2015 APS Southern Peony Court of Honor Winner - 'Keiko'

2015 APS Court of Honor Winner
Peony 'Keiko' 愛幕 (Adored) - 'Pink Double Dandy'
Wow! I can hardly believe it! I actually won a Court of Honor ribbon for the Peony 'Keiko' 愛幕 (Adored) - 'Pink Double Dandy' bloom I submitted to the 2015 American Peony Society Exhibition! It seems like only yesterday I was fretting over when to cut the peony buds and then how to get them open. Since this was my first time showing peonies, it's a wonder I won any ribbons at all. It just seems fantastical that I won an APS Court of Honor ribbon. I am so honored. This peony was hybridized by Don Smith and registered in 2004, and it is a great peony. I selected Peony 'Keiko' (Adored) Best Performer - Week 4 as a Southern Peony Best Performer this year for its exceptional performance in my zone 7 garden. This peony has two names, the original name given to it by its hybridizer, Don Smith, which is 'Pink Double Dandy' and the marketing name given to it by Monrovia who markets and sells this variety, which is 'Keiko' 愛幕 (Adored). Monrovia purchased the rights of several intersectional hybrids from Don Smith and renamed them with Japanese names to honor Itoh, the "inventor" or intersectional peonies. Peony 'Keiko' 愛幕 (Adored) is one of these selections. Another APS Member commented to me that this peony bloom is like a work of art, and I agree. Peony 'Keiko' 愛幕 (Adored) - 'Pink Double Dandy' is definitely a winner for me in the garden and on the show table!
Me with My First Ever APS Court of Honor Winner
Peony 'Keiko' 愛幕 (Adored) - 'Pink Double Dandy'

2015 American Peony Society Court of Honor Winners

There were lots of pretty peonies on the 2015 American Peony Society Convention Exhibition's Court of Honor this year. The vases that the Court of Honor Winners were displayed in this year were the prettiest I've ever seen. They looked like cut crystal vases, and reflected the light very nicely, complimenting the gorgeous blooms contained within them. Although the vases were quite beautiful, they did not compare to the Court of Honor peonies. Each one was a sight to be seen. I participated as a judge again this year, judging the professional Class I peony blooms. I entered flowers into the amateur Class II division for the first time this year, and I didn't judge any of those flowers. The APS is very careful to make sure that the judges do not judge their own flowers. Also the last time I judged flowers if one of the judges did have a flower in the class being judged, that judge would abstain from judging that category. I also did not judge the Court of Honor. The judges that decided those flowers were APS Board members who did not enter any flowers into the show.

Peony Seedling 'BJ #1'	Tree Peony 'Boreas'	Tree Peony 'Tamasudare'
Peony 'Pink Double Dandy'	Tree Peony 'Leda'	Tree Peony 'Hephestos'
Peony 'Salmon Dream'	Peony 'Dawn Glow'	Peony 'Scarlet O'Hara'
Peony 'White Frost'	Peony 'Onondaga'	Peony 'Alice Crousse'
Peony 'Angel Cheeks'	Tree Peony 'Kamata Nishiki'

2015 APS Grand Champion Peony - 'Salmon Dream'

The American Peony Society Grand Champion (Best In Show) Peony this year was Peony 'Salmon Dream'. It won the Court of Honor ribbon for the Best Pink/Coral Hybrid. This peony was hybridized by David Reath and registered in 1979. I do grow this peony, and its blooms are very nice, symmetrical and perfectly rounded. However the bush has been very slow growing for me. Each year I keep hoping it will finally settle in and take off, but it hasn't done it yet. Each year I get about 2-3 blooms on the whole plant. Maybe next year it will get larger. We'll see. The Peony 'Salmon Dream' flower that won the 2015 APS Peony Exhibition was huge. I don't think I've ever gotten a bloom that big on my plant. Peony 'Salmon Dream' is also an APS Gold Medal winner from 2008. So we already know it's a great flower. :-)
2015 American Peony Society Grand Champion
Peony 'Salmon Dream'

2015 Peony Blooms Week 5 - Late Mid

Last week in my Peony Blooms Week 4 - Mid there were so many different and exciting colors of peonies in bloom. This week we get back to more lactiflora peonies in bloom with the standard pinks and whites, and less of the herbaceous hybrids with the reds and yellows. This week my peonies really seemed to be winding down with the week 5 blooms really seeming like week 6 blooms. Winter was late here this year, which caused lots of the early peonies to either not bloom because of frozen bud blast or bloom a bit later in concert with peonies that usually bloom after the early peonies. It seems like several of the bloom weeks were merged together this year, perhaps shortening the entire bloom season by about a week. Also we had pretty moisture with constant rain shower up until the last week when it started to be a little drier, with the rain storms a bit farther apart. The reduction in rain affected the blooms a bit, with some of them becoming wilted much sooner.

Peony 'Guidon'	Peony 'Karl Rosenfield'
Peony 'Pink Firefly'	Peony 'Belleville'
Peony 'Laura Dessert'	Peony 'Feather Top'

2015 American Peony Society Banquet & Auction

American Peony Society Convention Banquet
The 2015 American Peony Society Convention Banquet & Auction were the best I've attended so far. Perhaps it is the familiarity and friendships you develop with the other "peony people" over time. Perhaps it was the numerous hours of volunteer work that went into planning and implementation for the convention, especially by APS Vice President Lore Sampson. Perhaps it was the almost endless number of items that were donated to the APS Auction. Perhaps it was the lovely peonies that decorated each banquet table in multi colored Fiestaware vases. Oh, there were so many things that made the APS banquet and auction great this year. The food was excellent. The auction items were numerous - a just right mix of rare and affordable peonies for your collection. Let's not forget the general member meeting led by APS President Scott Parker was informative, yet short and sweet! In the end, I think people's stomachs, hearts, and even gardens went home full last night!
Jim & Lore Sampson Run the APS Convention Auction


Scott Parker Gives the President's Message at the APS General Member Meeting