Just want to share a pic of a huge Festiva Maxima growing at a home in my town. This is what something would look like if left undivided in a location for 10 years. These pics were taken in 2013

FM
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Pink Double

Wow!!

Love it

Those are amazing, Karen!

Those plants are beautiful Karen!

Holy Moses! That is gigantic and beyond lovely. Hope those of mine that have been in over four years grow that large. Two that took a severe beating in 2013 have already sent up pips so I think they have recovered. Julia Rose was about 45" tall with many many blooms all different colors as is common with JR. Cora Louise is shorter, about 36" tall and has fewer blooms but really gorgeous colors and larger blooms lasting longer.

Do you know the person owned by those huge peonies?

I do not know the owners personally but I drive by their house once or twice a week. The peonies were so glorious that year that I asked the owner's permission if I could take a few pics of his beautiful peonies. He told me that his wife whom was away at the time planted these peonies 10 years ago and that's how big they got to be then when the pics were taken. The FM was over 4ft wide! What she did was really smart too by inserting a cage support around the center of the bush and let the outer stems grow without support so it looked like a rounded full bush.

I was wondering what she did to FM to get it to stand up so well. I'll have to remember that trick on the off chance that I'll ever leave one of mine alone long enough to look like that one!

I bought one potted Festiva Maxima in 2014, but got rid of it in fall of 2015 after 3 blooms - wanted something less tall and more refined flowers. Fragrance was outstanding though.

A trip to Humber nurseries ,Came back with helleborus berry swirl and peony festiva maxima.

Alex, what do you mean that your FM is not refined enough? What aspect of the form or habit that you find unattractive of FM?

Oscar, I bought Berry Swirl and planted last year but no flowers yet. I hope you will like your FM.

FM is rather tall and vigorous plant that needs staking in my opinion - I'd rather prefer something more compact because of our strong winds. That's why I am contemplating about Henry Bockstoce even though everybody say that it is great cut flower and probably will not buy it - tall and staking needed. FM petals are not relatively exquisite and some kind of loose compare the white double NOID that I have. May be it will improve with age, but I've seen some older plants as well. Also I was not impressed with FM vase life. Probably is not as fussy about soil and sun as some other peonies, but I do not find it on my want list any more. For some purpose though it would be perfect - just not for me. I am trying to limit the number of my peonies as space is a problem. NOID may have to go as well if I discover that my new Florence Nicholls is better specimen.
FM vs white double NOID

Thanks for explanation, Alex. Your white double noid looks somewhat like Shirley Temple or Nick Shaylor. Does it have strong stems?

Unfortunately not But it is not as huge as FM.