I finally had blooms on both my Command Performances last year. Mine did need support. What about yours?

Making a note to ring Command, thanks LG!

Liz...yeah hands in dirt.

Thank you for all your sympathy...it got worse... the eagle was back yesterday (we thought it was a random thing) and got 2 more ducks in 1 hour...it has been really horrible and we have had to let them out only with us out watching.....gardening is a little on hold. I have just decided I like deer and rabbits better than eagles!

My Command Performance has never needed support in CO. It definitely has bent stems, seriously curved the in multiple directions on a single stem S curves! But they stand up well in spite of that. Since the stems are so seriously impacted by the heat it'd make sense that it might need support in water zones. Seriously worth growing though! Gorgeous blooms...funny, I got this one by mistake. A lady on the old peony forum that's on Houzz now raved about Commando so much that I put it on my wanted list. That winter I was peony shopping online and saw Command Performance. Without checking my list I automatically assumed Command Performance was the one I'd wanted, didn't realize for a few months after that I'd actually wanted to add Commando. Ended up getting Commando a few years later but absolutely prefer CP to C!

Annie, so sorry to hear about your ducks.
My Command Performance does not need support yet. Yesterday I had to stead Caroline Constabel, it's getting big.

Annie, so sad to hear about your little duckling.

Nice to see all you warmer zone peony places waking up too! Enjoy all that is the season.

Command Performance is my biggest peony so far.



Caroline Constabel today

Annie, it's so hard to deter larger birds without impacting your smaller ones but have you tried hanging reflective things in the area? Know you could string bird netting but you're just as likely to hurt your ducks or other small birds...

Annie, sorry about your pet ducks. Might have to erect a cage for the ducks. I don't think there is much else you could do.

I've had really nice weather for a week now to melt the snow and start drying things out. Haven't seen any peonies popping up yet, but plenty of daffs, tulips, and other bulbs. Snowdrops and crocus are blooming.

I moved some of seedlings to the ground, I wouldn't say plant them, I just laying on top of the dirt/clay. I will get some dirt to throw around them next week. Some of these seedlings could be penstemon, columbine Blue Star, or fox glove.
If a few survive I would be happy.

I was outside today but not in the garden, had to clean windows. I absolutely HATE our windows, far too many of them are accessible only from the roof and 2 can only be cleaned by leaning out the window....what the heck was I thinking??? Next house won't have any that aren't accessible by a normal step ladder.

It was sunny and in the 60's here. (15.5°C). I got a lot of garden chores done.

About three years ago an autumn clematis started growing a few inches away from one of my Peonies.
I put a little mini trellis by it and let it grow. This past year it was quite large and the peony didn't bloom.

I decided now is the time to dig it up before it got too entangled in the peony roots. Long story short it had grown over half the peony root. I had to dig both of them up and use a sharp steak knife to cut the clematis away from the peony crown.

I ended up dividing the Peony root in two to make sure I got all the encircling clematis roots.

Of course it wasn't the best time of year to do this task but I failed to get to it this past fall.

I replanted the two divisions of peony, covered them up, and watered them in well. And took the autumn clematis and planted it elsewhere where it can be free to grow as it pleases.

Lesson learned: don't let another plant encroach on a peony root!

I will keep you updated on the progress of the divided peony. It was a NOID, but a very pretty red one.

I think I'm going to be in trouble for that. But I found more space for peonies next year. Yay!

I removed some of my snapdragon plants and replaced them with seedlings that I've sprouted, I have no idea what they are, but the could be columbine Blue Star or Penstemon. I planted the snapdragons near my very red freesia, orange and red should go well together, at least from my few flowers arrangement classes I had years ago.

LG..good to know...guess I better watch my crowding peonies...we'll see how bad it looks by fall.

SoCal...snapdragons bloomed out???? Mine overwintered...I wonder if they'll bloom.


20f over night...brrr Everything got covered, but we are putting off netting over a duck run until tomorrow.

Woody peony in the pot is putting up leaves...I didn't kill it!!!

I covered of the peonies with nursery pots to keep off tons of rain and did not think about the shading...they haven't come up...uncovered and hopeful

I cut them down and moved the whole plant, I only planted them there temporarily to hold the edge.
Here is a bouquet with them, the delphinium somehow snapped into half.

Very cheerful bouquet SoCal. Is that a freesia in there, too?

Annie my snapdragons overwintered and bloomed last year. Then they died last fall but had self seeded a second patch that overwintered this year! The deer chomped them pretty well last week but they are still growing!

LG, it's freesia, I have lots of them, I can't get rid of them either.

After reading LG's post about not planting anything close to the tree peonies, I'm rethinking my strategy about my while astilbe, I will plant them in a different area and still have the effect that I want. Astilbe and Hosta combination.