. A peony plant that is 16 years old should be divided and probably into more than two pieces. Once you have divided the plant, I would replant one piece in the current location and the other pieces in different locations, especially if you have a location that receives more sunlight than the current location. Also, I'm not sure what you have growing underneath your peony or how long it has been growing there, but it is possible that this groundcover plant could be having a negative impact on your peony, taking moisture and nutrients away from your peony plant. So I would recommend removing this groundcover and using some type of mulch instead. Peonies don't like too much fertilizer, so I would be careful with their use. Instead of constant fertilization, I would recommend amending your soil with compost and/or composted manure before replanting the divided peony pieces. If you don't have compost of your own, bagged compost and composted manure can usually be purchased at most home improvement or hardware stores. As for when to cut back the peony plants, this can be done anytime after the leaves have died back, so late fall vs. early spring should not make any difference in your peony blooms (except that removing the dead stems and foliage earlier may lessen foliar diseases the next year). I hope this information helps, and good luck with your Peony 'Bartzella'!

2014 Peony Seed Collection Time

Wow! I can hardly believe it! The first of my peony seeds pods are starting to pop open! It's already peony seed collection time. Only the earliest seed pods have opened. Most of them are still closed. Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow' is usually one of the first seed pods to open for me. I am really excited to see which varieties will set seed for me this year, especially considering this is the first year that I saw my First Unique Herbaceous Peony Seedling Blooms! :-) Not only can you collect peony seeds to plant in your own garden, but if you're a Member of the American Peony Society you can also get free peony seeds when you donate some of your own seeds. When you donate peony seeds to the American Peony Society Seed Distribution Program, you'll get to select free seeds from other peony growers that grow different peony varieties than you. With this program you'll have access to hundreds of peony seeds varieties. Even if you don't have any seeds to donate to the program, for a low cost APS members can still Buy Seeds from the APS Seed Distribution Program. Happy Planting!
Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow' Seed Pod

2014 Questions - Peony Soil Solarization & Weed Control

I received this question from Taherra in zone 7:
"I came across your blog in researching solarization as a method to create new planting beds. Your solarization project for your peony beds was in 2012 and I was curious as to the weed and grass control in that area. Any info/tips would be greatly appreciated."

For me this was an extremely successful project. The weed and grass control has been excellent. The only weeds that grow in this area are generally near the edges of the bed, where weed seeds have fallen from weeds growing outside the solarized bed. I have kept it weed free by mulching the soil with wood chips. I also curb any new weed growth by hand weeding the interior of the bed and spraying a weed killer around the exterior edge of the bed. The steps I took to create my solarized peony bed are outlined in the following posts:

1. 2012 Intersectional Peony Bed Preparation 2. 2012 Peony Bed Soil Solarization 3. 2012 New Dirt for New Peony Beds 4. 2012 Soil for New Peony Beds 5. 2012 Intersectional Peony Garden Planting

Soil Solariztion Tips:
1. The fewer sheets of plastic the better. Try to get your plastic sheet in one whole piece that will cover the area of your bed. This will keep the area hotter with less air escaping between the plastic sheeting.
2. The more weights the better. The bricks I used around the edge of the plastic sheeting not only keep the plastic sheet in place, but also trap the heat underneath. I actually added more bricks to the edges of my plastic sheet after a couple weeks to keep the hot air in.
3. Keep the sheet in place. Don't be tempted to remove the plastic sheeting early. Keep it in place the recommended 6 to 8 weeks to make sure the job is completely done. If you have extra time, then leave it on a little longer. It won't hurt and can only help!

