2013 Peonies and Too Much Rain

Wow! Take a look at this forecast! It is already raining today, lots! It also rained yesterday and the day before yesterday. This weather forecast is pretty much a death knell for my peony bloom season - rain for the next 5 days! The peonies have been holding up okay for the last 2 rainy days with some periods of part sun. However most of the full doubles are now open or opening up, and any double peony plant without the strongest of strong stems is laying on the ground or close to it! Wet mushy blooms do not make for good pictures. I guess that's just as well since my Nikon camera stopped working last week. I tried removing the bottom plate of the camera in an attempt to fix the shutter gear to no avail. So I have another camera body on order, and in the mean time I have been using my Canon point and shoot camera, with very sad results. I guess the only way to salvage this week will be to bring the peonies indoors. I have cut so many peony blooms this year for enjoyment inside and to decorate for our reception and my brother's baby shower. All of the cut peonies were very beautiful, and everyone who saw them was so impressed. So if you're facing a very wet week during your peony bloom season, cut away, and bring the joy and sweetness inside!
My 5 Day Weather Forecast

2013 Southern Peony Best Performers

For the past couple of years now, I have been picking "Best Performers" for each week of my peony growing season. These are peonies that have just really impressed me with their blooms, their plant habit, and most importantly their ability to survive and thrive in my hot southern climate. So I've decided to collect all of this information into one place so that visitors can easily find my Southern Peony Best Performers. Also the great thing about picking a peony for each week of the growing season is that home gardeners can not only find great plants that will grow in their climate, but they can also find great plants that bloom during certain time periods so they can extend their blooming season. I will be dedicating a new Best Performers page to this endeavor that can be found on the main menu. If you are also a southern gardener and have a peony that is simply stunning in your garden, please contact me. I'm always interested in growing and evaluating new varieties that perform well.
Southern Peony Best Performer

2013 Peony 'Kansas' Best Performer - Week 4

Peony 'Kansas' is usually an okay plant in my garden, being sometimes susceptible to botrytis blight. However this year, it is really a beauty. Without any long periods of rain in the early peony growing season (when the foliage is first developing) botrytis blight has really been reduced this year throughout my garden. This has given Peony 'Kansas' an excellent opportunity to shine. The blooms are just huge, and even though some the blooms nod a bit, they are not on the ground by any means. So the stems on this plant are really strong because the size of these flowers are just enormous! The number of petals on these very full double peonies is almost unbelievable. Also you can't beat the color of these blooms, a clear dark fuchsia pink, which really stands out in the garden. Peony 'Kansas' is also an American Peony Society Gold Medal Winner from 1957.

Peony 'Kansas'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Kansas'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2013 Peony Blooms Mid - Week 4

This week Mid season Week 4, the intersectional peonies continued to bloom along with some anemone, single, and semi-double type peonies. Several of the very full double peonies just began to open this week. The weather has been beautiful this week. There has been quite a bit of rain, but I think it came late enough in the peonies' development so that most of the foliage is already up and more mature and resistant to disease. So, happily, the incidence of botrytis blight has been much reduced this year. With the increased rain this week, I have noticed an increased incidence of botrytis blight on some very late peonies whose foliage is just beginning to break ground. However most of my peonies are up and doing great! Hopefully the reduced incidence of disease will lead to stronger plants that can store plenty of energy this year, which should lead to bigger plants and more blooms next year!

Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst'	Peony 'Gay Paree'
Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt'	Peony 'White Emperor'

2013 Mother's Day Peonies at Juniper Level

This year for Mother's Day, my daughter and I went to Juniper Level Botanic Garden. We've been there several times before, but it is always nice to see how things change and grow each year and in different growing seasons. They are only open 8 times per year, two weekends per season. I thought some time at the botanic garden would be a nice way to spend Mother's Day. We had a great time. They always have all kinds of paths, bridges, waterfalls, gazebos, ponds, garden benches, streams, rocking chairs, garden art, and of course all kinds of plants! We did find a peony or two. I did find one solid pink outer and center anemone type peony they had planted that was labeled Paeonia 'White Cap', and it is nowhere near the correct color of a 'White Cap' peony. I guess small gardeners are not the only ones to get mislabeled peony plants! Also they did have the Plant Delights Nursery greenhouses open as well. However all of the choice peony varieties had already sold out since this was the last day of the 2nd weekend of their spring weekend open house. I guess you have to go early if you want to buy something specific. I was happy just to walk around, traverse the trails, and watch my daughter happily spin her skirt and lead the way in the gardens! Happy Mother's Day!

Juniper Level Botanic Garden