2015 So Many Peony Things to Do!

It feels like peony season has just crept up on me! There are so many things I'd like to do - count my peony seedlings to check the germination rates, check peony plants for buds, take photos of peonies, record the immature foliage colors for each variety, the list goes on! I'm also thinking about showing some flowers in this year's 2015 American Peony Society Convention in Kentucky. So I also need to research - read and reread - (again!) the instructions on how to cut and store peonies for showing. These instructions are available for all convention attendees and are posted the American Peony Society web site under 2015 Convention Exhibition Info on the APS Convention web page. Peonies and peony seedlings are popping out of the ground all around me, and it feels like they are ahead of me! I guess it is time to get busy. I have been stuck inside looking forward to spring for months now, and now it's warm and things are starting to grow, and I'm so happy to be busy outside again! :)
Peony Seedlings Popping Up

2015 American Peony Society Convention in Kentucky

The 2015 American Peony Society Convention is going to be May 13th-17th in Kentucky this year. I'm already registered for everything, and I'm so excited. I wasn't able to go last year, and I missed a whole year of fun. So I'm really excited to see everyone and of course all of the peonies! I have decided to drive this year since it will definitely cut down on my travel costs. That way I will have my own car and won't have to rent a car or fly. The hotel is a bit more expensive this year. I was going to stay elsewhere if I had to fly, but since I'm driving instead, I'll be able to stay at The Galt House Hotel, the hotel where the convention is being held. I'm really looking forward to it since this hotel is right on the river. If you're considering going, now's the time to get your registration in. After April 10th, there is a late fee. Another good reason to drive is that it will be much easier to bring flowers to enter into the APS Peony Exhibition. If you will have some peonies in bloom during the second week in May, you should consider bringing them. There are separate divisions for professional and amateur. So bring what you can. Don't be nervous. This is going to be my first year showing flowers too! ;)
2015 APS Convention in Louisville, Kentucky

2015 Spring Has Sprung Colorful Peonies!!!

Oh my goodness! Blink your eyes and it goes from snow to spring! They are just emerging from the ground, but already my peonies are bringing lots of color and lots of cheer! I am so happy to see each one of them, to see how much they've grown since last year, to see if there are any varieties with a bud on them for the first time, to see if the ones I transplanted and divided are happy in their new homes, just to see them! They aren't even in bloom yet, and they are bringing so much happiness and color. We went from two weeks in a row of winter storms to two weeks of so-so weather to two weeks of spring! Okay, I'm a little excited. I hope you are too! Spring has sprung, and so have the peonies!!!
Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow' Emerging Foliage

Peony 'Pink Princess' Peony Seedling Emerging

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

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'	Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'

Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun'