We are having a wonderful time. It has been so fun to meet folks like Nick and Sara and Craig.
Yesterday we toured 2 wonderful gardens. The first was a private garden opened up for the APS






Then we went to Linwood gardens and had a wonderful lunch under a tent and toured the gardens.







Rose Flame! First time I've seen this one.



We returned to the hotel and then a bunch of us walked to a nearby Taco place and had wonderful food and fellowship.

The peonies the Adelmans shipped in for the show got misdirected, and a bunch of
us rallied to help them when they finally showed up.
Peony lovers are such wonderful folks and I urge you to attend a Convention sometime if you are able.

Thanks for the APS update, LG. This year's convention sounded like it would be a neat one to attend. 'Rose Flame' is very elegant. I can only imagine the tour at Linwood was wonderful. was the bloom time timed pretty well? With some of the decelerated heat patterns this year, wondered how that area did.

Enjoy the convention. It's nice for you to get that extra peony season.
Happy to hear the Adelman peonies made it. The show is not the same without them.

Thanks for the update, LG, I wish I could go to the convention! Enjoy your time and meeting with peony lovers! I read Don Smith's interview some time ago, I would like to meet him in person.

Yes, thanks very much for the update, LG! Sounds like you are having a splendid time there! Linwood Garden looks wonderful! That tree peony Rose Flame is a knockout! What gorgeous form and color! I have to find a good opportunity to attend APS convention someday.

Where is it next year? I wanted to go last year but it didn't work out. This year has been so hectic I didn't even think about it!

I think next year it is in Minnesota and the following year in Wisconsin.

This Convention has been absolutely wonderful. The garden tours were amazing and we all had lots of fun. I hope that if you are able to attend one, you will go. It's so great to be immersed in the world of peonies.

The tours were absolutely wonderful! The first garden belonged a lady named Fran who actually knew Daphnis, got some instruction on woody propagation and hybridizing from him! She has been gardening at that same place for over 30 years and her garden was truly amazing, only negative is there were almost no plant tags.
Fran gave us tips on layering for propagation and on planting grafted tree peonies. For layering, she said to find a lower stem, woody, not new, and slowly pull it down to the ground by tying it to a brick or similar and tighten every day. Once it will lay on the ground she said to scrape the stem, apply rooting powder and bury that spot slightly under soil. Don't let it get too dry and just leave it, will take at least until the following spring to form roots. Once it's firmly rooted it can be cut from the parent plant and moved that fall.
For grafted woodies she says always plant at least 5' apart. Also says they need to be dug up after 2 years or so and the herbaceous root removed, that leaving it on will eventually negatively impact the vigor of the plant if it doesn't rot away on its own.
I took a lot of pics as well but am working stupid long hours the next couple of weeks, will try to sort and post here when I get time!

What an absolute pleasure to finally meet Liz, LG, Craig, and others after talking to all of you online for what, maybe 7 or 8 years?! It was surreal and somehow you folks were even nicer in person! The APS convention was breathtaking. I'm just slowly catching up on some photos and will share some here. I hope more of you can make it next year, which will be a spectacular show in Minnesota. Later (winter) I will create a more in-depth blog post and video.

Garden tours - Day 1. Fran's beautifully sculpted gardens featuring many gorgeous woody peonies.









Next stop, Linwood Gardens! This property had the most beautiful architectural gardens and sculptures. The home on the property was remarkable and had an incredible view of the Genesee Valley. This is where much of Daphnis' work was carried out after meeting William H. (Bill) Gratwick III at an art show. Daphnis and Saunders would later meet here and collaborate on their hybridization efforts. Fittingly, many Daphnis and Saunders cultivars are on display here and an attempt is being made to assemble the remaining cultivars that are not in the collection.





Holly Watson of Linwood Gardens delivers the history of the gardens. As a historian, she was perfectly fit for this!



The Italian Garden.















A sculpture of a wisteria bud in the lily pond. You'll notice several sculptures throughout these photos which were handcrafted by Linwood's own William H. Gratwick III. You many recognize that name as the originator of several woody peony cultivars.