Solarized Peony Bed Two Years Later

2014 Heat Tolerant Peonies for Southern Gardens

The month of July is great! Fireworks, American spirit, and don't forget the blistering heat! The peonies have long since finished here in the South. Their blooms are but a distant memory captured only by the photographs I've taken and the camera in my mind's eye. So with the heat of July, I thought an appropriate topic would be heat tolerant peonies for Southern gardens. If you were disappointed with your peony display this year and are looking for hints on how to improve your peony garden for next year or maybe you just want to add more lovely blossoms to accompany the gems you already grow, then now is the perfect time to start thinking about building a better peony garden. Fall is the perfect time to plant peonies, and if you haven't gotten your 2014 peony order in yet, now is the time to do it! So I've done a little research, and here are some great sites to check out for tips on growing peonies in the South...
PEONIES IN THE SOUTH
Flowering Perennials for Georgia Gardens
Peonies: Coming Soon to a Garden Near You
Growing Peonies in USDA Zones 8 and 9
How to grow peonies
Peonies for the Home Landscape


Heat Tolerant Peonies for the South
Also if you are looking for specific peony varieties that will grow well in the South, you will definitely want to check out our list of Southern Peony Best Performers. These are peonies that grow and blossom well here in the heat of the South. I select the best performer each week of the peony growing season here in our hot and humid weather. These peonies will definitely survive the heat and return year after year!

2014 Peony 'Paul M. Wild' Best Performer - Week 7

As I look around my garden, I find the last peony blooming its bright pink heart out, Peony 'Paul M. Wild'. He's like the last man standing in the wild west. The man, the peony that can outlast all others. Sure he's a little rough and tumble around the edges, his petals browning a little on the edges, but by this time of year whose edges aren't? Peony 'Paul M. Wild' is a dark pink, very full double peony and consistently a very late bloomer. He holds his guns until the end, and provided the weather hasn't defeated everyone by now, he lets them loose in an explosion of bright, end of the season color. So if you're looking for a peony that will not only add some additional time to your peony bloom season, but also add some bang to it, then Peony 'Paul M. Wild' is definitely your man!
Peony 'Paul M. Wild'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Paul M. Wild'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2014 Intersectional Peony Fungal Diseases

Intersectional Peony 'Misaka'
with Phytophthora? Fungal Disease
This year I noticed the same three intersectional peonies had the same fungal diseases they did last year. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to prevent it next year or if I need to get rid of the entire plant. None of my other intersectional peonies have any diseases to speak of. However these 3 specimens were apparently sold to me with the diseases, unfortunately. The intersectional peony pictured above, Peony 'Misaka', I purchased as a potted plant from a local nursery, and it did seem a little suspect when I bought it. I'm wondering if it has Phytophthora blight because of the curled, deformed leaves. Plus I've seen plenty of Botrytis blight on my herbaceous peonies before, and this seems to be a little different. I guess I know better now than to buy anything that seems a little iffy. However the two intersectional peonies pictured below were both purchased as roots from two different reputable growers. I had never seen any incidence of Peony Blotch in my garden until I got these two intersectional peonies with the disease, Peony 'Layfayette Escadrille' and Peony 'Scarlet Heaven'. That is interesting because both of those 2 intersectionals are red in color. I wonder if they are somehow related and more susceptible to the Peony Blotch fungus.
Intersectional Peony 'Scarlet Heaven'
with Peony Blotch Fungal Disease


Intersectional Peony 'Lafayette Escadrille'
with Peony Blotch Fungal Disease
When researching these diseases on Google, I found this awesome page on Peony Problems on the Missouri Botanical Garden web site. It seems like the only thing I can try to get rid of these fungal diseases is to make sure to cut these peonies all the way back to the ground in the fall. I will try that and hope it works, since I usually don't cut my intersectional peonies all the way back. I try to cut them back only to their lowest surviving bud, which usually keeps a bit of the stem there. I hope it does work, since the MOBOT web page seems to suggest removing and discarding the plant and its soil entirely as the only other alternative. I hope it doesn't come to that... :-(

