2018 Planting Peony Seeds (Late!) ((Again!!))

The peony seeds I planted today are pretty important seeds actually. I purchased them from the APS Seed Distribution Program last year, and some of them are seeds from a really great peony hybridizer that I just missed my opportunity to interview. I had spoken with him by phone just a few days before he passed, and I think he wasn't feeling well. He told me to call him back another time, but unfortunately that "another time" never came. His name was Bill Seidl, and I had the extreme pleasure of visiting his garden after the APS Convention in 2016, where I was able to meet him, hear a few of his stories, and collect 2016 Peony 'Dreamtime' Pollen from Bill Seidl's Garden.
Bill Seidl and Nate Bremer 2016
Some these seeds I ordered are also from Nate Bremer's garden since the seed packs start with "NB-" and appear to be hybrids of some of Bill's and Nate's introductions. I did have the pleasure of interviewing Nate in 2016, and you can read the results of that interview here, 2016 Peony Hybridizer Interview - Nate Bremer. I am very excited to plant these seeds from both of these very successful hybridizers that are helping to create future peony hybrids. In honor of both of them, I thought I'd share a photo of them together and a group photo we took in Bill's garden during my visit in 2016. Most of the seeds I ordered last year were hand pollinated by these two gentleman, for which I am very grateful.
APS Members in Bill Seidl's Garden 2016
So it looks like this is what I ended up with:

2017 APS Seeds
Dreamtime	5 seeds
Dreamtime X Seidl Super	5 seeds
Dreamtime X Vanilla Gorilla	5 seeds
Lemon Chiffon	12 seeds
NB-???? (Captain Kate X MRV-11)	5 seeds
NB-SH79 (Captain Kate X Angel Emily)	5 seeds
NB-SH82 (Angel Emily X MRV-11)	5 seeds
NB-SH88 (Rockii hybrid X Captain Kate)	6 seeds
NB-SH89 (MRV-11 X MRV-4)	5 seeds

Let's see what sprouts!!!

2018 5+ Inches of Snow on Southern Peonies!

5+ Inches of Snow
Well, I'm not sure how we went from 5+ inches of snow cover 4 days ago to no snow and temperatures in the 60s today and tomorrow, but that is definitely North Carolina winter weather for you. We are still experiencing a "Moderate Drought" period right now. So we can definitely use the moisture from the melted snow. I decided to take the opportunity during these couple of warmish days to plant some seeds that I didn't get a chance to plant this past fall. I know the germination rates will probably not be as good planting them now, as they would have been if I'd planted them in the fall, but hopefully they'll all still be okay. I took a small opportunity to get the peony seed garden markers ready for planting, and I am really excited about getting an extra chance to get these special peony seeds in the ground!
Peony Seed Garden Markers

2018 Herbaceous Hot 100 Peony Catalog Price Comparison List

I've been doing my Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison Lists for a few years now. However this will be only the second year that I list some of the pricey herbaceous peonies that people might be interested in. There are 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 (and some are sold out already). So this list will give you a heads up of where you can find them and who has them priced for what. You can also check out last year's 2017 Herbaceous Hot 100 Peony Catalog Price Comparison List, if you want to know the exact prices for these peonies last year. 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.)

Varieties Offered	Peony Vendor	Price Change from Last Year
4	Adelman		some lower, some same
0	Blossom Hill		same
4	Brooks		some lower, some same
1	Cricket Hill		mostly lower
0	Fina		same
4	Hidden Springs		some lower, some same
21	Hollingsworth		mostly higher
0	Peony's Envy		same
4	Peony Shop Holland		some same, some higher
14	Solaris Farms		mostly lower, some higher
3	Song Sparrow		some lower, some same
4	Swenson		mostly same

