Friday, February 17, 2017

2017 Registered for American Peony Society Convention

It took a little longer this year, but I actually got it done 10 days ago! I am now officially registered for the 2017 American Peony Society Convention in Raleigh, NC. I can't wait to see everyone, and of course all of the gorgeous flowers! If you haven't taken the time to put your registration in, now's the time to do it! I know it's only February, but March is right around the corner and May will be here before you know it! You can send your registration in by Mail or do it all Online, whichever you prefer. There's also an opportunity this year to sit down to dinner with the American Peony Society Board Members. I hope to see you there! Now get to it, the peonies are waiting for you! ;-) American Peony Society Registration Form

American Peony Society Registration Form

American Peony Society 2017 Convention Registration Form

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Late Season

Yes, these blooms are a bit late - in the peony season and for Valentine's Day, but better late than never! This is the third part of a three-part series of peony "Bouquet on the Bush" photos from my bloom season last year. If you missed the first and second parts of this series, be sure to check them out, 2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Early Season and 2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Mid Season.

Peony 'Guidon'
Peony 'Guidon' has always been a favorite of mine. It has always been an easy bloomer, and Peony 'Guidon' is also a Southern Peony Best Performer. It is not uncommon for this gorgeous looker to have 4 or 5 blooms on each stem. It is also a very nice shade of lavender pink that just catches your eye. The only downside to this beauty is that its blooms are so large, and there are so many of them, if a rain storm is approaching, you should pick them all! These flowers would be perfect for a real bouquet!

Peony 'Top Hat'
Peony 'Top Hat' is another peony with 4 or 5 blooms on each stem. Although the flowers are not as large as Peony 'Guidon's', the less weighty blooms allow them to stay upright on their own for the most part. Also the flowers have sharply contrasting, bright and pale colors that are exciting to see. The bright fuchsia pink guard petals open to reveal a mixture of pinks and yellows that beget a pale orange coloring.

Peony 'Vivid Rose'
Peony 'Vivid Rose' is a stalwart of the late peony season garden. It always blooms reliably very late in the season, and is a nice addition to extend your peony bloom season. It is a pretty fragrant pink double peony (if you fancy that sort of thing) ;-) I hope you've enjoyed these peony "Bouquets on the Bush" and hopefully gained a few ideas about some floriferous peonies for your own garden!

Monday, February 13, 2017

2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Mid Season

Flowers for everyone! Peonies of course, since they're the best! This is the second part of a three-part series of peony "Bouquet on the Bush" photos from my bloom season last year. If you missed the first part of the series, be sure to check it out, 2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Early Season. Also keep your eyes peeled for part three coming soon! You won't want to miss any of these peony "Bouquet on the Bush" photos!

Peony 'Do Tell'
Peony 'Do Tell' is an American Peony Society Gold Medal Winner. It has a pretty double layer of soft, baby pink guard petals with a center that is always interesting. It can be wild and crazy like your hair when you get out of bed or softened a bit and mixed with tiny, thin baby pink petals as you see here. The colors are clear and unique - baby pink, hot pink, white, and a bit of yellow. I can't think of another peony just like it in color and form. Since the flower looks different every year, half the fun of this peony is waiting to see what it will look like this spring.

Intersectional Peony 'Scarlet Heaven'
Intersectional Peony 'Scarlet Heaven' is rare in the world of intersectional peonies for it bright red coloring, a feature not often found in this group of peonies. The color is certainly eye catching and will definitely stand out in your garden. Peony 'Sorbet' is a classic peony that will bloom its heart out for you. With so many buds per stem on Peony 'Sorbet', the blooms just keep coming after the first round has faded away.

Peony 'Sorbet'

Saturday, February 11, 2017

2017 Peony Bloom Clusters - Early Season

It being February and in honor of Valentine's Day, I wanted to publish some peony "Bouquet on the Bush" photos from my bloom season last year. Everyone deserves flowers for Valentine's Day. So even if you don't have any live ones on the bush (neither do I), I would like to send some virtual peony bouquets out to my readers this year. This should definitely whet your appetite for the upcoming bloom season. This will be a 3-part series, with each part focusing on early, mid, and late varieties. Enjoy!

Intersectional Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst'
Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst' has fast become one of my most favorite peonies. It is a Southern Peony Best Performer and always has loads of uniquely lavender pink blooms. Can you believe it had 5 blooms all together on the bush like that? Awesome! Also with so many side buds, this beauty just keeps the blooms coming! If this peony is not yet in your garden, it definitely deserves a spot! :-)

Peony 'Blue Lagoon'
Peony 'Blue Lagoon' is a peony I purchased from Walmart years ago in a bag with cardboard attached for probably something like $5. It is obviously not any real registered peony. However, it has beautiful, bright fuchsia pink blooms and loads of them. So it gets to stay! The Peony Seedling are some blooms from a peony I grew from seed. The flowers are a clear pink and remind me a bit of Peony 'Seashell'.

Peony Seedling

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

2017 Rough Winter on Early Peonies

I'm hoping for a bit steadier weather this late winter / early spring than we had last year. Usually everyone shares the pretty peony photos. Here I wanted to share the ugly ones. What happens when an early spring warm up meets late winter temperatures? Well, take a look... ugly peonies. Is it still worth it to grow these early peonies? I think so. I really enjoying seeing their neat looking foliage pop up from the ground and their palette of colors brighten up my very early spring garden. Yes, it is sometimes disappointing to feel like you've missed seeing some blooms when they get busted by a cold snap, or wish that the bright yellow stamens weren't mixed with gray or brown. However not all years experience such weather, and sometimes the peonies' blooms are just dandy. And sometimes the bad is not all that bad... :-)