2014 Peony Bloom Color Classifications

Wow, I have collected a lot more information on peony blooms this year. I've added 8 new RHS colors including Purple Brown 183A, Light Violet 69C, Purple Pink N74C, Light Pink 54D, Orange Red 39B, Dark Pink Red 51B, Light Yellow Orange 23C, and Light Yellow 4D. The range of peony bloom colors just continues to amaze me. I have also added 43 new peony variety color classifications to my Peony Bloom Colors page! This color information can be a handy reference if you are looking for a peony of a certain color to help you coordinate or contrast bloom colors in your garden. So if you haven't seen it yet, check out our Colors page.
Peony Bloom Color RHS Classifications

2014 Peony 'Myra MacRae' Best Performer - Week 6

When I look out in my garden, almost all of the peonies have faded by this time in the season. However one stellar bloomer stands out in an otherwise almost empty peony garden, Peony 'Myra MacRae'. This peony has increased steadily each year, and the blooms have become larger and more gorgeous with each spring season. The flowers on this peony are so large and heavy that support is a must. Without support I couldn't have selected this peony as a Best Performer, since all of the blooms would be on the ground otherwise. This is the first year I put a peony support on any peony, and Peony 'Myra MacRae' was my first choice. The blooms are such a lovely pink violet Color. Peony 'Myra MacRae' is also an American Peony Society Gold Medal winner from 1998. So if you are willing to add some support for a peony and are looking for a great late season bloomer, Peony 'Myra MacRae' will definitely give you some late season smiles.
Peony 'Myra MacRae'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Myra MacRae'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2014 Peony Blooms - Late - Week 6

As the peony season winds down, the color range and peony types certainly decrease. As you can see there are mostly pink and white, double and bomb type peonies blooming now. Peony 'Candy Stripe' bloomed for the first time for me this year and was a welcome addition to the otherwise similar late season blooms. Its bright markings give it a distinct appearance in the garden. Peony 'Eden's Perfume' and Peony 'Doris Cooper' are both very full bomb type peonies, and Peony 'Eden's Perfume' does have a nice scent. Peony 'Moonstone', Peony 'Kelway's Glorious', and Peony 'Elsa Sass' are all nice double peonies, with Peony 'Elsa Sass' being an American Peony Society Gold Medal winner from 1943. So if you are looking for a late season, award winning peony to add to your collection, Peony 'Elsa Sass' may be the peony you're looking for.

Peony 'Candy Stripe'	Peony 'Eden's Perfume'
Peony 'Moonstone'	Peony 'Doris Cooper'
Peony 'Kelway's Glorious'	Peony 'Elsa Sass'

2014 American Peony Society Convention in Ohio

It's only 2 weeks away, and I wish I could attend! If you're going to be in the Ohio area the weekend of June 6-8th, you should definitely plan a stop at the Kingwood Center in Mansfield, Ohio. The 2014 American Peony Society Convention will be held there, and if you've never been before, what a sight to behold! There are endless tables of peonies, the likes of which you'll only see once a year in the United States. If you want to see more peony varieties in one room than you'll ever see blooming at once in any garden, you should definitely make a plan to be at an APS convention. Peony growers and home gardeners from all over the country bring peony blooms they've either freshly cut or held in cold storage for weeks to the convention. So there are 7 weeks of peony blooms in bloom all at once at the annual APS convention. The information for the 2014 APS Convention is also listed on the American Peony Society Facebook page under Events.
American Peony Society Facebook Page

2014 Intersectional Peony Blooms - Late Mid - Week 5

Well, it seems the late season intersectional peonies were dominated by yellow this year. Peony 'Cora Louise' was the only non-yellow intersectional peony blooming this week, and those lovely pink purple flares in the center of her blossom really stood out. Yes, that photo of Peony 'Yellow Crown' that looks like it is upside down is really not. That's how most of the flowers bloom. The blossoms on Peony 'Yellow Crown' are just so loaded with petals that the heavy bloom is just too much for the stems to bear! Peony 'Garden Treasure' is actually a bit floppy too. However I was still able to get a few good pictures of its blooms. Peony 'Bartzella' is definitely the most upward facing full petalled yellow intersectional in my garden. What a beauty!

