2017 Questions - Peony 'Old Faithful' Slow to Increase

I received this question from Pauline in zone 5b:

"I have a quick question for you regarding Old Faithful, which you seem to grow. What is your increase of stems year over year?

"I planted Old Faithful in fall 2015, along with 14 other varieties of peonies. (Long story short: I've been apartment living in cities for many years and finally moved out to a house. I've always loved peonies and went a little crazy when I could finally grow them!) The first year Old Faithful had two stems and two flowers. This year there seems to be only three large "buds" emerging. I've looked all over and no one mentions that Old Faithful is slow to increase. It is mentioned regarding other cultivators (I.e. Henry Bockstoce). Old Faithful is in a raised bed of amended soil, spaced 3 feet from other peonies, and the other peonies have at least doubled stems year over year."

"I only ask as we are planning to move and I would like to divide and take the plants to our new home. I am hoping Old Faithful has enough eyes to divide. Thanks for your time on this!"


Peony 'Old Faithful' in 2017 with 2 Stems
I must say that I am quite disappointed with this peony plant right now, actually. The increase was great at first, but now it seems to be struggling. Also this plant is in one of my best beds in the yard. It has good access to sun, moisture, and is free from competition. I have grown this Peony 'Old Faithful' since 2008. The stem increase seemed to be good at first, 1 stem (2009), 3 stems (2010), 7 stems (2011), 9 stems (2012), and then it has been steadily declining ever since. I have tried giving it good compost and organic fertilizer since it has started declining, but it has not helped. The next year it went down to 7 stems (2013), 7 stems (2014), 5 stems (2015), and 3 stems (2016). This year it only has 2 stems (2017) on it. Sometimes it may pop up a late stem, but so far, there are only 2 stems on it this year. So I really can't say if your peony will be large enough to divide. If you want to keep it, you may need to just dig the whole thing up and take it with you. This plant has very thick, large stems and a great habit - which make it seem like it should be a great garden plant, but its recent steady decline has really disapointed me. :-(

2017 Intersectional Peony Hybridizing Failure

I don't think I need an expert opinion to see that this seedling looks like an herbaceous peony. That's too bad. It was so exciting when I first saw this baby pop up 2017 First Intersectional Hybrid Seedling Sprouts!, and was wondering what it might look like someday. I guess I can still wonder, but the results probably won't be what I was hoping for. Oh, well. It looks like it is time to get back to work. This year's hybridizing season is upon us. The peonies are starting to bloom, and its time to try to make some new crosses! If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! (until you do!). :-)
Intersectional Hybridizing Attempt Failed

2017 Garden Art Glass and Peony 'America'

Peony 'America' with Green Art Glass
I was surprised to see this Peony 'America' snuggled up to my green garden art glass and just beginning to open when I came home from work one day this week. The standout red flower and the shimmery green glass looked so good together, I couldn't help but snap a picture. The next day Peony 'America' was showing off its golden yellow center. This time the red leaved Japanese maple next to it begged to be included in the photo. :-) I love to have some "garden art" in the garden year round to give the garden color and interest. What kind of garden art do you have to create extra interest in your peony gardens?
Peony 'America' with Green Art Glass and Japanese Maple

2017 Peony Blooms Week 1 Very Early

Wow! I don't know if I've ever had such a colorful Week 1 Peony Bloom before! Many of the light colored, very early peony buds in shades of white, pale yellow, and pale pink were busted in another late cold snap we got. Despite my best efforts to save the buds earlier in the season, 2017 Protect Peonies from Super Cold Overnight Temps, the foliage was up much too high for me to attempt another intervention in late March. So the blooms in these pics made it through that last cold snap on their own. Most of these very early peony blooms, except for Peony 'Early Scout', came at the very end of the week, and were the first bloom to open on the plant. So more peony blooms to come! :-)
Peony 'Early Scout'


Peony 'Dark Chocolate'


Peony 'Coral Sunset'


Peony 'Coral Charm'


Peony 'Lustrous'


Tree Peony 'Shimadaijin 島大臣 (Island Minister)'

2017 Questions - Peonies for Hot Coastal Climates

I received this question from Charles in Zone 8b/9a:
"Your name was given me as a reliable source for peonies in the very deep South. My wife and I have always wanted to grow peonies but mistakenly thought that where we live in the sea islands of South Carolina would have too warm a winter to be successful. Recently, I have learned that there is at least one variety of double peony dark pink may do well here. That color, however, is not one that we particularly like.

