2019 Intersectional Peony 'Joanna Marlene' Update

Intersectional Peony 'Joanna Marlene' from Ebay, in Bud
Since so many people have been asking me about that Intersectional Peony 'Joanna Marlene' root I bought on Ebay, I decided I should write an update about her. There were several comments on the article I wrote about purchasing this peony on Ebay, 2015 Intersectional Peony 'Joanna Marlene' on Ebay, wanting to know the status of this plant. I must say I was excited to see its first bud developing this year. This peony took quite a while to get to blooming size, but it finally made it. I was so ready and full of anticipation for it to open. After all these years of waiting, the moment of truth had finally arrived!


Intersectional Peony 'Joanna Marlene' from Ebay, Old Bloom
I did actually capture a photo of it in bud one evening last week. However I totally missed it opening the next day. (Pesky work, what's it good for?! LOL) By the time I had a chance to snap another photo of it 3 days later, there wasn't much left of it, and not much color either. Judging by the color of the bud that was just about to open, though, it looks like this peony is probably the correct cultivar. Sometimes the first bloom on a plant is not very indicative of what a full sized plant's bloom may look like. So it's quite possible that the blooms on this plant will have more petals next year. I guess I will have to reserve making a final judgement on the positive identification of this plant, but so far the prognosis looks good!

2019 Peony Pollen Collection Tubes

I finally found something decent to put my tree peony pollen in, as I mentioned in my hybridizing article, 2019 Peony Hybridizing Season is Here! I bought these plastic tubes with screw on lids on Amazon last year. I didn't actually use them last year, though, as I purchased them right after tree peony season was over (and I decided I needed something better than just aluminum foil to save and store my pollen in). I have really been putting them to good use this year. I have collected 7 types of tree peony pollen so far this year - 'Angel Choir', 'Angel Emily', 'KC Red', 'Lavender Hill', 'Lavender Grace', 'Sahohime', and 'Shimadaijin'. I am so glad I purchased them, as they have really come in handy. I take them out into the garden when I want to pollinate some flowers, and then return them to the fridge when I am done.


Tree Peony Pollen in Plastic Tubes
I have been keeping them in the fridge with the lids off, but I plan to put the lids on and freeze them when I'm done with my hybridizing season for use in future years if I need them. At first I just put a little piece of tape on the lid with the pollen name on it, but then I also labeled the bottles too (so I will know what the pollen is when the lid is off). Also having the name on the lid and the bottle makes sure I don't intermix the pollen by putting the wrong lid on the wrong bottle. I also plan to write the year on them before I put them in the freezer, so I can keep track of how old they are, in case I need to throw some out in the future. If you'd like to get your own tubes for pollen collection, just search for "dime coin tubes". Yes, these are actually meant to hold coins! If you want to adjust the size to fit your needs, just look for the coin size you would prefer for your bottle circumference. Happy Pollinating!

2019 Spring Hill Nursery Peony Order Arrives

Spring Hill Nursery Intersectional Peony Order
I must say I was quite impressed when my Spring Hill Nursery order arrived that I had placed last fall, 2018 Strawberry Crème Brûlée Intersectional Peony at Spring Hill Nursery. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Honestly I think I was expecting bare root peonies that would have a hard time establishing themselves. However they actually sent growing plants that we in approximately quart sized pots, with several sets of leaves on each plant. The plants were packaged quite well, and I actually left them in the box a day longer than they should have been since I didn't open the box the first day it arrived. They still were doing well and had plenty of moisture in the soil.


Spring Hill Nursery Intersectional Peony Order
Some of the leaves were a bit bent. I'm not sure if that is from their shipping journey or perhaps just being grown in close quarters with their friends and getting a bit tangles up. Perhaps the packers had a hard time untangling them before boxing them up. I'm not sure. So they are a bit tired, and probably won't grow much more this year, but at least they have been grown well and have nice foliage on them. The black pots were bagged up with white bags and twist ties. One of the plants actually had a small immature leaf shoot trying to grow underneath the bag. I'm hoping it will still be able to grow now that I've unbagged them.


