My Early Scout opened today. I have another that I bought last fall, and it doesn't have buds up yet, but the plant is bigger than my older one.
I love this time of year, when you can see big changes daily.
My tree peonies are suffering from the wind, though. I think they have actually gone backwards! Leaves seem to be shriveling up.
The fernies, though, take whatever mother nature throws at them.
Hopefully I'll get some pictures tomorrow.
cindi

It rained today but I can see the red really well on my peony, so I think it will bloom within the next few days. So excited!

Here are my blooms:

I WANT one of these!!!! I've been looking for a P. tenuifolia Rubra Flora Plena for a few years now. But when I finally found one, it was $60!!!! eek! Sigh, I'd settle for a single red or a pink (didn't know the Fern Leaf came in pink till I looked here), but I really want the double. Anybody here know where I can find one?

Check with some of the peony growers. You shouldn't have that much problem finding one...

Posting a pic of fern leaf foliage in dormancy for some of the members who were concerned about the foliage dying early. For me, it has been normal for the foliage to die in late July/early August, long before the regular peonies die out.

Raised bed in full sun.


Raised bed with some light shade.


Standard peony in a raised bed in medium shade.




Second pic is a fern leaf hybrid 'Early Scout'. Intended to post another fern leaf growing in less than full sun.

Jerry, what zone are you in? I've been thinking about trying peonies in raised beds here, but am concerned that it may be too cold to do that here.

On the expanded USDA map for Illinois, I am on the border between 5b and 6a. Minimum nighttime temp of -10 occasionally. I cannot speak to your particular area but it seems to me that most peonies, except for tree peonies, are hardy to zone 3 which means the ground would be frozen as much as 24 inches @ -15 to -20. I have the fernies and hybrids raised about 8 inches for drainage over my clay soil. I use a custom mix of bagged humus, sandy potting soil, and finely chopped hardwood mulch which is about 75% rotted before it is bagged. 'Black forest hardwood fines' from Lowe's.

The species fern leaf, p.tenuifolia (single red) and p.tenuifolia flore plena or rubra flore plena (double red) are slow to multiply so they may be hard to find at times. There are several hybrid fern leaf which are not sold as not true fern leaf. A pink fern leaf is probably a hybrid but I think there is a species p.tenuifolia rosea or something like that but it would be rare in regular commerce.

I was planning on buying a species red double this year but my trusted nursery, Hidden Springs Flower Farms, did not offer any for sale due to a shortage of field grown plants. I paid $28.99 for a species single in '09 so I would expect the cost would approach $40 next year. Anything under $50 for a quality species double would not be out of line. Beware of e-bay. I think Ticker has contacts with private growers who may be able to sell you one.

There is a peony co-op going on. You should check there to see if there are any.

Just remember with the fernleaf peony, EXCELLENT drainage is a must, or you will lose it. They are pickier than herbacious peonies and even the reputable growers often will not replace these if they are lost or fail to grow. Just wanted to warn you.

They are beautiful! And very worth growing, just make sure you plant in the right spot with plenty of compost and great drainage.

Also, they need as much direct sun as possible. Some experts say they will gradually die out if they do not receive a minimum of a half day of direct sun.

It can be a very expensive mistake if you don't do it right, I know from experience. I had no idea until I started reading about them.

What is maddening is that my neighbor has one. She has no idea what it is, thinks it's a Chinese peony or something like that. She bought hers in Alaska for $25 and thought that was a horrible price. Sigh.
Thanks so much for all the information. I think I may wait a bit till I'm sure I have a place to plant one where it will survive. My garden is surrounded by sub-irrigated fields and things have been known to get just a tad soggy except for a few places higher up. Maybe a large, somewhat taller raised bed in one of the higher, drier places would work. Any thoughts on suitable companion plants?

Daylilies are a good one, as they bloom a different time than peonies. Coneflowers, liliums.... I try to have a succession of blooming to keep things looking lively

I never think my soil is that heavy, but in some areas it is heavier and that's where the fernies died. I have the surviving one one a sloping area and it is amazing there! I'm not touching it..EVER!

Oooh, good suggestions and things I want to get more of, too! Planted my first daylilies last year and I'm afraid I'm hooked! Hmmm, maybe if I tried a low raised bed, along the lines of what Jerry posted (I do love those curved stones) and amended the soil underneath to improve the drainage? I did that for some roses and so far, so good. Sigh, I don't have a whole lot of area suitable for perennials here. Annuals are fun, but they are a lot of work.