We live on one of the sea islands of South Carolina, the island just above Hilton Head. Most gardening sites place us in zone 8b but the more reliable and studied research show our area of southeastern South Carolina, together with the area around Charleston to be in zone 9a. I guess the reason for this is that we are surrounded by water and receive the benefits of the Gulf Stream. Our summers can be hellish with high temperatures and high humidity. There's a section of our yard that receives full sun from dawn to about 1:00 where we would like to plant them.

I am hoping that you can suggest a couple of "never fail" double peonies in light pink, yellow, white or lavender that should do well for us. I also would like to be advised as to what sites on the web are good for beginners learning to plant peonies. Our soil here is sandy and perfectly neutral so I expect to have to amend the soil to make it possible to grow the plants we want. If you could be so good as to suggest a couple as well as a good source for purchasing them, we'd be grateful. Thank you."
Peonies for Hot Coastal Climates
Just because you have palm trees doesn't mean you can't grow peonies! (Actually a few select few palm trees will grow here in our zone 7b growing zone.) However not all peonies may grow successfully if you have palm trees. For your type of growing environment, I would recommend Intersectional Peonies. These peonies are a cross between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies. So you get some of the best attributes from both of them. You will get the tenacity, heat tolerance, and color range of a tree peony, and you will get a good mix of the foliage and flower habits from an herbaceous peony. All of this plus a plant that becomes well established more quickly than either a tree peony or herbaceous peony (which can take several years here).


Southern Peony Best Performers
As for how to grow peonies where you live, I would check out this article about 2016 Questions - Growing Peonies in South Carolina. Also you can find some good information about peonies that do well in the South on my Southern Peony Best Performers page. There are already several Intersectional (Itoh) peony selections on this page, including Peony 'Bartzella' (a yellow), Peony 'Keiko' (a pink), Peony 'Morning Lilac' (a fuschia pink/purple), Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst' (a lavender), and Peony 'Takara' (a pink with red center). The best white Intersectional Peony I would recommend would be Peony 'Cora Louise', a huge white flower with a dark purple center.


Southern Peony's 2017 Intersectional Peony
Catalog Price Comparison List
As for where to buy these intersectional peonies, a good place to start would be my 2017 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List. This is a price comparison list for all of the peony growers who belong to the American Peony Society. While I cannot guarantee their plants, I have ordered from most of these growers, and have been happy with what they've sent me. Another source for Peony 'Bartzella' is Plant Delights Nursery, a local nursery here in NC. I know the Bartzella plants they sell are huge potted peony plants. This would give you a head start in getting your peony established vs. buying a root which is what most growers sell and ship in the fall. Buying a peony from a source that is closer to your own growing zone will also help your peony get established more quickly. Another grower that sells all of their Intersectional Peonies as potted plants is Klehm's Song Sparrow. Since these intersectional peony plants are potted, these vendors can ship them year round, which means you could get your plants in the ground now! Good luck!

2017 Hollingsworth Peonies Order

I couldn't help but notice this really cool Saunders hybrid peony (that I don't have) for sale in the Hollingsworth Peonies catalog this year. It is Peony 'Sanctus', and it seems to have really huge stamens. I don't think I've seen a peony quite like it before. The bright yellow stamens seem to cover over half the length of the pristine white petals, and the stigmas lend a pop of bright red in the center. Gorgeous! I also decided to pick up Peony 'Faithful Dream', one of the peonies on the 2017 Herbaceous Hot 100 Peony Catalog Price Comparison List. I've been wanting this peony for a while, and Hollingsworth Peonies seems to be the only APS Commercial Member offering it this year. Peony 'Faithful Dream' was hybridized by Tim Stanek and comes from a cross of Peony 'Old Faithful' x Peony 'Salmon Dream'.
2017 Hollingsworth Peonies Order

