I just finished my fall peony planting plans. I am fairly new to planting peonies and went largely with a cut flower theme for my first serious expansion to the pair of peonies I already have grown:

Mons Martin Cahuzac
Festiva Maxima
Karl Rosenfield
Dr Alexander Fleming
Henry Sass
Queen of Hamburg

I also have a few itohs planned as well:

Bartzella
Callie's Memory

I am pretty sure that the top 6 are all going to be floppers - and have a tendency to droop flowers to the ground. I'd be happy to hear if I am wrong about that for any particular cultivar. Also, I was told years ago by a very old but very wise man that adding some ash to the ground helps them stay upright, but I don't have a fireplace nor do I have a sense of where the soil ph is currently at.

Thanks!

Top

Top, Festiva Maxima might stand without support but I would support it anyway, yes, the first six would need support. I have never heard about adding ash when planting peonies. We have a lot of ash, I would add it if it helps to strengthen the stems.

It looks like wood ash can be used instead of potassium or potash for strengthening stems

https://www.growveg.com/guides...

Here's my Solaris order, I learned that I should not shop for plants right after all my blooms fade... I'm glad that my roses and dahlia orders from 2018 are abundantly blooming because I've spent my entire winter order budget for 2019 in one go

Thanks for confirming the eventual need for supports, anyagoro! I'll have a few years to get that figured out - I might have to make friends with a wielder.

SulliO, that is a diverse group that you've got coming. Seidl 245 is really quite unique! I've not seen pale flowers have a center quite so dark.

Well Sulli, if you are going to blow your budget, you've made some wonderful selections. 👏🏻

Top, you have added some nice classic peonies to your collection. Don't forget to make tags and a map of your varieties. When I first started, I failed to tag or map them. I do have a list of names, but I bought from big box stores and most were not true to name. Now I keep very good track of them. If I pay $25 for a peony and it isn't what I bought when it blooms, I contact the seller. Tags give you confidence in the identity.

Peonies are an investment that can give joy to many people for many years!

Sulli - I enjoy your use of excel here! My husband made fun of me when I excitedly whipped out my excel tracker on all the peonies I planted.

Topdecker - I would definitely check out the potted home depo Bartzella in a 5 gallon pot, I was able to snag a disease free one for $50 and it's very well established. The size this year (purchased last year) is comparable to the size of a 20 year old herbaceous peony for me. The Bartzella I bought a couple years ago as a bare root is maybe 1/20 the size? It still hasn't bloom yet either.

I already purchased:

Shimane Chojuraku
Rare Flower of Frosty Dew
Yang Gui Fei Steps Out of the Bath
Golden Wheel
Twinkling of the Golden Light
Cinnabar Phoenix

I am going ponder about pastelegance and wait for a possible year end sale from adelman like last year. I am not sure if the husband would be too pleased with pastelegance price tag.

Mieko2, thanks for the tips about tags and mapping. I am still trying to find a solution that I like. Right now, I have three peonies (two of which are unknown but have been handed down across multiple generations) that are above ground and a pair that haven't come up yet, so the numbers aren't yet great enough to overwhelm me.

Minyatur, thanks for the suggestion regarding the potted Bartzella! I am pretty sure that I happen to have pretty good weather (gets cold enough) and soil for peonies but will have a better sense of that next spring. Some of the big peony growers aren't very distant from me. I planted a pair of Garden Treasure itohs out of season (this spring) and one of them is already up - so I am hoping that by following the recommended fall planting cycle that I have solid results.

Not that I am in a position to do so, but do you guys divide and trade your plants? I know that there may be a trust issue (waiting 2-4 years to see a bloom involves a lot of trust) and that not disturbing a nicely growing plant might add even more reluctance. Personally, I am trying to get at least two of each cultivar so I can divide one of them while still having an established plant.

Top

Minyatur said:Sulli - I enjoy your use of excel here! My husband made fun of me when I excitedly whipped out my excel tracker on all the peonies I planted.

Topdecker - I would definitely check out the potted home depo Bartzella in a 5 gallon pot, I was able to snag a disease free one for $50 and it's very well established. The size this year (purchased last year) is comparable to the size of a 20 year old herbaceous peony for me. The Bartzella I bought a couple years ago as a bare root is maybe 1/20 the size? It still hasn't bloom yet either.

I already purchased:

Shimane Chojuraku
Rare Flower of Frosty Dew
Yang Gui Fei Steps Out of the Bath
Golden Wheel
Twinkling of the Golden Light
Cinnabar Phoenix

I am going ponder about pastelegance and wait for a possible year end sale from adelman like last year. I am not sure if the husband would be too pleased with pastelegance price tag.

I manage everything in Excel! it's the best for keeping track of things and now I can pull images off google into the list which really helps, especially when planning orders.

I hear you on PE, I got some of them as cut stems this year and fell in love so that was where it all started. I'm also starting a huge new garden section this Fall that will radiate around these beauties so they'll be given pride of place, that and I spent so much I'll have to start everything else from seed

Top, some of us trade back and forth, if you see something you're interested in you can do a search of plant lists. Some will say whether they sell or trade. I'm moving my garden over the next couple of years so will be slowly getting established again, trying to limit efforts to that alone until the new gardens are stable

I am not buying anymore because I don't have any room left, but I am demolishing the deck in the backyard to make space for four garden peonies that I rescued. At the moment, they are planted in deep shade where they cannot bloom. I have already decided to demolish the deck and make a raised terrace (about a foot high) with a patio and flower bed (around) for peonies and some vegetables, probably kale. If I managed to move those garden peonies, I might even get enough room for one more woody. They don't mind shade; perhaps they even prefer some shade and shelter in our cold climate. Cannot wait to start demolishing

Good for you, Jasmin! I am so happy that I tore out that overgrown forsythia patch right behind my house. I already have 4 woody peonies planted there, and I will be adding some more this Fall.

Although forsythia is beautiful in the Spring, the Peonies and other Perennials will make me happier.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

LG, I found two forsythia bushes when I moved in. They were sick, so it took me several years to revive them. At some point, I was thinking to do the same as you did; that is, to remove them and plant woodies, but I gave up. My garden is so small and Forsythias give so much in spring. They are staying

However, I really don't get that whole concept of having a deck. Too much work for me (e.g., protect, paint, clean). I am giving up. Stone patio and terrace, and no maintenance.

I agree with you, Jasmin, about the deck. To me it is a hiding place for skunks, etc. I'm sure your patio will be less work going forward.

I do have numerous forsythias around my property, so I still have their cheery blooms in the Spring, just not taking up the prime area right outside the back door!

Each year I say I can't buy more, but here we go again. This fall I have

Frances Willard
Mary Jo Legare
Carol
Reine Supreme
Amalia Olsen
Scarlett O'Hara
Color Magnet
Dr. J. H. Neely
Old Faithful
Red Satin
Lois' Choice

I just need to find places to plant them now.

Hollingsworth has updated their catalog and has New Millennium at $50! It is my favorite Itoh!
I have never seen it this cheap, so I'm sure it will sell out quickly.


****UPDATE - it must have been an error- price is back at $160. Sorry!****

LG, that there in your above is equivalent to selling gold for pennies. It's got to be one of the best, if not the best ITOH out there!

Swenson's sell it comparatively cheap this year for $100. I missed it on Adelman's Thanksgiving sale last year so had to buy it this year!

Aquired First Arrival this week ! IToh !
A potted plant.