Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun' Under a Layer of Snow & Ice
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
2015 Tree Peonies in the Ice
The first winter storm hit yesterday. They are predicting another one tonight. The lowest prediction for the overnight low I saw was -4°F! They have now changed that prediction to 0°F. Hopefully if we do see temperatures that low, it is only for a very short period of time, and it doesn't do any damage to any of the peonies. It is now snowing quite a bit as I write this. I guess the only hope is that the snow will create a layer of protection from the cold temperatures. The tips of the peony foliage still look okay so far. I don't see any browning or blackening of the exposed foliage, but we also haven't encountered the lowest predicted temperatures. I'll keep you posted on how they fare!
Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun' Under a Layer of Snow & Ice
Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun' Under a Layer of Snow & Ice
Sunday, February 15, 2015
2015 Signs of Spring, Tree Peony Foliage
Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'
I took these pictures just before the weekend, and as you can see the tree peonies are starting to show their first signs of spring. The foliage is beginning to sprout, which only makes me yearn for spring even more. However now is not the best time for the tree peonies to begin to sprout, since we have a big winter storm headed our way this week with some crazy low temperatures predicted for several nights as well. I am curious to see how this weather impacts all of my peonies, especially the tree peonies. I am new to growing tree peonies, so the ones I do have aren't very well established. So this may be a hard winter on them. I'm hoping none of them die, and they all make it! Perhaps if we have a decent groundcover of snow and ice that will help protect the lower halves of the peonies from the extreme temperatures. Right now the lowest prediction I've seen is -2°F! Yikes!
 |  |
Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'
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.)
 |
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 Peony | Price | Vendor |
| Al's Choice | $125.00 | Swenson |
| Ballarena de Saval | $70.00 | Adelman |
| Bartzella | $45.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Bartzella | $50.00 | Swenson |
| Bartzella | $65.00 | Fina |
| Bartzella | $69.00 | Cricket Hill |
| Bartzella | $75.00 | Brooks |
| Bartzella | $75.00 | Buck Canyon |
| Bartzella | $79.00 | Peony's Envy |
| Bartzella | $79.00 | Hidden Springs |
| Bartzella | $80.00 | Adelman |
| Bartzella | $85.00 | Birchwood |
| Bartzella | $90.00 | Hollingsworth |
| Bartzella | $90.00 | Song Sparrow |
| Bartzella | C$135.00 | Blossom Hill |
| Berry Garcia | $125.00 | Brooks |
| Border Charm | $35.00 | Swenson |
| Border Charm | $40.00 | Adelman |
| Border Charm | $40.00 | Brooks |
| Border Charm | $45.00 | Birchwood |
| Border Charm | $60.00 | Song Sparrow |
| Callie's Memory | $50.00 | Swenson |
| Callie's Memory | $55.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Callie's Memory | $75.00 | Adelman |
| Callie's Memory | $75.00 | Brooks |
| Canary Brilliants | $50.00 | Swenson |
| Canary Brilliants | $70.00 | Adelman |
| Canary Brilliants | $79.00 | Peony's Envy |
| Canary Brilliants | $90.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Chief Black Hawk | $225.00 | Brooks |
| Copper Kettle | $80.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Cora Louise | $60.00 | Adelman |
| Cora Louise | $60.00 | Birchwood |
| Cora Louise | $60.00 | Buck Canyon |
| Cora Louise | $50.00 | Swenson |
| Cora Louise | $54.00 | Hollingsworth |
| Cora Louise | $74.00 | Hidden Springs |
| Cora Louise | $79.00 | Peony's Envy |
| Cora Louise | $85.00 | Song Sparrow |
| Cora Louise | $89.00 | Cricket Hill |
| Court Jester | $50.00 | Swenson |
| First Arrival | $45.00 | Solaris Farms |
| First Arrival | $50.00 | Swenson |
| First Arrival | $56.00 | Hollingsworth |
| First Arrival | $60.00 | Adelman |
| First Arrival | $60.00 | Buck Canyon |
| First Arrival | $79.00 | Peony's Envy |
| First Arrival | $89.00 | Cricket Hill |
| First Arrival | $125.00 | Bannister |
| First Arrival | C$100.00 | Blossom Hill |
| Garden Treasure | $40.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Garden Treasure | $50.00 | Swenson |
| Garden Treasure | $60.00 | Fina |
| Garden Treasure | $68.00 | Birchwood |
| Garden Treasure | $75.00 | Brooks |
| Garden Treasure | $75.00 | Hidden Springs |
| Garden Treasure | $80.00 | Adelman |
| Garden Treasure | $80.00 | Bannister |
| Garden Treasure | $80.00 | Buck Canyon |
| Garden Treasure | $80.00 | Hollingsworth |
