Saturday, January 17, 2015

2015 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List

Wow. I can't believe it's that time of year already. The peony catalogs are already up online, and things are selling out already. It seems like most peony growers have their catalogs out early this year. So I decided to go ahead and publish this 2015 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List. This is the third year I've collected this information. I think for the most part Intersectional Peonies are becoming more affordable. There are a couple vendors who raise their prices each year, but most of them become less costly as inventories of intersectional peonies increase. Enjoy! (Also if you'd like your company to be listed here, please join the American Peony Society as a Commercial Member, since this is where I obtain my peony grower information.)

Price Change from Last Year
Adelman - mostly same or lower
Bannister - same
Birchwood - same
Blossom Hill - mostly lower or same
Brooks - mostly same or lower
Buck Canyon - same
Cricket Hill - mostly lower
Fina - mostly higher
Hidden Springs - mostly higher or same
Hollingsworth - mostly higher or same
Peony's Envy - same
Solaris Farms - same
Song Sparrow - same or higher
Swenson - mostly lower or same

Intersectional PeonyPriceVendor
Al's Choice$125.00Swenson
Ballarena de Saval$70.00Adelman
Bartzella$45.00Solaris Farms
Bartzella$50.00Swenson
Bartzella$65.00Fina
Bartzella$69.00Cricket Hill
Bartzella$75.00Brooks
Bartzella$75.00Buck Canyon
Bartzella$79.00Peony's Envy
Bartzella$79.00Hidden Springs
Bartzella$80.00Adelman
Bartzella$85.00Birchwood
Bartzella$90.00Hollingsworth
Bartzella$90.00Song Sparrow
BartzellaC$135.00Blossom Hill
Berry Garcia$125.00Brooks
Border Charm$35.00Swenson
Border Charm$40.00Adelman
Border Charm$40.00Brooks
Border Charm$45.00Birchwood
Border Charm$60.00Song Sparrow
Callie's Memory$50.00Swenson
Callie's Memory$55.00Solaris Farms
Callie's Memory$75.00Adelman
Callie's Memory$75.00Brooks
Canary Brilliants$50.00Swenson
Canary Brilliants$70.00Adelman
Canary Brilliants$79.00Peony's Envy
Canary Brilliants$90.00Solaris Farms
Chief Black Hawk$225.00Brooks
Copper Kettle$80.00Solaris Farms
Cora Louise$60.00Adelman
Cora Louise$60.00Birchwood
Cora Louise$60.00Buck Canyon
Cora Louise$50.00Swenson
Cora Louise$54.00Hollingsworth
Cora Louise$74.00Hidden Springs
Cora Louise$79.00Peony's Envy
Cora Louise$85.00Song Sparrow
Cora Louise$89.00Cricket Hill
Court Jester$50.00Swenson
First Arrival$45.00Solaris Farms
First Arrival$50.00Swenson
First Arrival$56.00Hollingsworth
First Arrival$60.00Adelman
First Arrival$60.00Buck Canyon
First Arrival$79.00Peony's Envy
First Arrival$89.00Cricket Hill
First Arrival$125.00Bannister
First ArrivalC$100.00Blossom Hill
Garden Treasure$40.00Solaris Farms
Garden Treasure$50.00Swenson
Garden Treasure$60.00Fina
Garden Treasure$68.00Birchwood
Garden Treasure$75.00Brooks
Garden Treasure$75.00Hidden Springs
Garden Treasure$80.00Adelman
Garden Treasure$80.00Bannister
Garden Treasure$80.00Buck Canyon
Garden Treasure$80.00Hollingsworth
Garden Treasure$89.00Cricket Hill
Garden Treasure$89.00Peony's Envy
