Thursday, August 9, 2018

2018 Southern Peony Visits Wangcheng Park 王城公园


Wangcheng Park 王城公园
Luoyang, China


Peony Garden Map


Peony Fairy Statue

Of the three peony gardens I've visited so far, Wangcheng Park was definitely the most lovely. The peonies here were planted inside of huge beds surrounded by very wide walkways, all set out in a symmetrical pattern. The pattern was almost maze like, but the walkways were so large, you didn't feel like you were in a maze. The beds were all edged by a beautiful decorative low fence with pretty posts inlaid with designs, made of cement. This garden also had the same towering lady statue in it. I believe they call her the peony fairy. She was in the very center of all of the peony beds, resting in a huge central round shaped patio. She had the same flowing robes as all of the other Chinese peony fairies, like the one in 2018 Southern Peony Visits Luoyang National Peony Garden 洛阳国家牡丹园 (South). This time instead of a ringlet crown of small peony flowers, she had but one very large peony sitting atop her head, almost like she was the Peony Fairy Queen. The peony crown on her head was surrounded by beads, perhaps jade beads. She also wore a beaded jade necklace as well.


Tree Peony Garden Shade Structures


Tree Peony Garden Pathway


Garden Workers Taking Down
the Temporary Tree Peony Shade Structure

The outdoor tree peonies had also finished blooming here, and my theory about the temporary shade coverings for the tree peonies in bloom was confirmed at this park, as the staff were taking down some of the last of the tree peony shade structures at this park. The temporary shade structures at Wangcheng Park were made of round wood with a black shade cloth draped above. The staff were cutting the string ties that held the shade cloths in place, probably preparing them for storage during the summer, fall, and winter.


Tree Peony Exhibition Hall with Palm Trees


Palm Tree (Trachycarpus fortunei (Hook.) H. Wendl.)

This park also had a small exhibition hall filled with blooming tree peony plants. Growing right outside the exhibition hall were more palm trees. The palm trees were actually labeled, and were Trachycarpus fortunei or Chinese Windmill Palm, confirming to me again that their peony growing climate is actually quite warm. Inside the hall were tree peonies all in bloom (which are likely refreshed from greenhouses with peonies set up to bloom at different rates). This exhibit hall contained three air conditioned rooms. The first room was all flowers with a wall of potted tree peonies. On the edge of the wall was a structure resembling large stairs with three levels of potted tree peonies on it. There was a central display containing only 1 or 2 very beautiful tree peonies, surrounded by other potted blooming annuals.


Indoor Tree Peony Display


Huge Light Pink Chinese Tree Peony Blooms


Potted Chinese Tree Peonies

A couple things I noticed in this indoor peony display, the soil/mud in the tree peony pots, and the extra cool temperature in the rooms. I've heard and read several times that the quickest way to kill a tree peony is to overwater it (and I'm no tree peony expert yet). However it struck me as odd that they kept all of their potted tree peonies very moist. Take a look at the pictures of the soil I took. They are all very, very wet and do not appear to be in well draining soil. The soil seems to be very thick and heavy and seems to contain quite a bit of clay.


Potted Tree Peony Soil/Mud


Potted Tree Peony Soil/Mud


Potted Tree Peony Soil/Mud

The second thing I noticed was not quite as surprising, but it certainly did make sense to me. I know we like to keep our Peony Exhibition flower show rooms very cool to help preserve the cut peony blooms as long as possible, but I've never seen an indoor peony display with growing potted peonies kept so cool, 16°C or about 61°F. I guess it makes sense that the blooms will last longer even on growing plants at a cooler temperature. Chinese people love their peony blooms so much, and want to make them last as long as possible indoors (super cold air conditioning) and out (temporary shade cloth structures).


