2020 It's Time for Tree Peonies!

Can you believe it? They are bursting already!!! I know winter is not done with us yet, but these tree peonies don't care one bit! Their buds are much hardier than herbaceous peony buds since they stay above ground all winter on the stem (although they can still get damaged, but not as often), while more tender herbaceous peony buds hide out at/under the soil during the winter to keep them safe! Thank goodness for tree peonies! I guess that's why we get to enjoy them much sooner in the spring as well since they get a head start on growing. Tree Peonies typically blooms a few weeks earlier than herbaceous peonies. So if you are looking for a great way to extend your peony bloom season - try adding some tree peonies. Once they get established - you won't regret it!


Tree Peony P. ostii

Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace'

Tree Peony 'Fuchsia Ruffles'

Tree Peony 'White Phoenix'

2020 Tree Peony 'Imperial Crown' at Song Sparrow

Tree Peony 'Imperial Crown' at Song Sparrow
Every year I keep hearing that this is going to be the last year of operation at Song Sparrow, but somehow they just keep on going. I have been wanting this Tree Peony 'Imperial Crown' for a few years now. I always hesitate to purchase things because I need to wait until the next month to buy it (for budget reasons), and then by the time the next month rolls around, it is sold out. I'm starting to worry that if I don't order it now, I may lose the opportunity. If anyone knows me, they know how much I love purple, and the purple color on this Tree Peony 'Imperial Crown' is just eye-popping! I hope it's that gorgeous in person. Also if I order it now, I *might* get to see it bloom this spring! That's the nice thing about the tree peonies (and intersectional peonies) at Song Sparrow. They sell them as potted plants that they ship spring through fall! My order is in! I can't wait to get it!

2020 Intersectional Peony 'Caroline Constabel' for Sale at Oh My Peonies for $65

I received an email last week from Sue at Oh My Peonies inquiring about adding her business to our price list. She says she joined the American Peony Society as a commercial member so that she could be included here in the Southern Peony Price Lists. That's great news! So I took a look at her web site, and Oh My Peonies actually has quite a few intersectional peonies listed with reasonable prices as well. You can see how their prices compare in the updated Southern Peony 2020 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List. I'd never ordered anything from Oh My Peonies before, but I decided to give them a try.


Intersectional Peony 'Caroline Constabel'
for Sale at Oh My Peonies
While going through the Oh My Peonies catalog, I noticed an intersectional peony that I didn't have for a reasonable price - Peony 'Caroline Constabel'. It says this peony is named in "honor of the researcher behind Planteck's micropropagation program". That's interesting. The flower looks lovely. It is a nice shade of rose with very double flowers. It is described as a full double, but it looks to me like somewhere in between a semi-double and double. I've also seen this flower on Peony Shop Holland's web site. However it doesn't appear that you can actually order it from Peony Shop Holland currently. So right now it appears that Oh My Peonies is the only place you can buy Intersectional Peony 'Caroline Constabel' this year. If you'd like to get your hands on one, now might be your opportunity! Good luck!!

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