Spring Hill Nursery Intersectional Peony Order
I really am looking forward to seeing these bloom. I am hoping they are all the correct varieties purchased. One advantage of having these intersectional peonies shipped as potted plants with foliage growing already is that you can tell that they actually are intersectional peonies. So I know they've gotten one thing right. That leads me to believe that perhaps these will be the correct cultivars (fingers crossed). However these are definitely small plants (most likely cloned) because come on what peony root division is going to fit in a 4 inch pot? But I don't care if they are cloned, as long as they're the right plant! We shall see. Also the 'Strawberry Creme Brulee' Intersectional peony appears to have "strawberry" pinkish colored stems, while 'Oochigeas' and 'Pastel Lilas' do not. So it seems like I have more than one variety here as well. Since they are small plants, it may take several years for them to bloom. Let's hope it's worth the wait!


Spring Hill Nursery Intersectional Peony Order

2019 'Scrumdidleyumptious' Intersectional Peony Update

Fake Intersectional Peony 'Scrumdidleyumptious'
Remember that 2018 Tulip World Offers Intersectional Peony 'Scrumdidleyumptious' for $12.95!? Well maybe I should have known better, but I couldn't resist. It has started growing here already, and unfortunately it is not the correct variety. I can tell already because it has herbaceous peony foliage instead of intersectional peony foliage. Another reader in Georgia who purchased these as well reported the same information - herbaceous foliage. It is quite disappointing because I was hoping these were correct since no one else seems to be offering this peony for sale. I didn't find it at any APS Commercial Growers this year. So it wasn't on my 2019 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List.


Fake Intersectional Peony 'Scrumdidleyumptious' Foliage
I know I shouldn't be that upset about it since they were only $13, but I don't see any other opportunity to acquire this plant right now. I'd like to add Tulip World to a list of growers selling fake peonies, kind of like my 2018 Ebay Peony Seller Reviews. I don't have a list like that right now, but perhaps if I collect enough of these "mislabeled" varieties from suspect growers, then perhaps I'll start another list of this nature. I wish I had better news for all of you, but I guess the hunt is still on. Let me know if anyone finds a more reputable source for this peony variety. I'd still love to own it (and see how it grows here)!


Intersectional Peony 'Scrumdidleyumptious' Sign

2019 New Label Maker for Peony Garden Signs Brother P-Touch PT-D600

I finally bit the bullet and bought a new label maker for my peony garden signs (and all of my other garden plant signs), and I love it! My old Brother P-Touch PT-1500PC, 2012 Brother P-Touch Peony Outdoor Plant Labels, finally bit the dust. I was trying to buy a replacement used one of the same model on Ebay, but everyone wanted about $35 with shipping. That was just too high for me to purchase a used device.


New Brother P-Touch PT-D600 Label Maker
So then I decided to see what newer models Brother had available that could connect to your PC. The Brother PT-D600 seemed to be their newest PC connectable model, but it also has a keyboard and you can design the labels directly on it as well (with a color screen). However the price was like $76 on Amazon. So I just added it to my shopping basket, hoping that the price would come down. I've been without a label maker for a few months now, and the price on the label maker finally came down to the $50 range this past Sunday! For only $15 more (than the price of a used label maker), I could get a newer model that I could create labels on my PC or just on the machine itself. So I snagged one right away. I just got it set up last night, and I love it!


Brother P-Touch PT-D600 Label Maker on Amazon.
(This is not an affiliate link.)
It prints faster than the old label maker. It also internally cuts the tape for you automatically as soon as it finishes printing, and it doesn't waste as much tape at the beginning and end of the print. The old unit actually wasted quite a bit of tape on both sides of what your were printing. So this new unit should actually save me money in the long run since it uses the tape much more efficiently! I am also able to use the same Brother P-Touch Editor software I had installed for my old label maker, and all of the previous label templates I created still work beautifully on this new one. If you are looking for a new label maker (or don't have one at all yet), I highly recommend this one! (I'd also try to snag one while the price is still $49.99. I'm sure Amazon will raise the price again soon!

