Thursday, April 30, 2020

2020 Intersectional Peony 'Joanna Marlene' from garden*breeze on Ebay

Well, after years of patiently waiting, I am happy to report that my Intersectional Peony 'Joanna Marlene' that I purchased from garden*breeze on Ebay, 2015 Intersectional Peony 'Joanna Marlene' on Ebay is authentic. The beauty and uniqueness of this one is unmistakeable and it matches it's original photo perfectly. This intersectional peony bloomed for me this past week. It wasn't the first time it bloomed, as it did bloom last year, 2019 Intersectional Peony 'Joanna Marlene' Update. However I missed the bloom completely and only got photos of the bud and the remnants of the bloom. However this year, I got some photos of this delicate beauty in all her ruffled, pastel two-toned glory, and I am in love! If you don't grow Intersectional Peony 'Joanna Marlene' yet, take a look at the gorgeous photos below to see what you're missing out on!

Intersectional Peony 'Joanna Marlene'

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

2020 Tree Peony 'High Noon' with 2 Kinds of Foliage?

Tree Peony 'High Noon' with 2 Kinds of Foliage - 3/27
Have you ever noticed your tree peony have 2 kinds of foliage? If so, you really need to remove one of them. Which one? The one that's not growing from the woody stems. You see, tree peonies are mostly grafted plants, meaning they take a branch from a very large and mature tree peony and graft or meld it to the root of an herbaceous peony. Usually those herbaceous peony roots are grown from some random no-good herbaceous peony seed. They just grow lots of those herbaceous peony seeds to get a large crop of very young (and hopefully vigorous) peony roots on which to graft their tree peony stems.

Tree Peony 'High Noon' with 2 Kinds of Foliage - 3/27

Tree Peony 'High Noon' with 2 Kinds of Foliage - 4/13
Still not sure which foliage to remove? Take a look at the photos. The herbaceous peony foliage is very shiny and slick. The tree peony foliage is more dull and softer. Also take a look at the leaves on each branch of the foliage. The herbaceous peony leaves are more pointed and usually come to a defined tip. The tree peony leaves are more spreading and usually have small cuts in them. Hopefully you've been able to identify which foliage is herbaceous and which foliage is tree peony now. So now all you need to do is cut the herbaceous peony stem or stems all the way down, right at or just below the soil surface.

Tree Peony 'High Noon' with 2 Kinds of Foliage - 4/16

Tree Peony 'High Noon' with 2 Kinds of Foliage - 4/16
If you're curious to see just what kind of flower that herbaceous peony nurse root might make, I have saved you the trouble. I decided to let the herbaceous nurse root bloom this year since it had an obvious bud on it that looked like it would mature. As you can see the flower is nothing to speak of at all. It is very small, very tiny, with very short petals, kind of sad actually. If you think about it, no one is going to graft a beautiful herbaceous peony (and valuable - that they could otherwise sell) to the bottom of a tree peony. So it is really best to remove this herbaceous peony foliage from your tree peony as soon as you notice it, so that any energy stored in that herbaceous root is not lost to the herbaceous foliage, flower, or seed development. You really want that herbaceous nurse root to use all of its energy to help the tree peony grow and become established. Happy Growing!!

Tree Peony 'High Noon' with 2 Kinds of Foliage - 4/21

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

2020 Tree Peony 'Koukamon' Blooms in Week 5 Late Mid Season!

Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate)
The weather must be really confusing the peonies this year. My Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate) bloomed in Week 5 this year! I have never had a tree peony bloom this late (that wasn't a brand new spring planted addition to the garden). Regardless, I am really enjoying the spacing out of this peony season. I kind of wish it could be like this every year! It looks like this tree peony first bloomed for me in 2018, and it bloomed in Week 2 Early season! So you can see what a difference it has had in the bloom season this year, almost 3 weeks later than normal! Regardless of when this Tree Peony 'Koukamon' blooms, I am grateful for it. This is such a gorgeous tree peony and an awesome shade of purple!

Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate)
Blooms in Week 5 Late Mid Season

Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate)

Monday, April 27, 2020

2020 Peony 'Festiva Maxima' Southern Peony Best Performer - Week 5

A Southern peony classic, Peony 'Festiva Maxima' is definitely a Southern Peony Best Performer. This peony will grow and multiply so well you will have enough to share with friends and neighbors. You can divide it easily, no problem, and this peony does not skip a beat. It is filled with loads of giant, fluffly double white blooms, with scattered red flecks in its center. The perfume is heavenly - you just can't get enough of its fragrance. The only downside to this peony is that the blooms are so heavy they will lay on the ground unless you stake or tie them up. As you can see I tied mine up after the blooms started to open. Your best bet for keeping these beauties looking their best is a peony cage or plant support ring put out when the foliage is first emerging. Peony 'Festiva Maxima' was hybridized by Miellez and registered in 1851, a true classic!

Peony 'Festiva Maxima'
Southern Peony Best Performer

Sunday, April 26, 2020

2020 Intersectional Peony Blooms Week 5 Late Mid

This was definitely the week of the Yellow Intersectional Peony! Compared to last week, 2020 Intersectional Peony Blooms Week 4 Mid, there so many more yellow intersectional peonies opening this week in Week 5! If you like yellow peonies, intersectionals are definitely the way to go. Their are so many to choose from, and they each have their own personality. No matter which one you choose, a yellow intersectional will definitely brighten up a sunny spot in your garden! Cheers!!