Herbaceous Peony	Price	Vendor
Alexander Woollcott	$70.00	Adelman
Alexander Woollcott	$75.00	Hidden Springs
Bob	$125.00	Hidden Springs
Butterfly Kisses	$100.00	Swenson Gardens
Dark Promise	$90.00	Hollingsworth
Dreamtime	$130.00	Solaris Farms
Early Canary	$150.00	Hollingsworth
Faithful Dream	$200.00	Hollingsworth
Garden Gem	$150.00	Hollingsworth
Golden Angel	$90.00	Solaris Farms
Golden Wheel	$79.00	Cricket Hill
Heather	$350.00	Hollingsworth
Juliska	$75.00	Hidden Springs
Juliska	$75.00	Solaris Farms
K-Nina	$100.00	Hollingsworth
Kathy's Touch	$85.00	Brooks
Kathy's Touch	$100.00	Hollingsworth
Kayleigh Ann	$400.00	Hollingsworth
Lemon Chiffon	€27.00	Peony Shop Holland
Lemon Chiffon	$75.00	Brooks
Lemon Chiffon	$75.00	Hidden Springs
Lemon Chiffon	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Lemon Chiffon	$80.00	Hollingsworth
Lemon Chiffon	$85.00	Adelman
Lemon Chiffon	$125.99	Song Sparrow
Liberator	$75.00	Swenson Gardens
Little Corporal	$120.00	Solaris Farms
Little Jeanne	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Lois' Choice	$85.00	Brooks
Lois' Choice	$90.00	Adelman
Lois' Choice	$90.00	Hollingsworth
Major Steve	$200.00	Hollingsworth
Melissa	$150.00	Swenson Gardens
Nelda's Joy	$150.00	Hollingsworth
Old Soldier	$80.00	Solaris Farms
Paeonia tenufolia rosea 'Kinlen'	$150.00	Solaris Farms
Pastelegance	$199.00	Adelman
Pastelegance	$200.00	Hollingsworth
Pastelegance	€200.00	Peony Shop Holland
Pastelegance	$200.00	Solaris Farms
Pastelorama	$180.00	Solaris Farms
Pastelorama	$400.00	Hollingsworth
Peachy Rose	$85.00	Brooks
Pearled Lemon Cream	$100.00	Song Sparrow
Pretty in Pink	$70.00	Hollingsworth
Pink Bubbles	$100.00	Hollingsworth
Quitzin	€75.00	Peony Shop Holland
Quitzin	$300.00	Hollingsworth
Red Hot Babe	$90.00	Solaris Farms
Solara	$250.00	Solaris Farms
Stephen E Ambrose	$250.00	Swenson Gardens
Summer Glow	$90.00	Hollingsworth
The Natural	$100.00	Song Sparrow
Tropicana	$70.00	Solaris Farms
Tropicana	$140.00	Hollingsworth
Vanilla Schnapps	$115.00	Solaris Farms
Vanilla Schnapps	€225.00	Peony Shop Holland
Virginia Emerson	$100.00	Hollingsworth
William E. B. Du Bois	$80.00	Hollingsworth

2018 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List

The new year is upon us, and so is yet another white layer of winter weather. What better time to spend the snow day than creating my annual Intersectional Peony Price List? The online peony catalogs are coming online, but they are not all out yet. The vendors who don't have their lists up yet still have a line through them. I'll update this information as more online peony catalogs are updated and become available. If you'd like to compare this year's prices to last year's prices, here's a link to my 2017 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List 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.)

Varieties Offered	Peony Vendor	Price Change from Last Year
38	Adelman		mostly same or lower
0	Birchwood		same
0	Blossom Hill		same
20	Brooks		mixed same, lower, & higher
7	Cricket Hill		mostly same
11	Fina		mixed same, lower, & higher
16	Hidden Springs		mostly lower or same
9	Hollingsworth		mostly higher
7	Peony's Envy		mostly same
29	Peony Shop Holland		mostly lower
34	Solaris Farms		mostly same or lower
14	Song Sparrow		mixed higher, lower, & same
31	Swenson		mostly lower or same

