2022 American Peony Society Convention Donation - Intersectional Peony 'Hillary'

This past Sunday I got an email request for donation from the American Peony Society (as all APS members should have received), and although I am not a commercial peony grower, and I definitely do not have fields or even a field of peonies, I still decided to donate a peony to the auction. If you are an APS member and have a home garden like me, I hope you too will consider donating a plant to the auction. Each year this APS auction is the main fundraiser for the APS organization, and it helps support the APS convention and bulletin publishing costs.


Intersectional Peony 'Hillary'
The peony that I decided to donate is Intersectional Peony 'Hillary'. It is definitely one of my favorite intersectional peonies, and it is also a Southern Peony Best Performer. This peony grows so well here that it will make a very large bush (which can also be divided). Even after division, this plant bounces back and keep on growing. The blooms on this plant are stunning, and as you can see from this photo (from our bloom season last year), the petals can slowly fade to an almost pastel like bloom, while the new flowers open a bright reddish-pink! This Intersectional Peony 'Hillary' is as stunning in person as it is in photos (or perhaps more)!

2022 First Tree Peony Bud of the Season!

First Tree Peony Bud of the Season
It is a simple, nameless tree peony seedling, but it is so lovely to see this first pale pink bud appear so early in the season! A harbinger of beautiful sights to come! When in full bloom, these P. Ostii tree peony flowers look mostly white, but it is so nice to see this beautiful blush of pink before these flowers are fully open! The petals look so delicate and soft, like beautiful wisps of pale pink crepe paper!


Pale Pink Bud on Tree Peony Ostii
I hope all of your gardens are growing well, and your tree peony seasons are upon you or quickly approaching! (And if you don't grow tree peonies yet, now might be a good time to consider it - since growing tree peonies is almost like having a whole other peony season/show before the herbaceous peony flowers show up!) 🙂


Pale Pink Bud of Tree Peony Ostii

2022 Registered for the American Peony Society Convention!

I can hardly believe it!! Today I registered for the American Peony Society's 2022 Annual Convention! I must say it is like a breath of fresh air to feel like we can try to get back to some sense of normalcy. The covid-19 numbers have been dropping, and I'm sure it won't be gone forever, but at least now we have vaccines to help prevent/reduce infections, medicines designed to treat it, and have learned so much about how to prevent illness. I myself am fully vaccinated, and I am so looking forward to seeing all of my peony friends at the convention! It has been too long!!


American Peony Society Convention Registration
If you feel comfortable and ready to get back to peony conventioning, I hope you'll register too! It will be so nice to break bread and share stories with fellow peony lovers, to feel the collective joy and energy we all generate and receive from this love of our favorite (at least my favorite!) flower!! I am also particularly excited that my Mom has decided to join me at the convention this year. What a treat! I can't wait to see the beautiful fields of peonies at the University of Michigan's Nichols Arboretum and catch up with fellow peony friend, David Michener. I'm sure he's going to be a busy guy this year! Don't forget about all the beautiful blooms in the peony exhibition, and I can't wait to see what is up for auction at this year's convention!!

2022 Seeing Green (Peonies) on St. Patrick's Day!

Peony & Iris
On this St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to reflect not on being lucky or making our own luck, but on gratitude for all the things we have to feel lucky for. There are so many sad events going on all over the world that have a real impact and toll on people, and I do wish for peace for all of those in turmoil. I think with that, the current state of the world should help us all reflect not just on the small things in life that we may sometimes under appreciate, our safety, our freedom, our health, our food and water, our homes (and gardens!)...


Daffodils & Peony 'Flame'

Peony 'Flame'
We should also reflect on how we as small part of the larger human whole can all do our part to be kind to each other on a daily basis, and kind not just to those who look like us or talk like us or dress like us, but kind to everyone, and kind to those especially that are different. For when we push a part of the human whole into the "other", we create unnecessary conflict. It is up to all of us to do our parts to welcome and include and be kind to all humans, because we are all human.


Tree Peony, Hellebores, & Camellias
So I wanted to take a small part of my St. Patrick's Day today to be thankful for even just seeing the slow and steady passage of time through nature, the tiny green growth springing forth from the ground. The renewal and rebirth of life, that faithfully returns, ever hopeful, a reminder of the good in nature that we are all a part of...

2022 Solaris Farms Tree Peony Order Peony 'Angel' Emily & Her Children!

Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' is by far my favorite tree peony (at least so far!!). Unfortunately my Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' got killed 2 springs ago by TruGreen :-(. So now I have to order another one to put in a super protected area. 😊 My Tree Peony 'Angel Choir' was right beside it, and both of them bit the dust. Gosh, gardening can be an expensive hobby! Sometimes you think you only have to buy a plant once and it will be there forever, but that is not always the case!

Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' at Solaris Farms	Tree Peony 'Angel Choir' at Solaris Farms

Besides those two old favorites it looks like there are 2 new tree peonies from Nate Bremer at Solaris Farms that are children of Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' - Tree Peony 'Black Echo' and Tree Peony 'Olympus'. I really couldn't resist! They both look so gorgeous and loaded with blooms. I have spots in my garden picked out for them already! I want to put 'Angel Emily' in a lavender garden near my Intersectional Peony Garden, and I want to put Tree Peony 'Angel Choir' near a garden bench and bird feeder in my back yard. I also have some hot pink and light pink gardens where I'll put the other two new tree peony varieties.

Tree Peony 'Black Echo' at Solaris Farms	Tree Peony 'Olympus' at Solaris Farms

I am thrilled to see how Nate Bremer is carrying on the legacy of Bill Seidl in the hybridizing of tree peonies. It was a rare and unique opportunity to visit Bill's garden in 2016 Peony 'Dreamtime' Pollen from Bill Seidl's Garden before he passed away, and I'm so glad I had the chance. It was very humbling to find out that he even knew who I was! 😊 I can't wait to see how these new progeny of his angel, Tree Peony 'Angel Emily', turn out!! They look so lovely in the photos!!