2019 Solaris Farms Adds New Hot Herbaceous Peonies

Peony 'Dreamtime'
I noticed something quite interesting when I was creating my 2019 Herbaceous Hot 100 Peony Catalog Price Comparison List this year. Solaris Farms has become the leader in the "hot herbaceous" category this year, adding 8 more high demand varieties than last year for a total of 22 offered this year. Hollingsworth Nursery is still right up there with 21 "hot herbaceous" varieties offered. These two have been trading the leader position for the last couple of years in this category, but no other peony grower even comes close to the number of pricey, next generation peonies offered by these two growers. Both Solaris Farms and Hollingsworth Nursery have offered hot peony variety selections in the double digits, while all of the other growers have single digit offerings. Somehow I was lucky enough to get a root of Peony 'Dreamtime' last year. I am really looking forward to seeing what it does this spring!


Peony 'Dreamtime' Offered at Solaris Farms 2019

2019 Swenson Gardens $25 Intersectional Peonies!

Peony 'Prairie Charm' @ Southern Peony
When creating my 2019 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List this year, I noticed something I'd never seen before! A $25 Intersectional Peony!!! This is the first time ever that these gorgeous beauties have been offered for sale at this low of a price directly from a peony grower! Swenson Gardens is the vendor who actually was the first to offer this price drop, and it is not just one intersectional peony at this price point, but 3 of them! They are offering Intersectional Peony 'Border Charm', Intersectional Peony 'Prairie Charm', and Intersectional Peony 'Shining Light' for $25 each. It's definitely an exciting time to see the intersectional peony prices begin to approach the lower price points of standard herbaceous peonies!

Peony 'Border Charm' and Intersectional Peony 'Prairie Charm' were both hybridized by Don Hollingsworth (check out my interview with him here - 2016 Peony Hybridizer Interview - Don Hollingsworth), while Intersectional Peony 'Shining Light' has an unknown hybridizer of Japanese origin. I grow both 'Border Charm' and 'Prairie Charm' here in my Southern Peony garden. (See my photo of Peony 'Prairie Charm' above.) All three of these varieties are yellow flowering intersectional peonies. So if you don't yet have a yellow peony or you want to try a new yellow intersectional, this might be the time to do it!


Swenson Gardens Offers $25.00 Intersectional Peonies!

2019 Intersectional Peonies at Lowe's 3 for $29.98

Intersectional / Itoh Peonies for Sale at Lowe's
I'm not sure if I've ever seen a deal this good on Itoh / Intersectional Peonies before. If you haven't seen them yet, Lowe's Home Improvement is selling 3 Intersectional Peony roots in a box for $29.98! That's a really good deal considering the cheapest Intersectional Peony that I track on my price list, 2019 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List is $25 (plus shipping) for one (and that's the lowest price, the average price is $73)! Each "ITOH PEONIES" box has 3 peonies in it. The boxes all have 2 varieties in each box, with a mix of Intersectional Peony 'Bartzella' and one other peony. However I couldn't see how many you got of each. I'm guessing since it didn't tell you how many of each variety, that there are probably 2 'Bartzella's and 1 of the other variety in each box.


'Bartzella' & 'Scarlet Heaven' Peony Set
Intersectional Peony 'Bartzella' is a great peony to own anyway. It is an American Peony Society Gold Medal Winner and and American Peony Society Award of Landscape Merit Winner. It is also a Southern Peony Best Performer, 2012 Peony 'Bartzella' Best Performer - Week 5. From what I could see, it seems they are selling three combinations: Peony 'Bartzella' & Peony 'Cora Louise', Peony 'Bartzella' & Peony 'Canary Brilliants', and Peony 'Bartzella' & Peony 'Scarlet Heaven'. If you don't grow some of these varieties or if you think intersectional peonies have been too expensive for you to grow in the past, then this is an excellent opportunity to try them. Also if you do grow these varieties and you'd like to grow more of them, here's your chance to stock up!


'Bartzella' & 'Cora Louise' Peony Set

'Bartzella' & 'Canary Brilliants' Peony Set

2018 Ebay Peony Seller Reviews

Okay, so this article is about 3 years behind schedule, and while I have been procrastinating on posting it (due to wanting more information), I've finally decided that partial information is better than no information. I guess I will just update it later or create a new updated listing in the future as more information presents itself in my garden. I already see a need to reorganize the information by seller instead of by peony variety, but I will save that for a future article.