2017 First Peony Bloom of the Year - Unknown TP

First Peony Bloom of the Year in Bud
I must say that my first peony bloom of the year is a little underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, the color of the bloom is lovely. It's just a little different than I expected. For some reason I was expecting this to be the Tree Peony 'White Phoenix', which it definitely is not. I have another 'White Phoenix' Tree Peony that actually is white. However this one is a lovely shade of pale lavender. I am not really sure of its identity, but I don't think it really matters. I shall keep it anyway. :-)
First Peony Bloom of the Year - Unknown Tree Peony
Sometimes when you are expecting a certain flower color, and you plant the plant where you want that color bloom. So I may have to move this plant later, but for now it is fine. I like lavender a lot anyway, since purple is my favorite color. I hope all of you have a wonderful start to your peony season. What color (and variety if known) is your first peony bloom this year?
Unknown Lavender Tree Peony

2017 Questions - Reliable Source for Peony Seeds

I received this question from Mubarak in zone :

"I am looking for reliable source for peony seed for my home garden. While searching on internet I found your blog southernpeony.com. Thank you so much for all the information at one place. Please let me know where I can buy seed or can you share some seed with me. I will pay for the postage. Please help me in this regard."

American Peony Society Seed Distribution Sale
I would highly recommend the American Peony Society as the best (and most reliable) place to buy peony seeds. However you do need an APS membership to buy the seeds. One year's APS Membership fee is $25, but it may be worth it if you are buying lots of seeds. Also the seed list for this year was just posted last week, and there are lots of fabulous choices on it. A very talented hybridizer that passed away recently, Bill Seidl, donated all of his seeds to the American Peony Society. So their Seed Distribution Program has lots of rare, hand pollinated, choice seeds (many are limited to 1 pack per person) to choose from.

Also there is an American Peony Society Annual Convention & Show coming up in June of this year in Raleigh, NC. The APS seeds will be at the peony show for sale to the public (no APS membership necessary) and no shipping fee! I'm not sure how far you are from Raleigh, NC, but this will be a great show to see the myriad of peony varieties available, and if you have time, you may want to join APS and attend the whole convention. 😊 Hope to see you there!

2017 American Peony Society Convention

2017 Monrovia Features Photoshopped Itoh Peony on Front Page

Continuous Color - Itoh Peonies
"Wow! What kind of flower is that?" That was my first reaction when I saw this flower photo on Monrovia's front page. My next thought was, "I really need one of those!" Then I realized it was a peony. Then I wondered if this was a new peony variety that I'd never seen before. So I clicked around on their site a bit more until I found the mystery peony in the photo on their main page. I clicked through to the "Itoh Peonies" section. At first glance, I did not see the mystery peony anywhere to be found. Why would they put a plant on their main page, that they don't even have for sale?, I thought. Then I realized they did have it for sale, and it was on their "Itoh Peonies" page. The flower form and shape was the same, but the colors and background were much different.
Monrovia's Main Page
The photo was of Intersectional Peony 'Julia Rose', a plant I already have and grow. I have seen this plant bloom for several years, and yet I did not recognize it. When I clicked on the "Julia Rose Itoh Peony" page, I saw a photo of the plant that looked much more familiar to me. Obviously the photo had been photoshopped. Why would they have altered the photo so much to make the plant unrecognizable? Sure the photo on the main page is gorgeous, but it doesn't exist. Are altered photos just a harmless way to help the flower industry grab the attention of people enough to get them interested? Or do they hurt the flower industry by promising something that's unattainable? What do you think?
Monrovia's 'Julia Rose' Itoh Peony

2017 First Intersectional Hybrid Seedling Sprouts!

First Intersectional Hybrid Seedling Sprouts
I can't believe it! Yesterday when I was pulling a few weeds from the bed near the house, I noticed something! Something special. Something I'd been waiting on. Something that was taking so long, I thought it might not come until next year - My First Intersectional Hybrid Seedling Sprout! Wow! That is just an amazing feeling! I did it (with some help from my friends). I can't believe it. I am so excited!!! Now I feel like I have a lot more responsibility. It almost feels like a have another child, and I need to make sure it becomes an adult, watch over it, help it grow, and make sure it stays out of trouble. LOL!
Peony 'Martha W.' Intersectional Seedlings 2016 Sign
Since I've never seen an intersectional peony hybrid seedling before, I guess I cannot be sure that this is definitely a tree/herbaceous peony hybrid. However just looking at the foliage, it seems a little different than my regular herbaceous peony seedlings. The edges of the foliage seems a little less even, and the leaf substance seems a little more billowy and rounded. I will get an expert opinion to double check. If you missed the beginning of this intersectional peony journey, and you'd like to read up on the process to get to this, you might want to read up on a few of my previous posts - 2015 Hybridizing Peony Martha W., 2016 Intersectional Peony Hybridizing Seed Pods, 2016 First Intersectional Peony Seeds!, 2016 Planting First Intersectional Peony Seeds.