Intersectional Peony	Price	Vendor
Al's Choice	$75.00	Swenson
Al's Choice	$85.00	Brooks
Anderson's Kaleidoscope	€35.00	Peony Shop Holland
Anderson's Kaleidoscope	$50.00	Swenson
(Anderson's) Kaleidoscope	$80.00	Brooks
Ballarena de Saval	$65.00	Adelman
Bartzella	€11.00	Peony Shop Holland
Bartzella	$40.00	Solaris Farms
Bartzella	$49.95	Hidden Springs
Bartzella	$50.00	Brooks
Bartzella	$58.00	Fina
Bartzella	$60.00	Adelman
Bartzella	$60.00	Swenson
Bartzella	$70.00	Hollingsworth
Bartzella	$75.00	Song Sparrow
Bartzella	$79.00	Peony's Envy
Bartzella	$89.00	Cricket Hill
Berry Garcia	$95.00	Brooks
Border Charm	€11.00	Peony Shop Holland
Border Charm	$40.00	Adelman
Border Charm	$40.00	Swenson
Border Charm	$60.00	Song Sparrow
Callie's Memory	€11.00	Peony Shop Holland
Callie's Memory	$35.00	Solaris Farms
Callie's Memory	$50.00	Swenson
Callie's Memory	$70.00	Brooks
Canary Brilliants	€15.00	Peony Shop Holland
Canary Brilliants	$50.00	Solaris Farms
Canary Brilliants	$55.00	Adelman
Canary Brilliants	$60.00	Brooks
Canary Brilliants	$60.00	Swenson
Canary Brilliants	$79.00	Peony's Envy
Canary Brilliants	$89.00	Cricket Hill
Candy Cane	$90.00	Solaris Farms
Chief Black Hawk	€125.00	Peony Shop Holland
Chief Black Hawk	$175.00	Brooks
Chief Black Hawk	$175.00	Swenson
Cora Louise	$59.95	Hidden Springs
Cora Louise	$60.00	Adelman
Cora Louise	$60.00	Brooks
Cora Louise	$60.00	Hollingsworth
Cora Louise	$60.00	Swenson
Cora Louise	$70.00	Solaris Farms
Cora Louise	$79.00	Peony's Envy
Cora Louise	$80.00	Song Sparrow
Cora Louise	$89.00	Cricket Hill
Court Jester	$40.00	Swenson
First Arrival	$40.00	Solaris Farms
First Arrival	$49.95	Hidden Springs
First Arrival	$57.00	Fina
First Arrival	$60.00	Hollingsworth
First Arrival	$60.00	Swenson
First Arrival	$60.00	Adelman
First Arrival	$79.00	Peony's Envy
First Arrival	$89.00	Cricket Hill
First Arrival	$150.00	Song Sparrow
Garden Treasure	€11.00	Peony Shop Holland
Garden Treasure	$40.00	Solaris Farms
Garden Treasure	$40.00	Swenson
Garden Treasure	$49.95	Hidden Springs
Garden Treasure	$52.00	Fina
Garden Treasure	$60.00	Adelman
Garden Treasure	$60.00	Brooks
Garden Treasure	$70.00	Hollingsworth
Garden Treasure	$79.00	Peony's Envy
Garden Treasure	$85.00	Song Sparrow
Garden Treasure	$89.00	Cricket Hill
Going Bananas	€25.00	Peony Shop Holland
Going Bananas	$40.00	Adelman
Going Bananas	$40.00	Swenson
Going Bananas	$110.00	Song Sparrow
Gordon E. Simonson	$150.00	Solaris Farms
Gordon E. Simonson	$175.00	Swenson
Gordon E. Simonson	$200.00	Hollingsworth
Gordon E. Simonson	$225.00	Adelman
Gordon E. Simonson	€300.00	Peony Shop Holland
Hidden Treasure	$35.00	Solaris Farms
Hidden Treasure	$44.95	Hidden Springs
Hillary	€13.00	Peony Shop Holland
Hillary	$40.00	Solaris Farms
Hillary	$49.95	Hidden Springs
Hillary	$50.00	Adelman
Hillary	$50.00	Swenson
Hillary	$55.00	Brooks