Mislabeled Intersectional Peony
(Sold to Me as Peony 'Lollipop')
In hopes that you may learn something from Ebay sellers I've purchased from over the years, I decided to create this reference for which sellers send the actual peony stated and which sellers do not - especially since an initial investment in a peony root can take years to show its true colors. Also if you have some direct experience with these same Ebay sellers or different sellers, please leave any concrete information you may have in the comment section below so that we may all benefit from our combined peony purchasing experiences.


Mislabeled Intersectional Peony
(Sold to Me as Peony 'Scarlet Heaven')

Review Key
✓	right	bloomed with the correct color and form
:(	died	died before blooming
X	wrong	bloomed with an incorrect color and/or form

Ebay Peony Seller Reviews
Peony	Seller	Year	Review
Adolphe Rousseau	Ebay - greenerpastures101	2006
Bartzella (Intersectional)	Ebay - mcgper1	2007	✓ right
Benjamin Franklin	Ebay - willowcreekgardens	2007	✓ right
Berry Garcia (Intersectional)	Ebay - bernard*sweety (Anna Snitkovskaia - Brooklyn, NY)	2014	X wrong - single hot pink root stock
Berry Garcia (Intersectional)	Ebay - irislady55 (Joni L. Renshaw, Joni's Dance-In-The-Wind Iris Garden - Tekamah, NE)	2015
Black Lotus (Hatsugarasu) (Tree)	Ebay - atskor8 (Svet Vasyl - Moscow, PA)	2014	X wrong - wrong tree peony white
Bowl of Cream	Ebay - luckybusya	2007	✓ right
Canary Brilliants (Intersectional)	Ebay - macao2000	2012	:( died
Canary Brilliants (Intersectional)	Ebay - bernard*sweety (Anna Snitkovskaia - Brooklyn, NY)	2014	X wrong - single hot pink root stock
Chocolate Soldier	Ebay - bigmikek	2007	✓ right
Chojuraku 長寿楽 (Longevity Music) (Tree)	Ebay - garden*breeze (Garden's Breeze - Mount Tabor, NJ)	2016
Coral Fay	Ebay	2004	✓ right
Coral 'N Gold	Ebay - mr.greengenes1	2007	✓ right
Coral Sunset	Ebay - nielsvnoort2c2z (Niels L. Van Noort - Woodland, WA)	2015
Dinner Plate	Ebay - luckybusya	2007	✓ right
Dr. Alexander Fleming	Ebay - willowcreekgardens	2007
Duchesse de Nemours	Ebay - luckybusya	2004	✓ right
Flame	Ebay - superchukcha	2007	✓ right
Fragrant Jade (Xiang Yu) (Tree)	Ebay - hungsupplysolutions	2013	✓ right
Golden Wheel (Huang Jin Lun)	Ebay - beautifulpeony	2007	✓ right
Goldmine (Huang Jin Lun)	Ebay - hirtsgardens (Hirts - Wadsworth, OH)	2016
Hanakisoi 花競 (Floral Rivalry) (Tree)	Ebay - hirtsgardens (Hirts - Wadsworth, OH)	2016
Houki 芳紀 (Charming Age) (Tree)	Ebay - hirtsgardens (Hirts - Wadsworth, OH)	2016
High Noon (Tree)	Ebay - hirtsgardens (Hirts - Wadsworth, OH)	2018
Hillary (Intersectional)	Ebay - ricknken03cw	2007	✓ right
Impossible Dream (Intersectional)	Ebay - atskor8 (Svet Vasyl - Moscow, PA)	2014	X wrong - wrong itoh yellow
Joannna Marlene (Intersectional)	Ebay - garden*breeze (Garden's Breeze - Mount Tabor, NJ)	2015
Julia Rose (Intersectional)	Ebay - ricknken03cw	2007	✓ right
Kamata-nishiki 鎌田錦 (Tree)	Ebay - atskor8 (Svet Vasyl - Moscow, PA)	2014	:( died
Kamata-nishiki 鎌田錦 (Tree)	Ebay - orientalpeony (Yongdong Wu - Upper Malboro, MD)	2016	✓ right
