2012 APS Peony Convention Arrival

When I got into Omaha tonight, it was almost midnight. The landscape is a bit flat with a nice river, the Missouri. The view of the city at night was beautiful. The lights of the skyline sparkled and were set off by the lit Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. Omaha is much more of a city than the site of the last American Peony Society Convention I attended in Janesville, Wisconsin, which was more of a town. I am really looking forward to the garden tours tomorrow, but it is going to be an early start. So I guess I'll catch up on my sleep tomorrow night. :) I haven't had a chance to check into the convention yet. So I'll have to make sure I wake up early enough to check in and be ready to board the tour buses by 7:30am!

Omaha, Nebraska

2012 APS Peony Convention Preparation

I'm going to Nebraska, to Nebraska, to Nebraska. I can't believe it. I leave tomorrow for Omaha. I actually took a day off from work this time. So I'll be arriving Thursday night this time instead of Friday night. One whole extra day of peony goodness! :-P I can't wait! I am mostly finished packing, but I still need to pack my camera, my laptop, chargers, etc. This is going to be an awesome trip. There's a bus tour on Friday of two gardens and a castle, but I think the part I'm looking forward to most is the "Peony Breeders" discussion on Saturday. Also I'm hoping to observe the Board of Directors Meeting on Sunday. Oh, and who could forget all of the gorgeous peonies! (especially since my peony season is over)! It will be like getting another whole weekend of spring! This is going to be awesome. If you're going too, I hope to see you there!!!

2012 Last Blooms of the Peony Season

I can't believe how long the peony season was here this year! Today is the 7th day of week 9! The blooms in the last couple weeks have definitely not been the same as those at the beginning of the peony season which were so delicate and fresh. The last blooms have been wilted, drooping, and crispy brown on the edges. But who is to say that these last blooms are not just as beautiful as the first? Is something old not just as beautiful as something new? Is it not all a part of nature, which is beautiful in all its changing seasons? Why should we value youth and newness more than longevity and age? So here are some pictures I took today of the last blooms of my peony season here in zone 7. I hope you enjoy them and appreciate all nature has to offer in the beginning and the end. :)

Peony 'La Tendresse'


Peony 'Paul M. Wild'

2012 Paeonia Species Peony Seedlings

So I got 9 kinds of peony seeds from the 2010 American Peony Society Convention. I planted them in 2010, but I waited until this year to make sure that there weren't any stragglers. Four of the nine species actually germinated. I'm wondering if the germination rates were affected by the freshness of the seeds. Seeds sown here in my zone 7 growing climate will generally germinate the next spring. I've heard several times that sometimes peony seeds won't send up leaves until the 2nd year, but I've not found that to be true here. They usually sprout the first spring or not at all. Of course I usually let Mother Nature do the sprouting for me. I'm not much of a babier when it comes to plants, so they are most often left to take care of themselves. The 3 species that actually germinated here in 2011 were: Paeonia mascula, Paeonia mlokosewitschii, Paeonia peregrine, and Paeonia tenuifolia. Paeonia tenuifolia did not come back this year for 2012, but the other three did. I'm hoping to get some more seeds from the 2012 APS convention at the end of this month to try again. Hopefully I'll get some other species peony to grow here!!!

Paeonia mascula


Paeonia mlokosewitschii


Paeonia peregrine

2012 American Peony Society Bulletin Article

Woo hoo! I've been asked to write an article for the American Peony Society Bulletin's September issue. That is really exciting. I've been an APS member since 2005, and I've thought it might be nice to submit an article to them in the future, but I got asked to write an article about the 2012 American Peony Society Convention. Okay, maybe it's not that big of a deal, but it seems like a big deal to me! I guess I'm just a peony nerd! :) Don't worry, I'll still be publishing up to the minute updates on the convention here, but the bulletin will contain a nice summary with highlights and pictures of the whole thing. Stay tuned more to come... Oh, and if you want to start getting your own copies of The American Peony Society Bulletin, become an APS Member!