Air Conditioner in Indoor Tree Peony Display


Flora and Fauna Tree Peony Display

When I walked into the second indoor room, I was amazed and awestruck and filled with wonder all at once. The oddity and the beauty of what I was seeing both struck me at the same time. There were natural scenes with colorful blooming potted tree peonies surrounded by preserved, taxidermied animals - deer, ducks, a peacock, and many other birds. It was kind of weird, different and surprising to me, but really very interesting. There were also potted palms and ferns, Chinese garden rockery, and lacquered Chinese wood art. The juxtaposition of all of these colorful things which were somehow once natural, but now contorted by man, pleased the eye, but confused the mind - and yet I still loved it.


Red Chinese Tree Peony


Fuchsia Chinese Tree Peony


Peacock with Tree Peonies


Flora and Fauna Tree Peony Display


Pink Chinese Tree Peony Blooms


Fuchsia Chinese Tree Peony Bloom


White Chinese Tree Peony Blooms

After visiting the indoor building, we went back outside to explore. Even though the outdoor tree peonies had finished blooming here, the inside edges of many of the beds were all lined with blooming tree peony plants. These plants had all been grown in pots in greenhouses and then brought here and been temporarily planted on the edges of the beds. This way they were able to extend the tree peony season for visitors and tourists (lucky for me) and also keep blooming plants near the edges of the beds blooming at all times during their peony bloom season. This allowed visitors to always be able to get a close up view of the plants during the whole month of the of the festival.


Tree Peony Garden with Beach Umbrellas


Tree Peonies Under Palm Trees with Beach Umbrellas


Isabella with her Chinese Peony Backpack

Isabella found this peony embroidered backpack she just had to have at one of the street vendors inside the park. They also had lots of street vendors here selling all kinds of peony merchandise and a few snacks and treats too. Luckily we were able to take a small rest break and enjoy some popsicles. There was a small river running through this park as well, and when we crossed the bridge we found this lovely terraced tree peony garden growing under the shade of hardwood trees. I bet it would have been lovely to see in full bloom. I also saw a few herbaceous peonies growing under some small herbaceous trees as well. The look of the pink peony blossoms resting against the smooth wooden trunks just looked like art waiting to be photographed.


Terraced Tree Peony Garden


Herbaceous Pink Peony with Smooth Wood Trunks


Pale Pink Herbaceous Peony
Growing Beside Smooth Wood Trunk


Peony Lovers Taking Selfies with the Peonies

At this park we also found a few peony lovers taking selfies with the blooms. It's kind of silly, but in some ways I love it. It kind of shows how deeply the Chinese people and their culture are connected with peonies. To them it's not silly, it's good luck, good fortune, and of course the peony flowers are kind of gorgeous! I can't wait for it to catch on in the US, for peonies to be so popular that people must take selfies with them. Maybe we just need more young people interested in peonies in the US. ;-)


Outdoor Potted Tree Peony Display Garden


Outdoor Potted Tree Peony Display Garden


Light Pink Chinese Tree Peony in Flower


Red Chinese Tree Peony in Flower


Red Chinese Tree Peony Blossom

It was nice to have all of these potted tree peonies displayed outdoors. The planted, potted tree peonies on the edge of the beds were being shaded by bright, multi-colored beach umbrellas (and the temporary shade structures as well). It made the blooms easy for photographing or painting, which I did happen upon a peony painter at this park as well. This peony artist was painting in what seemed to be the Luoyang style of peony painting. The paint colors seemed darker, the paint seemed more blotchy. Most of the peony paintings I saw for sale in Luoyang were painted in this style, very different than the peony paintings style I saw in Suzhou, 2014 Silk Tree Peony Paintings from China, which were much more delicate, detailed, and brightly colored. This park also contained the province's largest zoo and an amusement park with a large ferris wheel and many other rides too, which made it a great park for the kids (and grandparents) too!