Garden TreasureC$130.00Blossom Hill
Going Bananas$40.00Adelman
Going Bananas$75.00Swenson
Going BananasC$90.00Blossom Hill
Gordon E. Simonson$215.00Hollingsworth
Gordon E. Simonson$225.00Adelman
Hidden Treasure$40.00Solaris Farms
Hillary$50.00Adelman
Hillary$50.00Buck Canyon
Hillary$50.00Hollingsworth
Hillary$50.00Swenson
Hillary$55.00Fina
Hillary$75.00Solaris Farms
Hillary$85.00Song Sparrow
Japanese Itoh$35.00Swenson
Joanna Marlene$75.00Swenson
Joanna Marlene$80.00Adelman
Julia Rose$50.00Swenson
Julia Rose$70.00Brooks
Julia Rose$75.00Adelman
Julia Rose$75.00Solaris Farms
Julia Rose$79.00Solaris Farms
Julia Rose$80.00Song Sparrow
Julia RoseC$125.00Blossom Hill
(Anderson's) Kaleidoscope$50.00Swenson
Kaleidoscope$75.00Buck Canyon
Kaleidoscope$95.00Brooks
Kaleidoscope$125.00Hidden Springs
Kopper Kettle$99.00Adelman
Lafayette Escadrille$60.00Song Sparrow
Lemon Dream$45.00Adelman
Lemon Dream$45.00Brooks
Lemon Dream$45.00Buck Canyon
Lemon Dream$45.00Solaris Farms
Lemon Dream$50.00Swenson
Little Darlin$60.00Birchwood
Little Darlin$60.00Song Sparrow
Lollipop$75.00Solaris Farms
Love Affair$150.00Adelman
Love Affair$160.00Hollingsworth
Lunar Glow$100.00Adelman
Luxuriant$175.00Brooks
Momo Taro (Peach Boy)$45.00Solaris Farms
Morning Lilac$70.00Adelman
Morning Lilac$70.00Brooks
Morning Lilac$70.00Buck Canyon
Morning Lilac$75.00Swenson
New Millennium$200.00Adelman
Old Rose Dandy$35.00Swenson
Old Rose Dandy$40.00Hollingsworth
Old Rose Dandy$45.00Adelman
Old Rose Dandy$45.00Solaris Farms
Pastel Splendor$35.00Swenson
Pastel Splendor$45.00Adelman
Pastel Splendor$45.00Solaris Farms
Pastel Splendor$48.00Hidden Springs
Pastel Splendor$70.00Song Sparrow
Pastel SplendorC$80.00Blossom Hill
Prairie Charm$35.00Buck Canyon
Prairie Charm$35.00Swenson
Prairie Charm$48.00Brooks
Prairie Charm$50.00Adelman
Prairie Charm$50.00Birchwood
Prairie Charm$55.00Hidden Springs
Prairie Charm$60.00Bannister
Prairie Charm$70.00Song Sparrow
Rosy Prospects$70.00Adelman
Scarlet Heaven$35.00Swenson
Scarlet Heaven$38.00Hollingsworth
Scarlet Heaven$40.00Adelman
Scarlet Heaven$45.00Solaris Farms
Scarlet Heaven$69.00Cricket Hill
Scarlet HeavenC$80.00Blossom Hill
Sequestered Sunshine$75.00Brooks
Sequestered Sunshine$75.00Swenson
Shining Light$35.00Swenson
Singing in the Rain$40.00Adelman
Singing in the Rain$125.00Brooks
Smith Family Yellow$99.00Adelman
Sonoma Amethyst$65.00Adelman
Sonoma Amethyst$65.00Buck Canyon
Sonoma Amethyst$75.00Solaris Farms
Sonoma Apricot$80.00Adelman
Sonoma Apricot$80.00Buck Canyon
Sonoma Floozy$80.00Adelman
Sonoma Halo$350.00Adelman
Sonoma Kaleidoscope$200.00Adelman
Sonoma Lavender Fancy$50.00Adelman
Sonoma Sun$80.00Adelman
Sonoma Velvet Ruby$75.00Solaris Farms
Sonoma Velvet Ruby$80.00Adelman
Sonoma Welcome$75.00Adelman
Strawberry Blush$250.00Adelman
Sunshine SensationC$130.00Blossom Hill
Unique$48.00Buck Canyon
Unique$50.00Swenson
Unique$60.00Adelman
Viking Full Moon$40.00Solaris Farms
Viking Full Moon$45.00Adelman
Viking Full Moon$120.00Song Sparrow
Watermelon Wine$150.00Adelman
White Emperor$125.00Swenson
Yellow Crown$45.00Solaris Farms
Yellow Emperor$45.00Solaris Farms

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

2015 Peony Bloom Data in Peony Database

Last night I was so happy to finally get all of my peony bloom data into a database! Being a programmer has some advantages. I was able to download Postgresql (free database software) earlier this week and get it installed. Then last night I finally decided on the layouts for my database tables to hold the peony data. Then I worked on grooming and exporting my data from Excel into CSV files. Finally I was able to import all of the data into my new databases! What a feeling of accomplishment. :-) Now that I have all of my data stored in a database, I will be able to analyze and query the data easily whenever I like. I also plan to use this data to examine the performance of peony varieties over time and update my Bloom Dates page with average bloom dates for peony varieties. This year, 2015, I will have collected 10 years worth of peony bloom data.

Peony Database

Thursday, January 8, 2015

2015 Peony Clipboard Data Entry

It is the middle of winter here, and there's not much going on in the peony garden right now. So it is a good time to get some of the paperwork, data entry, and analysis done that falls by the wayside during the growing season. Another peony season is over, and another one shall soon begin. Another clipboard full of data and notes from last year's growing season awaits its turn to be entered and analyzed. So this is what I'll make use of some of my time today, a day spent locked inside in the warmth and soft glows, away from the cold and bitter winds outside. I've long been dreaming about the day when I would take my tablet into the garden with me to enter my notes right away instead of putting them on paper and them transferring them into my computer. With the price of tablets dropping so quickly perhaps that day will be here soon!

Peony Data Clipboard

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2014 Southern Peony Photos

One goal I had this year was to update the photo on the main page with a new peony each month. I kind of almost made that goal. I had to put December's photo in a bit late, but otherwise I made the goal to get out at least 12 new photos this year. I want to keep this goal every year until my Inventory page is mostly complete. Right now there are more peony varieties without photos than there are peony varieties with photos. I'd like to reverse that. :-) This goal has two purposes. I'd like to keep the main page fresh with a new picture on it every month, and the other and most important reason is I'd like to increase the number of peony bloom photos available on my site. Hopefully this will help people in identifying their own peonies (or determining mislabeled peonies) and perhaps also encourage people to find new varieties of peonies they'd like to grow!

December 2014 - Peony 'Yellow Crown'

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

2014 Intersectional Peonies with 3 Flowers Per Stem

I actually finished cutting back all of my peonies before December this year. That's quite a feat considering some years I am pruning dead foliage well into January! While cutting back my intersectional peonies yesterday, I noticed that two intersectional peony varieties had three flowers per stem. I grow several varieties of intersectional peonies, and so far these are the only two that have had three peony blooms on one stem. This is definitely something that would make one intersectional peony variety better than another. Not only does having three flowers per stem give you more blooms per bush, but it also likely increases the blooms season for the plant. Now that I am thinking about it, the blooms on both Peony 'Garden Treasure' and 'Julia Rose' seemed to last longer than the rest of my intersectional peonies this year. I will have to keep an eye on this trait to see if any of my other intersectional peonies develop this habit as the plants mature! Also Peony 'Garden Treasure' is an American Peony Society Gold Medal Winner from 1996. So if you are looking to add an intersectional peony to your garden, and you're not sure which one to choose, Peony 'Garden Treasure' and Peony 'Julia Rose' may be good selections to consider!
3 Flowers on 1 Stem on
Intersectional Peony
'Garden Treasure'
3 Flowers on 1 Stem on
Intersectional Peony
'Julia Rose'