Hillary	$55.00	Fina
Hillary	$60.00	Hollingsworth
Hillary	$95.00	Song Sparrow
Japanese Itoh (Unknown Yelllow)	$40.00	Swenson
Joanna Marlene	€40.00	Peony Shop Holland
Joanna Marlene	$70.00	Swenson
Joanna Marlene	$75.00	Fina
Joanna Marlene	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Joanna Marlene	$80.00	Adelman
Julia Rose	€10.00	Peony Shop Holland
Julia Rose	$45.00	Solaris Farms
Julia Rose	$50.00	Swenson
Julia Rose	$54.00	Fina
Julia Rose	$75.00	Adelman
Julia Rose	$75.00	Brooks
Julia Rose	$79.00	Peony's Envy
Julia Rose	$85.00	Song Sparrow
Julia Rose	$89.00	Cricket Hill
(Copper) Kopper Kettle	€75.00	Peony Shop Holland
(Copper) Kopper Kettle	$84.95	Hidden Springs
Kopper Kettle	$99.00	Adelman
Kopper Kettle	$100.00	Swenson
Lemon Dream	$35.00	Adelman
Lemon Dream	$40.00	Swenson
Lemon Dream	$45.00	Fina
Lemon Dream	$45.00	Solaris Farms
Lemon Dream	$55.00	Brooks
Little Darlin'	€25.00	Peony Shop Holland
Little Darlin'	$60.00	Song Sparrow
Lollipop	$44.95	Hidden Springs
Lollipop	$45.00	Solaris Farms
Love Affair	€75.00	Peony Shop Holland
Love Affair	$125.00	Adelman
Love Affair	$150.00	Solaris Farms
Love Affair	$170.00	Hollingsworth
Lunar Glow	$100.00	Adelman
Luxuriant	$150.00	Brooks
Magical Mystery Tour	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Mock Orange Yellow	$50.00	Solaris Farms
Momo Taro (Peach Boy)	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Morning Lilac	$64.00	Fina
Morning Lilac	$65.00	Adelman
New Millennium	$120.00	Solaris Farms
New Millennium	$125.00	Swenson
New Millennium	$165.00	Adelman
New Millennium	$180.00	Hollingsworth
Old Rose Dandy	€13.00	Peony Shop Holland
Old Rose Dandy	$35.00	Brooks
Old Rose Dandy	$40.00	Adelman
Old Rose Dandy	$40.00	Solaris Farms
Old Rose Dandy	$40.00	Swenson
Old Rose Dandy	$44.95	Hidden Springs
Oriental Gold	$119.00	Cricket Hill
Pastel Splendor	$35.00	Solaris Farms
Pastel Splendor	$40.00	Swenson
Pastel Splendor	$45.00	Brooks
Pastel Splendor	$42.00	Fina
Pastel Splendor	$45.00	Adelman
Pastel Splendor	$44.95	Hidden Springs
Pastel Splendor	$75.00	Song Sparrow
Peppermint Blush	$175.00	Swenson
Pink Double Dandy	$85.00	Song Sparrow
Prairie Charm	€11.00	Peony Shop Holland
Prairie Charm	$40.00	Swenson
Prairie Charm	$44.00	Hollingsworth
Prairie Charm	$44.95	Hidden Springs
Prairie Charm	$95.00	Song Sparrow
Predawn Beauty	$175.00	Swenson
Purple Reign	$250.00	Swenson
Rosy Prospects	€40.00	Peony Shop Holland
Rosy Prospects	$45.00	Adelman
Rosy Prospects	$100.00	Swenson
Royal Blush	€75.00	Peony Shop Holland
Royal Blush	$100.00	Swenson
Scarlet Heaven	€11.00	Peony Shop Holland
Scarlet Heaven	$35.00	Solaris Farms
Scarlet Heaven	$40.00	Adelman
Scarlet Heaven	$50.00	Brooks
Scarlet Heaven	$79.00	Peony's Envy
Scarlet Heights	$250.00	Swenson
Sequestered Sunshine	$48.00	Fina
Sequestered Sunshine	$95.00	Brooks