2017 Questions - Buying Peonies at the APS Convention

I received this question from Eileen zone 4b:

"Hi, I too am going over my lists of must-haves as we sit amongst more than a foot of snow, wind and temps in the teens. I was wondering if any of the peony producers that attend the convention offer discounts on orders placed at the convention? I know you've attended before and would know. I remember you purchased some potted plants last year at Solaris, but didn't mention any specials at the convention per se. I might hold off on at least one order if that were the case. I'm planning an order from Adelmans, too, as they provide the largest roots of all. It must be their wonderful Oregon soil and climate! Gold City has nice roots, too, and always includes a freebie...a few years ago they gifted me Ann Berry Cousins, which has turned out to be pretty spectacular. Thanks, Eileen"


American Peony Society Exhibition and Flower Show
Potted Peonies for Sale
I've never seen growers offer discounts on peony orders placed at the convention. However some growers will bring potted peonies for sale. However the selection of these potted peonies is much more limited than what would be available in someone's catalog.

I have never seen Adelman's bring potted peonies to a convention before. Also the potted peonies I purchased at the convention last year were from Klehm's Song Sparrow, not Solaris Farms, and those peonies were purchased on the farm tour of Klehm's Song Sparrow, not at the convention itself. The potted peonies at Klehm's Song Sparrow that I purchased were on special for only $15 each! I wish I'd bought more. There was a tour of Solaris Farms as well, but they did not have anything available for sale during their farm tour or the convention.

Also don't forget about the peony auction that happens during the APS banquet. You'll definitely want to save a few dollars for that. Sometimes good deals are to be had on rare and sometimes pricier peony varieties. You may also get a second chance to purchase a peony variety that is already sold out for 2017 or perhaps not even offered in any 2017 catalogs.

There will also be plant purchasing opportunities during our tour of Plant Delights Nursery (& Juniper Level Botanic Garden) during this year's American Peony Society Convention. They do have a few select varieties of peonies to choose from. However the bulk of their offerings are varieties of a wide range of plant genera that you won't find anywhere else. Their prices aren't cheap, but you always get good sized, healthy plants. I always find something I need whenever I visit them!

I look forward to seeing you at the convention!
Potted Peonies for Sale
at the American Peony Society Convention

2017 One More Peony Order in Peony Paradise

Remember that snow we got this past weekend? Okay so maybe it wasn't much of a snow. Some people were just calling it "dry rain". Well anyway... What better way to spend a snowy weekend morning than shopping for peonies online? It's cold outside, the weather's icky, and no one wants to go out. So why not stay indoors, dream of big gorgeous peony blooms and springtime, go to peony paradise if you will - figuratively and literally. Okay, okay, I confess. I found a few more peonies in Peony Paradise that I just decided I couldn't live without. The reason I placed the order was for Peony 'Roselette's Baby'. It appears to be a newish? introduction from Adelman. The description says it is a sport of Peony 'Roselette', but with much more color. I couldn't resist adding another bright early peony to my collection.

