Let me start off with Paeonia 'Pink Dogwood Whisper'

How about Paeonia 'Many Happy Returns'

Frank, I have a winner - Morning Lilac!

First time flowers on Momo Taro and Sonoma Apricot were also ugly:

This is different! I did have some pretty bad blooms from last year but I did not take any pics of them. Fortunately, most blooms had been very good.

Anya and Frank, I hope those shown above will improve this year.

Thanks, Karen, this is my hope too

I don't take too many photos of ugly blooms. Here is one that I did take
Valkyrie

That is an interesting topic. I think it is more easy to see ugly, wrinkled and deformed flowers on Itoh Peonies.

I take a few photos of ugly blooms, maybe I should take more. I view my photographs more documentary than artistic. However, I try to make all of my photos artistic.

I usually take a photo of a new peony first bloom. And, many times it is ugly.

Some peonies have beautiful blooms that turn ugly quickly. Here again, I usually leave my camera indoors...

This year I may try to document the good, the bad and the ugly!

I take photos of the garden for records and if I can I try to take photos for the best look. Many times many things are wrong - light, camera, composition. Anyway I come back to my photos very often and enjoy the memories. And I really enjoy other people's photos, thank you very much everyone for sharing them!

littlebin said:That is an interesting topic. I think it is more easy to see ugly, wrinkled and deformed flowers on Itoh Peonies.

I agree, and it takes longer time for Itoh peonies to develop and accumulate enough resources for good flowers. I have slow growers among herbaceous peonies too, their first flowers after planting are just single which are not really ugly but boring in form and color. After a few seasons they produce flowers characteristic to their variety.

THere are some itoh peonies that look pretty bad IMHO but yet owners of them think the world of them. It's really hard to say. An ugly look in one's eyes can be a favored look in another. I just don't want to offend anyone by naming them.

There are looks of some ITOHs, that when I think of the world of introducing peonies, any one can do it if these were introduced. Surely, in many gardens of seedlings that I have seen, I have seen far more aesthetically pleasing, with far more critique from the breeder.

Indeed, I agree with Karen here. I guess to each their own. The first year of many peonies, as they settle in, shall not be measured too harshly though. They do come around. As we look at things with a critical eye, overall, I think it is good. Not all are introduction worthy, even if they have been introduced.

And just because they are new, and just because they are named and introduced, does not always mean that they are "good" or should yield their very high price tag. Some of course, you get it. Low volume of plants, an early introduction, a beautiful cultivar.

I look forward to the upcoming season....

I don't see why quite many new varieties are introduced, at least looking at their flower photos they don't look worthy of introduction. Maybe the bush looks beautiful... I looked through the APS new introduction book and a few look interesting, different from what is commonly available. Of course it's hard to judge from flower photos only.
Karen, I also don't like peonies with "unusual" flowers but there are people who like them, otherwise they would not be offered.

Unusual flowers...

I usually try to refrain.

Many look really good at first bloom, but quickly turn really UGLY.

If you do not have your camera cocked and loaded, you will probably be SOL

Oh, Frank! This photo can be used in a catalog!

Majority of the peonies are looking straight ugly at the end of flowering...Sometimes I am collecting petals and dispose them just to avoid those pictures...

Etched Salmon on day 5 or 6 as far as I can remember

:
I took this pic to remind myself to dig out and discard my Ann Berry Cousins in the fall, as she invariably (except for one season) has brown ugly stamens that ruin the look of the whole flower even though the color is beautiful. In the end I just couldn't do it , hope springing eternal, that next year will be better.

Eileen, this does not look like Ann Berry Cousins at all. Can I ask you where you got this peony? I agree the color is great but not the flower.

Eileen, that is not Ann Berry Cousins. If you bought it from a reputable company, ask for a replacement.

here is Paeonia 'Julia Rose'... first and second year photos