Intersectional Peony 'Cora Louise'	Intersectional Peony 'Garden Treasure'
Intersectional Peony 'Bartzella'	Intersectional Peony 'Yellow Crown'

2014 Southern Peony Best Performers By Week

In case you were hoping to expand your blooms season, and were wondering what varieties would do best in a southern climate, I've added a table to my Southern Peony Best Performers page to help you find what you're looking for. This table is a handy reference of the peonies that do well for me here in my climate and whose individual flowers look good alone and together on the bush. I select the most impressive bush each week of my growing season (if there is one), and give them this designation to help all of you select the best varieties for your growing climate. I hope you find this information helpful. If you have any Questions, please send them in!

2014 Peony Blooms - Late Mid - Week 5

The weather was quite harsh for peonies this week. We had our first 90 degree day since September. So the peony blooms really started to suffer. It had been a couple weeks since it had last rained, and before that it had been raining about every week. So we really needed the rain. We finally got 2.5 inches on Thursday night. However the rain came all at once pouring down and pushing the heavy double peony blooms to the ground. The storm also came with lots of wind to blow around those heavy, rain-laden peony blooms, further damaging their appearance. So it was challenging to get some good peony photos this week. However I did manage to get a few before the rain and a couple that opened after the rain was finished. Peony 'Topeka Garnet' first bloomed for me this year, and it was also selected as the APS Gold Medal winner in 2012.

Peony 'Topeka Garnet'	Peony 'Kansas'
Peony 'Pink Derby'	Peony 'Raspberry Sundae'
Peony 'Myra MacRae'	Peony 'Old Faithful'

2014 Chinese Tree Peonies from Ali Express

Chinese Tree Peonies 1 & 2 from Ali Express - April 2014

Chinese Tree Peonies 3 & 4 from Ali Express - April 2014
Chinese Tree Peonies 5 & 6 from Ali Express - April 2014

The photos above are of the Ali Express Chinese Tree Peonies $5.52 for 3! as they were just beginning to leaf out in April. The photos below are of the same Chinese tree peonies about a month later. As you can see from the photos, all 6 of the tree peonies that arrived did leaf out, which is great 100% viability. However if you look closely at the photos a month later, you will see that, sadly, one of the peonies (tree peony #4) did not make it. Not long after leafing out, the foliage of tree peony #4 just seemed to wither and shrink, and sadly it has not re-sprouted. Some other good news about these tree peonies is that each of the foliage and stem coloring appears to be different. So it seems they all may be different varieties (as requested). I'm excited to see how fast these tree peonies grow, how long it takes to get the first bloom, and what the blooms will look like on these peonies. Even though these peonies did not turn out to be $5.52 for 3 (they were actually $5.52 each), that is still an awesome deal, considering all of them were viable. Anyway it seems Ali Express may be the place to buy tree peonies (if you can find the right vendor - I did end up getting only peony seeds from some vendors that advertised an actual tree peony). LOL
Chinese Tree Peonies 1, 2, & 3 from Ali Express - May 2014


Chinese Tree Peonies 4, 5, & 6 from Ali Express - May 2014

2014 Favorite Peony Seedling - Semi-Double Pink Violet

Oh! I love it! My favorite peony seedling to bloom this year. It is a child of Peony 'Lavender Princess', and it was planted it 2008, and it first bloomed this year. The bloom is 6 inches in size, and the color of its blooms is RHS 75C Pink Violet. I will definitely have to keep watch over this one to see if it has potential. I haven't seen one on the market quite like this, and I love its multitude of lavender petals. We'll see how well it increases and how disease resistant it is. I'm also curious to see if the bloom form changes next year on a more mature plant. This year there are over 35 petals with a very tight center of yellow stamens. If it is fertile and produces seed well, then it may be a good breeding plant as well.
Favorite Peony Seedling Bloom
Pink Violet Semi-Double Peony


2008 Seedling of Peony 'Lavender Princess'


Peony Seedling Bed