2012 Peony Reference Site - Web Project Paeonia

So you've always wondered if the peony variety you have is labeled correctly? Or maybe you want to know the hybridizer for your peony. Or perhaps you want to know the bloom season for a peony you saw and are interested in. Well, I'll tell you what. There's this site I really like. It is the best peony reference site out there. No, it's not the Wikipedia. (Although there is some interesting information there, it definitely leaves something to be desired.) The site is Carsten Burkhardt's Web Project Paeonia. I have used this web site for years for peony identification and information. It is really an awesome resource for the peony community. I hope you find it as useful as I have. So go look up your favorite blooms. Oh, and be careful. You can get lost in there!!! :)

Carsten Burkhardt's Web Project Paeonia

2012 Intersectional Peony New Growth

The new intersectional peonies I just planted a week and a half ago are growing nicely. One of them seems to be having a bit of trouble, but it is still growing. The pink growth on Peony 'Scarlet Heaven' has a bit of brown/black on the end of it. It also seems to be a bit slower growing and turning green than the other three. Here are a few pictures of some of the new growth on these intersectional peonies. I think they are happy in their partly sunny, moist spot near my deck. These peonies were originally purchased on Ebay, and they are definitely intersectional peonies. The new growth and the foliage on these is exactly the same as my other intersectional peonies, and quite different than the new growth on herbaceous peonies. Whether the cultivar names are accurate is yet to be determined, but I think they will probably be correct.

Peony 'Canary Brilliants'	Peony 'Lemon Dream'
7/1/2012	7/1/2012
7/7/2012	7/7/2012
7/11/2012	7/11/2012

Peony 'Old Rose Dandy'	Peony 'Scarlet Heaven'
7/1/2012	7/1/2012
7/7/2012	7/7/2012
7/11/2012	7/11/2012

2012 Growing Weed Free Peonies

The weeds in my peonies have been greatly reduced this year, thanks to a new layer of mulch. However I have still gotten a few weeds. Most of them have either been at the edge of the peony bed or right next to the peony crown, where the layer of the mulch is the thinnest. It is not good to put a thick layer of mulch right on top of the peony crown (where the stems grow from the plant). In my climate I do not put any mulch right in the center of the peony plant. It is best to side dress the peonies with mulch to keep their small feeder roots cool and moist. A couple of weeds have surprised me this year, though, growing right from the crown hidden by the peony foliage, and were able to develop into quite large weeds. I was really surprised by this one in particular. This weed grew bigger and taller than my 5 year old peony in a couple months! Needless to say, it has now been extracted! :)

Peony 'Firelight' with Giant Weed

2012 First Peony Planting

I got my order of Peonies on Ebay planted today. I figured since we got a small break in the 100°+ heat wave it would be a good time to get them in the ground. Since some of the peony seedlings in my seedling test bed almost looked like toast, I decided I should probably plant these new peonies, that are going to be stressed with no roots and no leaves in the middle of summer, in a different location. I planted them next to my deck instead which seems to have more moist soil and only about a half day of sun. So this will hopefully be a better location. As you can see I planted these intersectional peonies with their sun starved pink shoots showing just above the mulch. Hopefully they will survive our harsh summer and develop some substantial roots this fall.
Peony 'Canary Brilliants'


Peony 'Scarlet Heaven'

2012 Ebay Peony Order - American Greenhouses

I decided to buy some Peonies on Ebay last week, and they arrived yesterday. The label on the Priority Mail box they arrived in said they were from American Greenhouses, Hosta Gardens of Burr Ridge. It appears that this company imports many of their plants, and the plants I received appear to have been purchased for resale, not grown by the seller. The peonies were packed with peat moss inside brown paper bags. These peonies have not yet had food, water, or sunlight this year. It is almost July here, well into summer, so I will try to baby these plants in hopes they are able to establish some roots this year. The buds on the peonies had already sprouted, and they are all past ready to leaf out. So hopefully with some sun, soil, and water, they will survive.
Ebay Intersectional Peony Order


Intersectional Peony Bare Roots

This morning after I unpacked the roots, I put them each in a bowl of water to soak for a few hours. Hopefully this will restore a bit of moisture to the roots before I plant them out. I think since my Intersectional Peony Bed is not yet ready for plants, I will plant these in my seedling test bed until this fall. By then the Intersectional Peony Bed should be ready for planting, and I will move these peonies when the weather is cooler.
Peony Roots Soaking in Bowls of Water