| Garden Treasure | $89.00 | Cricket Hill |
| Garden Treasure | $89.00 | Peony's Envy |
| Garden Treasure | C$130.00 | Blossom Hill |
| Going Bananas | $40.00 | Adelman |
| Going Bananas | $75.00 | Swenson |
| Going Bananas | C$90.00 | Blossom Hill |
| Gordon E. Simonson | $215.00 | Hollingsworth |
| Gordon E. Simonson | $225.00 | Adelman |
| Hidden Treasure | $40.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Hillary | $50.00 | Adelman |
| Hillary | $50.00 | Buck Canyon |
| Hillary | $50.00 | Hollingsworth |
| Hillary | $50.00 | Swenson |
| Hillary | $55.00 | Fina |
| Hillary | $75.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Hillary | $85.00 | Song Sparrow |
| Japanese Itoh | $35.00 | Swenson |
| Joanna Marlene | $75.00 | Swenson |
| Joanna Marlene | $80.00 | Adelman |
| Julia Rose | $50.00 | Swenson |
| Julia Rose | $70.00 | Brooks |
| Julia Rose | $75.00 | Adelman |
| Julia Rose | $75.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Julia Rose | $79.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Julia Rose | $80.00 | Song Sparrow |
| Julia Rose | C$125.00 | Blossom Hill |
| (Anderson's) Kaleidoscope | $50.00 | Swenson |
| Kaleidoscope | $75.00 | Buck Canyon |
| Kaleidoscope | $95.00 | Brooks |
| Kaleidoscope | $125.00 | Hidden Springs |
| Kopper Kettle | $99.00 | Adelman |
| Lafayette Escadrille | $60.00 | Song Sparrow |
| Lemon Dream | $45.00 | Adelman |
| Lemon Dream | $45.00 | Brooks |
| Lemon Dream | $45.00 | Buck Canyon |
| Lemon Dream | $45.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Lemon Dream | $50.00 | Swenson |
| Little Darlin | $60.00 | Birchwood |
| Little Darlin | $60.00 | Song Sparrow |
| Lollipop | $75.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Love Affair | $150.00 | Adelman |
| Love Affair | $160.00 | Hollingsworth |
| Lunar Glow | $100.00 | Adelman |
| Luxuriant | $175.00 | Brooks |
| Momo Taro (Peach Boy) | $45.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Morning Lilac | $70.00 | Adelman |
| Morning Lilac | $70.00 | Brooks |
| Morning Lilac | $70.00 | Buck Canyon |
| Morning Lilac | $75.00 | Swenson |
| New Millennium | $200.00 | Adelman |
| Old Rose Dandy | $35.00 | Swenson |
| Old Rose Dandy | $40.00 | Hollingsworth |
| Old Rose Dandy | $45.00 | Adelman |
| Old Rose Dandy | $45.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Pastel Splendor | $35.00 | Swenson |
| Pastel Splendor | $45.00 | Adelman |
| Pastel Splendor | $45.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Pastel Splendor | $48.00 | Hidden Springs |
| Pastel Splendor | $70.00 | Song Sparrow |
| Pastel Splendor | C$80.00 | Blossom Hill |
| Prairie Charm | $35.00 | Buck Canyon |
| Prairie Charm | $35.00 | Swenson |
| Prairie Charm | $48.00 | Brooks |
| Prairie Charm | $50.00 | Adelman |
| Prairie Charm | $50.00 | Birchwood |
| Prairie Charm | $55.00 | Hidden Springs |
| Prairie Charm | $60.00 | Bannister |
| Prairie Charm | $70.00 | Song Sparrow |
| Rosy Prospects | $70.00 | Adelman |
| Scarlet Heaven | $35.00 | Swenson |
| Scarlet Heaven | $38.00 | Hollingsworth |
| Scarlet Heaven | $40.00 | Adelman |
| Scarlet Heaven | $45.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Scarlet Heaven | $69.00 | Cricket Hill |
| Scarlet Heaven | C$80.00 | Blossom Hill |
| Sequestered Sunshine | $75.00 | Brooks |
| Sequestered Sunshine | $75.00 | Swenson |
| Shining Light | $35.00 | Swenson |
| Singing in the Rain | $40.00 | Adelman |
| Singing in the Rain | $125.00 | Brooks |
| Smith Family Yellow | $99.00 | Adelman |
| Sonoma Amethyst | $65.00 | Adelman |
| Sonoma Amethyst | $65.00 | Buck Canyon |
| Sonoma Amethyst | $75.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Sonoma Apricot | $80.00 | Adelman |
| Sonoma Apricot | $80.00 | Buck Canyon |
| Sonoma Floozy | $80.00 | Adelman |
| Sonoma Halo | $350.00 | Adelman |
| Sonoma Kaleidoscope | $200.00 | Adelman |
| Sonoma Lavender Fancy | $50.00 | Adelman |
| Sonoma Sun | $80.00 | Adelman |
| Sonoma Velvet Ruby | $75.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Sonoma Velvet Ruby | $80.00 | Adelman |
| Sonoma Welcome | $75.00 | Adelman |
| Strawberry Blush | $250.00 | Adelman |
| Sunshine Sensation | C$130.00 | Blossom Hill |
| Unique | $48.00 | Buck Canyon |
| Unique | $50.00 | Swenson |
| Unique | $60.00 | Adelman |
| Viking Full Moon | $40.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Viking Full Moon | $45.00 | Adelman |
| Viking Full Moon | $120.00 | Song Sparrow |
| Watermelon Wine | $150.00 | Adelman |
| White Emperor | $125.00 | Swenson |
| Yellow Crown | $45.00 | Solaris Farms |
| Yellow Emperor | $45.00 | Solaris 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
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
Peony Data Clipboard