Wednesday, April 1, 2015

2015 American Peony Society Convention in Kentucky

The 2015 American Peony Society Convention is going to be May 13th-17th in Kentucky this year. I'm already registered for everything, and I'm so excited. I wasn't able to go last year, and I missed a whole year of fun. So I'm really excited to see everyone and of course all of the peonies! I have decided to drive this year since it will definitely cut down on my travel costs. That way I will have my own car and won't have to rent a car or fly. The hotel is a bit more expensive this year. I was going to stay elsewhere if I had to fly, but since I'm driving instead, I'll be able to stay at The Galt House Hotel, the hotel where the convention is being held. I'm really looking forward to it since this hotel is right on the river. If you're considering going, now's the time to get your registration in. After April 10th, there is a late fee. Another good reason to drive is that it will be much easier to bring flowers to enter into the APS Peony Exhibition. If you will have some peonies in bloom during the second week in May, you should consider bringing them. There are separate divisions for professional and amateur. So bring what you can. Don't be nervous. This is going to be my first year showing flowers too! ;)

2015 APS Convention in Louisville, Kentucky

Sunday, March 29, 2015

2015 Spring Has Sprung Colorful Peonies!!!

Oh my goodness! Blink your eyes and it goes from snow to spring! They are just emerging from the ground, but already my peonies are bringing lots of color and lots of cheer! I am so happy to see each one of them, to see how much they've grown since last year, to see if there are any varieties with a bud on them for the first time, to see if the ones I transplanted and divided are happy in their new homes, just to see them! They aren't even in bloom yet, and they are bringing so much happiness and color. We went from two weeks in a row of winter storms to two weeks of so-so weather to two weeks of spring! Okay, I'm a little excited. I hope you are too! Spring has sprung, and so have the peonies!!!

Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow' Emerging Foliage


Peony 'Pink Princess' Peony Seedling Emerging

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

2015 Tree Peonies in the Ice

The first winter storm hit yesterday. They are predicting another one tonight. The lowest prediction for the overnight low I saw was -4°F! They have now changed that prediction to 0°F. Hopefully if we do see temperatures that low, it is only for a very short period of time, and it doesn't do any damage to any of the peonies. It is now snowing quite a bit as I write this. I guess the only hope is that the snow will create a layer of protection from the cold temperatures. The tips of the peony foliage still look okay so far. I don't see any browning or blackening of the exposed foliage, but we also haven't encountered the lowest predicted temperatures. I'll keep you posted on how they fare!

Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun' Under a Layer of Snow & Ice

Sunday, February 15, 2015

2015 Signs of Spring, Tree Peony Foliage


Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'

I took these pictures just before the weekend, and as you can see the tree peonies are starting to show their first signs of spring. The foliage is beginning to sprout, which only makes me yearn for spring even more. However now is not the best time for the tree peonies to begin to sprout, since we have a big winter storm headed our way this week with some crazy low temperatures predicted for several nights as well. I am curious to see how this weather impacts all of my peonies, especially the tree peonies. I am new to growing tree peonies, so the ones I do have aren't very well established. So this may be a hard winter on them. I'm hoping none of them die, and they all make it! Perhaps if we have a decent groundcover of snow and ice that will help protect the lower halves of the peonies from the extreme temperatures. Right now the lowest prediction I've seen is -2°F! Yikes!
Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'
Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'


Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'

Saturday, January 17, 2015

2015 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List

Wow. I can't believe it's that time of year already. The peony catalogs are already up online, and things are selling out already. It seems like most peony growers have their catalogs out early this year. So I decided to go ahead and publish this 2015 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List. This is the third year I've collected this information. I think for the most part Intersectional Peonies are becoming more affordable. There are a couple vendors who raise their prices each year, but most of them become less costly as inventories of intersectional peonies increase. Enjoy! (Also if you'd like your company to be listed here, please join the American Peony Society as a Commercial Member, since this is where I obtain my peony grower information.)