Woody peonies in the nursery area.





'Golden Isles'. Everyone was going gaga over this one.



'Marie Laurencin' and 'Pluto'





Day two of garden tours coming up in the next post!

APS 2023 Garden Tours - Day 2.

The first stop of the day was Hamilton College. I was blown away by how beautiful and spacious the campus was and many of the buildings were impressive. The staff, students, and volunteers were so friendly and helpful and really enhanced our experience and time at the college.

Here is Saunders' house as it exists now (currently a student residence). Sorry for the reflection. This photo was taken from inside the bus as we were not able to get out at this point.



This place was an absolute dream - The Grant Garden at the Root Glen Arboretum. Our timing was impeccable. A big shout out to Craig Aiken who absolutely nailed the timing and picked the perfect spots for us to visit on these tour. It was very moving to see many Saunders cultivars assembled in one garden.











On display: 'Grace Root'




'Lavender'


'Little Dorrit'




'Madrigal'


'Bordeaux'


'White Innocence'


'Ludovica'


'Night Watch'


'Heritage'


'Rose Tulip'


'Horizon'


Finally, 'Red Lacquer', a very rare cultivar and once (and perhaps currently) thought to be lost. There was some debate around the origin of this plant. What I found interesting were the hairy anthers. I discussed this observation with Nate Bremer, and he mentioned that he had never seen anything like this before.




After we had our time in the garden, we were invited to the Saunders Archive where Hamilton archivist Jeremy Katz had prepared some remarkable records for our viewing. It was very interesting to see the high-profile connections Saunders had. Seeing such a huge volume of Saunders' meticulously kept, highly detailed notes really made a big impact on me and was a huge source of inspiration (preceded by awe).














Here is a box of notecards on Saunders' crosses. There are many more in storage, which gives you an insight into his hybridizing approach and an idea of how organized he was. Truly astounding.




Lunch at the Soper Commons Dining Hall. How grand! At this point I was wishing I didn't have to leave.


Apparently I really didn't want to leave, and cut out of lunch early to visit Saunders' grave site. I was literally jogging out there in 30C heat, and fortunately ran into the archivist, Jeremy, who, as luck had it, was heading to the same spot to take a photo for his presentation the next day. How lucky is that?! Thankfully I ran into him, otherwise I would have been up the creek without a paddle. I missed the Board of Directors group photo but fortunately got on the bus on time.




Final stop: Lyndaker Farms! It was a windy road to get there, and we heard thunder rumble in the distance....



And of course, we arrived during intermittent downpours. I was one in the minority of those who braved the rain because, well, peonies! Unfortunately the camera was mostly stowed to avoid damage, so I only got a few shots. Owners Cate and Jason gave us tours of their cut flower patch, their woody peony seedling area, and their production fields, complete with growing tips and what they have learned throughout their time on the farm. Some of you may remember Cate from her time on these very forums! They sent us home with a lovely little takeaway box of cookies.







And that's a wrap on the APS garden tours. Flower show photos coming next, as I'm all photo'd out for now! What an incredible two days. I'll never forget 'em!

Nick, your remarks about your experience and photos are wonderful. It sounded like a very unique and special peony convention. Thank you for sharing you experience and beautiful photographs.

Thanks, Tracey! It was an unforgettable time.

Thanks for your wonderful posts, Nick. It was so nice to meet you and Sarah! The fellowship we had during this Convention was amazing and I've heard so many positive comments about how it was one of the best Conventions ever.

Your photos are gorgeous and I am really enjoying them. Kudos to everyone who volunteered their time to make it such a memorable event.

I can't wait for next year's Convention in Minnesota.

I agree, this year's convention was the best yet! So enjoyed meeting you and Sarah, Nick! And catching up with old friends is always great! The garden tours were amazing, could've spent hours more at each stop. Looking forward to MN next year and WI the next, this year's convention will be a hard one to beat!