Thursday, February 7, 2013

2013 Planting APS Peony Seed Packets

Well I finally got my seeds planted yesterday from the 2012 APS Seed Sale. I know it is really late, but the ground never really freezes here anyway. So the soil is still very workable. Anyway I got all 5 varieties planted - P. ostii (10 seeds), P. rockii (5 seeds), P. rockii & P. suffruticosa mixture (5 seeds), P. suffruticosa - purple (4 seeds), and P. veitchii - pink, single (11 seeds). I soaked them overnight to try to help them germinate. I kept them in separate containers so I could keep track of the varieties. Then I planted them with peony variety name labels in my new seedling test bed, which has really nice soil. So if they will grow anywhere, that would be the place. I'll record their germination rates in the spring. Also after reading my previous post about purchasing the seeds at the 2012 APS Convention Peony Seed Sale, I realized there was one more variety, P. suffruticosa 'Kamada Nishiki' - lavender pink (5 seeds). I just found the packet of peony seeds hidden on my desk. So I'll soak those tonight and plant them tomorrow.

Soaking APS Peony Seeds

Sunday, February 3, 2013

2013 Questions - Where to Buy Peony Seeds

I received this question from Courtney in Zone 7:
"My father is interested in purchasing some peony seeds. He has always been into flowers and gardening and its evident by his yard. His favorite are peonies and he has just become interested in trying to grow them from seeds. I found your site online today after he requested that I try to find some catalogues or places where he could buy seeds. I’m not sure if you sell them or could help me in finding a place that sells them. I would appreciate your advice!"

The places that come to my mind for buying peony seeds are either on Ebay or the APS Seed Distribution Program. Doing a quick search on Ebay, there are lots of peony seeds you can buy from China. Also there are some peony seeds offered from Hirt's Gardens (based out of Ohio) on Ebay. Thanks to your inquiry, I decided to purchase a few of these seeds myself.

Peony Seeds for Sale on Ebay

You may want to check out my previous posts on the 2010 APS Peony Seed Program and 2012 APS Convention Peony Seed Sale . Also you DO need to be an APS member to participate in the APS Seed Distribution Program. The costs of the APS seeds are typically very affordable (usually $2-$3 per pack + shipping). If your father is not already a member of the American Peony Society, an APS Membership would make a great gift! I do not sell any peony seeds myself, and although I cannot personally vouch for the outcomes from any of the seeds you might buy, the costs of your endeavor should be low and the rewards great, provided you have the time. Peony seeds typically take 3-5+ years to develop into a flowering plant. I'd love to see any pictures from the fruits of your labors. Good luck! :-)

Friday, February 1, 2013

2013 Peonies with Flares

A feature that I have found quite interesting for some time is flares, small sunbursts of color that start at the center of the bloom on the peony petals and flare out. The flares can be small or large, wide or thin, long or short, and of varying colors. I used to not really like the flares, being a purist in terms of color, but in the past couple of years, I have really begun to appreciate and love the variation in color. The presence of flares is really most noticeable in single and semi double type peonies. If you like to grow peonies, here is another feature in peonies for you to collect! Some of my favorite peonies displaying colorful flares are Peony 'Bartzella' (midseason), Peony 'Firelight' (early), Peony 'Golden Frolic' (early-mid), and Peony 'Morning Lilac' (early-mid). Enjoy!
Peony 'Bartzella'
Peony 'Firelight'
Peony 'Golden Frolic'
Peony 'Morning Lilac'

Thursday, January 31, 2013

2013 Southern Peony Milestones

Wow! Southern Peony has passed two great milestones in one month! We had over one thousand views for the first time in one month this month, and we had over 10,000 views total since Southern Peony's inception. Thank you to all of our devoted readers out there. I've really enjoyed documenting my journey with peonies, and I hope all of you have too. I am so happy to share the love of this wonderful plant all over the world. If you're interested to see a breakdown of Southern Peony's world wide web site traffic, I've included a chart of the Top 10 Countries by Pageviews and the current list of the 10 Most Popular Topics of All Time. For the most up to date list of the 10 Most Popular Peony Topics This Month and the 10 Most Popular Peony Topics of All Time, check out our Popular Topics page. Drop me a line and let me know what's on your mind or let me know if you have any feedback or requests for our site. Also if you have any Peony Questions you've been really wanting to ask, send them in.

Top 10 Countries by Pageviews
1United States6232
2Russia1031
3Canada656
4Poland375
5United Kingdom276
6Latvia219
7Ukraine165
8Germany153
9Japan138
10Sweden94


Top 10 Most Popular Topics of All Time (as of 1/31/13)
12009 Fall Peony Foliage
22012 Peony 'Angel Cheeks' Best Performer - Week 6
32012 Peony Blooms Mid Season - Week 4
42012 Peony 'Bartzella' Best Performer - Week 5
52012 Peony Blooms Very Early to Early Mid - Weeks 1-3
62010 Peony Blooms - Weeks 1-3
72012 APS Peony Court of Honor Winners
92012 Peony Blooms Very Late - Week 7
82010 APS Grand Champion Peony - Flying Pink Saucer
102011 Intersectional Peony Blooms

Saturday, January 26, 2013

2013 American Peony Society Convention at
Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

I know it's still cold outside. It's even cold here. We had quite a bit of ice last night (but it's all melted now). So it's definitely not time for spring, but it is a good time to start making plans to join us at the 2013 American Peony Society Show & Convention. I just made my travel arrangements today, and I am really excited. This year's convention is being held at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania (which is pretty close to Philadelphia - so you might be able to score a decent priced non-stop airline ticket like I did!). Not only is the convention being held "Longwood Gardens - the world's premier horticultural showcase", but there's also an optional tour on Sunday of Winterthur - "the premier museum of American decorative arts" along with a "60-acre naturalistic garden." I've been wanting to go there for a few years now. I love magnolia trees too, and I've heard they have a nice collection of these as well. Although I'm sure I'll miss the magnolia bloom season, I'm hoping to see the peony bloom season this year! :)