Karl Rosenfield	Ebay - willowcreekgardens	2007
Kinkaku (Souvenir de Maxime Cornu) (Tree)	Ebay - atskor8 (Svet Vasyl - Moscow, PA)	2014	X wrong - wrong tree peony white
Koukamon 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate) (Tree)	Ebay - garden*breeze (Garden's Breeze - Mount Tabor, NJ)	2017
Lemon Dream (Intersectional)	Ebay - macao2000	2012	:( died
Lemon Dream (Intersectional)	Ebay - jackshouse2008 (Therese Sprauer - Brooks, OR)	2014	✓ right
Lollipop (Intersectional)	Ebay - atskor8 (Svet Vasyl - Moscow, PA)	2014	X wrong - wrong itoh yellow
Love Affair (Intersectional)	Ebay - bernard*sweety (Anna Snitkovskaia - Brooklyn, NY)	2014	X wrong - single hot pink root stock
Mother's Choice	Ebay - mcgper1	2005	✓ right
Mr. Ed	Ebay - hostagardens	2007	✓ right
Nymphe	Ebay - superchukcha	2007	✓ right
Old Rose Dandy (Intersectional)	Ebay - macao2000	2012	✓ right
Paeonia delavayi var lutea ludlowii (Tree)	Ebay - dogwooderitternet	2013	:( died
Paeonia rockii (Tree)	Ebay - zwan2392 (Zuncai Wang)	2013	✓ right
Paula Fay	Ebay - mr.greengenes1	2007	✓ right
Petticoat Flounce	Ebay - bigmikek	2007
Pink Firefly	Ebay - hostagardens	2007	✓ right
Pink Jazz	Ebay - luckybusya	2004	✓ right
Prairie Charm (Intersectional)	Ebay - vasyl_svet (Sergei Snitkovskiy - Brooklyn, NY)	2015
Prairie Charm (Intersectional)	Ebay - orientalpeony (Yongdong Wu - Upper Malboro, MD)	2016
Raspberry Firefly	Ebay - greenatlatl	2007	✓ right
Red Double Fernleaf	Ebay - hanskaflowers	2006
Red Dwarf Single Fernleaf	Ebay - bigmikek	2007
Reine Hortense	Ebay - luckybusya	2005
Scarlet Heaven (Intersectional)	Ebay - macao2000	2012	X wrong - wrong itoh old rose dandy?
Scarlet O'Hara	Ebay - mr.greengenes1	2007	✓ right
Sorbet	Ebay	2004	✓ right
Shimadaijin 島大臣 (Island Minister) (Tree)	Ebay - garden*breeze (Garden's Breeze - Mount Tabor, NJ)	2016	✓ right
Shimanishiki 島錦 (Island Brocade) (Tree)	Ebay - garden*breeze (Garden's Breeze - Mount Tabor, NJ)	2017
Taiyo 太陽 (The Sun) (Tree)	Ebay - tyebrook (Samuel Saunders - Lovingston, Virginia)	2016	✓ right
Tom Eckhardt	Ebay - hirtsgardens (Hirts - Wadsworth, OH)	2007
Tria (Tree)	Ebay - atskor8 (Svet Vasyl - Moscow, PA)	2014	X wrong - wrong tree peony white
White Phoenix (Feng Dan Bai) (Tree)	Ebay - easyplantingli	2013	✓ right
White Phoenix (Feng Dan Bai) (Tree)	Ebay - hungsupplysolutions (Henry Hung, Hicksville, NY)	2016	✓ right
Yao's Yellow (Tree)	Ebay - orientalpeony (Yongdong Wu - Upper Malboro, MD)	2016	✓ right
Yellow Crown (Intersectional)	Ebay - mcgper1	2007	✓ right
Yellow Heaven (Intersectional)	Ebay - bernard*sweety (Anna Snitkovskaia - Brooklyn, NY)	2014	X wrong - single hot pink root stock
Yellow Waterlily (Intersectional)	Ebay - craftygalinmi (Kathy Carrigan, Lacy Creek Growers - Vermontville, MI)	2015
Yumi ?? (Possess Beauty) - Yellow Doodle Dandy (Intersectional)	Ebay - atskor8 (Svet Vasyl - Moscow, PA)	2014	X wrong - wrong itoh peony prairie charm?
Yumi (Possess Beauty) - Yellow Doodle Dandy (Intersectional)	Ebay - garden*breeze (Garden's Breeze - Mount Tabor, NJ)	2016	✓ right