Price Change from Last Year
Adelman - mostly same or lower
Bannister - same
Birchwood - same
Blossom Hill - mostly lower or same
Brooks - mostly same or lower
Buck Canyon - same
Cricket Hill - mostly lower
Fina - mostly higher
Hidden Springs - mostly higher or same
Hollingsworth - mostly higher or same
Peony's Envy - same
Solaris Farms - same
Song Sparrow - same or higher
Swenson - mostly lower or same

Intersectional PeonyPriceVendor
Al's Choice$125.00Swenson
Ballarena de Saval$70.00Adelman
Bartzella$45.00Solaris Farms
Bartzella$50.00Swenson
Bartzella$65.00Fina
Bartzella$69.00Cricket Hill
Bartzella$75.00Brooks
Bartzella$75.00Buck Canyon
Bartzella$79.00Peony's Envy
Bartzella$79.00Hidden Springs
Bartzella$80.00Adelman
Bartzella$85.00Birchwood
Bartzella$90.00Hollingsworth
Bartzella$90.00Song Sparrow
BartzellaC$135.00Blossom Hill
Berry Garcia$125.00Brooks
Border Charm$35.00Swenson
Border Charm$40.00Adelman
Border Charm$40.00Brooks
Border Charm$45.00Birchwood
Border Charm$60.00Song Sparrow
Callie's Memory$50.00Swenson
Callie's Memory$55.00Solaris Farms
Callie's Memory$75.00Adelman
Callie's Memory$75.00Brooks
Canary Brilliants$50.00Swenson
Canary Brilliants$70.00Adelman
Canary Brilliants$79.00Peony's Envy
Canary Brilliants$90.00Solaris Farms
Chief Black Hawk$225.00Brooks
Copper Kettle$80.00Solaris Farms
Cora Louise$60.00Adelman
Cora Louise$60.00Birchwood
Cora Louise$60.00Buck Canyon
Cora Louise$50.00Swenson
Cora Louise$54.00Hollingsworth
Cora Louise$74.00Hidden Springs
Cora Louise$79.00Peony's Envy
Cora Louise$85.00Song Sparrow
Cora Louise$89.00Cricket Hill
Court Jester$50.00Swenson
First Arrival$45.00Solaris Farms
First Arrival$50.00Swenson
First Arrival$56.00Hollingsworth
First Arrival$60.00Adelman
First Arrival$60.00Buck Canyon
First Arrival$79.00Peony's Envy
First Arrival$89.00Cricket Hill
First Arrival$125.00Bannister
First ArrivalC$100.00Blossom Hill
Garden Treasure$40.00Solaris Farms
Garden Treasure$50.00Swenson
Garden Treasure$60.00Fina
Garden Treasure$68.00Birchwood
Garden Treasure$75.00Brooks
Garden Treasure$75.00Hidden Springs
Garden Treasure$80.00Adelman
Garden Treasure$80.00Bannister
Garden Treasure$80.00Buck Canyon
Garden Treasure$80.00Hollingsworth
Garden Treasure$89.00Cricket Hill
Garden Treasure$89.00Peony's Envy
Garden TreasureC$130.00Blossom Hill
Going Bananas$40.00Adelman
Going Bananas$75.00Swenson
Going BananasC$90.00Blossom Hill
Gordon E. Simonson$215.00Hollingsworth
Gordon E. Simonson$225.00Adelman
Hidden Treasure$40.00Solaris Farms
Hillary$50.00Adelman
Hillary$50.00Buck Canyon
Hillary$50.00Hollingsworth
Hillary$50.00Swenson
Hillary$55.00Fina
Hillary$75.00Solaris Farms
Hillary$85.00Song Sparrow
Japanese Itoh$35.00Swenson
