I had the pleasure of visiting those gardens several years ago. Even though it was raining we (daughter and I) just put up the 'brellas and roamed the display gardens and the fields. Loved loved it. She had indoor displays of cut blooms also. Maybe this year I will go again. I have to muster courage to rent a car and drive down there though. I also want to visit some yarn shops. I would take my MIL with me as she both knits and loves flowers also. She will turn 84 this month and can use the company on trips. She loves to travel and has gone so very many places out of country.

Hello everybody:
Its me with a question.
I wanted some Rock Garden peonies and looked at Klems. No able to defend nearly a hundred dollars for a plant.
Has anyone bought roots from FINA?
I am willing to wait a few years to see blooms if necessary.
What think ?

Fina Gardens sells very large healthy roots. You almost always get a flower or 2 from their roots the following spring. I recommend them with no reservations. Haven't gotten a bad root from them yet.

Karen
Wahooooo I was hoping someone would endorse heavily.
I might buy some larger varieties. I an loosing the battle with the deer and the lilies, need to plant Peonies in their place.

Jo Ann, I agree with Karen, Fina sends wonderfully large roots, and I've ordered from them for several years. Be sure to order early, they do sometimes run out of plants.

Fina Gardens is very reputable AND nice people too.

Another question. I tried to place an order but had trouble.
Is it too soon to order ?
Peonies are a new plant for me.

Not everyone has their 2016 fall varieties out, don't think I've seen an email from Fina. Adelman's and Hollingsworth is open for the year as well as Solaris. Fina sends the biggest roots of any of the US sellers in my opinion. Everyone else's are about the same size, a couple send bonus roots with larger orders (Hollingsworth and A&D). You might want to identify some that you want from Fina and check prices on the same varieties from the other sellers. You will most likely get a smaller root but if the price is much better it might be worth it. Several of the smaller fernleaf hybrids are typically typed as rock garden plants and since they seem to increase faster than species you could easily get blooms first spring from the typical division as well. I got Old Farmstead from Solaris 2 falls ago and it bloomed first spring for me, pretty amazing with the weather we had here last fall.

Just a warning Jo Ann--deer will eat peonies on occasion. I had some take the buds right off several peonies last spring, I've never had it happen before and hopefully it won't again. It was a really wet spring and they ignored daylilies planted nearby to go after my peonies, never would've thought to see it happen!

I'd LOVE to tour Adelman's as well! Hopefully there will be an APS convention in the area in the next few years--if so, I'm there!

I bought two peonies from Fina in 2014 and thought that the divisions I received were small. Neither one bloomed last year.

LG, sorry to hear you got smaller roots. Here's a pic from 2013 comparing the roots I received from Fina Gardens on the right, to the 4 Old House Gardens peonies on the left.


This was my first year ordering from Swenson's Gardens, and I was thrilled with the size of the roots they sent. I'll definitely be ordering from them again.

I wonder if it was the variety. Do you remember which ones you got from them, LG?

Hey Jo Ann, I just went to Fina's site and it seemed to be updated and working fine. They also have everything 10% off until March 31st.

I am sorry that the roots you received from Fina did not meet your expectations, LG. I ordered about 3 roots fall 2014 and all of them bloomed for me the following spring. I was really happy with my order last year as well as my order with them the first time in 2012. The ones from 2012 have become huge clumps now. I think Liz is right. Perhaps certain varieties they sell are not as vigorous as others.

Here are the 3 I ordered and planted in fall 2014 and bloomed in spring 2015:
Double Fernleaf


Raspberry Charm


Gay Paree

LiznEizabeth:My problem with the site is I tried four times to use my NEW card and it wasnt accepted.
I called my bank and there is nothing wrong. I wrote to FINA .We shall see .

My other problem was I couldn't remember my PayPal acct # and was too lazy to search for the info.
Desperation set in this AM because other peony sites did not have the ones I wanted .
Back to PP. and re did the PW.
All is well,I placed my order. My guess FINA wasn't accepting credit cards.

You know I track and label everything. This is the first year I started taking photos of the roots I receive. I use a tomato soup can for scale.
I remember being so disappointed in those divisions.
Here are the varieties:

Thank you for the photos of the roots you received, Annette. I think I will give them another order because of all the raves here.

I know myself if my first encounter with a grower/vendor is not a positive one, I probably won't order from them again. That's just me. I will also say some peony rootstock can be smaller but still be able to produce flowers. Genetics have some play here. Most disappointing to me are moldy or dried up arrivals😕. Time and growth will fix a smaller healthy root, but the other two can inevitably effect growth and survival.

Also I got Pink Cotton Candy last year from Fina. It was a healthy but smaller root as compared to the others I received in the same order. The number of eyes was fine the root itself just appeared smaller.

Tracey
I am learning so much here. I wont count a plant ,bulb or root a gonner unless it is moldy.
There are so many good vendors out there I just move on if I find a problem with any particular one.
I always check Garden Watchdog before ordering from a new vendor.

Two years ago I ordered lily bulbs from HYDE in England. The Martagones were mushy and generally there was a communication problem. Not going there again.

Just had a email from FINA. Still a mystery about my card but I put an order thru this AM using PayPal and she has confirmed it.
Yahhhhhoooo I am ready for Sept delivery. Glad that issue is behind me.