2018 $1.69 'Sarah Bernhardt' Peony Not True to Name

$1.69 Peony from Aldi's - Not 'Sarah Bernhardt'
This seems like an appropriate story for Halloween. Is the $1.69 'Sarah Bernhardt' Peony a Trick or Treat? I guess that depends on how you look at it. This peony I purchased in 2016 Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt' for $1.69 at Aldi's! did not turn out to be the correct variety, Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt'. It look more like Peony 'Paula Fay' to me (hot pink in color instead of light pink and single to semi-double in nature instead of fully double), but who knows what cultivar it really is, if it is even a named cultivar. I originally planted and purchased 3 bags of this peony. The first one bloomed this year. I'm guessing the other two will bloom next year. I did see it fully open, but I didn't get a picture of it. This was right before my trip to China, 2018 Southern Peony Visits China National Flower Garden 中国国花园. So I guess I was just busy getting ready for the trip and missed taking the open bloom photo. Hopefully I will get a picture of it this coming spring when the rest of them bloom. As for whether this was a Trick or a Treat, I guess it could really be both. It was definitely a Trick since it was not the correct cultivar, but it could also be considered a Treat since the peony was so cheap, just $1.69 and the one of the plants bloomed on its second spring! Happy Halloween!


Sign for Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt'

$1.69 Peony from Aldi's - Not 'Sarah Bernhardt'

2018 Peony Plant Markers from Kincaid Gardens

You've probably seen pictures of these in lots of my peony photos. They are the best garden markers I have ever found, Kincaid 100% Stainless Steel Plant Markers. I first found out about them from Hollingsworth Peonies, and I have been using them for over 10 years now. The original markers I purchased from them still look brand new. The only reason one of them ever gets messed up is if I get too close to it with the lawn mower (even then, only the plate is damaged). They do sell replacements stainless steel plates if you need them, but just stay away from them with the lawn mower, and you'll be fine. The one pictured here is actually an old one. Sometimes the markers outlast the plants!!!


Kincaid 100% Stainless Steel Plant Marker Nameplate
I just realized this week that I am totally out. I usually keep a few in the house in my desk drawer (which was empty) and the rest of them in my garage storage area. I figured I'd check the garage later and bring some more inside to my office, but when I did check the garage, I was fresh out. So I just placed a new order today to get a few more bundles. They've changed their web site around a bit since the last time I ordered, but their best plant markers are the "Signature Series". They're not cheap (about $1 per marker or so), but you can get a discount for buying in bulk. Also if you are a member of the American Peony Society, you are also eligible for an extra discount of $1 off per bundle. You just need to call Kincaid and tell them you saw their ad in the American Peony Society bulletin to get the discount code.


Kincaid 100% Stainless Steel Plant Marker
Their "Signature Series" plant markers are 100% stainless steel which does not rust, and they're made in the USA! I think I usually order the 15" length, but 12" or 10" would probably work okay too. I guess it depends how deep you want to push the stake into the ground and how high up from the ground you want the plant nameplate to be. Keep in mind that about 2.5" of the length will be holding the nameplate. If you're tired of wasting your money on garden plant markers that rust, break, snap, and disintegrate, then it may be time for you to invest in these garden markers. You will be so pleased with them for years to come!

2018 Tulip World Offers Intersectional Peony 'Scrumdidleyumptious' for $12.95!

Okay, I know this is probably bait, but I already ate a bite. So let's hope not. I have been looking for Intersectional Peony 'Scrumdidleyumptious' ever since Don Smith told me about it when I did the interview with him in 2016 Peony Hybridizer Interview - Don R. Smith. (If you haven't seen this interview yet, you really need to check it out - and the picture of 'Scrumdidleyumptious'!) Anyway this gorgeous intersectional peony has so many petals in a lovely, pale peachy color and is supposedly highly fragrant. What more could you ask for?


Tulip World Offers Intersectional
Peony 'Scrumdiddlyumptious' for $12.95!
I have seen this Peony 'Scrumdidleyumptious' for sale by other more reputable growers, but I can never seem to get an order in for it before it sells out (way too quick!). So for $12.95, I'm figuring these are probably tissue cultured plants (read clones), but I don't mind as long as I get the real thing. Whether I actually get the real thing (a correctly labeled, intersectional peony) remains to be seen... For $12.95 + $6 shipping, it almost seems like a fun game to see what I'll get. The bad part is, it will probably take years before I know...

