2019 Peony Blooms Week 1 Very Early

Since my Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' bloomed so early this year, there were only 2 peonies blooming in week one this year (aside from several other P. ostii seedling that also bloomed and a p. rockii seedling that bloomed for the first time this year). So that means there are lots more tree peony blooms to look forward to next week! I apologize that the photos are not as sunny as I'd like, but with my new job, I can only snap photos after 6pm or on the weekends now. Maybe I will take a half day of vacation here and there when the blooms really start coming! Of all of these peonies, the P. Rockii seedling is definitely the most fragrant, and it smells wonderful! If you don't yet grow any tree peonies, I would start now. Tree peonies are great growers in the South, and since they bloom very early, they can really extend your peony bloom season!


Tree Peony 'White Phoenix'

Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace'

Tree Peony P. Rockii Seedling

2019 Second Peony Bloom of the Season, Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace'

Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace'
My second peony bloom of the season opened today. I've had several other p. ostii seedlings open subsequently, aside from my 2019 First Peony Bloom of the Season!, Tree Peony 'White Phoenix'. Since all of the subsequent openings have all been unnamed seedlings, I'm not counting them. So there was actually a pretty big gap between the first and second peony blooms opening this year, from March 29th to April 4th. That's pretty much a whole week, just one day shy! I guess that means I need to keep collecting more tree peonies to fill in the gap!


Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace'
with Three Buds
I can't say I am super impressed by the lavender color in the peony (since it seems to be a bit on the pinkish side), but the color is still nice. It is also great to have such a colorful early blooming peony. I am also very excited to see how much it has grown since last year. It went from 1 bud in it first growing season last year to 4 buds in its second growing season this year! All of the buds look big and fat and healthy too (like they will all open)! As you can see it is already growing a second stem from below ground this year which also has it own bud. So it seems to be quite vigorous and floriferous. I'm looking forward to the rest of the buds opening and to seeing how it does next year as well. :-) The

2019 Color Showing on Tree Peony Buds

Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace'
I was excited to see some color starting to show on some of my tree peony buds today. Purple and lavender are my favorite colors so I am definitely excited to see the blooms on Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' again this year. I just purchased and planted Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' last year, 2018 Spring Tree Peony Planting 'Kinkaku' & 'Lavender Grace' after seeing it in 2018 Klehms Song Sparrow Offers Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' on Front Page of Web Site. I did get to see one bud open on it last year, and this year it seems to have 3 buds growing! Let's hope all three of those buds open!


Tree Peony 'Yao Huang' 姚黃 (Yao's Yellow)
Tree Peony 'Yao Huang' was the second peony to open last year, 2018 Second Peony Bloom of the Season - 'Yao's Yellow' 姚黃 (Yao Huang), opening on the same day as Tree Peony 'White Phoenix'. This year Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' has already bloomed, now 5 days ago! These colorful tree peonies are definitely biding their time a bit more this year. My Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' already lost 3 buds this year, 2019 Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' Snapped Off! At least there are still lots more buds left, though. I think it would have had 11 buds before those 3 were snapped off. So now I guess we're down to 8 buds for this year. Oh well, 8 is better than none! I still can't wait to see them open!!!


Tree Peony 'Angel Emily'

2019 Peonies at Duke Gardens Spring Plant Sale

I've never been to Duke Garden's Spring Plant Sale before until now. I just went this past weekend to see what it was all about. The sale is an annual event for the Sarah P. Duke Gardens on the Duke University campus, and it is a fundraiser to help fund their summer intern program. I couldn't believe how many people were there, and how early they got up to get the best plants. The earlybird really did get the worm at this plant sale. The plant sale was from 8:00 am-12:00 noon. I arrived at 8:30 am, and I struggled to find a parking spot. I got lucky because one of the earlybirds was already finished their shopping and leaving!


"Deer Resistant" Peony Plants
Duke Gardens Spring Plant Sale
Of course I wanted to see what peonies they had for sale there. I did see several people with peonies in their wagons, herbaceous peonies with big fat buds, and a several intersectional peonies as well. I kept asking the people with intersectional peonies in their wagons where they got them from, most couldn't remember, but the ones who did pointed me to a place that didn't have any left to purchase. So those intersectional peonies really did go fast! The only peonies I found that were still left for sale at 8:30 am were a few herbaceous peonies with a "Deer Resistant" sign on them. (The sign was so cute, I just couldn't resist snapping a photo of it!)


Duke Gardens Spring Plant Sale
There were so many people there and so many plant vendors as well. Many of the plants had been propagated and potted up by the Duke Gardens staff from their own gardens. There were also specialty vendors selling everything from camellias in bloom, redbuds in bloom, peonies in bud, hellebores in bloom, ferns, hostas, annuals, and veggies. There was pretty much something for everyone. They even had a carnivorous plant tent! The local Master Gardeners were also there with their own booth giving out growing advice and selling plants they'd propagated.


Duke Gardens Spring Plant Sale
The line to check out was quite long (almost 30 minutes), but I still had a great time, and I would definitely go again in the future. However I would need to go much earlier to find a parking spot before 8:00 am to see everything that's being offered at the sale. I didn't buy any peonies, but I did find a couple of things. I purchased 2 ferns and a double hellebore. The whole even was like a feeding frenzy for plant lovers. All of the people at the sale were like goldfish that had just been fed. The amount of excitement in the air was palpable. It was nice to be near that many other plant enthusiasts and feel their energy and happiness.


Peonies and Blue Pottery
Duke Gardens Spring Plant Sale

Redbud, Camellia, and Intersectional Peony
Duke Gardens Spring Plant Sale

2019 First Peony Bloom of the Season!

Yay! It's finally here! I have been anticipating this moment for quite some time, and now it is here. I thought I'd be ready this year, but for some reason I am already feeling behind. I have a large load of free mulch sitting in my driveway (which I am very thankful for), and I have a new job I just started 2 weeks ago (which I am also very thankful for), and now it is peony season (which I am also very, very thankful for). Let's just say there's a lot going on right now... I guess that's how it usually goes, though. Feast or famine. The trick is not to eat too much at the feast, I guess. (And maybe save a little for the famine...)


First Bloom of the Season
Tree Peony 'White Phoenix'
Anyway, Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' was the first peony to bloom in my garden this year, pretty much the same as last year. Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' and a dwarf red fernleaf hybrid both bloomed together on the first day of the season last year on April 2nd. So it looks like our peony season is starting just a couple days earlier this year. I don't think I saw any blooms open on the red fernleaf hybrid yet this year. Tree Peony 'Yao Huang' ('Yao's Yellow') bloomed the day after Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' last year. Tree Peony 'Yao Huang' looks like it is about to pop open. So let's see if it blooms 2nd again this year.