2020 Peony 'Lemon Chiffon' Open Pollinated Seeds Found During Winter Cleanup

While cleaning up yesterday, I found a few seeds on my Peony 'Lemon Chiffon'. I'm not sure if they'll grow or not since I've waited so long to harvest them, but I figure I'll try anyway. I didn't even realize they were there. I was about to throw the whole stem and seed pod away when I noticed those beautiful, shiny seeds. So I just grabbed the whole seed pod off the stem before trashing it. I need to make a sign for the seeds before I plant them.


Peony 'Lemon Chiffon' Seed Pod
I had also found a few seeds on Peony 'Faithful Dream' this year. I don't remember pollinating either of these flowers, so I'm assuming they are both open pollinated. Mother Nature may have created something nice, though. I'm kind of curious to know what DNA is waiting inside those tiny seeds. Only time will tell, so I'd better get to work planting them. If you find any seed pods with seeds in them in your garden while cleaning up, plant them out somewhere. You never know what might grow from them! :-)

2020 Cutting Back Peonies with a Brown Garden... Snake?

Cutting Back Peonies in January
Yes, you read that right. I am cutting back my peonies in January. I know, I know, late again. Oh, what's that about a snake? Yes, you read that right too! While I was out in the garden today cutting back my desicated peony stems, I had a visitor join me in my peony garden - a brown garden snake. I wondered if he was a poisonous snake or just a harmless garden snake. He didn't look like any of the poisonous snakes around here - no copper head, no rattle, no triangle shaped head, and he was baby size. So I picked him up for a minute and took a good look at him, while he tasted my scent with his tongue. He didn't try to attack me, and I didn't try to hurt him either. I just set him back down. He slithered around as I cut peonies all around him, moving out of my way when I got close.


Cutting Back Peonies in January with a Snake!

Brown Garden Snake
It was kind of neat to have a companion for a little while in the garden, and nice to let him just be. I felt a little worried about him because he appeared to have a boo-boo on his tummy. I hope he'll be okay and get to live. I didn't finish with all of the peony cleanup today. I only got one peony bed cleanup finished and started on one more peony bed. So there's still a lot left to do. Maybe I'll see him out in the garden again the next time I'm out there. Hope he finds a warm place to sleep!


I Got to Hold Him

And I Put Him Back

2020 Adelman Offers Peony 'Greenland' for $75.00!

Adelman Peony Gardens Offers Peony 'Greenland' for $75.00!
I was excited to see this Peony 'Greenland' offered at Adelman Peony Gardens this year. I know I have seen this one before, but I haven't seen it offered for sale (at least not since I've been doing my Herbaceous Hot 100 Peony Price Lists). So Peony 'Greenland' finally made it onto my 2020 Southern Peony Herbaceous Hot 100 Peony Price List this year at $75, which I think is a steal. This peony was hybridized by Roy Pehrson, and Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow' does phenomenally in my garden. So I'm really excited to see how this Peony 'Greenland' might perform. It gets the "Green" part of its name because the petals are supposed to be a bit greenish colored when first starting to open. So I am really excited to see that too, since I don't have any other "green" peonies in my garden! If you're looking for something unique to add to your garden this year, this peony might just be it!

2020 Swenson Gardens Offers 30 Hot 100 Herbaceous Peonies!

Swenson Gardens Offers 30 Hot 100 Herbaceous Peonies!
I'm not sure if I can afford any of them, but Swenson Gardens is offering 30 Hot 100 Herbaceous Peony Varieties this year! Check out our Southern Peony Herbaceous Hot 100 Peony Price List to see all of 30 their varieties offered (along with their prices)! The photo above is just a sampling of their offering. Check out the Swenson Gardens web site to see the photos for all of their offerings. These hot herbaceous peonies range in price from $50 to $1000. Yes, I said $1000! I'm not sure I've ever seen a single peony root offered for $1000.00 before, but now I have!


Swenson Gardens Offers Peony 'Red Lacquer' for $1000.00!
The single peony root that is being offered for $1000 is not a new introduction either. Apparently, it must be a rare Saunders hybrid, Peony 'Red Lacquer'. I had not heard of this variety before, but it is registered with the APS. However they do not yet have a photo of it in their registry. So I guess it must be rare. I like to collect Saunders' peonies myself. (I have a separate garden bed dedicated to Saunders peonies.) But I don't like to collect them that much ($1000 per root). I'm sure there are people out there that do and will pay that much, though. So if that someone might be you, I would advise quick action to reserve one of them, as I'm sure they'll be sold out soon!

2020 Song Sparrow Offers Peony 'Golden Angel' for $36 (from $125)

Song Sparrow Offers 'Golden Angel' for $36 (from $125)
I really can't believe this one! I'm thinking this really must be a price mistake. I would go ahead and order one right away just in case. I don't know if you've seen the 2020 Southern Peony Herbaceous Hot 100 Price List yet or not, but... Song Sparrow dropped the price of Peony 'Golden Angel' from $125 last year to $36 this year. I'm not sure if they are just getting rid of this variety or what, but this is an awesome price for this peony! I don't grow this one yet, but I have been wanting it for a long, long time. THE best thing about this peony is its Foliage! Check out the photos of how it goes from a bright orange to super yellow, to neon yellow green! I have already ordered one myself from Song Sparrow and can't wait to see it in action!! I hope you can snag one too!