2013 Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt' Best Performer - Week 5

My best performer this week was definitely Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt'. I have always loved the shape of the blooms on this plant. They are so symmetrical, and the petals are so rounded and even, making a bloom that is very pleasing to the eye. The color of the petals is a lovely light pink. This peony is also an excellent grower in my southern climate, multiplying easily. This peony is also loaded with blooms, having multiple large full double flowers on each stem. These cloud like, cotton candy blooms are as lovely on the bush as they are in the vase. Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt' was also selected as the American Peony Society Gold Medal winner in 1948 for "outstanding merit and excellence in all sections of the country". This selection has definitely proven true in this southern section of the country!
Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2013 Peony Blooms Late Mid - Week 5

Week 5 has been a challenging week for photos without my main camera and so much rainy and cloudy weather. I am going to apologize in advance for the quality of the pictures here. My main camera is currently not working, and I'm waiting on its replacement. In the meantime I am just using a point and shoot camera, unfortunately. All types of peonies continue to bloom, including intersectionals. Even with all of the rain, the incidence of botrytis blight has still been minimal this season, which is great news. The foliage on my peonies has never looked so healthy!

Peony 'Pink Derby'	Peony 'Bartzella'
Peony 'Top Brass'	Peony 'Westerner'

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