Hi Karen and Jasmin, thanks! Karen, I got Claudia from Asprelund Peony Gardens fall 2013. That was the first and last time I ordered from them and I probably won't again unless they have something really unusual that I can't get elsewhere. They had Silver Dawn mix and Topeka Coral, I'd looked for them for a couple of years, they were the only ones that offered them that season. I'd hesitate to recommend them because it took so long for my order to come in; I ordered in July so it wasn't a last minute thing. I waited a couple of weeks after all of the rest I'd ordered came in before I contacted them; they claimed it was in the mail. Maybe so but they couldn't supply a tracking number. They finally "resent" the entire order and I got it, roots were healthy, but they'd left out Topeka Coral. Contacted them one last time and they sent it right away. Think they were pretty tired of being pestered by me by that point! Anyway, if anyone else chooses to order from them it'd be interesting to see if they had better results than I did!
Sweet Marjorie is a striped one, looks like a much fuller Circus Circus. This is the first year it's bloomed, got it from Contrary Mary's last fall.

I took a drive to town yesterday just to see all the peonies growing in people's yards. One just seems to be prettier than the next. I saw some really spectacular ones at a small nursery near here where they are growing in the ground. Just need more room, lol.

Well, my first one opened, even ahead of the fernleaf hybrid.

Athena

So pretty, Mary.

Sooooo BEAUTIFUL, Mary! I love it. I hope mine gets better next year. Can't wait for mine to form a clump. Can't believe that it blooms before your fernleaf, but what a great way to start your peony bloom season.

Oh my gosh! What a beauty!

This is my second peonie to bloom. It's the first year in my garden, so two blooms was pretty good.
Kansas

Karen, I hear that Kansas is wonderful peony, vigorous and have sturdy stems. Is it red or dark pink?

Karen, it is a very deep pink. You can spot it very easily across the garden.

@cookies4kids It really is beautiful. I generally don't go in for the bomb or doubles but that is such a lovely color. I think Rosellete will go next here. At the ABG a fernleaf tenufolia bloomed today or yesterday (I worked last on Friday). The species and anamolia are all blooming. I can hardly wait for the cultivars. (at the botanical garcen).

Mary Stella, that is an absolutely perfect Athena bloom! Did you have many buds on it? And Kansas is gorgeous, Karen (C4K)--I'm envious because the stems for both of my Kansas buds were broken in the bad hail storm we had 2 weeks ago and there was no propping them up. Maybe next year....
Does anyone else think being in the coldest zones peonies can be grown in limits your bud production just as much as being in the warmest? With my elevation I think I'm also 4b like Mary Stella. I've divided peonies and given them away at our Rocky Mountain Gardening Forum plant swaps and have been envious of the number of blooms people who live in Aurora or Highlands Ranch CO get with the roots from my garden! Just the change between 4b and 5 seems to make a huge difference on how they perform. We're typically at least 5 degrees cooler here where we live than where we work in Aurora, just 20 miles away! And the change in elevation means we get frost and snow a bit earlier and keep it a bit later, too.
Karen (Kousa!) the blooms I had on my established peonies were bigger this year then in the past. I applied Azomite last spring and your recommended organic bulb fertilizer this spring, think I saw the difference! Unfortunately I didn't see a corresponding increase in stem strength, think I had more ground huggers this mid-season than in the past. Guess I'll have to resort to staking. I've already purchased tomato cages and started cutting them in half (easier said than done, had to resort to a hack saw) so I can have an experimental frost protection cage ready for those peonies most negatively impacted by weather this spring. I'm wondering if I left clear, heavy plastic covering the tops until the plants were big enough for it to be in the way if it might be a way to semi-protect them from the hail. Or maybe replace the plastic with hardwire cloth after Mother's Day? I don't think I'd want to commit to doing it for many but maybe I'll try it on the 20 or so most impacted plants and see if there is any improvement. And I'll document the process here, of course! Success or failure, it'll start a conversation, anyway!

Keep those pictures coming!
I just ordered Athena for this fall.
I obtained Kansas as a potted plant recently!
It is so nice to see what they will look like in a few years.

Isn't it though, Caroline! I never thought I'd like Athena with just the pictures posted from the sellers, it was pictures posted here that made me see how beautiful it is! Aren't we lucky to have these forums? Love looking at everyone else's pictures and talking to you all! It makes peony season feel so much longer!

I've had Athena for maybe three years and moved it once. Was rather puny at first, then had one or two blooms (small) last summer and now as the saying goes it is launching with strong stems and a large simple flower. Since it isn't a bomb type it should resist heading for the dirt when it rains. Seems like all my peonies have longer stems this year. I also add azomite but added the bulb fertilizer this year. Like Liz, I hope the stems hold up.

I make cages out of green fencing material. It has 4" square holes and is a sturdy wire. I got it in 36 and 48" heights in a roll and cut them rather easily with some wire cutters I purchased at Lowe's. That way I can tailor the circular cage to any width or height. And being green they blend in. For one bomb type I also put one of those circular gizmos with crosshatching that sits on tall legs over the top and one still exceeds the height by about 12". Figures it is a bomb type. Always heads for the dirt. Last year I put splints on the stems, wiring short bamboo sticks to each stem to hold them up. Ridiculous effort just to have them upright but fortunately it is the only one. MacKinac Grand bends a little but usually holds up fairly well.

NOID bloom

I like the coloring on that one! Is it fragrant.

I like the colour too-wish I knew what it is.
Not fragrant that I could tell but others might?

Caroline, love you NOID. Is it big?

Caroline, that really is a beautiful flower.

Anyone know what it is?