With this bright red color and the name Peony 'Cherry Ruffles', I decided this upstanding multi-petaled red peony needed to take a trip over to my garden. Peony 'Carolina Moon', a white peony with a "yellow glow", seems like it would be right at home here too. :-) If you've never purchased peonies from Peony Paradise aka Adelman Peony Gardens, you are in for a treat. I received their 2017 catalog in the mail recently, and they have totally redesigned it. It is gorgeous! It's not just the cover, but the interior, descriptions, everything has been redesigned. They also say they are cleaning their mailing list. So if you do get their catalog and want to keep it, you need to contact them!
Adelman Peony Gardens 2017 Catalog

2017 I Found a Diamond In My Peony!

Diamond in My Peony
I don't know if it was luck or coincidence, but something caught my eye as I happened to walk by my intersectional peony garden today. The sun was going down, and there was just a bit of sunlight still glinting off the emerging red-toned intersectional peony foliage. Something in the foliage shimmered with facets of light, and shined like a diamond. I couldn't help but take a closer look to see what it was...
Intersectional Peony 'Unique' Foliage
When I got closer I found something very beautiful. It wasn't a diamond made of carbon, but a diamond made of water! It was so amazing. I wanted to capture it before the sun went down, before the water succumbed to the forces of gravity, before my diamond disappeared! I raced into the house to grab my camera. As luck would have it when I got back outside with my camera, the sun was still shining, and my water droplet diamond was still there! So I was able to capture these gorgeous photos of my Intersectional Peony 'Unique' foliage holding a water orb from several angles.
Intersectional Peony 'Unique' with Water Orb
How in the world did this water orb diamond come about anyway? Well Mother Nature was kind enough to give us a light dusting of snow this morning after a couple of weeks of temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Needless to say the snow melted quickly and was gone before noon. However a few of those snowflakes combined and formed this water orb. This seems like one of those once in a lifetime photos. Everything lined up just right in order for this water droplet diamond to be created, found, and photographed. The endless beauty of Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me. It makes my heart sing to find examples of this natural beauty each day.
Light Dusting of Snow on Emerging Peonies

2017 Protect Peonies from Super Cold Overnight Temps

So I don't usually worry with protecting my peonies. However this weekend I decided to try to help them. The temperatures here swung from 80 degrees for the high, to an overnight low of 25 degrees in just two days! I figured the peonies wouldn't like that too much. So I went to buy some buckets on my lunch break yesterday at work. I bought all four gray buckets they had. Luckily I had a few more buckets at home already, and I found a few empty flower pots to use as well. The big buckets worked well to cover the peonies that were up higher out of the ground, and the smaller flower pots worked well to cover the peonies that were not up much yet, and still low to the ground.
Peonies Protected from the Cold with Buckets and Flower Pots
It was already getting dark (and cold!) by the time I got off work and picked up my daughter from her after school program. When we got home she helped me cover the peonies with the buckets using a flash light. Between you and me, I think she had a little bit of fun doing it - any excuse to use a flashlight and play outside in the dark! We were able to get most of the early herbacouse hybrid peonies covered that were already popping up. I didn't worry with the tree peonies or interesectional peonies since these are usually pretty cold hardy anyway.
25 Degrees Overnight Temperature
The next morning, I removed all of the flower pots and buckets from the peonies. With the covering they all seemed to have made it through the super cold night just fine. The real test will be to see if the blooms open and if they open without any damage. I left the pots and buckets near the peonies. The forecast is calling for two more nights of below freezing weather. Since I've already protected these early peonies one night, I guess I better continue. Two more nights to go!
Peonies Protected from the Cold with Buckets and Flower Pots

2017 Tree Peony Paeonia ostii at Plant Delights Nursery Open House

Tree Peony Paeonia ostii Bloom
I had the opportunity to visit Plant Delights Nursery's winter open house this weekend. Even though it was the winter open house, it really felt like late spring or early summer. The temperature got up to 80 degrees, and it was so nice to have a spring like day to peruse the hellebores in bloom. I wasn't even planning to look at the peonies, even though I did notice that Tony introduced a new peony for the first time ever in his spring catalog (Peony 'Golden Sunrise').

Tree Peony Paeonia ostii

However, I just happened by a wonderful tree peony in bloom, and it smelled so good! Someone had pulled it out of its greenhouse, and it was sitting near the checkout lane. It turned out to be a Paeonia ostii seedling, and lucky for me there were several of them in the greenhouse and a couple that still had blooms on them. Needless to say one of them made the ride home with me, and perfumed by car during the whole trip! The scent on this tree peony is just heavenly!