2018 Klehms Song Sparrow Offers Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' on Front Page of Web Site

Song Sparrow Offers Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace'
So it has been a couple weeks - since it's not on their front page right now, but in case you missed it, I saved a screen shot of it for you... (and me). Klehm's Song Sparrow offered Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' on the front page of their web site. And I've been thinking and thinking and thinking about it! So it wasn't an impulse purchase, but I finally caved in and purchased Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace'. Puprle/lavender is my favorite color, and the front cover on their web site really got me. The lavender gray fern, the dark purple heucheras, and that peony, that lavender tree peony... I just couldn't resist. Also this one appears to be hybridized by Roy G. Klehm and registered in 1998. It's APS registration says it has pollen, but the fertility is not noted. It would be nice if works for hybridizing.


Song Sparrow Offers Tree Peony 'Ezra Pound'
Advertises Open House and Pick-Up Days
If you are looking to add a few more peonies for the spring bloom season, Song Sparrow ships their tree peonies and intersectional peonies as potted plants in the spring! That's right - you don't have to wait until fall to get a bare root. Yes, their shipping fees are higher, but you get a growing plant in dirt that's going to be at least a year ahead (or more) than any bare root peony you will plant this fall. That's like buying yourself a year's time! Also if live anywhere near driving distance, their website front page now says that their "Open House and Pick-Up Days" are coming up in May. So you can save yourself the shipping fee if you live nearby...

2018 New Pricey Intersectional Peonies Debut at Swenson Gardens

I see that the Swenson Gardens 2018 catalog is now up, and in addition to their wide range of intersectional peony selections, they are also debuting several new pricey intersectional introductions registered in 2018 by Anderson / Swenson. I have updated my 2018 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List with all of their intersectional peony offerings, if you'd like to compare their prices to other peony vendors. However none of these new Anderson / Swenson cultivars are available on any other peony grower's sites this year since they are brand new, and appear to be exclusive to Swenson Gardens.
New Exclusive Intersectional Peonies
The new intersectional peonies they are offering are: 'Peppermint Blush' a blush colored intersectional for $175, 'Predawn Beauty' a medium pink intersectional for $175, 'Purple Reign' a purple intersectional for $250, and 'Scarlet Heights' a red intersectional for $250. If big fluffly doubles are your thing these new intersectional intros may not be for you, since they are all single types. They do seem to have nice, clear colors, though. The purple one keeps calling my name, but I can't decide if it's worth the $250. It will probably be sold out by the time I make up my mind...

2017 Peony Shop Holland 13 Intersectional Peonies Less than $20!

Peony Shop Holland
12 Intersectional Peonies for Less than $20!
As I was putting together the 2017 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List this year, I couldn't help but notice that Peony Shop Holland is offering 13 Intersectional Peony Varieties for less than $20 each! I have never ordered from them before, but I am definitely tempted. There is a €100.00 fee for a phytosanitary certificate, plus shipping. However, if you are placing a big order from them, the much, much lower price of the roots would likely more than pay for the extra fee. Also the dollar and the euro are almost equal now. One dollar equals .95 euro. I sent a note of inquiry to Peony Shop Holland, and Joshua informed me of another option for private collectors. There is a person in the USA who conglomerates USA orders into one shipment, making the shipping about $5 per root to your door with no separate phytosanitary charge. This might be another option to get some pretty intersectional peonies to your door!

The intersectional peony varieties that Peony Shop Holland is offering this year for less than $20 are:

Peony Variety	Price
Bartzella	€11.00
Border Charm	€11.00
Callies Memory	€11.00
Cora Louise	€15.00
Garden Treasure	€11.00
Hillary	€17.00
Old Rose Dandy	€13.00
Prairie Charm	€15.00
Scarlet Heaven	€15.00
Shining Light	€13.00
Viking Full Moon	€19.00
Yellow Crown	€11.00
Yellow Waterlily	€15.00