Luoyang Peony Painter Creating a Work of Art


Sunday, August 5, 2018

2018 Southern Peony Visits Shenzhou Peony Garden 神州牡丹园


Shenzhou Peony Garden 神州牡丹园
Pavilion, Peony Mural, and Tree Peonies

During our trip to Luoyang, China, the second peony garden we visited was the Shenzhou Peony Garden 神州牡丹园. (If you missed the articles about the first garden we visited, you can find them here, 2018 Southern Peony Visits Luoyang National Peony Garden 洛阳国家牡丹园 (North) and 2018 Southern Peony Visits Luoyang National Peony Garden 洛阳国家牡丹园 (South).) The Shenzhou Peony Garden was more in the typical Chinese garden style with garden rooms and bridges, streams, water features, and rocks, etc. However instead of their garden being inside, their Chinese gardens were outside. Most of the tree peonies outside had finished flowering here as well, except for the yellow varieties, and a few green, orange, and purple.

Pale Pink Chinese Tree Peony Blooms

Inside the great hall of this garden, there were several large rooms with very high ceilings. There were lots of Luoyang style peony paintings for sale in the first room. In the next two rooms there were potted tree peonies being displayed in a large elevated area in the center of each room. The tree peonies were surrounded by a short, white fence made of turned wood pieces. The first of the tree peony rooms contained the white, near white, and pale pink tree peonies in bloom. They were all so gorgeous, so delicate, so heavenly.

White with Purple Flares Chinese Tree Peonies
White and Yellow Chinese Tree Peony

The second room of potted tree peonies contained all of the bright and vivid colored tree peonies. There were fanciful red & whites, fuchsias, bright lavenders, hot pinks, bold reds, dark maroons, and eye-popping purples. This room is definitely where all the drama was taking place. If you haven't witnessed any kind of peony craze before, I think this is a pretty close as you will come. The photo says it all. There were crowds of people all clamoring to get a photo of the pretty peonies with their cameras (or their phones). People were dueling with their selfie sticks to get their phone closest to the most beautiful blossoms. Peony lovers were jumping at the chance to take a selfie with the gorgeous trees peony blooms as well. The whole room was a flurry of people, cameras, and selfie sticks. It was definitely a sight to behold, and an experience I will never forget.


Potted Tree Peonies Inside the
Great Hall of the Shenzhou Peony Garden


Red & White Chinese Tree Peony


Purple Chinese Tree Peony

Purple Pink Chinese Tree Peony
Lavender Chinese Tree Peony


Red Chinese Tree Peony


Pale Lavender Chinese Tree Peony


Maroon Chinese Tree Peony

On the walls of this great hall where the potted tree peonies were being displayed, were large printed metal sheets that contained all kinds of information about Chinese peonies. These metal sheets were probably 6 or 8 feet high and just as wide or wider. Both of the rooms' walls were filled with a dearth of Chinese tree peony information - cultivation, classification, origins, popular cultivars, etc. If you happened to be a peony nut, you could get lost in these gardens for days. It was almost surreal being surrounded by so much peony information, peony plants, peony history, peony culture. It was like a competition in my mind to select what to focus on, to be able to absorb as much "peony" as possible in the short amount of time I had to explore.


Me with Blooming Chinese Tree Peonies
Surrounded by Peony Knowledge


Outdoor Chinese Tree Peony Garden
Shaded by Temporary Shade Cloth Structure


White Double Tree Peony Blossoms
Surrounded by a Chinese Bamboo Fence

Many of their tree peony varieties were grown in raised beds with walls made of cement. The tree peonies in these raised beds were grown outside in the sun. Then when it was time for that section to flower and come into bloom (each section was planted with the same or similar variety), a large (huge) temporary shade cloth structures is set up over them while they bloom, to help the blooms last longer. When that variety is done blooming, then they would move the shade cloth to a different section of tree peonies coming into bloom.


Isabella with the Chinese Garden Rocks

They also had the one of the taller specimens of the Chinese garden natural rock sculptures here. It was in the center of a water feature. It was in the center of a circular pond surrounded by a low wall. It was reminiscent of a central fountain in the garden, with the rocks being the water that would have been sprayed into the air. These rocks did have water flowing down them in a waterfall style, with various plants growing among the nooks and crannies. The small pond surrounding the rocks contained a group of koi fish, to which the children enjoyed feeding bits of cookies.

