2017 American Peony Society Convention in Raleigh, NC

I'm guessing you might have noticed... The American Peony Society Annual Convention is coming to Raleigh, NC this year, right in our own backyard - figuratively and literally! I am really looking forward to seeing everyone again this year, and I can't wait to help host the convention. If you have taken a look at the convention agenda, you might have seen that the APS tour buses will be making a stop here! So I would like to personally invite all of you to join us for the 2017 American Peony Society Convention. Now's the time to get your registration in and start making your travel plans (if you haven't done so already). You can register online or by mail. The APS Convention is open to all APS Members. So please make sure your APS Membership is up to date or if you haven't yet joined the APS, please join us!
2017 American Peony Society Convention
We are going to have everything you love about attending the conventions again this year - hundreds of peony cultivars on display (so you can make your wish lists), peony seminars (to learn more about growing peonies), peony friends and fellowship (so you can catch up on the latest APS Member's peony garden news), and of course the always exciting banquet and auction (where you'll be able to bid on and purchase herbaceous, intersectional, and tree peonies - with everything from garden favorites to highly sought after and rare peonies that might not even be offered by growers this year or may already be sold out)!
Photo Courtesy of Mindful Supply
Plus, we'll have all kinds of local NC goodness like NC Barbeque, local NC Nursery and Garden Shops to peruse, a tour of Duke Gardens and Duke Chapel, NC's own JC Raulston Arboretum, and Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Gardens from NC's plant hunter, Tony Avent. I hope to see you there! :-)

2017 Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' Growing in January

Yes, this is a tree peony that is growing in January. It is only just starting its growth cycle, but it is starting. When I've seen tree peonies growing so early in the season in previous years, it was worrisome to me. I didn't and still do not have tons of experience with tree peonies. However, I am beginning to learn that these mighty beauties begin their growth cycle much earlier than herbaceous peonies. Also the buds of tree peonies seem to be much more impervious to winter weather (although not invincible). Since almost all of the tree peony's flower buds are above ground all winter long, these buds are built to withstand the cold temperatures and weather fluctuations that can be experienced in a winter to spring warm up transition.
Tree Peony 'White Phoenix'
Beginning to Grow in January
This is likely another reason that tree peonies have a reputation of growing well in Southern climates. Since tree peonies' flower buds are formed in the fall, and remain on the tree peony stem tips all winter long, they are able to accumulate more chilling hours on their buds than herbaceous peony buds, which are at or below the soil surface all winter long. This is yet another reason to plant your herbaceous peonies as close to the soil surface as possible in Southern climates. This allows the buds to accumulate the chilling hours needed to flower. So if you grow tree peonies in a Southern climate, and you notice that they begin to grow so much earlier than your herbaceous peonies, do not fear. The foliage will not be harmed and the buds will likely be just fine too...

2017 Questions - Dividing an Herbaceous Peony in Winter

I received this question from Gwendolyn in zone 7b:

"Hello,

I have an 8 year old Sarah Bernhardt peony that I would like to divide. I live in Raleigh, NC and I was wondering if it is too late to divide it? Thank you for any advice you can give me.

Best,
Gwendolyn"


Herbaceous Peony Buds Still Dormant
(End of January)
Actually you are in luck. Since the ground never really experiences a hard, long freeze during the winter here in growing zone 7b, you have some extra time to divide your herbaceous peony plant (especially with the warmer temperatures we've been experiencing here recently). Ideally peonies are divided in the fall season. However, digging and dividing a peony now in our growing zone should be no problem, as long as there is no snow cover (which is rare here anyway) and the ground is not frozen at the time. I would definitely get it done now, though. January and February would probably be the limit on when to divide a peony in a Southern growing zone.
Herbaceous Peony Buds Beginning of Growth Cycle
(End of February)
By March the peony's foliage will begin to start an active growth cycle, and that foliage would be stunned by a division during that time. The plant may still recover. However, completing the division now, before that active growth cycle starts is your best bet. Also if you need some step by step instructions (with pictures) on how to divide an herbaceous peony, please take a look at my How to Divide an Herbaceous Peony guide on my How To page. Good luck with your dividing your peony!
Herbaceous Peony Foliage Active Growth Cycle
(Middle of March)

2017 Herbaceous Hot 100 Peony Catalog Price Comparison List

I've been doing my Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison Lists for a few years now. This year I thought it might also be helpful to list some of the pricey herbaceous peonies that people might be interested in. There a several up and coming hot herbaceous peonies that tend to be around or above the $100 price range. Some of these peonies can be hard to find and acquire because their stock is so limited. So this list will give you a heads up of where you can find them and who has them priced for what. Even if you don't want to spend that much on one peony (yet!), at least you can drool! 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.)