Haul from Plant Delights Nursery Open House
(Including a Tree Peony Paeonia ostii)
If you hadn't noticed yet, the American Peony Society will be taking a tour of Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic garden during the 2017 APS Annual Convention. If you haven't yet made your plans to join us, now is the time to get your registration in! You might actually end up taking one of these awesome tree peonies (and likely several more plant friends too) home with you from the conference. ;-) If you'd like to know more about this Paeonia ostii species tree peony, take a look below at the catalog description from Plant Delight's Nursery's online catalog.


Plant Delight Nursery Paeonia ostii
(syn: Paeonia suffruticosa ssp. ostii) From China's Gansu, Hunan, and surrounding provinces comes an endangered tree peony species that was first published in 1992 and named after Italian peony expert, Dr. Gian Lupo Osti. Similar to Paeonia rockii, the 5' tall Paeonia ostii has narrower leaves and is topped in very early spring (mid-April in NC) with over 100 large, 6-8" wide, sweetly fragrant flowers. Paeonia ostii is unquestionably one of the finest peonies we've ever grown. Flower color ranges from white to pale pink, highlighted by a dark red central blotch and bright yellow stamens. Our plants are flowering-sized plants grown in the US. Interestingly, the 2004 publication, "The Genus Paeonia" says, "This is another recently established Chinese taxon that has not yet been introduced in the West."

2017 Record February Temperatures Cause Peonies to Sprout Early

Peony 'Lustrous'
Weather forecasters all over the country are reporting record high temperatures this month. It is supposedly the 2nd warmest February on record here so far. This early spring warm up has some peonies popping up a bit early and sending new shoots and buds up too. Many of A. P. Saunders' early hybrid peonies are starting to come up - Peony 'Lustrous', Peony 'Red Red Rose', Peony 'Halcyon', and Peony 'Rose Garland'.

Peony 'Red Red Rose'	Peony 'Halcyon'
Peony 'Rose Garland'	Peony 'Prairie Moon'

Tree Peony 'White Phoenix'	Tree Peony 'White Phoenix'

The tree peonies are definitely farther along than the herbaceous peonies. It almost looks like we could get our first bloom in February, especially if these temperatures continue. It has been in the 70s or close to 70 all week! Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' looks like it may bloom first. However, the foliage on Tree Peony 'Kamata-nishiki' 鎌田錦 is definitely the most developed. I can't wait to see these peonies bloom, and I am wishing and hoping that we do not get a nasty cold snap!
Tree Peony 'Kamata-nishiki' 鎌田錦

2017 Southern Peony Gets a New Look

You might have noticed... Southern Peony recently got a new look. The conversion took place a little at a time over the last month or so. Thank you for putting up with our construction dust while all of the new code was being put into place! I hope you all like the new look, and I think it is a huge improvement over our last look - more colors, more flowers, and of course more peonies! We've also given you the capability to like and share all of our posts on Facebook, and look for the capability to Pin your favorite Southern Peony photos to your own Pinterest board soon! I hope you find the new features, layout, and look to your liking and hope the new sharing features will enable you to share the love of peonies with everyone you know! :D
Southern Peony's New Look

2017 Southern Peony Joins Pinterest

In light of the article I shared with the American Peony Society on Facebook, The PEONY makes a comeback as best-selling summer flower following Pinterest popularity, I have decided to create a Southern Peony Pinterest page. I only have a few pins so far. So there's not much to look at yet, but there is a lot more to come! Also I'll be looking at adding Pinterest support to this site as well, so that you can Pin your favorite Southern Peony pictures to your own Pinterest boards! I'm not sure exactly where this endeavor will lead, but I have a feeling that spreading the love of peonies far and wide is one of them! :-)
Southern Peony Joins Pinterest
Peony 'Kopper Kettle'

2017 Registered for American Peony Society Convention

It took a little longer this year, but I actually got it done 10 days ago! I am now officially registered for the 2017 American Peony Society Convention in Raleigh, NC. I can't wait to see everyone, and of course all of the gorgeous flowers! If you haven't taken the time to put your registration in, now's the time to do it! I know it's only February, but March is right around the corner and May will be here before you know it! You can send your registration in by Mail or do it all Online, whichever you prefer. There's also an opportunity this year to sit down to dinner with the American Peony Society Board Members. I hope to see you there! Now get to it, the peonies are waiting for you! ;-)
American Peony Society 2017 Convention Registration Form