Sequestered Sunshine	$125.00	Song Sparrow
Singing in the Rain	$60.00	Solaris Farms
Singing in the Rain	$85.00	Brooks
Smith Family Yellow	$99.00	Adelman
Sonoma Amethyst	€30.00	Peony Shop Holland
Sonoma Amethyst	$65.00	Adelman
Sonoma Amethyst	$65.00	Fina
Sonoma Apricot	€30.00	Peony Shop Holland
Sonoma Apricot	$45.00	Solaris Farms
Sonoma Apricot	$49.95	Hidden Springs
Sonoma Apricot	$80.00	Adelman
Sonoma Blessing	$75.00	Solaris Farms
Sonoma Blessing	$80.00	Adelman
Sonoma By the Bay	$135.00	Hidden Springs
Sonoma By the Bay	$135.00	Solaris Farms
Sonoma Floozy	$65.00	Adelman
Sonoma Halo	$250.00	Solaris Farms
Sonoma Halo	$350.00	Adelman
Sonoma Halo	€400.00	Peony Shop Holland
Sonoma Lavender Fancy	$50.00	Adelman
Sonoma Rosy Future	$80.00	Solaris Farms
Sonoma Rosy Future	$84.95	Hidden Springs
Sonoma Rosy Future	$125.00	Adelman
Sonoma Sun	€30.00	Peony Shop Holland
Sonoma Sun	$45.00	Adelman
Sonoma Surprise	$150.00	Adelman
Sonoma Velvet Ruby	€30.00	Peony Shop Holland
Sonoma Velvet Ruby	$35.00	Adelman
Sonoma Velvet Ruby	$60.00	Solaris Farms
Sonoma Welcome	€30.00	Peony Shop Holland
Sonoma Welcome	$65.00	Adelman
Sonoma Yedo	$250.00	Solaris Farms
Sonoma Yedo	$350.00	Adelman
Unique	€30.00	Peony Shop Holland
Unique	$55.00	Adelman
Unique	$55.00	Brooks
Unique	$50.00	Solaris Farms
Viking Full Moon	€15.00	Peony Shop Holland
Viking Full Moon	$40.00	Solaris Farms
Viking Full Moon	$44.95	Hidden Springs
Viking Full Moon	$45.00	Adelman
Watermelon Wine	€50.00	Peony Shop Holland
Watermelon Wine	$99.00	Adelman
Watermelon Wine	$100.00	Swenson
White Emperor	$100.00	Swenson
Yankee Doodle Dandy	$85.00	Song Sparrow
Yellow Crown	$35.00	Solaris Farms
Yellow Crown	$44.95	Hidden Springs
Yellow Dream	$65.00	Brooks
Yellow Emperor	$35.00	Solaris Farms

2018 First Peony Order of the New Year

I did it! I went ahead and hit the order button on my first peony order of 2018! I took a quick peek at Solaris Farm's 2018 catalog, and I couldn't resist placing an order for Don Smith's Intersectional Peony 'Magical Mystery Tour' (and Intersectional Peony 'Mock Orange Yellow', while I was at it). I had actually ordered this peony, Intersectional Peony 'Magical Mystery Tour', almost 2 years ago from Select Plus in Canada, but they apparently stopped filling orders and shut down before my order ever shipped. At least I have the chance to order it again now. If only I could find a source for Don Smith's Intersectional Peony 'Scrumdidleyumptious' as well. That one looks awesome to me too. I guess it is that time of year for me to start working on my Intersectional Peony Price List. However if you are looking for a particular variety that may be limited, I would recommend you start looking around for it now, as many highly sought-after varieties will set out quickly. Good luck!!
Solaris Farm's Intersectional Peony Catalog