Photo Courtesy of Flower Muse

Varieties Offered		Peony Vendor
3		Adelman
1		Blossom Hill
4		Brooks
1		Cricket Hill
1		Fina
7		Hidden Springs
15		Hollingsworth
0		Peony's Envy
5		Peony Shop Holland
17		Solaris Farms
3		Song Sparrow
0		Swenson

Herbaceous Peony	Price	Vendor
Alexander Woollcott	$75.00	Hidden Springs
Blood Moon	$225.00	Solaris Farms
Bob	$125.00	Hidden Springs
Callisto	$80.00	Solaris Farms
Dione	$100.00	Solaris Farms
Dreamtime	$115.00	Solaris Farms
Europa	$225.00	Solaris Farms
Faithful Dream	$140.00	Hollingsworth
Golden Angel	$125.00	Song Sparrow
Golden Wheel	$125.00	Cricket Hill
John's Dream	C$350.00	Blossom Hill
Juliska	$80.00	Solaris Farms
Juliska	$95.00	Hidden Springs
Juliska	$100.00	Hollingsworth
Kathy's Touch	$80.00	Hollingsworth
Kayleigh Ann	$200.00	Hollingsworth
Lavender	$90.00	Hollingsworth
Lemon Chiffon	€21.00	Peony Shop Holland
Lemon Chiffon	$90.00	Brooks
Lemon Chiffon	$90.00	Hollingsworth
Lemon Chiffon	$95.00	Solaris Farms
Lemon Chiffon	$99.99	Hidden Springs
Lemon Chiffon	$115.99	Fina
Lemon Chiffon	$135.99	Song Sparrow
Little Dorrit	$125.00	Brooks
Little Corporal	$90.00	Solaris Farms
Little Corporal	$120.00	Hollingsworth
Lois' Choice	$85.00	Brooks
Lois' Choice	$89.99	Hidden Springs
Lois' Choice	$90.00	Adelman
Lois' Choice	$90.00	Hollingsworth
Lois' Choice	$90.00	Solaris Farms
Lois' Choice	€120.00	Peony Shop Holland
Old Soldier	$80.00	Solaris Farms
Old Soldier	$80.00	Hollingsworth
Paeonia mlokosewitschii	$75.00	Brooks
Pastelegance	$199.00	Adelman
Pastelegance	$200.00	Hollingsworth
Pastelegance	€200.00	Peony Shop Holland
Pastelegance	$240.00	Solaris Farms
Pastelorama	$200.00	Solaris Farms
Pearled Lemon Cream	$100.00	Song Sparrow
Quitzin	$350.00	Hollingsworth
Red Rock Canyon	$175.00	Solaris Farms
Sky Dance	$80.00	Solaris Farms
Steven Ambrose	$200.00	Hidden Springs
Summer Glow	$75.00	Hidden Springs
Summer Glow	$70.00	Adelman
Sunny Boy	€500.00	Peony Shop Holland
Sunny Day	€125.00	Peony Shop Holland
Tranquil Dove	$90.00	Hollingsworth
Triton	$100.00	Solaris Farms
Tropicana	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Tropicana	$124.00	Hollingsworth
Vanilla Schnapps	$125.00	Solaris Farms
Vanilla Schnapps	$150.00	Hollingsworth
Virginia Emerson	$100.00	Hollingsworth

2017 First Intersectional Peony Gift from a Friend

USPS Priority Mail Box with Peony Gift
This week I was delighted to receive my first ever division of an intersectional peony as a gift from a Southern peony friend. Sure my Mom has bought me a peony for my birthday before (and of course that was much appreciated), but I had never received a division from a peony friend's own garden. So it was especially nice to receive a box from a fellow Southern peony gardener this week with a division of 'Sonoma YeDo' in it. The box was large, but rather light. However, when I opened the box, the root was huge, and despite its lack of packing material, not even one root appeared to have been broken. Way to go USPS Priority Mail!
Peony Root in Reused (Yay!) Southern States Bag
The root was simply wrapped in a reused retail bag, with a name on it I thought appropriate - Southern States. :-) The root itself easily had more than 10 pink eyes on it and more than 10 stems cut back from the previous season - a very large root. So it seems very likely that I will get a bloom from this one this year! How exciting! I am keeping my fingers crossed. I will definitely be posting some pics if I get a bright, yellow bloom from this Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma YeDo' this year! :-D
Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma YeDo'