Your pink fernleaf looks really good, Jerry! Congrats! I'm hoping to see mine soon.....

We only have a very small patch of "lawn" in our back yard, the rest is prairie grass. I leave the dandelions since the butterflies seem to like them, they get mowed back once a month or so, more often if we have a wet summer. I do try to spread a bunch of Milorganite around, even on the prairie grass, to green it up and deter the deer. The only other weeds we get are pretty easy to pull up.

Jerry,
It was given to me by an old friend who passed.

Liz,
If I lived in the country I would leave dandelions too, but in town, we like our bluegrass.
The prairie grass sounds neat too!

Jerry,
Here's a sneak preview of how they look with blooms.

I am hoping to get a bloom from Early Scout this year but I don't think it is a fernleaf. Just a hybrid with some 'ferny' dna. I bought one from Adelman's maybe 7 years ago that was a 'fernleaf hybrid.' that was the only name. It is early, has small red flowers, but the leaves are just the regular peony shape. Same with Early Scout. I have three true fernleaf on order for this fall though. Have to find just the best place for them. I am continually amazed at your 'sandbox' bed Jerry. The soil underneath must really be wonderful to produce such gorgeous robust plants and flowers.

Early Scout is a hybrid with fern leaf mix. I also have a Wind Chimes which is a hybrid mix with fern leaf. I hope to have blossoms this year after transplanting it to a better location than before.

The sand seen in the bed is just a top cover. I found that a layer of sand helps to keep weeds down or makes them easy to pull. The original filling for the bed was something like 2 bags of compost with manure, a bag of very sandy potting soil, and a half bag of 'hardwood fines' mulch, and about a pint of fertilizer stirred in a wheelbarrow. Slow going but it makes an excellent soil base for any plant. The hardwood fines mulch is about 50% decayed and gives the soil a fluffy texture until it all decays. Anytime wood is added to soil there should be a high-nitrogen fertilizer added since the wood consumes nitrogen as it decays. A big mistake made by people who add raw sawdust to gardens.

BP, that is a really nice clump of double reds you have. I keep dividing and moving mine before they become that large.

The Botanical Garden has a large peony that pops pips about the same time as the anomala and was labeled "Windchimes". I thought it might be a mistake as it is very similar to the anomala. Being related to the fern leaf would explain its early appearance. Also blooms early of course. I will have to look at it again. I am so very far from an expert but I am all they have so I feel a real obligation to be informed and read bunches and look at tons of pictures. I have three more peonies coming this fall to donate, one of which is "Mohogany' (sp) which was the 2015 gold medal winner, or maybe the 2014. Was pretty expensive the first year then dropped like a rock.

RE: Wind Chimes. Apparently the jury is still out on its pedigree.

http://www.paeon.de/aaa/05676....

This is my Windchimes which is doing well after having been moved from a bad location. Obviously, it will not bloom as early as the fernies or Early Scout.

Here is my tenuifolia rosea that I got from Adelman's last Fall finally breaking ground.


I sure hope it blooms.

Mine hasn't broken ground either, LG. Seeing yours come up so late makes me feel a bit better, maybe mine will too, eventually! I think that bud looks promising, I'd bet it'll make it to bloom.

Jerry, it looks like Windchimes likes its new home!

Sally, that is a beautiful fernleaf--hope to have one that looks like that someday. Mine were tiny last year and haven't made an appearance yet this spring. I get the no dandelions in town, no one wants their lawn to look unkempt. We do keep the weeds out of the tiny area we have in back that's sodded. I've tried tons of different fertilizers with weed killer, tried organic with potato starch, nothing seems to work anywhere near as well as Scott's. That stuff will kill weeds and green up a lawn like crazy.

That is a huge bud on Rosea fernleaf, LG! Congrats! I can't wait to see yours and Jerry's bloom.

Thanks for all the positive reinforcement! That peony has a sign on it "Do not water". I was worried about it all winter as they are easily rotted. It was a relief when it broke ground....don't give up Liz.

Interesting. I didn't know there were hybrids.

Jerry,
I really need to divide! I also need to fix a nice place to display them since they bloom earlier than most and are such a gorgeous red. My beds really need worked on this year.

Mary,
We need pictures!

Pretty foliage on Windchimes!

LG,
That is so neat! Keep the pictures coming as it opens!

Thanks Liz,
There is something about a sea of green grass. It's as pretty as flower beds and you have to have a balance.

A few favorite views

The emerging peonies all look wonderful! Jerry and LG, I'm looking forward to seeing your blooms.

Sally, your garden setting is so gorgeous and neat! I love the pops of color throughout.

Sally, your place looks so inviting ! Thanks for sharing the photos.

I agree, very tranquil, Sally!

I think I'm going to let the dandelions go in our field this spring. I found a recipe for a dandelion concoction that is supposed to both moisturize and help as a topical arthritis ointment. I have everything I need to try it except the dandelions....

Oh man, wish someone would come and harvest dandelions from my yard.

Yep, bet the neighbors will think I'm even more insane! They've seen me moved mountains of dirt and mulch around, saw my biggest garden bed take shape. Then they saw all of the plant markers go in where there was not plant visible. Hopefully I'll have a good peony year so they'll see why I went to all of the effort....

LizinElizabeth said:Yep, bet the neighbors will think I'm even more insane! They've seen me moved mountains of dirt and mulch around, saw my biggest garden bed take shape. Then they saw all of the plant markers go in where there was not plant visible. Hopefully I'll have a good peony year so they'll see why I went to all of the effort....

LOL, Liz
I think my neighbors feel the same when we put up our about ground pool by ourselves, and again when I take out all my camera equipment in the yard talking pictures of the flower...... But who cares, gardening is a healthy addiction, probably is a cheaper addiction too