2014 Heat Tolerant Peonies for Southern Gardens

The month of July is great! Fireworks, American spirit, and don't forget the blistering heat! The peonies have long since finished here in the South. Their blooms are but a distant memory captured only by the photographs I've taken and the camera in my mind's eye. So with the heat of July, I thought an appropriate topic would be heat tolerant peonies for Southern gardens. If you were disappointed with your peony display this year and are looking for hints on how to improve your peony garden for next year or maybe you just want to add more lovely blossoms to accompany the gems you already grow, then now is the perfect time to start thinking about building a better peony garden. Fall is the perfect time to plant peonies, and if you haven't gotten your 2014 peony order in yet, now is the time to do it! So I've done a little research, and here are some great sites to check out for tips on growing peonies in the South...
PEONIES IN THE SOUTH
Flowering Perennials for Georgia Gardens
Peonies: Coming Soon to a Garden Near You
Growing Peonies in USDA Zones 8 and 9
How to grow peonies
Peonies for the Home Landscape


Heat Tolerant Peonies for the South
Also if you are looking for specific peony varieties that will grow well in the South, you will definitely want to check out our list of Southern Peony Best Performers. These are peonies that grow and blossom well here in the heat of the South. I select the best performer each week of the peony growing season here in our hot and humid weather. These peonies will definitely survive the heat and return year after year!

2014 Peony 'Paul M. Wild' Best Performer - Week 7

As I look around my garden, I find the last peony blooming its bright pink heart out, Peony 'Paul M. Wild'. He's like the last man standing in the wild west. The man, the peony that can outlast all others. Sure he's a little rough and tumble around the edges, his petals browning a little on the edges, but by this time of year whose edges aren't? Peony 'Paul M. Wild' is a dark pink, very full double peony and consistently a very late bloomer. He holds his guns until the end, and provided the weather hasn't defeated everyone by now, he lets them loose in an explosion of bright, end of the season color. So if you're looking for a peony that will not only add some additional time to your peony bloom season, but also add some bang to it, then Peony 'Paul M. Wild' is definitely your man!
Peony 'Paul M. Wild'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Paul M. Wild'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2014 Intersectional Peony Fungal Diseases

Intersectional Peony 'Misaka'
with Phytophthora? Fungal Disease
This year I noticed the same three intersectional peonies had the same fungal diseases they did last year. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to prevent it next year or if I need to get rid of the entire plant. None of my other intersectional peonies have any diseases to speak of. However these 3 specimens were apparently sold to me with the diseases, unfortunately. The intersectional peony pictured above, Peony 'Misaka', I purchased as a potted plant from a local nursery, and it did seem a little suspect when I bought it. I'm wondering if it has Phytophthora blight because of the curled, deformed leaves. Plus I've seen plenty of Botrytis blight on my herbaceous peonies before, and this seems to be a little different. I guess I know better now than to buy anything that seems a little iffy. However the two intersectional peonies pictured below were both purchased as roots from two different reputable growers. I had never seen any incidence of Peony Blotch in my garden until I got these two intersectional peonies with the disease, Peony 'Layfayette Escadrille' and Peony 'Scarlet Heaven'. That is interesting because both of those 2 intersectionals are red in color. I wonder if they are somehow related and more susceptible to the Peony Blotch fungus.
Intersectional Peony 'Scarlet Heaven'
with Peony Blotch Fungal Disease


Intersectional Peony 'Lafayette Escadrille'
with Peony Blotch Fungal Disease
When researching these diseases on Google, I found this awesome page on Peony Problems on the Missouri Botanical Garden web site. It seems like the only thing I can try to get rid of these fungal diseases is to make sure to cut these peonies all the way back to the ground in the fall. I will try that and hope it works, since I usually don't cut my intersectional peonies all the way back. I try to cut them back only to their lowest surviving bud, which usually keeps a bit of the stem there. I hope it does work, since the MOBOT web page seems to suggest removing and discarding the plant and its soil entirely as the only other alternative. I hope it doesn't come to that... :-(

2014 Peony Bloom Color Classifications

Wow, I have collected a lot more information on peony blooms this year. I've added 8 new RHS colors including Purple Brown 183A, Light Violet 69C, Purple Pink N74C, Light Pink 54D, Orange Red 39B, Dark Pink Red 51B, Light Yellow Orange 23C, and Light Yellow 4D. The range of peony bloom colors just continues to amaze me. I have also added 43 new peony variety color classifications to my Peony Bloom Colors page! This color information can be a handy reference if you are looking for a peony of a certain color to help you coordinate or contrast bloom colors in your garden. So if you haven't seen it yet, check out our Colors page.
Peony Bloom Color RHS Classifications

2014 Peony 'Myra MacRae' Best Performer - Week 6

When I look out in my garden, almost all of the peonies have faded by this time in the season. However one stellar bloomer stands out in an otherwise almost empty peony garden, Peony 'Myra MacRae'. This peony has increased steadily each year, and the blooms have become larger and more gorgeous with each spring season. The flowers on this peony are so large and heavy that support is a must. Without support I couldn't have selected this peony as a Best Performer, since all of the blooms would be on the ground otherwise. This is the first year I put a peony support on any peony, and Peony 'Myra MacRae' was my first choice. The blooms are such a lovely pink violet Color. Peony 'Myra MacRae' is also an American Peony Society Gold Medal winner from 1998. So if you are willing to add some support for a peony and are looking for a great late season bloomer, Peony 'Myra MacRae' will definitely give you some late season smiles.
Peony 'Myra MacRae'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Myra MacRae'
Southern Peony Best Performer