Orange Tree Peony Bloom
Yellow Tree Peony Bloom


Peachy Pink Chinese Herbaceous Peony
My Favorite Herbaceous

The herbaceous peony pictured above was by far my favorite Chinese herbaceous peony I saw on the whole trip. I want to say I've seen a picture of it before, but for the life of me, I cannot seem to find it again. I want to say the name has something to do with a star because of the pointed green petals in the middle of the flower that almost for a star shape. If anyone know what cultivar it is, please contact me! I'm sad to report that the majority of the peonies in the gardens I visited were not labeled with a cultivar name. I saw a few (very few) plaques with some cultivar names in front of a couple of mass tree peony planting, but for the most part the peonies plants were not labeled. Hence the lack of names on the peony photos from my trip. However the lack of labeled cultivar names did not take away from the beauty of the peony flowers, and we all still enjoyed seeing the wonderful and colorful shows they put on.


Me with Yellow Chinese Tree Peony

Chinese Tree Peony Blooms

This garden was just enormous, and I don't think I got to see the entire thing. I just kept leading my family (and in laws) from one section of the garden to another. About halfway through, they were ready to go and had seen enough. I think we spent about a half day here, but you could easily spend all day and you still may not see everything. I pushed on and happened upon an awesome, towering sculpture of a pink peony blossom. That is definitely the largest peony I've ever seen! ;-) It almost made you realize what it feels like to be a honey bee!


Giant Pink Peony Bloom Sculpture


Double Purple/Pink Chinese Tree Peonies in Bloom

I also could not take my eyes off of this gorgeous purple tree peony. It had a hint of pink in it, but it my mind it was purple, and double and loaded with petals, and it had a cute skirt of purple guard petals. It was definitely my favorite tree peony I saw on the trip. I wish I knew what this variety was too (again no label). This one however was planted in a raised bed in a large group of the same variety as well. The effect was titillating! I just couldn't stop taking pictures of it!


Gorgeous Double Purple/Pink Tree Peony Bloom
My Favorite Tree Peony


Peony Bouquets for Sale

I also saw some people selling peony bouquets in the garden. Not a novel idea, but just something I'd never seen before. All of the peony stems they were selling were herbaceous peonies. I didn't inquire as to the price, but I bet it was super affordable due to the favorable exchange rate. Something else I noticed that really caught my eye were the palm trees growing in the garden - wait, what? Yes, palm trees. The weather in Luoyang was actually quite warm, and I'm guessing their growing zone was probably similiar to my own. I looked it up and found that Luoyang is the equivalent of USDA Growing Zone 8b! So they are actually a whole growing zone warmer than me! So if you need any further proof that peonies do grow well in warmer climates, there you have it, the peony capital of the world, Luoyang, China is in growing zone 8b. The place where peonies originated from is actually pretty hot!!


Peonies in a Field with Shade Cloth and Palm Trees


White Chinese Tree Peony


Famous Double Green Tree Peony Bloom


Double Green Tree Peony in Bloom

Another thing I was excited to see and find in this garden were the famous double green tree peonies. They were growing outside and in bloom. How lucky! I had never seen such as thing as this in person, only in pictures, and they were just as magnificent as I'd imagined. I would love to grow one of these green blooming tree peonies, what a curiousity! Another thing that amazed me was this bed of herbaceous peonies growing underneath a tree. Not only were they growing underneath a tree, they were growing well and blooming their heads off! Hold on - what? Herbaceous peonies growing underneath my trees are alive, but they are not growing well, and I'd be lucky to get one or two blooms on a plant. These were covered in blooms and buds. Was it the variety? Was is somehow more vigorous? Did it have a stronger root system? Or was is something else...

Pink Herbaceious Peonies
Growing Happily Under a Tree


Pink Herbaceous Peonies
Growing in a Raised Bed with Bamboo Fencing


Perfect Pink Herbaceous Peony Blossom