2016 Peony Purchases from Klehm's Song Sparrow Tour

Potted Peonies Purchased on Klehm's Song Sparrow Farm Tour
Wow! My plants from the APS Peony Convention Tour of Song Sparrow arrived this week, and I got them planted today. I purchased three peonies in their $15 potted plant sale - Peony 'Carl G. Klehm', Peony 'Lake o' Silver', and Peony 'Lora Dexheimer'. Two of these peonies had blooms on them when I purchased them. So I know I was getting the correct variety. I really like that. Unfortunately one of them didn't have a bloom on it, but I wanted that one so bad I bought it anyway. It was the last one of that variety that they had, that was potted and on sale for $15. It was Peony 'Carl G. Klehm', which got many votes and several nominations in the American Peony Society Gold Medal voting this year. So I guess Peony 'Carl G. Klehm' must be a pretty good peony to grow. Since it is so small, it might take a while to settle in. Hopefully I'll get some blooms from it eventually! :-)

2016 $20 Tree Peonies on Ebay from Hirt's Gardens

Tree Peony 'Hanakisoi' 花競 (Floral Rivalry)
I couldn't resist buying one of each of these $20 tree peonies on Ebay from Hirt's Gardens, Tree Peony 'Hanakisoi' 花競 and Tree Peony 'Houki' ('Hoki') 芳紀. Unfortunately some of the tree peonies I've purchased in the past on Ebay (from different sellers) were not the variety advertised. (Ebay peony seller's reviews still to come!) However, after receiving these, I could recognize immediately upon receipt that these were much better quality and seemed to be packed in a professional environment. Both of these are Japanese tree peony cultivars. They appear to be imported from overseas, and they come with a high quality garden tag with a nice color photo on it. So hopefully these tree peonies will be true to name. There are still a few left if you're interested in getting one or both of them at this awesome price point. Also the combined shipping for both of these together was only around $12.50 (about $6 each). You just can't beat that price point! If you are looking to expand your tree peony collection or get one started (like me), these tree peonies may be just what you're looking for!

Tree Peony 'Houki' ('Hoki') 芳紀 (Charming Age)

2016 Japanese Tree Peony 'Chojuraku' from Ebay

Tree Peony 'Chojuraku' 長寿楽 Garden Label	Tree Peony 'Chojuraku' 長寿楽 from Ebay

I just bought this Japanese Tree Peony 'Chojuraku' 長寿楽 from Ebay two weeks ago. It came quickly through the mail, and I got it planted quickly too. I must say I am really impressed by the size and age of this grafted plant. It is huge. I definitely feel like I got my money's worth from this Ebay seller - garden*breeze. This is the second peony I have purchased from them, and I have been happy with both. However, this isn't the case with all Ebay sellers, so I am planning on creating and Ebay peony seller's review. Hopefully I will be able to get to it this year! Another reason I am excited about this peony besides its large size is its color - lavender, my favorite! This Tree Peony 'Chojuraku' 長寿楽 looks like it may be a double flowering P. rockii hybrid since it has dark purple flares, and I really have been wanting a peony like that. I tried buying some Purple Peony Rockii Seeds from Ebay Canada last year, but they haven't sprouted yet. I'm not giving up hope on those yet since many of my own 2015 seed have not sprouted yet. However, I'm sure this Tree Peony 'Chojuraku' 長寿楽 will provide me with blooms much sooner!

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!

2016 K. Hall Design Peony Products

I first discovered these K. Hall Designs products almost two years ago now, on our first wedding anniversary. I was pregnant at the time and couldn't travel far. So we decided to check in to a local spa. When we went to relax in the pools at the spa, I couldn't help but notice these peony products. The candles, lotion, and bath salts really caught my eye with "PEONY" printed boldly on a minimalistic pale pink label. I loved the scent (of course!), especially since it was not overpowering or fake smelling. The fact that the lotions and bath salts had not been dyed pink with artificial colors was a big plus in my book! I really wanted the lotion (of which they had a sample you could test). However, it was sold out. So I purchased the bath salts instead, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. When you add these peony salts to your bath, the entire bathroom smells like a field of peonies! I have since gotten the lotion as well, and it is just right. It moisturizes your hands and smells sweet without being sticky, greasy, or too strong smelling. So if you are looking for some mostly natural (their web site says at least 95% natural) peony toiletries, definitely check these out...

K. Hall Designs Peony Lotion and Bath Salts