Joanna Marlene$75.00Swenson
Joanna Marlene$80.00Adelman
Julia Rose$50.00Swenson
Julia Rose$70.00Brooks
Julia Rose$75.00Adelman
Julia Rose$75.00Solaris Farms
Julia Rose$79.00Solaris Farms
Julia Rose$80.00Song Sparrow
Julia RoseC$125.00Blossom Hill
(Anderson's) Kaleidoscope$50.00Swenson
Kaleidoscope$75.00Buck Canyon
Kaleidoscope$95.00Brooks
Kaleidoscope$125.00Hidden Springs
Kopper Kettle$99.00Adelman
Lafayette Escadrille$60.00Song Sparrow
Lemon Dream$45.00Adelman
Lemon Dream$45.00Brooks
Lemon Dream$45.00Buck Canyon
Lemon Dream$45.00Solaris Farms
Lemon Dream$50.00Swenson
Little Darlin$60.00Birchwood
Little Darlin$60.00Song Sparrow
Lollipop$75.00Solaris Farms
Love Affair$150.00Adelman
Love Affair$160.00Hollingsworth
Lunar Glow$100.00Adelman
Luxuriant$175.00Brooks
Momo Taro (Peach Boy)$45.00Solaris Farms
Morning Lilac$70.00Adelman
Morning Lilac$70.00Brooks
Morning Lilac$70.00Buck Canyon
Morning Lilac$75.00Swenson
New Millennium$200.00Adelman
Old Rose Dandy$35.00Swenson
Old Rose Dandy$40.00Hollingsworth
Old Rose Dandy$45.00Adelman
Old Rose Dandy$45.00Solaris Farms
Pastel Splendor$35.00Swenson
Pastel Splendor$45.00Adelman
Pastel Splendor$45.00Solaris Farms
Pastel Splendor$48.00Hidden Springs
Pastel Splendor$70.00Song Sparrow
Pastel SplendorC$80.00Blossom Hill
Prairie Charm$35.00Buck Canyon
Prairie Charm$35.00Swenson
Prairie Charm$48.00Brooks
Prairie Charm$50.00Adelman
Prairie Charm$50.00Birchwood
Prairie Charm$55.00Hidden Springs
Prairie Charm$60.00Bannister
Prairie Charm$70.00Song Sparrow
Rosy Prospects$70.00Adelman
Scarlet Heaven$35.00Swenson
Scarlet Heaven$38.00Hollingsworth
Scarlet Heaven$40.00Adelman
Scarlet Heaven$45.00Solaris Farms
Scarlet Heaven$69.00Cricket Hill
Scarlet HeavenC$80.00Blossom Hill
Sequestered Sunshine$75.00Brooks
Sequestered Sunshine$75.00Swenson
Shining Light$35.00Swenson
Singing in the Rain$40.00Adelman
Singing in the Rain$125.00Brooks
Smith Family Yellow$99.00Adelman
Sonoma Amethyst$65.00Adelman
Sonoma Amethyst$65.00Buck Canyon
Sonoma Amethyst$75.00Solaris Farms
Sonoma Apricot$80.00Adelman
Sonoma Apricot$80.00Buck Canyon
Sonoma Floozy$80.00Adelman
Sonoma Halo$350.00Adelman
Sonoma Kaleidoscope$200.00Adelman
Sonoma Lavender Fancy$50.00Adelman
Sonoma Sun$80.00Adelman
Sonoma Velvet Ruby$75.00Solaris Farms
Sonoma Velvet Ruby$80.00Adelman
Sonoma Welcome$75.00Adelman
Strawberry Blush$250.00Adelman
Sunshine SensationC$130.00Blossom Hill
Unique$48.00Buck Canyon
Unique$50.00Swenson
Unique$60.00Adelman
Viking Full Moon$40.00Solaris Farms
Viking Full Moon$45.00Adelman
Viking Full Moon$120.00Song Sparrow
Watermelon Wine$150.00Adelman
White Emperor$125.00Swenson
Yellow Crown$45.00Solaris Farms
Yellow Emperor$45.00Solaris Farms